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College Essays

For students applying to the University of Chicago, the "why UChicago?" essay is more straightforward than most of the other essay prompts you'll see, but it can still be intimidating to try to figure out how you should tackle this essay.

What should you mention? What will impress the admissions team? What are they really looking for in your response?

We break down the "why UChicago?" essay, explain everything the University of Chicago is looking for in this essay, suggest topics to write about that'll help you stand out, and provide "why UChicago?" essay examples to help get your creative juices flowing.

The Why UChicago Essay Prompt

The "why UChicago?" essay is the only prompt that shows up every year on the UChicago application. It's also the only prompt that everyone must answer (you'll have multiple prompts to choose between for the other essay). This alone should tell you that the University of Chicago takes applicants' responses to this prompt very seriously.

Here is the prompt:

"How does the University of Chicago, as you know it now, satisfy your desire for a particular kind of learning, community, and future? Please address with some specificity your own wishes and how they relate to UChicago."

There is no strict word limit to this essay, but UChicago suggests a response of one to two pages.

What Is the Purpose of This Essay?

Why does UChicago require applicants to answer this essay? What are they really looking for in your response? Let's analyze this prompt.

No matter which schools you're applying to, "why our college?" is probably the most common prompt you'll see on college applications, and for good reason: colleges, including the University of Chicago, want to see that you really want to attend their school. Why? Applicants who love UChicago are more likely to accept an offer of admission, be committed to their studies, participate in extracurriculars, and give back after they graduate.

If you show in your essay that you really love UChicago, it makes admissions officers feel more confident you're going to have a significant and positive impact on their school.

If you can't give any compelling reasons for choosing UChicago or you don't seem to have done much research on it, that makes UChicago admissions staff worry that you're not that invested and will do only the bare minimum in college without having much of an impact at the school or afterward. They may also think you don't really care about getting into their school, which can make them less likely to admit you.

Additionally, UChicago asks you to write this essay to ensure that you and their school are a good fit for each other . If you use the "why UChicago?" essay to talk about how much you love Division I sports teams or how you want to be a famous geologist, the admissions team may hesitate to offer you a place because their sports teams are Division III and they don't have a geology major.

Ultimately, the purpose of this essay has two parts: UChicago wants to make sure you know and value what they offer, and they also want to see how you're going to make use of these opportunities to reach your goals for the future.

What Should You Write About in Your "Why UChicago?" Essay?

There are multiple ways to approach this essay prompt. However, since UChicago is best known for its academics, most applicants will make sure that at least part of their response touches on coursework and specific majors.

Here's a list of possible topics you can write about:

• Majors or classes you're especially interested in
• The UChicago Core curriculum
• Professors whose work you admire and whom you'd like to study with or research with
• Extracurriculars that you'd be interesting in joining
• The school's intense academic atmosphere
• UChicago Scav
• Research opportunities you'd like to have
• Small class size and discussion-based classes
• UChicago students you've met who you admire
• Volunteer opportunities
• Financial aid opportunities UChicago offers that make it possible for you to attend

In your response, you should choose about one to three reasons why you think the University of Chicago is the best school for you. For each reason, you should describe what UChicago offers and connect it back to your interests and skills to show how you're a good match for the school. Remember to answer the prompt completely; this means talking about both the learning and community at UChicago, as well as your plans for the future and how UChicago can help you achieve them.

Tips for a Great Response to the Why UChicago Essay

Regardless of how you decide to answer this prompt, there are four tips everyone should keep in mind to make sure they're fully answering the question, giving the information UChicago wants to see, and making sure they stand out from other applicants.

#1: Do Your Research

Before you begin writing your response to this essay prompt, you should know exactly why you want to attend the University of Chicago. There are multiple ways to do this research:

• School website
• Course catalog
• School newspaper
• Campus visit
• Meeting with an alum or current student
• Meeting with a professor

#2: Be Specific

From your research, you should have come up with specific reasons why UChicago is a great school for you. The more specific you can be when answering this prompt, the better. Don't say UChicago has great academics, caring professors, and an interesting student body. Most schools have that.

Instead, try to mention opportunities only UChicago can provide, such as specific professors, course names, extracurriculars, or research opportunities. The things you discuss should be things your other top schools don't offe— things that really make UChicago stand out.

#3: Show Your Passion

UChicago wants students who care a lot about their studies and their school, so make sure this comes across in their response. A bland statement like, "I am impressed by UChicago's strong economics program" doesn't tell the school anything about you or help you stand out from other applicants.

You've done your research to mention specific qualities of UChicago that have enticed you, and now you need to discuss specific qualities about yourself as well . Why does the economics program make you so excited? What do you want to get out of it? Do you want to use your knowledge to study the economies of different developing countries and use that knowledge to fight global poverty? That's what you should write about.

Showing a passion that's unique to you will help differentiate you from other applicants and show UChicago that you're going to take your studies seriously.

#4: Discuss Your Vision for the Future

The "Why UChicago?" prompt clearly asks you to connect your desire to attend UChicago with your future goals. So let them know your plans!  Do you hope to use your time at UChicago as a launching pad for a career as a researcher at Fermilab? Do you want to major in theater and performance studies and eventually open a drama school for underserved kids?  UChicago wants students who dream big, so let them know what your dreams are.

"Why UChicago?" Essay Examples

To help you get a better idea of what a great response to this prompt can look like, below are two Why UChicago essay examples. The first is an excerpt of an essay written by an admitted student, and the second is an essay we wrote. After the examples we explain what makes them excellent responses.

As I prepare to leave my home for a university, I dream of joining the University of Chicago community. In all honesty, UChicago is probably the only university that will accept and even encourage my eclectic thinking and passion for finding adventure in everyday life. Although I hope to major in Computer Science, I also want to study political science and the Italian language to the extent that I can confidently debate Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan and copy Dante's terza rima poetry. I want to learn about game theory and astrophysics not just in surface-level introductory classes, but through in-depth discussion and analysis. At UChicago, the Core curriculum will feed my hunger for a broad undergraduate education by guaranteeing  that one-third of my studies will be dedicated to the exploration of the humanities, sciences, and arts. I yearn to engage in vibrant discussion with UChicago musicians who study neurosciences, business majors who star in theatrical productions, and psychology students who are learning Mandarin. At any other school, I would be an untraditional student, but at UChicago, I will fit right in. Traditional warrior princesses feel at home in castles; it is no surprise that UChicago's campus is full of them. At UChicago, surrounded by diverse thinkers and unique personalities of every kind, I know that I will feel at home, too. — Samantha M.

It was reading an issue of the Chicago Shady Dealer that made me know the University of Chicago was the right school for me. Any school that produced a satire paper that included hilarious and clever articles joking about students taking a math class in an abandoned parking garage or hysterical preaching and projectile vomiting during alumni weekend was a place where I knew I'd belong.

After speaking with a current UChicago student, I felt even more strongly that this is the school for me.  This student is a Creative Writing major, as I plan to be, and he mentioned so many opportunities for University of Chicago students to publish their writing, from the Shady Dealer , to the Chicago Maroon , to Sliced Bread . My only concern was having enough time to write for all these publications! I'm especially interested in the student magazine Diskord because of its focus on student opinions of national and global news. Many people dismiss young people as uninformed or naïve, but I've found many have my peers have extremely important things to say, and it's important to hear each other. The student I spoke with on the phone also mentioned that he was able to combine his interests in poetry and French Literature, and I really like how interdisciplinary the major is.

Theater and scriptwriting is something I've always been interested in learning more about, and I think University of Chicago's theater workshops and groups like Court Theatre could help me gain more skills in this area. People joke the University of Chicago is where fun comes to die, but from what I've seen, it's just the opposite. I've never met a group of students who were so funny, creative, and intent on making an impact, and I'd love to be a part of that.

Why Do These Essays Work?

• Answer the entire prompt:  Both of these responses answer every part of the "Why UChicago?" essay prompt. They mention the type of learning the writers hope to receive, the type of community they want to be surrounded by, and what their plans for the future are.
• Give details:  There are many details in both these responses, such as specific classes the authors want to take, what they want to major in, specific extracurriculars, and school publications they want to join.
• Show where they fit in: It's clear from reading these essays how the authors see themselves fitting in at UChicago The first hopes to major in computer science while also debating famous literary works with fellow classmates, whereas the second wants to become a writer for school papers and possibly work on theater productions. They've shown that UChicago has opportunities they want to take part in and contribute to, and they tie this into their goals for the future.

The "Why UChicago?" essay likely won't be the make-or-break factor in your application, but it can help give the admissions teams a good idea of why UChicago is a great fit for you .   The purpose of this essay prompt is for you to show UChicago that you've done research on their school, you feel it's a good fit for you, and you already know some of the opportunities at the school you want to make the most of.

In your UChicago essay, you can write about multiple topics, including academics, the student body, extracurriculars, and research opportunities. Just make sure to thoroughly research the school, be specific, show your passion, and mention plans you have for the future. When in doubt, don't forget to check out successful "Why UChicago?" essays!

What's Next?

You'll need to write one other essay when you apply to the University of Chicago. Check out our other guide to learn how to tackle both UChicago essays .

The "Why This College?" is a common essay topic on college applications. Learn how to write a great "Why This College" essay for every school you're applying to by reading our guide on the topic.

Want to see some more college essay examples? We have links to 145 great college essays that includes our expert analysis on how you can write a standout essay of your own.

Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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The Chicago Manual of Style, explained

The Chicago Manual of Style is an American English style guide published by the University of Chicago Press. The Manual ’s guidelines for publishing, style and usage, and citations and indexes—known as “Chicago style” rules and recommendations—are among the most widely used in the United States, especially in academic and book publishing.

Jump to a section:

• What is The Chicago Manual of Style?

What is the history of The Chicago Manual of Style?

What is turabian style, what makes something definitively chicago style, what is a chicago-style citation is a quick reference available for chicago style, what is the difference between chicago style, ap style, mla style, and apa style in what contexts is chicago style used most often.

• How did The Chicago Manual of Style become a standard reference?

What is The Chicago Manual of Style ?

The Chicago Manual of Style is an American English style and usage guide published continuously by the University of Chicago Press since 1906. Today, it is used widely in many academic disciplines and is considered the standard for US style in book publishing.

The Chicago Manual of Style has become a staple reference for writers and editors, in part because it was one of the first style guides to be published in book form, and the only one from an academic press in North America. (Other style guides are published by professional associations.) Eventually, the Manual became a canonical work synonymous with its home institution, akin to the Oxford English Dictionary .

The Manual is now in its 17th edition, published in 2017. Sometimes referred to by its acronym, CMOS (pronounced like “sea moss”), The Chicago Manual of Style is available both in print and online , for an annual subscription fee. A free Chicago style Q&A and other resources are also available to the public on the CMOS website.

Grammar enthusiasts celebrate “Chicago style” rules, such as whether to put the title of a book in italics (Chicago style says yes, whereas AP style recommends quotation marks), or whether to use a serial comma—also known as an “Oxford” comma (Chicago style: yes; AP style: no). However, the editors at the University of Chicago Press acknowledge that rules are often context-dependent, and sometimes need to be broken. The Manual is thus also respected for its flexibility.

Opening in 1891, the University of Chicago Press was one of the original divisions of the University of Chicago (founded in 1890). The staff at the Press soon decided that maintaining a consistent, professional style would be essential to streamlining the Press’s publishing across many disciplines, and drew up an initial style sheet that was circulated to the university community.

The first iteration of the   Manual as we know it today was published in 1906 as Manual of Style: Being a Compilation of the Typographical Rules in Force at the University of Chicago Press, to Which Are Appended Specimens of Type in Use.

The Manual has been revised numerous times, including a major revision—the 12th edition in 1969—that definitively established the Manual as an industry leader on style matters. The first edition to incorporate “Chicago” in the title was the 13th edition, published in 1982; previous titles had been variations on A Manual of Style . The change reflected the way readers typically referred to the manual.

Over the years, each edition has sought to address contemporary questions from readers that have arisen via the continued evolution of language and technology. For example, the proliferation of computers—including digital publishing techniques facilitated by the internet and social media—have created a host of new style-related questions, many of which are addressed in recent editions.

Historical content adapted from The Chicago Manual of Style Online .

The term “Turabian” or “Turabian style” refers to the style guidelines that serve as a standard reference for college and graduate students writing research papers, providing an introduction to Chicago-style formatting and citation.

The guidelines were first set forth in 1937 by Kate L. Turabian—then the University of Chicago’s graduate school dissertation secretary—who wrote the pamphlet that became A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations . Now in its ninth edition, with multiple contributing writers and editors, Turabian (as it is usually known) continues to emphasize the value of strong research questions, evidence-based arguments, logical structure, and source citation.

The Turabian style guide is published by the University of Chicago Press and closely follows The Chicago Manual of Style , such that the term “Chicago/Turabian” is also used in some instances. The primary differences are the scope of the Turabian guide, which is narrower than that of CMOS , and its target audience of students. More information about the Turabian style guide and its history  is available on The Chicago Manual of Style ’s website.

When people talk about “Chicago style” rules, they are most often referring either to punctuation or source citations. In the case of punctuation, Chicago is the standard for US style in book publishing, whereas Oxford style is generally associated with British style. Some examples of a few notable differences are below:

• Chicago prefers double quotation marks (“like this”); Oxford prefers single (‘like this’).
• In Chicago style, periods and commas go inside closing quotation marks, “like this,” whereas Oxford puts them after, ‘like this’, though there are exceptions (and exceptions are generally made in British style for fiction and journalism).
• Chicago uses em dashes with no space before or after—like this. Usage at Oxford varies, but in British style many publishers prefer spaced en dashes – like this.
• Oxford style is usually associated with the “Oxford comma”—the comma before the conjunction in a series of three or more (like the one before “and” in “apples, oranges, and pears”). But this comma has also always been Chicago style. CMOS refers to it as a “serial comma.”
• On spelling, Chicago prefers the spellings at Merriam-Webster.com; Oxford follows Oxford’s dictionaries, starting with the Oxford English Dictionary .

Source citations involve the use of numbered notes and a bibliography, each styled and punctuated in a specific way, or author-date citations. Chicago’s citation style, like many of its other rules, goes back to the first edition and its focus on academic publishing. For more information about Chicago-style citations, read on.

This section was adapted from content contributed by Russell Harper, the editor of The Chicago Manual of Style’s Online Q&A.

For detailed information about Chicago-style citations and references, visit the CMOS website and Citation Quick Guide . In general, Chicago-style citations use either an author-date format or numbered notes and a bibliography.

Here is an example of an author-date citation, as it would appear in the text of an essay citing a book:

The primary cheeses used in Chicago-style pizza are mozzarella, Parmesan, and Romano (Bruno 1983, 4).

Here is a full citation for the same book, as it would appear at the end in a list of works cited:

Bruno, Pasquale, Jr. The Great Chicago-Style Pizza Cookbook . New York: McGraw-Hill, 1983.

Here is how the same book would appear as a footnote with a corresponding reference:

Sentence from essay: For best results, stick to high-quality tomatoes, and avoid adding tomato paste to your Chicago-style pizza sauce.¹

Reference at the bottom of the page or end of the text: 1. Pasquale Bruno Jr., The Great Chicago-Style Pizza Cookbook (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1983), 3.

Many English style and usage guides exist, and many organizations have their own in-house guides. Some guides are specific to particular fields like law, whereas others have more general applications.

There are many guides in publishing, media, and academia, but four predominate. These are the Associated Press Stylebook (AP style), The Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago style), the Modern Language Association’s MLA Handbook (MLA style), and the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA style). AP style is the standard in journalism, while MLA style is popular in classroom instruction and in some academic disciplines. APA style is often used in the social sciences and related academic fields.

Chicago style is comprehensive, and can address most questions relevant to writing, editing, and publishing in any discipline. Intended originally as a guide for publishers of academic books and journals, it is especially popular in the humanities and social sciences. Chicago style is also used widely by students and by publishers of novels and trade books.

Here is an example of the differences between Chicago style and AP style on common questions, such as styling titles in italics or quotations marks, the use of serial or “Oxford” commas, and possessive nouns ending in the letter “s”:

Chicago style: After Harry Styles’s tour in support of his album Fine Line stopped at the United Center, the pop star made sure to pick up some Chicago-style pizza, hot dogs, and popcorn.

AP style: After Harry Styles’ tour in support of his album “Fine Line” stopped at the United Center, the pop star made sure to pick up some Chicago-style pizza, hot dogs and popcorn.

Though either guide’s recommendations might seem prescriptive, English is a fraught language, with many potential gray areas. The editors at the University of Chicago Press (like those at AP) have sought to establish clarity and consistency while at the same time remaining flexible and cognizant of the fact that context may call for individual discretion on style matters.

How did  The Chicago Manual of Style become a standard reference?

The Chicago Manual of Style became a standard reference in part because of its early publication date at a time when university press publishing in the United States was just getting off the ground. Today, the University of Chicago Press is considered the largest academic press in the United States. It is also one of the oldest continuously publishing presses, according to the Association of American University Presses , with Johns Hopkins University Press (founded in 1878) being the oldest.

The University of Chicago Press quickly began to establish itself as a leading American university press, publishing the first edition of the Manual in 1906, before some competing presses, like those at Yale University (1908) and Harvard University (1913), had even been established.

In the United Kingdom, however, Oxford University Press began publishing its own style guide, originally titled Rules for Compositors and Readers at the University Press, Oxford , in 1904 (two years before Chicago). Known informally as “Hart’s Rules,” after the original author, Horace Hart, the Oxford style guide continues to be published today, with the most recent edition titled New Oxford Style Manual (2016).

Oxford University Press and other presses such as Cambridge University Press are older than any North American university press. Oxford traces the founding of its press to the 16th century (as does Cambridge). However, both the University of Chicago and the University of Oxford made their style guides available to the public before competitors early in the 20th century, which helped ensure their influence since then.

University of Chicago faculty, students, and staff can access The Chicago Manual of Style Online from the Library home page .

Editor’s Note: UChicago News follows journalistic convention, meaning that most of our coverage is published in AP style. However, an exception has been made for this piece, which is published in Chicago style in keeping with its subject matter.

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Command Education Guide

How to write the university of chicago supplemental essays, updated for 2023-2024, question 1 (required).

How does the University of Chicago, as you know it now, satisfy your desire for a particular kind of learning, community, and future? Please address with some specificity your own wishes and how they relate to UChicago. (250-500 words)

Explanation:

UChicago’s first supplemental essay is a classic “why this college” prompt that can be separated into three components: learning, future, and community.

Responding to the “learning” question requires laying out your intended major (or couple of majors) that you hope to pursue, along with specific class offerings, research opportunities, immersion experiences, internships, etc. for that major or related program.

The “community” component can be addressed by discussing an extracurricular or club offered at the college (called RSOs at UChicago) that you would like to get involved in. This can also add depth to your “learning” response if the organization is related to your intended major. Additionally, discussing UChicago’s size, location, history, and/or educational philosophy—the unofficial motto “Life of the Mind” emphasizes intellectual inquiry simply for the sake of learning—can be an excellent way to showcase how you picture yourself as a member of the UChicago community.

For the final “future” component of this essay, clearly lay out your current plan for your future pursuits and how you hope to achieve your goals by the time you graduate from the University of Chicago. How will the opportunities you pursue and the community you build impact your plan for post-college life?

I’ve stared up at the night sky through my prized Orion Spaceprobe Reflector telescope all over the United States—from the deserts of Arizona to the highest points of California’s many national parks. I’ve captured detailed photographs of Saturn’s rings and carefully coordinated, award-winning time lapse shots. I’ve gone on journeys through dense forests and down unmarked dirt roads to achieve the ultimate stargazing experience. But standing in my school’s parking lot, reveling in observing the Harvest Moon with my classmates, I realized there’s nothing I want more than to share my passion with my peers.  

The University of Chicago offers unparalleled astronomy and astrophysics opportunities—but just as importantly, it presents an incredible community possible to share in that experience. I’ll be the first in line to take hands-on classes like “Observational Techniques in Astrophysics” and the two-part “Field Course in Astronomy and Astrophysics” that will provide the rare chance to use the university’s array of powerful research telescopes and publish scientific papers in collaboration with my classmates. Meanwhile, classes focused on the theoretical side of astronomy and astrophysics like “From Fossils to Fermi’s Paradox” will allow me to geek out over the universe’s greatest questions with fellow self-proclaimed hardcore space nerds. I’m equally interested in connecting with professors, and (if possible) I’d be eager to assist in any way with Professor Jacob Bean’s work identifying potentially habitable exoplanets.

Perhaps most exciting of all, the Paris Astronomy Program offers the opportunity to combine astrophysics with my other academic passion—French. Communication between international labs and scientists from different countries is a major component of modern science, and this program offers an immersive component to my intended minor in French. Envisioning the conversations I’ll have seated at Parisian cafes and touring through famous labs and museums ignites my imagination and excitement. While I understand that the Paris Astronomy Program is generally oriented towards astrophysics minors, I believe taking advantage of this opportunity as early as possible in my college experience will build a foundation for my specific education in both astrophysics and French in the same way that the Core creates the a structural baseline for my general education at UChicago. 

While much of the UChicago community and opportunities I’ve pointed to take place inside the classroom, I’m equally looking forward to everything that happens outside of the campus’ gothic buildings. Visiting my friend currently living in the “South” dorm has made me especially excited for the experience of living on campus and forming relationships with other residents in my dorm. From the house-specific dining table with Harry Potter-esque banners hanging over them to the inter-house broomball battle, I was able to witness firsthand the O Week scavenger hunt throughout the dorm—the experience provided me with a built in community that will be waiting for me the moment I step on campus. However, I don’t plan to let this community make me complacent in my social life. Joining RSOs like the Outdoor Adventure Club and Ryerson Astronomical Society will allow me to continue my passions for intense hiking and casual stargazing while connecting me with other students on campus who are equally excited about those activities! 

From my perspective, there’s no desire for learning, community, or my future that UChicago does not satisfy. While others might make claims about the school where “Fun Goes to Die,” I can hardly wait to get started! 

Question 2: Extended Essay (Required; Choose one). 650 words max

UChicago’s “extended essay” is also occasionally referred to by its old name: “The Uncommon Essay.” When writing this essay, you should aim to break away from traditional essay formats and take creative control to showcase both your writing ability and unique perspective. Get creative with your responses: humor, interesting structuring, and unique writing motifs will go a long way towards impressing the admissions officers.

Each of the prompts may seem almost nonsensical at first, but start by writing down your initial ideas for approaching each of the options. If you’re brainstorming for any one of these prompts and one idea jumps out at you—go with it!

The trick to these essays is responding in a way that feels natural to you, don’t try to get too smart and outthink yourself. Try crafting the direction of your essay as it goes rather than trying to plan your essay perfectly before you start writing, as this method will allow you to better showcase your thought process. If none of the essay prompts inspire you, take advantage of Option 7 and look over past prompts until you find one that speaks to you. Don’t write off any idea as stupid, and try to keep your phone or a notepad near you as you think over the prompts—inspiration can strike at the strangest of times!

Finally, stick with the obvious theme of the essay, but don’t try to overdo it. Make sure you find a creative way to fully answer any questions posed by the prompt while also including some insight into yourself or your background. For instance, a unique response to Essay Option #3 might reflect on how portmanteaus are part of a larger trend to characterize new ideas by combining them with something familiar—but trying to combine two separate essays and calling that a portmanteau could result in a confusing and ideologically diluted essay. Likewise, Essay Option #6 requires coming up with an unwritten rule you disagree with, but your argument should also reveal something about you or your way of thinking (e.g. if you’re deeply passionate about human and animal rights, discussing your opposition to the practice of documentary staff not helping those they film—and perhaps how you break this rule when filming content for a conservationist group you volunteer with—would both answer the prompt and tell admissions officers a bit about one of your activities and how your mind works).

As an example to offer a bit of guidance: for the classic prompt “Find x,” the admissions officers do not want to see a sheet filled with math problems. However, if you use math as a writing motif by which you compare using substitution to find x with comparing activities to find what you’re passionate about… you might just have a perfect essay idea on your hands!

Essay Option 5 Despite their origins in the Gupta Empire of India or Ancient Egypt, games like chess or bowling remain widely enjoyed today. What modern game do you believe will withstand the test of time, and why? – Inspired by Adam Heiba, Class of 2027

Humans might be the dominant species on our planet, but we’re rarely the best athletes from a physical perspective. Famed Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt would be left in the dust by a cheetah. The legendary Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor would be bowled over if an NFL team suddenly employed a silverback gorilla as a running back. Even Michael Phelps, the winner of twenty-three Olympic medals for his swimming prowess, was left floundering when he raced against a shark—or at least a CGI projection of one! 

However, mankind did not come to rule the planet through our intellect and endurance alone. We had a secret weapon no other species has mastered—throwing projectiles. Sure, a chimpanzee can manage a halfhearted toss, but it wasn’t until Homo Erectus came to walk this Earth that any creature had the combination of unique anatomical traits necessary to truly master the art of the throw. Over millennia, we Homo Sapiens have developed countless modern sports that rely heavily on this ability: baseball, football, and basketball just to name a few. Of the many activities humans have created to show off the pinpoint accuracy of our throws, one game truly represents the culmination of millions of years of human evolution: darts. 

I believe that darts will be played for centuries to come. There are countless ways to play darts: Cricket, 301, Legs—but the specific game mode is irrelevant to the longevity of the activity. Simply put, the game of darts offers the best blend of compactness and complexity required to light up the neurons in our brain that have been pre-wired with a desire to throw objects accurately. Carnivals and theme parks have taken countless dollars by understanding this aspect of human nature, but darts offers a way to scratch that itch without the high cost and space requirements of classic carnival games like Ring Toss, Can Knock Down, or Balloon Darts. Not to mention, the odds aren’t stacked against us in darts! 

I can accept that not everyone might believe that darts is a “modern” game, as the game was officially created with the invention of the dart board all the way back in 1896. However, in the face of games that have existed for thousands of years, like chess, a game that’s not even as old as the first car is modern in my book. Additionally, for anyone who’d like to argue that the game of darts was created in medieval times when soldiers started throwing knives at tree trunk cross sections, I’d posit that a game is only as old as its rules. If hunting wooly mammoths with spears isn’t playing darts, neither is chucking knives at trees. Every human throw leading up to the creation of darts was simply the creative process, but the game of darts itself is the final masterpiece!

Though it will undoubtedly stand the test of time, darts will not look the same forever. Modern boards offer magnetic darts and electronic boards to prevent the potential collateral damage darts entail. Perhaps in the future, game designers will advance the game of darts through virtual reality or haptic feedback gloves so people can walk right in front of the game without fear. But wherever space is limited and people want to be entertained, darts will follow. Even if the next century’s version of darts is unrecognizable in everything but the dartboard (which could be a hologram or a projection at that point), the spread of darts through future bars and basements is as certain as its initial proliferation through English pubs.

Admittedly, even the most patient parents might want to put a stop to the next generation of dart throwers when they inevitably find the small holes in the basement wall made by errant darts from their kids’ attempts to improve their accuracy. However, they can rest assured that millions of years of evolution have led up to us all throwing those darts at that dartboard. With that kind of history on our side, we should all be able to hit that bullseye consistently before too long… right?   

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How to Write the University of Chicago Application Essays 2017-2018

The University of Chicago, located in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood, is a private research institution that ranks  #3 in U.S. News and World Report’s Best National Universities .

If you’re working on your University of Chicago application, you know getting into UChicago is no simple task — the class of 2020 had an acceptance rate of 7.9%. The writing supplements can be a challenge to tackle because of their open-ended and creative nature. This post will help guide you through all of the University of Chicago’s essay prompts.

Read on to understand how to tackle Chicago’s unique application essay prompts for 2017-2018.

Want to learn what University of Chicago will actually cost you based on your income? And how long your application to the school should take?  Here’s what every student considering University of Chicago needs to know.

University of Chicago Application Essay Prompts

Required prompt, how does the university of chicago, as you know it now, satisfy your desire for a particular kind of learning, community, and future please address with some specificity your own wishes and how they relate to uchicago..

Like many other schools, UChicago asks applicants to answer what is essentially a question asking, “Why do you specifically want to attend this school?” This is a common prompt at many top schools, and it is what we like to call an “essay of elimination.” By itself, the “Why School X?” essay rarely gets a candidate into a school, as it is really difficult to write an answer to this question that is truly unique and meaningful.

Instead, schools like UChicago use this application to separate the candidates who are truly passionate about attending the school (it has too many strong applicants for a limited number of spots in the incoming freshman class). That’s why a poorly written or mediocre “Why UChicago?” essay can keep you out, even if a great one cannot get you in.

And the only way to actually mess up this question, beyond obvious errors, like making grammar mistakes or saying something offensive, is if you don’t write an essay that is specifically about the University of Chicago.

Generic statements like “I’m excited to spend the next four years in Chicago,” “UChicago students have a tight knit community,” or “the campus is beautiful” — that apply to dozens of colleges around the country — should be avoided. The university wants to know that you want to specifically attend it, not just that you want to attend any Top 15 university in the United States. Specificity is key .

Unique Things About UChicago

To help you as you write your Why UChicago essay, we have included a few special and unique things about the University of Chicago, according to CollegeVine team members from the school. This is by no means a fully comprehensive or complete list, and it would behoove you to do your own research as well, as ideally, you will find specific reasons for attending UChicago that align with your own admissions profile. We would also warn that unless you plan on reading through 15 years worth of Scav lists, merely name-dropping Scav will likely diminish the specificity and strength of your essay.

Note: As this question is asked every year by UChicago, these notes borrow heavily from the lists we presented in our blog posts for the essays for the classes of 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021.

Extended Essay Questions: Choose One

Essay option 1, ‘the aim of argument, or of discussion, should not be victory, but progress.’ – joseph joubert, sometimes, people talk a lot about popular subjects to assure ‘victory’ in conversation or understanding, and leave behind topics of less popularity, but great personal or intellectual importance. what do you think is important but under-discussed, – anonymous suggestion.

The key words in this prompt are “victory” and “progress,” which indicate that the prompt is set up nicely for you to draw a contrast between the topic that you think is important but under-discussed and other topics.

One natural axis with which to approach this essay is policy or politics . It is pretty easy to draw a contrast between issues that are politically contentious, like abortion or free speech, and issues that are highly impactful but less debated, like malaria in Africa or the opioid crisis in the United States. If you go down this path, it’s important to note that questions like abortion and free speech are certainly important.

Instead of just arguing that they are not important, you can draw upon the prompt in saying that discussion of those issues is usually conducted in such a manner that no progress is made. Instead, it’s usually about trying to yell at the other side.

As long as you make this clarification, you can then turn to the real or underlying issue and explore it further, laying out why you think it’s important. This essay archetype can be made more effective if it is interwoven with a strong personal narrative that ties you to the important and under-discussed issue (for example, perhaps you have cousins that have gotten addicted to opioids). But it is still possible to write an excellent essay in this vein even if you don’t have a personal connection to the essay.

Another angle to take with this essay is to focus on a highly specialized or niche area within a topic or field of interest and write a deep-dive essay that shows off your passion for a subject. This can obviously be something like a deep academic treatise on an overlooked aspect of Russian history between 1640-1700, but it doesn’t have to be about a purely academic topic.

For example, if you’re an avid soccer player and fan, you can write an essay about why the 3-5-2 formation is under-discussed and under-utilized, despite allowing several underdog teams to pull upsets in international tournaments. The important thing isn’t that the idea is particularly academic or erudite, but rather that you know the topic extremely well and can display your love for it through the essay.

Essay Option 2

Due to a series of clerical errors, there is exactly one typo (an extra letter, a removed letter, or an altered letter) in the name of every department at the university of chicago. oops describe your new intended major. why are you interested in it and what courses or areas of focus within it might you want to explore potential options include commuter science, bromance languages and literatures, pundamentals: issues and texts, ant history… a full list of unmodified majors ready for your editor’s eye is available here: https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/academics/majors-minors., – inspired by josh kaufman, class of 2018.

This prompt certainly lends itself to an essay with a more humorous tone, and it is quite easy to slip into a joking treatment of “Bromance Languages” or “Ant History.” There are certainly interesting essays that can be written in this vein, but we would caution that it is really difficult to pull off a humorous tone in a written format because so much of humor is contextual and specific to the tastes of the audience.

You can still write an essay that attempts to leverage humor with this prompt, but you should keep your audience in mind. Admissions counselors at top universities tend to be younger, highly educated, and politically progressive. So it’s probably not the best idea to slip that “edgy” (i.e., racist) joke that you found on Reddit into this essay. And regarding tone, you should be going for something closer to Mel Brooks or Woody Allen than to Adam Sandler.

However, you don’t have to tackle this prompt with a humorous lens. Instead, you can use it as an opportunity to show off your intellectual chops and flexibility, or highlight multiple academic themes on your profile.

For example, let’s say that you’re interested in both linguistics and gender and sexuality studies. Instead of cracking the all-too-easy jokes about Bromance Languages, you could reframe your exploration of the topic by using it as a launchpad to discuss the concept of toxic masculinity and how that prevents effective communication in male friendships by creating a taboo around discussing one’s feelings openly.

This essay is going to work best if you find a pun or fusion that aligns closely with your profile. To share just one more example, let’s say that you renamed “Social Sciences” to “SoCal Sciences” and are interested in studying urban studies and history. You could frame the renamed major as the study of how the historic presence of industry and the military (the hard “sciences”) in Los Angeles shaped the urban geography of the city and made it harder for the city to densify its neighborhoods once those industries left.

Again this is just one of numerous possible examples with the dozens of majors on that list. You should think carefully about your own.

Essay Option 3

Earth. fire. wind. water. heart captain planet supposes that the world is made up of these five elements. we’re familiar with the previously-noted set and with actual elements like hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon, but select and explain another small group of things (say, under five) that you believe compose our world., – inspired by dani plung, class of 2017.

This prompt is the first to really lend itself to a highly personal narrative, as you can use it as a vehicle to comment on the broader psychology or organizational patterns of the society around you while weaving in your personal experience. As an example, if you struggled with self-esteem and communicating with peers when you were younger, you might argue that your place in the world is driven by the combination of confidence, intellect, and the ability to communicate or connect with other people.

If you mixed your analysis of these topics with intensely personal and negative memories of times that you struggled in each area, it could be the foundation for an incredibly powerful essay.

Conversely, you can easily lay out a more positive case and tell your story that way. For example, you could propose that the world is composed of altruism, Smithian self-interest, and random chance. Using this as your foundation, you could argue that every event in your life falls into one of these categories, and share anecdotes of how your life displays each of those traits.

Once again (as with most UChicago essay prompts), there is also a more academic angle that you can take, perhaps illustrating your knowledge of sociology, economics, or neo-Marxist analysis. The key with this type of approach is to ensure that you are displaying both your intense passion for the field and your in-depth knowledge of it. UChicago is the rare school that will accept your display of an academic or quirky passion in a college essay, but you cannot fake it — your essay needs to display the deep love and passion you have for the subject or field.

Essay Option 4

The late new york times photographer bill cunningham once said, ‘fashion is the armor to survive the reality of everyday life. i don’t think you could do away with it. it would be like doing away with civilization.’ tell us about your ‘armor.’, – inspired by adam berger, class of 2020.

This is probably the prompt that lends itself most to a personal narrative or story, for obvious reasons. One tactic that you can take is to describe a personality trait or common behavior of yours as your armor — for example, confidence or sarcasm — and interweave that with anecdotes that prove the point. In general if you take this approach, you want to try and choose less common or clichéd personality traits.

Sarcasm is about the most conventional answer that you can give that still makes for a compelling essay, anything more narrow than that (like confidence) will likely come off as clichéd. A slightly more innovative approach in this style is to use it to show that you’re willing to engage with your flaws a little bit, especially if you are a strong applicant on paper. Obviously you don’t want to go overboard, but (as an example) describing a nervous tic where you rub your pen during a test to help calm yourself down could serve as an essay that humanizes you and takes a more innovative approach to the prompt.

Another angle to take with this prompt is to use it to explore an extracurricular activity or passion that you display in your profile. For a specific activity or passion, you could then talk about a fundamental skill or “go-to move” that you fall back on when things aren’t going smoothly in this activity, which thus makes it a form of “armor” that you use to avoid failure in the activity.

The sports examples are easy to think of: For example, perhaps your go-to move in basketball is a fadeaway jump shot. But the concept can also be applied in a non-sports context. If you are a Lincoln-Douglas debater, then maybe there is a rhetorical trick or technique that you always fall back on when you’re in a tough debate. Or if you conduct a lot of physics research, perhaps you always fall back on your understanding of data when you see results that you can’t replicate or that are confusing. Regardless of the arena, the point is to highlight a foundational skill that you use in the activity to reiterate your passion and dedication to the activity.

One final approach is to engage literally with the question and talk about your favorite piece of fashion or clothing. Perhaps you have a favorite shirt or there’s a pair of shoes that has a special place in your heart. But if you do write about an actual piece of clothing, you shouldn’t just skim the surface level, i.e., “I like this shirt because I look good in it, and it makes me feel good.”

Instead, you should use it as a jumping-off point to reflect on who you are as a person and share that with the admissions counselor. For example, you might write an essay about your favorite pair of sweatpants because you always do your best work in those sweatpants (and cannot do your best work unless you are comfortable and warm). You might also extend the essay to talk about why you sometimes feel the need for solitude (which the sweatpants implicitly represent) amidst the social strain of being in high school.

Essay Option 5

Fans of the movie sharknado say that they enjoy it because ‘it’s so bad, it’s good.’ certain automobile owners prefer classic cars because they ‘have more character.’ and recently, vinyl record sales have skyrocketed because it is perceived that they have a warmer, fuller sound. discuss something that you love not in spite of but rather due to its quirks or imperfections., – inspired by alex serbanescu, class of 2021.

This is a prompt that is naturally set up for you to share something that’s quirky or offbeat about yourself. One angle to take is to focus on some sort of hobby or pastime that you enjoy that isn’t particularly mainstream.

For example, if you collect antique furniture from the 1940s or really love riding in older Amtrak trains for the authenticity of the experience, then this is a prompt that lines up really nicely to explore that. If you can tie the various quirks of the hobby or pastime to your own personal journey, then that takes the essay to the next level. For example, if you first experienced an Amtrak train with your grandfather and heard his stories, that could create a highly personal and compelling narrative.

Another approach with this essay is to write about some sort of “guilty pleasure” that you have, say if you like bad movies like the Transformers series or cheesy pop music. If you are then able to use your guilty pleasure as a vehicle to explore society at large and your place within it, then that can create a truly innovative and interesting essay.

For example, if you’re a male in more traditional settings whose guilty pleasure is watching romantic comedies, you could then explore the fact that this is considered an “unmanly” pastime and how you feel about that fact in a reflective and incisive essay. This is possible with any number of “guilty pleasures,” but you do want to be careful about how your assessment will be viewed by the reader.

For example, it’s perfectly fine to write an essay that says that you love the Transformers movie series despite its uneven gender politics if you are a woman. But the same essay written by a man might come off as tone deaf given who admissions counselors are.

Essay Option 6

In the spirit of adventurous inquiry, pose your own question or choose one of our past prompts. be original, creative, thought provoking. draw on your best qualities as a writer, thinker, visionary, social critic, sage, citizen of the world, or future citizen of the university of chicago; take a little risk, and have fun..

This is a prompt that appears every year. This essay really poses the highest risk but also the highest potential reward. Writing your own question allows you to write an innovative essay that either tackles a difficult or controversial topic (for example, our founder Vinay Bhaskara’s essay tackled why mainstream Hollywood films are more valuable than seemingly more intellectual independent films), or presents the information with a unique format (such as a conversation with a dead historical figure).

Using a prompt from past years also allows you to write an essay that is thematically and tonally different from many other applicants (as they will mostly be writing about the first five prompts offered above).

Generally speaking, your best payoff to this essay comes if you want to try something unconventional, such as writing an essay that describes the four years of high school as Hell, Purgatory, Paradise, and Heaven, and is written in the style of the divine comedy.

There are a variety of possibilities here ranging from the idiotic (you probably don’t want to write your own variation on the alt-right’s platform referring to events in your high school life) to the (relatively) overdone — they’ve probably seen several essays that have been written in iambic pentameter as an ode to Chaucer.

And we’ll reiterate the note above: This type of essay has the highest variance in terms of outcome. If done well, an unconventional essay can captivate the right admissions counselor in a way that no conventional essay can. Conversely, if the essay is executed poorly or even if it isn’t, your essay may go over the admissions counselor’s head or bore them. So this is only a strategy that you should try if you are confident in your abilities and have at least a couple of sources of high-quality feedback.

This is also an optimal prompt for truly diving into an academic passion, particularly if it is of an advanced level or unique tenor. For example, if you know a lot about Soviet cars produced between 1957 and 1983, then writing a custom prompt that allows you to explore that passion may be easier than trying to bend that topic to match one of the prompts provided.

As with any academically oriented essay, you do want to make sure that any jargon you use is made clear, either via explicit explanation or context clues. You shouldn’t shy away from jargon — it’s one of the things that helps position you as an expert on the subject of your essay. But you don’t want to render the essay unintelligible to your reader.

One broader note on writing your own prompt — it doesn’t have to be as complex or convoluted as the other UChicago prompts, and you mainly just want to find a prompt that matches the essay that you want to write, even if it is straightforward.

We wish you the best of luck writing your UChicago essay!

Want help with your college essays to improve your admissions chances? Sign up for your free CollegeVine account and get access to our essay guides and courses. You can also get your essay peer-reviewed and improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

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June 30, 2022

2022-2023 University of Chicago Essays

The University of Chicago has published its 2022-2023 admissions essays. The school, which has long asked applicants to write extensive supplemental essays, has remained consistent for this upcoming admissions cycle for the Class of 2027 by asking applicants to answer two essay prompts. We’ve always recommended that applicants answer both prompts in at least a page. So what are the 2022-2023 UChicago essay prompts, you ask? Well, wonder no more as we’ve got them for our readers!

The first UChicago essay prompt reads, “How does the University of Chicago, as you know it now, satisfy your desire for a particular kind of learning, community, and future? Please address with some specificity your own wishes and how they relate to UChicago.” In short, it’s a Why College essay, an essay that should be chock full of specifics about the school and how a student hopes to contribute their singular hook to the institution. What should it not include? Generic sentences about UChicago that one can learn on tours and information sessions. Want an example? It’s the home of the nation’s first economics department. We know, we know. Who doesn’t know that? Teach us something new rather than regurgitate the information you’re presented on campus visits!

The second UChicago essay prompt, as per usual, offers applicants the option to answer one of six prompts. The prompts read as follows: (1) “Was it a cat I saw? Yo-no-na-ka, ho-ka-ho-ka na-no-yo (Japanese for “the world is a warm place”). Może jutro ta dama da tortu jeżom (Polish for “maybe tomorrow that lady will give a cake to the hedgehogs”). Share a palindrome in any language, and give it a backstory.”; (2) “What advice would a wisdom tooth have?”; (3) “You are on an expedition to found a colony on Mars, when from a nearby crater, a group of Martians suddenly emerges. They seem eager to communicate, but they’re the impatient kind and demand you represent the human race in one song, image, memory, proof, or other idea. What do you share with them to show that humanity is worth their time?”; (4) “UChicago has been affiliated with over 90 Nobel laureates. But, why should economics, physics, and peace get all the glory? You are tasked with creating a new category for the Nobel Prize. Explain what it would be, why you chose your specific category, and the criteria necessary to achieve this accomplishment.”; (5) Genghis Khan with an F1 racecar. George Washington with a SuperSoaker. Emperor Nero with a toaster. Leonardo da Vinci with a Furby. If you could give any historical figure any piece of technology, who and what would it be, and why do you think they’d work so well together?”; and (6) “ And, as always… the classic choose your own adventure option! In the spirit of adventurous inquiry, choose one of our past prompts (or create a question of your own). Be original, creative, thought provoking. Draw on your best qualities as a writer, thinker, visionary, social critic, sage, citizen of the world, or future citizen of the University of Chicago; take a little risk, and have fun! “

We love the UChicago essays because students are offered their chance to demonstrate their love for the school. After all, if they didn’t love UChicago, would they bother writing two long essays that can only be used for one school? After all, how many other schools ask students if they could give any historical figure a piece of technology, what would it be and why? That’s right. Zero. In fact, we once again applaud the University of Chicago for daring to ask applicants to write essays that can only be used for their institution, which likely significantly limits the size of their applicant pool. In a sea of elite universities that want to make it easier for students to apply to boost their application numbers, lower their admission rates, and raise their annual US News & World Report ranking, the school with the first economics department in America paves its own path.

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A Guide to the UChicago Supplemental Essays 2022-2023

Padya Paramita

July 26, 2022

You probably already know that admission into the University of Chicago, with its acceptance rate of around 5%, is far from guaranteed. But as you gear up to apply, you might get further thrown off by the essays you have to write. Alongside the required classic “why UChicago” question, this highly selective school also presents you with some rather unusual prompts in the UChicago supplemental essays 2022-2023 .  

You don’t expect to see references to wisdom teeth or F1 racecars when you’re getting into the mindset of convincing admissions officers why you’re a good fit for a school, and yet these have been part of past UChicago prompts. It goes without saying that UChicago’s unconventional prompts aren’t your typical supplemental essay questions. But despite their unique nature, the goal of the university is the same as any other school—to understand your perspective, to get a sense of your goals, and determine whether your values align with those that UChicago looks for in its students. To guide you through each of the prompts, I have outlined the questions, how to go about tackling them, and more tips to help you write the UChicago supplemental essays 2022-2023 .

The UChicago Supplemental Essays 2022-2023

UChicago prides itself on its thought-provoking supplemental essay prompts. Use these as an opportunity to introduce yourself, what you’re passionate about, and your ambitions and goals. Although there is no set word limit for any of the prompts, InGenius Prep counselor Natalia Ostrowski, who worked as the Assistant Director of Admissions at UChicago, recommends that you limit the first essay (“Why UChicago”) to a page (double-spaced in 12-point font). The second essay—the more unusual one of the two—should be about two pages, double spaced, and in 12-point font. 

The voice in your essay can be serious, you can let your creativity completely loose, or you can find an in-between take on any issue you’re writing about. According to Natalia, “UChicago admissions officers want to see how you connect ideas and get a front-row view into your critical thinking, intellectual curiosity, and excitement for knowledge.” 

So without further ado, let’s go through all of the prompts—including each of the odd ones—for the UChicago supplemental essays 2022-2023, and the ways you should dissect and answer them:

Question 1 (Required)

How does the University of Chicago, as you know it now, satisfy your desire for a particular kind of learning, community, and future? Please address with some specificity your own wishes and how they relate to UChicago.

Although there is no strict word limit on this “why UChicago” essay, don’t go overboard with what you like about the university. Admissions officers already know it’s a great school. How do you narrow down what you love about the school? Well, look at the question for hints. The question asks that you elaborate on how UChicago can help meet your needs when it comes to the following:

When reading your response to this question, admissions officers are looking for whether you’ve done your homework on UChicago to determine how much you’d fit into the college. Below are a few questions that Natalia suggests you ask yourself to brainstorm for this essay:

• Why is the Core important to you? (And don’t just copy/paste what you wrote for Columbia and vice versa—they’ll know) 
• What specific majors are you interested in and why? 
• Has it always been your dream to work with [ insert professor here ] or study abroad in [ insert location here ]? Why? 
• Which activities are you excited to contribute to? Why do you want to be a Maroon (yes, UChicago has sports!)?

Emphasize the community aspect —how do you hope to find your people on campus? Is it the opportunity to participate in student organizations such as Humor Magazine or the intramural wiffleball team that call out to you? Or are you keen to explore Chicago’s Revival Community Improv Theater within walking distance of the college? You might want to continue your community involvement work from high school by participating in the Neighborhood Schools Program, The Civic Knowledge Project, or one of the college’s several organizations that help give back to the greater Chicago community. 

Since you have space, you can provide context on who you are, your passions, and the kind of values you hope to bring to UChicago. Whatever you choose to write about, make sure you prioritize what you’re looking for from your college experience and how UChicago is the ideal place to explore these interests or goals. Show admissions officers that you have done your research and can convincingly argue for your place at the school, clearly outlining the parts of campus you wish to commit to.

Question 2: Extended Essay (Required; Choose One)

Now we get to the more peculiar essays. At first—and even second or third glance—these questions are out of the box in comparison to other schools’ supplemental essays. But where do you even start? Natalia affirms that “Admissions officers want to see how your brain works. It doesn’t matter what you write about or which question you answer—your ideas and how you write about those ideas is what matters.” 

She also adds that from your essay, “Admissions officers will be able to have a glimpse of who you might be in the classroom, or when you’re deep in discussion in the dining halls or dorms, or walking through the snowy Harper Quad on your way to get some hot chocolate at Hallowed Grounds.” 

The takeaway for admissions officers reading your UChicago supplemental essays 2022-2023 should be to understand what makes you tick and how you are going to contribute to the community. This is the goal you should keep in mind throughout your writing process.

Essay Option 1

Was it a cat I saw? Yo-no-na-ka, ho-ka-ho-ka na-no-yo (Japanese for “the world is a warm place”). Może jutro ta dama da tortu jeżom (Polish for “maybe tomorrow that lady will give a cake to the hedgehogs”). Share a palindrome in any language, and give it a backstory.

For those who don’t know, a palindrome is a word, phrase, or sequence that reads the same backwards as forwards, such as civic, race car, madam—you get the picture. This is actually one of the most open-ended questions among the UChicago supplemental essays 2022-2023 , because with a convincing enough argument, you might just be able to sway admissions officers to believe—or not—that a certain palindrome has a backstory we might not have thought about before. Here are some palindromic phrases to help get you started on your brainstorming:

• Never odd or even
• Step on no pets
• A man, a plan, a canal: Panama
• Anne, I vote more cars race Rome to Vienna
• Did Hannah see bees? Hannah did
• Sit on a potato pan, Otis
• Cigar? Toss it in a can. It is so tragic
• Eva, can I see bees in a cave?

Don’t get so caught up in finding the perfect palindrome that you miss the second half of the question: “give it a backstory.” You can use this question to discuss your potential major or favorite activity, because after all these are your supplemental essays. How can a certain law in physics explain how Otis can sit on a pan? Does the law of demand and supply in economics help answer the question of whether Hannah saw bees. This is a great question to combine both your imagination and creativity alongside your curiosity within your academic interest.

Essay Option 2

What advice would a wisdom tooth have?

Up next on the UChicago supplemental essays 2022-2023 is another open-ended question. UChicago has used this guise of the “wisdom tooth” to see what students might value and what advice they might hold true in their daily life. Consider any advice that you’ve been given, sayings that resonate with you, words that you hold close to your heart and follow as you continue your journey as a student. Don’t use something cliche like “don’t judge a book by its cover.” That’s too generic! Instead, think of advice that’s specific to your interests and goals—advice that you can then exemplify with anecdotes from your life. The more specific you get in your explanation, the better admissions officers will understand who you are and why you should be a future UChicago student.

Essay Option 3

You are on an expedition to found a colony on Mars, when from a nearby crater, a group of Martians suddenly emerges. They seem eager to communicate, but they're the impatient kind and demand you represent the human race in one song, image, memory, proof, or other idea. What do you share with them to show that humanity is worth their time?

The next prompt is another open-ended question because let’s face it “one song, image, memory, proof, or other idea,” can truly include anything. Think carefully about your interests, about areas of knowledge that you have in your arsenal, and what you think you can make a convincing argument about because, after all, you’re trying to convince Martians that humanity is worth their time! This is a prompt that you can have a lot of fun with because you don’t necessarily have to talk about something academic, although you can. Avoid common and broad topics and don’t be afraid to get niche and weird. You can talk about how sharks don’t have bones, or about why Martians should visit a certain country or spot in your hometown, you can talk about your favorite sports team and why the Martians should root for them, or you can talk about your favorite character on your favorite TV show. Regardless of the topic you choose, make sure your reasoning is compelling enough.

Essay Option 4

UChicago has been affiliated with over 90 Nobel laureates. But, why should economics, physics, and peace get all the glory? You are tasked with creating a new category for the Nobel Prize. Explain what it would be, why you chose your specific category, and the criteria necessary to achieve this accomplishment.

Here is another question you can get creative with—but this one can lean in a more academic direction than the rest of the prompts among the UChicago supplemental essay prompts 2022-2023 . For example, if you’re a visual artist you can invent a category in visual arts. However, you could—and probably should—get even more creative than that. Think out of the box. Consider both the category and what one would require to win a prize in the category. What about a Nobel Prize in driving for the best engine builder? Nobel Prize in engineering for the person who fixes door hinges the best? A Nobel Prize in Architecture for building sandcastles? No matter what the category and criteria, make sure your personality comes through in your explanation so that the admissions officers know you’re an individual to watch out for!

Essay Option 5

Genghis Khan with an F1 racecar. George Washington with a SuperSoaker. Emperor Nero with a toaster. Leonardo da Vinci with a Furby. If you could give any historical figure any piece of technology, who and what would it be, and why do you think they’d work so well together?

This question is a bit random, but I recommend it to those who are interested in a bit more creative writing in their essays rather than those who feel more comfortable with straightforward responses or academic writing. If there is a historical figure you know quite a bit about—or someone who is from your area—you probably have a grasp on their personality. As a result, you can assign them a piece of technology that you think they could use to create something revolutionary or simply have fun with. Think Einstein with an iPad, or Napoleon with a Fitbit. Why exactly are you assigning the person of your choice with the tech of your choice? Choose wisely and talk about the possibilities that could be out there!

Essay Option 6

And, as always… the classic choose your own adventure option! In the spirit of adventurous inquiry, choose one of our past prompts (or create a question of your own). Be original, creative, thought provoking. Draw on your best qualities as a writer, thinker, visionary, social critic, sage, citizen of the world, or future citizen of the University of Chicago; take a little risk, and have fun!

If you don’t like any of the other options, why not look at 30 of the previous years’ questions that UChicago has provided to inspire you. The question “What can actually be divided by zero?” might appeal to you more than any of the new prompts for UChicago supplemental essays 2022-2023 . And that is okay. 

Note that UChicago is giving you an incredible amount of choice here by providing access to their past prompts. If you decide to go the alternative route and come up with your own question, it HAS to be good enough. It wouldn’t be the wisest decision to go with your own silly prompt with the plethora of options in your arsenal. 

While UChicago doesn’t prefer that you answer questions 1-5 rather than 6, carefully weigh your options before you decide to pick number 6. Is there nothing you might have to say for the first five essay questions? If that is indeed the case, and you’re willing to take the risk (and UChicago appreciates risk-takers) put your unique spin on a previous—or completely original—question!

Additional Tips for Writing the UChicago Supplemental Essays 2020-2021

Now that you’ve taken a look at the prompts for the UChicago supplemental essays 2022-2023 , here are a few tips to help your brainstorming process: 

• Standout essays for standout prompts : The prompts for the UChicago supplemental essays 2022-2023 are without a doubt, highly unique. It’s okay to feel intimidated, and you might choose a prompt that asks for a more academic-leaning response if you’re not a creative writer. While it’s fine to find an option that’s tailored towards your assets, note that other applicants will be writing all sorts of weird and highly imaginative essays. So you need to come up with something memorable and original to stand out from the competition. 
• Consider multiple approaches : Each of the questions for the UChicago supplemental essays 2022-2023 has different routes you can choose. For some, such as the what would you show Martians prompt or the topic of your choice questions, you can write about anything. So don’t restrict yourself to thinking there is a right answer. While it might feel like the college may want you to answer a certain way, UChicago wants to understand your personality and background. Stay true to yourself and authentically convey who you are and the way you view the world.
• Don’t let the prompts discourage you from applying to the school : While the prompts set by the University of Chicago are definitely unusual and undoubtedly tricky, they are not impossible to answer. The school has set a standard for similarly quirky questions and hundreds of students still get in every year. So the minute you see these on the Common App, don’t be tempted to run away and remove UChicago from your school list. It’s a great school, and if you have a strong application to compete with other top students, don’t miss out on the chance just because the supplemental essays seem a little intimidating!

The UChicago supplemental essays 2022-2023 can add depth to your application and help admissions officers understand who you are and what you’re looking for from your college experience. The “why UChicago” prompt is your chance to convey how you would be a good fit at UChicago and vice versa. On the other hand, the essay question is a great component to capitalize on so that admissions officers understand your interests, creativity, and how you view the world. The task at hand might seem like a tough uphill battle, but it’s definitely not impossible. Good luck!

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University of Chicago (UChicago) Supplemental Essays Guide: 2021-2022

Not sure how to approach the UChicago essay prompts? With tips from one of our Admissions Experts, CollegeAdvisor.com’s UChicago supplement essay guide will show you exactly how to write engaging UChicago essay responses and maximize your chances for admission. If you need help answering the UChicago essay prompts, create your  free account  or  schedule a free consultation  by calling (844) 576-0968.

UChicago  Essay Guide Quick Facts:

• UChicago’s acceptance rate is 7%— U.S. News  ranks the University of Chicago (otherwise known as UChicago) as a “ most selective ” school.
• To maximize your admissions odds, we recommend answering all UChicago essay prompts thoroughly and thoughtfully.

Does UChicago have Supplemental Essays?

Yes! In addition to the main essay prompt that you’ll encounter in the  Common App  or  Coalition App , you’ll also have to answer several UChicago essay prompts. The UChicago essay prompts are notorious for their unique nature and play a major role in admissions.

Need some help writing your Common App essay? Get excellent tips from our  Common App essay guide .

What are UChicago’s Supplemental Essays?

The UChicago supplement essay prompts for 2021-2022 are on the  Common App site , but you can also visit the  main UChicago site  for a full list of application requirements, including the UChicago essay prompts. Be sure to pay attention to the UChicago essay word limit, which we’ll address for each prompt below.

How Many Essays Are Required for UChicago?

There are  two  school-specific UChicago supplemental essay prompts in the 2021-2022 Common App. Both of the UChicago essay prompts are required for all applicants.

How Do You Write UChicago Essays?

We have provided the UChicago essay prompts for 2021-2022 below. You’ll find a breakdown of how to approach each of the UChicago essays as well as tips for creating an application narrative that will stand out in admissions.

The UChicago essay prompts are famously unique. If you’re wondering how to approach them, check out our UChicago supplemental essay examples on the CollegeAdvisor Blog. Our UChicago essay examples will help you approach these strange prompts with confidence.

Let’s hop in!

UChicago Essay Prompts – Question 1 (Required):

How does the University of Chicago, as you know it now, satisfy your desire for a particular kind of learning, community, and future? Please address with some specificity your own wishes and how they relate to UChicago. (no word limit)

This UChicago supplement essay prompt falls in line with many of the “Why this school?” supplemental essays you’ll likely encounter. To cultivate a class of students who embody UChicago’s goals and values, Admissions Officers want to make sure that you have thought through the reasons why UChicago is the best place for you. To give you the space to answer this question as best you can, there’s no UChicago essay word limit for this prompt. Your answers to the UChicago essay prompts should showcase the specific academic and extracurricular reasons why you belong at UChicago.

Set your goals

First, ask yourself what your goals are for college, both academically and personally.

In terms of academics, why do you want to pursue your specific major? What classes, research opportunities, and other academic resources can UChicago provide you that will fulfill your academic desires? Then, think about what you want to accomplish after you graduate. Do you have other areas of academic interest that UChicago is able to support? How do you want to combine your academic interests to create a cohesive and unique educational experience? All of these questions can help you craft a strong UChicago essay.

In relation to your personal goals, what kind of communities do you want to join as a college student? Are there certain extracurriculars or types of activities in which you’d like to participate? What do you want to accomplish in your extracurriculars or through other communities that UChicago will offer? How do you want to use your college experience to grow as an individual?

Be specific

Then, conduct some research using the UChicago website and any other resources available to you. This way, you will be able to make your UChicago essay as specific and personal as possible.

The operative word in this UChicago supplement essay prompt is  specificity ! As you research and write, consider the specific resources and opportunities that UChicago can offer you in helping you to create your college experience. If you can substitute “UChicago” with any other college and the essay still makes sense, then it is not specific enough for a UChicago essay!

Let’s revisit the UChicago supplemental essay examples for this particular prompt. In the first of the UChicago essay examples, the author begins the essay with a reference to a campus visit, which shows demonstrated interest in the university, and sets the tone by recounting a classroom conversation that made an impression on them.

When I visited UChicago, a friend invited me to step into her Comparative Literature class: Monstrosity and the Monstrous.

In this piece, notice the specificity. The best UChicago essay examples, like this one, don’t just mention a class but tell you  which  class they visited, and/or are excited about. In fact, successful UChicago essay examples like this one read like a highlight reel of the university—the student is showcasing all of the research and first-hand experience they’ve had with the university’s classes, professors, and traditions.

Now, it’s surreal to imagine taking “The Economics of Crime” from someone as renowned as Professor Levitt (I’ve been a fan since reading Freakonomics) and staying after class to clarify the finer points of the latest Freakonomics podcast (I particularly enjoyed “Speak Softly and Carry Big Data,” on using data analysis to perfect foreign policy decisions).

In the second of the UChicago essay examples for this prompt, the author doesn’t specifically mention any classes, like in the first of the referenced UChicago supplemental essay examples. Instead, the author uses a random conversation had while visiting UChicago’s campus to draw a bigger point about interdisciplinary studies and how they hope to find community at UChicago.

A few days ago, I had the pleasure of visiting UChicago’s campus. What I found was exactly what I’d hoped for: an absurdly specific and drawn-out debate over which poem was better, The Iliad, or The Odyssey.

In both of the UChicago supplemental essay examples, the authors demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the campus and are able to list specific places, classes, and traditions that they’re interested in. Also, both UChicago supplemental essay examples avoid mentioning things like the prestige and reputation of the university.

Fortunately, we have two examples for this UChicago essay prompt. Make sure to read both UChicago supplemental essay examples. These UChicago supplemental essay examples are unique and yet each captures the essence of what the prompt is asking.  You’ll also find insight from our experts on what made these UChicago supplemental essay examples truly great.

UChicago Essay Prompts Key Questions:

• First, does your draft clearly communicate your academic and personal goals?
• Next, do your goals relate to the learning, community, and future you’d like to use your college experience to find?
• Finally, have you shown how you can take advantage of specific UChicago resources to reach those goals?

UChicago Essay Prompts – Question 2 (Required):

While the first UChicago essay is fairly traditional, the second UChicago supplement essay—the “extended essay”— is a bit stranger. As far as college essays go, this UChicago essay is famous in the world of college applications for perhaps being the most creative prompt that students will encounter. Here are the UChicago essay prompts:

Choose one of the six extended essay options and upload a one- or two-page response. Please include the prompt at the top of the page.

1. What if the moon were made of cheese? Or Neptune made of soap? Pick a celestial object, reimagine its material composition, and explore the implications. Feel free to explore the realms of physics, philosophy, fantasy…the sky is the limit! (Inspired by Tate Flicker, Class of 2025)

2. What’s so easy about pie? (Inspired by Arjun Kalia, Class of 2025)

3. In Homer’s Iliad, Helen had a “face that launched a thousand ships.” A millihelen, then, measures the beauty needed to launch one ship. The Sagan unit is used to denote any large quantity (in place of “billions and billions”). A New York Minute measures the period of time between a traffic light turning green and the cab behind you honking. Invent a new unit of measurement. How is it derived? How is it used? What are its equivalents? (Inspired by Carina Kane, Class of 2024, and Ishaan Goel, Class of 2025)

4. “There is no such thing as a new idea” -Mark Twain. Are any pieces of art, literature, philosophy, or technology truly original, or just a different combination of old ideas? Pick something, anything (besides yourself), and explain why it is, or is not, original. (Inspired by Haina Lu, Class of 2022)

5. It’s said that history repeats itself. But what about other disciplines? Choose another field (chemistry, philosophy, etc.) and explain how it repeats itself. (Inspired by Ori Brian, AB’19)

6. In the spirit of adventurous inquiry, pose your own question or choose one of our past prompts. Be original, creative, thought provoking. Draw on your best qualities as a writer, thinker, visionary, social critic, sage, citizen of the world, or future citizen of the University of Chicago; take a little risk, and have fun. Please upload your response here. (no word limit)

To begin, you’ll notice that there is no UChicago essay word limit. Instead, you’ll answer each prompt with a one or two page response. With this in mind, you can write without fear of a UChicago essay word limit. In other words, take as much time and space as you need. Now, it’s time to think a little bit outside of the box!

These UChicago essay prompts might leave you feeling uncertain—and that’s okay! Once again, if you’re looking for inspiration, check out our UChicago supplemental essay examples. These UChicago essay examples can help you better understand what admissions officers look for in evaluating students. However, there is no magic formula. On the contrary, admissions officers are looking for genuine/unique answers that get at the spirit of these prompts.

In other words, admissions officers want to use this UChicago supplement essay to determine whether you can think creatively. Consider this, they’re giving you a unique opportunity to demonstrate a side of you that few schools attempt to see. In addition to the first five suggestions, UChicago gives you the option of posing your own mind-bending riddle to respond to or using one of their own from the past. For a list of past UChicago essay examples, you can head to their  website .

Having difficulty deciding where to start with this UChicago supplemental essay? You might begin with a  writing exercise ! To begin, pick three or four of the UChicago essay prompts that you connect with most and set a timer. Then, write about each topic for no more than 10-15 minutes. When you finished, did you find yourself wanting to keep writing about one of the UChicago essay prompts? If so, that’s your prompt!

For inspiration, check out some of the UChicago supplemental essay examples for prior prompts. While these UChicago essay examples won’t match the prompts above, you can get an idea of how students approached odd essay prompts. You’ll also notice that without a UChicago essay word limit, one author’s essay is only approx. 700 while the other essay is a little over 1000. This goes back to the word of caution on the UChicago essay word limit—don’t feel the need to fill your essay with superfluous language to hit a specific word count. Instead, make sure your draft is complete and that your ideas are fully fleshed out. For reference, see how the authors did this in the UChicago supplemental essay examples provided.

No matter what UChicago essay prompt you select, the most important thing is that you reveal something personal about yourself, your interests, or your accomplishments.

When reimagining the material composition of a celestial object, a student might explore what would happen if the Milky Way was made up of actual milk and how that might support, and/or disrupt the movement of the objects in our galaxy. On the other hand, a student athlete might consider how the delicious dairy product has shaped their experiences as an athlete looking to maximize the amount of calcium in their bones.

Thinking about the “What’s so easy about pie” UChicago essay prompt? Consider whether you want to an answer this literally or figuratively. For example, you can write about your love of baking and experimenting with different flavors of pie other types of pastries. Then, use your baking knowledge to delve into how chemistry and biology affect the food we eat and vice versa.

For the UChicago essay prompt about a subject that repeats itself, maybe an applicant who really loves music could explore the finite number of notes on the scale and how they repeat continuously in different octaves. That might lead that student to write about how they explore different keys, tones, and genres when writing original songs.

As the UChicago essay prompt implies, the possibilities are quite literally endless! If you haven’t already, read over some of our UChicago supplemental essay examples for more inspiration.

• Have you selected a prompt and a topic that you feel you can identify with?
• Do you answer the question at hand in a creative, yet logically coherent, way, revealing something about your thinking?
• Does your response reveal something about you, your personality, or values, or your accomplishments?

How Long are the UChicago Essay Prompts?

Technically, there is no UChicago essay word limit. The Common App requests that applicants upload files with their responses to the UChicago essay prompts. So, while all essays (no matter the school) should be drafted outside of the Common App, the UChicago supplement essay responses must be written, revised, edited, and finalized in an outside document.

Without a UChicago essay word limit, your UChicago essays could theoretically be as long as you want. However, admissions officers don’t have the time, energy, or motivation to read essays ranging several pages when they have to evaluate thousands of applications! Therefore, you’ll want to keep each UChicago essay short-ish and sweet. While there’s no formal UChicago essay word limit, we recommend that your responses range from about 500–750 words (or about 1–2 double-spaced pages) each. This unofficial UChicago essay word limit will make your UChicago essays a similar length to your Common App essay. That way, you have the room to infuse your personality and creativity into each without going overboard.

What Does UChicago Look for in its Essays?

The UChicago essay prompts are meant to reveal who you are as a student, a thinker, and ultimately a person. In fact, UChicago is know for their creative essay prompts. Take a look at some UChicago supplemental essay examples with commentary from a former admissions officer on why they  worked !

Admissions Officers want to know who you are and how you can contribute to their academic and extracurricular community. They want to know that you have the motivation, skills, and ingenuity to thrive in a rigorous, yet extremely rewarding, academic environment. As you saw in the UChicago essay examples, the school is looking for students who are interested in attending for reasons beyond prestige and ranking.  Moreover, the best UChicago supplemental essay examples show specificity in their knowledge of the school. For example, our UChicago prompt author not only wanted to study economics, but they wanted to take “The Economics of Crime” from Professor Levitt. Leveraging your knowledge of the university is very impressive to admissions officers.

The UChicago essay prompts ask you who you are at your core; they urge you to “simply be yourself and write in your own voice.” For a greater understanding of what this looks like and how it relates to the UChicago essay prompts, visit their main application  page .

Does UChicago Care About Essays?

Absolutely! In fact, UChicago cares a lot! In recent years, UChicago has received more than  30,000 applications  and generally accepts just over 2,500. Because UChicago is a top-tier school, the vast majority of applicants will have stellar GPAs, standardized testing scores, and extracurricular activities. Therefore, Admissions Officers use the UChicago supplement essay responses to understand who their applicants are and how they will fit into the UChicago community. This means that the UChicago essays form a key part of your application!

UChicago Essay Prompts – Final Thoughts

Crafting your answers to the UChicago essay prompts can seem difficult, but don’t let them stop you from applying! Instead, use your UChicago supplement essay answers as a way to demonstrate to Admissions Officers all you have to offer. Essays have great power; even if your academics aren’t exactly where you’d like them to be, an incredibly well-written UChicago supplement essay can push your application through. Use this guide to create a strategy to write solid UChicago essay prompts, and remember to check out our UChicago essay examples if you need more  assistance . Happy writing!

This 2021-2022 essay guide on UChicago was written by Senior Advisor  Michael Miller . For more CollegeAdvisor.com resources on UChicago,  click here . Want help crafting your UChicago supplement essay answers? Create your  free account  or  schedule a free consultation  by calling (844) 576-0968.

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Essay writing tips.

As a former English and Spanish major, I have written a lot of essays. A lot. And as an admissions counselor, I’ve had the opportunity to read more essays than I’ve written in my entire life.

I really enjoy reading and writing (and even editing) essays, so for this post I thought I’d give you all some essay writing tips. I was initially planning to specifically focus on college application essays, but since it’s the end of the school year and many of you are probably working on final essays for some of your classes, I thought I’d broaden my advice a little bit. Hopefully you’ll find each of these tips helpful, whether you’re working on an essay for an English class or for a college application!

• Make sure you actually answer the prompt. This piece of advice might seem very obvious, but it’s something that often trips people up. I’ve read several essays where people don’t actually answer the question that was posed. I’ve even been guilty of this at times. There are a lot of things you have to focus on when you write an essay: structure, gathering details, grammar, etc. Sometimes people get so focused on all of those things that they never end up actually answering the prompt, or they briefly address the prompt and then veer off to talk about something that’s only tangentially related. One way of tackling this problem that I’ve found helpful is making sure to write your thesis statement before you write any other part of the essay. Depending on the type of essay you’re writing, this thesis may be a little bit vaguer or a little bit more explicit; the important thing is that your essay does have a central “point.” Once you’ve done that, ask yourself: “Does this thesis statement answer the prompt?” If it does, you’re on the right track! From there, each time you finish a paragraph, come back to that thesis statement and make sure that what you’ve written supports it. You may end up needing to tweak your thesis as you write and examine your evidence more closely (this almost always happens to me), but each time you do, double-check to make sure that it still answers the essay’s prompt.
• Don’t skip the pre-writing process. Before I write an essay, I always take some time to outline. First, I try to come up with a rough number of paragraphs that I want my essay to be. From there, I make a note of the evidence I’ll be using for each paragraph and write a brief description for myself of how I’m planning to use that evidence in my argument. This may seem like extra work, but it actually saves a lot of time later on in the process. You don’t have to think about what you should be doing next while you’re writing, which saves you from having your writing flow interrupted. Outlining also helps you stay on track and keeps you from repeating points you’ve already used earlier in the essay or leaving important things out. No matter what kind of essay you’re writing, outlining is sure to make the overall process easier.
• Do at least one round of edits. It drives me absolutely crazy when people tell me that they submitted a first draft without even looking it over once. One time, I edited nine different drafts of a paper before I turned it in (my friends still make fun of me about this to this day). I wouldn’t recommend doing this, but there is a happy medium to be found between nine drafts and one draft. To state the obvious, giving an essay at least a second read will help you catch small errors like grammar mistakes. It can also help you notice problems with the content. Hopefully you won’t have to do a complete overhaul with your second draft, but even doing some light editing can make the paper a million times better.
• Start early. If you want to write a second draft, it’s important to give yourself enough time to do so. I know it’s easier said than done to start something early. I can procrastinate with the best of them, but starting an essay early makes things easier all around. In addition to having enough time to do a second draft, you’ll also be less stressed. One of my biggest regrets to this day is not starting my college application essays earlier. I could have saved myself a lot of stress and worry by starting them a bit earlier in the school year, or maybe even toward the end of the summer before my senior year. The same thing applies to essays for school. It’s unlikely you’ll start working on any essays for your classes months in advance (unless it’s something like an IB Extended Essay), but even just starting to brainstorm ideas as soon as you get the prompt for an essay can make a huge difference.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help, but don’t let your voice get lost. Getting help with your essays is always a great idea. Whether you ask a peer or a teacher to look at an essay before you submit the final version, getting a second pair of eyes on something you’ve written is always helpful. When you write an essay, you can get so entrenched in the material that you’re not able to see the mistakes anymore. Having someone else look at the essay can help you catch errors and see things that aren’t necessarily bad but could use some improvement. It’s also important to make sure that you ask the appropriate person for advice. Another way of putting that is to think about who is the most qualified to look at a particular essay. For example, teachers and counselors are both great resources, but the former is probably a better person to ask for help with essays for class, while the latter is definitely who you should go to for help with college essays. With all of that being said, you also need to stay true to your own voice when you’re writing an essay. Taking the advice of others can be helpful, but at the end of the day, it should be your work and your unique voice that is showcased in the final product.
• Have fun with it! This can be easier said than done at times, but you should try your best to have fun with whatever it is you’re writing. Sometimes you might have to write about something that’s not super interesting to you, but try to find some way to psych yourself up and get excited. And if you do have a choice between multiple prompts (like for our Uncommon Essay ), don’t just go for the one that sounds the easiest. Go for the one that most stands out to you! I can tell you that my writing was always miles better when I was working on something that I was excited about.

There’s a lot more that goes into essay writing, so this list of tips isn’t exhaustive, but hopefully they are a good starting point (or reminder!) for you. Best of luck to all of you essay writers out there, no matter what you’re writing your essay for! Now get writing!