UChicago Supplemental Essays: A Strategic Guide

What does it take to get into the University of Chicago? Along with strong academics, it’s crucial that your supplemental essays highlight your intellectual voice, academic commitment, and curiosity for deep, interdisciplinary inquiry. In order to make sure that your supplemental essays highlight how you’ll thrive at UChicago, you’ll want to keep in mind the following core values that make up UChicago’s identity:

1. Intellectual curiosity

UChicago is known for being committed to fostering a strong community of driven, academically-motivated students who possess a deep desire to push themselves intellectually. You’ll want to demonstrate how you’re not only curious, but ready to take on the academic challenges that a demanding education like the one at UChicago entails.

2. Engagement with the Core curriculum and interdisciplinary inquiry

UChicago’s historical Core curriculum is the cornerstone of each student’s academic journey. Requiring students to complete several courses across disciplines– including the arts, humanities, social sciences, civilization studies, writing, sciences, and foreign languages– it’s crucial that UChicago see you as someone who’s ready to take full advantage of the interdisciplinary opportunities offered by the Core. Being not only open-minded, but also excited about the prospect of bringing together ideas from disparate fields is a non-negotiable for every UChicago student.

3. Research and faculty mentorship

Students at UChicago are encouraged to embrace their own individual passions through the university’s ongoing commitment to research accessibility at an undergraduate level. Programs like the College Center for Research and Fellowships allow students to access research opportunities, as well as training in key skills like writing fellowship applications– parts of a research career that are often not taught in-depth at other universities.

How to Write the UChicago Supplemental Essays (2025-2026)

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 strict word limit, aim 300–600)

This is one of the standard supplemental essays, essentially asking you: “Why UChicago?”. You’ll need to demonstrate a unique desire to engage with specific resources the UChicago has to offer. Here are some other things to keep in mind as you draft this UChicago supplemental essay:

1. Discuss a collaborative learning opportunity where you’ve felt academically challenged and pushed to achieve beyond what you expected or thought you could do. Keep it specific, since going to general won’t convince your admissions reader of your genuine academic drive.
2. Connect this experience back to UChicago-specific opportunities or values. You may want to take this opportunity to mention the Core curriculum– one of the most important and defining characteristics of an education at UChicago.
   1. If you’re inclined towards politics or entrepreneurship, you can discuss the Institute of Politics or the College New Venture Challenge. No matter what your goals are, make sure to demonstrate how you’ll take advantage of the communities that exist at UChicago. If you’re more STEM-oriented, check out the Data Science Clinic, where students get hands-on experience applying data science to the real world through close collaboration with professionals.
3. Keep in mind that you’ll want to strike a balance: don’t just name programs, but rather, focus on how both your overall values and goals align with UChicago’s, and that you’ll be able to fulfill those and deepen them through UChicago’s specific offerings.

Extended Essay (Required, choose 1 of 7 prompts) (no strict word limit, aim 500–700)

Prompts include inter species telepathy conversation, uninvent one thing, explore a contronym in your life, defend an object being phased out, propose a brand identity pivot, explain a spurious correlation, or choose a past prompt or your own.

While choosing one of these creative prompts may seem intimidating– these aren’t your cookie-cutter “why school?” and “why major?” essays that you’re likely all-too-familiar with– these essays are a great opportunity to highlight a part of your identity or experience that you otherwise wouldn’t have gotten the change to. To help guide you, try to use the following tips:

1. Don’t pick the prompt that seems easiest. Think creatively; because of the Core curriculum, writing and brainstorming is an important skill for every UChicago students, and this prompt is as much an opportunity for the admissions committee to learn something new about you as it is a chance for them to see how you tackle an unfamiliar writing task. Push yourself to engage with a topic that’s genuine to you.
2. Start with your story. Pick an experience or narrative that fills in a gap in your application– maybe you haven’t yet had the chance to touch on how involved you are with a certain community, or discuss a creative passion. Choose a prompt that allows you to analyze that story in an original light.
3. Let your voice be playful and precise. Avoid gimmicks, and cut anything that doesn’t serve your central idea. Don’t try to write what you think the admissions reader wants to see; write what’s true to you, while keeping in mind the core goal of this essay– to show off a part of you that will enrich UChicago’s community.

Conclusion

Good luck on your draft! Understanding the University of Chicago’s values will ensure that you’re able to craft complex, details responses to UChicago’s supplemental essay questions and make your application stand out.

At Essay Cafe, we offer comprehensive essay reviews to make sure your essays are your biggest advocates in the admissions office. If you’re unsure about your essay strategy or need a trusted second opinion, you can request a review or book a 1:1 session by creating an account here.

Need help with the rest of your supplements? Check out additional school-by-school guides here!