The University of Chicago, an Ivy Plus school in Chicago, Illinois, is well known for its quirky and provocative supplemental essay questions inspired by its students, and this year their prompts are no exception.
Applicants must respond to a classic “Why Us?” essay and then choose one of seven prompts to expound more on their personality and values.
TTA Top Tip: UChicago is famous for valuing bold, creative thinkers, so don’t play it safe with your essays. For the “Why UChicago” prompt, be specific — reference particular classes, professors, or traditions that excite you and connect them to your academic and personal goals. For the extended essay, lean into the unusual nature of the questions. The best responses showcase intellectual curiosity, a sense of humor, and a willingness to take risks in your writing. Think of this as your chance to prove that you’ll thrive in UChicago’s unique environment.
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO SUPPLEMENTAL 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.
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Question 2: Extended Essay (Required; Choose one)
Option 1: In an ideal world where inter-species telepathic communication exists, which species would you choose to have a conversation with, and what would you want to learn from them? Would you ask beavers for architectural advice? Octopuses about cognition? Pigeons about navigation? Ants about governance? Make your case—both for the species and the question. Inspired by Yvan Sugira, Class of 2029
Option 2: If you could uninvent one thing, what would it be — and what would unravel as a result? Inspired by Eitan Fischer, Class of 2027
Option 3: “Left” can mean remaining or departed. “Dust” can mean to add fine particles or to remove them. “Fast” can mean moving quickly or fixed firmly in place. These contronyms—words that are their own antonyms—somehow hold opposing meanings in perfect tension. Explore a contronym: a role, identity, or experience in your life that has contained its own opposite. Inspired by Kristin Yi, Class of 2029
Option 4: The penny is on its way out—too small to matter, too costly to keep. But not everything small should disappear. What’s one object the world is phasing out that you think we can’t afford to lose, and why? Inspired by Ella Somaiya, Class of 2028
Option 5: From Michelin Tires creating the Michelin Guide, to the audio equipment company Audio-Technica becoming one of the world’s largest manufacturers of sushi robots, brand identity can turn out to be a lot more flexible than we think. Choose an existing brand, company, or institution and propose an unexpected but strangely logical new product or service for them to launch. Why is this unlikely extension exactly what the world (or the brand) needs right now? Inspired by Julia Nieberg, Class of 2029
Option 6: Statistically speaking, ice cream doesn’t cause shark attacks, pet spending doesn’t drive the number of lawyers in California, and margarine consumption isn’t responsible for Maine’s divorce rate—at least, not according to conventional wisdom. But what if the statisticians got it wrong? Choose your favorite spurious correlation and make the case for why it might actually reveal a deeper, causative truth. Inspired by Adam DiMascio, Class of 2025
Option 7: 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!
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Are you thinking about applying to UChicago? Confused on how to start writing these essays? Contact us to discuss our Essay Guidance Program or Personal Application Boot Camp® and improve your odds of admission with expert guidance.
Top Tier Admissions is tracking the 2025-2026 supplemental essay prompts for all top schools here — we look forward to supporting you!
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- University of Chicago: Supplemental Essays 2025-26 - August 29, 2025
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