uchicago essay tips

uchicago essay tips

Effective Strategies for Writing Strong University of Chicago Supplemental Essays

1. Introduction to University of Chicago Supplemental Essays

It is very important to remember that researching the university is even more important than researching the major or subject you want to specialize in. After all, you are still in school, and most of your time will be devoted to general classes. There is a good reason for that. Most kids still have no idea what they want to do with their lives when they start college. Therefore, universities and colleges require you to take many basic classes; it is up to you to actively engage with them. It is important you do your research and write strong essays for the University of Chicago. This will increase your chances of getting in no matter what the major might be.

Whether you are interested in a particular major at this university or not, it is vital that you realize they are always looking for students who are enthusiastic about learning. You must show that you are indeed such a student. When making use of their supplement to the Common Application, they make this task even easier. The supplement requires you to write numerous essays, and each one will require you to show the University of Chicago what you know about it. You also need to come out as an original and curious person who does not live in what others say about various topics, but has a curious mind of your own. How do you write such essays?

2. Understanding the Prompts and Guidelines

The very first thing is that you need to stay on topic. If you come up with a really great idea that just does not fit but it is absolutely, super good, throw that idea away. It is only good if it fits the question. If you come up with an idea that kind of fits the prompt but it would be a stretch, it does not want to make you sound good, and it is not what you want to write about but you think you could kind of manipulate it to make it fit, walk away from that idea. It will probably mess up your entire response because your natural voice will not be there. You should just write naturally about the prompt and the larger topic. And the minute you are off topic, everything else that will come out of your mind, your fingers, and to paper for that prompt will not be what the university is looking for in a UChicago student.

Stay on topic.

Before you begin responding to the University of Chicago supplemental essays, you should first carefully read over each and every prompt. You should read them multiple times. Make sure you understand not only what you have to do for each prompt but also what the prompt is actually asking you and seeking from you. Understanding the question and what it is asking of you is highly important. There is a big difference between misunderstanding the prompt and completely understanding it. That being said, you really need to study it, analyze it, and critically think about it before you begin writing any essay or response. Similarly, it is absolutely key that you adhere to all of the guidelines including response length provided within the application. You should be aware of them, understand them, and respect them. The guidelines are there for a reason and that reason is not to make your life miserable. If you do not meet all the requirements, your response may not even be read. So, you should read over them several times and ensure that all of your responses meet all the requirements including the word limit.

3. Crafting a Compelling Narrative

Some great central narratives include ancestral history, intergenerational conflict or understanding, and travel. Family, friendship, and love are age-old favorites, and you could talk about an important person in your life or an honest-to-God experience with long-term people watching. Autobiography is another classic choice, as it allows you to make almost any story applicable to the prompt. Finding a narrative can be as easy as filling in the blank of each prompt with “It is about a/the __” with each different noun being a different one of your anecdotes or personal experiences.

Strive to weave meaning throughout your essay and determine one or two central narratives that you want the admissions committee to glean from your work. You are not limited to only one narrative, and the more esoteric topics of the prompts allow for multiple narratives within the same essay. If you can manage it, this could be a great opportunity to demonstrate the range of your interests while still tying everything in your essay back to a central narrative.

4. Incorporating Creativity and Originality

Originality can leave a deep impression on the readers, often from a strangely specific, small detail that they included in their writing. If they own a blank journal or like to write on their hands every now and then, referencing such habits in a written argument can make them vividly memorable. Evocative language, striking juxtaposition and preemptive skepticism through acknowledgment can work in their writing doors to the readers. Directors of admission want to be inspired and charmed by the people they might let into their university, so applicants should emotionally connect with them. This means they should not exclude key personal information to propel originality—revealing all sorts of authentic adversity or challenges can invest the reader in the personal journey. They should be themselves.

After researching prompts and even brainstorming in a way that may seem weird, it can be hard not to produce essays that feel stiff and stale. While it is important to stick to the prompt and focus on explicitly answering all parts of it, incorporating creativity and originality is critical for standing out to the admissions officers reading them. In the course of their application review, an especially original and creative essay could be a breath of fresh air to these officers, potentially making a student stand out in their minds when they evaluate them as part of the entire applicant pool. This can work immediately in breathing some life and pizzazz into an essay, ensuring its reader does not become bored or disengaged from the narrative at any point as well. Your essay should be located in a sweet spot between creative and focused, developing ideas in a way that leans into the originality while keeping up with the prompt and the message the students are trying to express.

5. Editing and Revising for Clarity and Impact

After checking and rechecking critical aspects of your essays, such as the content, thesis, artwork, facts, and possible supporting examples, ensure that the writing is effective and the focus is absolutely clear. Define your style: descriptive, argumentative, investigative, or persuasive? Is your style blended or merely transitional between two very different styles? Finally, ask your smart pride for feedback on your essays’ effectiveness, clarity, completion, and (if appropriate) conciseness. Then revise your essays and submit polished, proofread essays.

Revising often involves multi-stage processes. First, proofread for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and (sometimes) wordiness. Missed errors, even ones as small as a misspelled household appliance (e.g., “dish-washer” instead of “dishwasher”), attract negative attention to your UChicago essays. Such errors indicate that you either did not put effort into the essays or failed to give your writing the attention and scrutiny it deserves. Universities attract students who exhibit intellectual vitality, and the essays are a key tool for capturing a full picture of qualified candidates.

Develop your essays by accessing the UChicago Question 1, or by submitting an essay to us for further development. Of course, submitting a quality set of polished, error-free essays typically improves your admission chances!

The previous four strategies, if done before submission, can help your UChicago essays turn out well. But to turn out optimally, you will also need to perfect your writing skills and edit thoroughly for clarity and impact. Studies have suggested that clarity of writing style is one of the top 10 things that colleges look for in the essays of their applicants.