How To Get Into The University of Chicago (UChicago)

Are you wondering how to get accepted into University of Chicago? It’s difficult but achievable. The admissions process is exceptionally competitive; however, with the right knowledge, ample planning, and the best University of Chicago application help, you can submit an exceptional, persuasive application.

From Nobel Prizes and Pulitzer Prizes to John Bates Clark Medals, Emmy Awards, and Academy Awards, the accolades earned by UChicago alumni are impressive. A few of the many notable alumni include:

• Carl Sagan
• Mike Nichols
• Bernie Sanders
• Katharine Graham
• Edwin Hubble
• Mitt Romney
• Ed Asner
• Milton Friedman
• Robert Mulliken
• Roger Ebert
• Marilu Henner

In addition, former president Barack Obama was a professor at the University of Chicago for 12 years, teaching constitutional law as a lecturer and senior lecturer.

Located in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, UChicago is surrounded by beachfront parks, museums, and restaurants. It's about 20 minutes from the downtown area and offers a culturally diverse campus that caters to an enormous variety of students. Local students aiming for UChicago can get expert support through our Chicago college counseling team.

The campus spans 217 beautiful acres filled with century-old trees, botanical gardens, and ivy-covered gothic architecture that blends with modern buildings. The university is home to the eighth-largest research library in the country, with more than 12 million volumes within.

It’s crucial that you take some time to become acquainted with this storied institution’s history — many of the greatest influencers of the modern era have come from this university.

Originally founded in 1856, the Old University of Chicago began on ten acres of land donated by Senator Stephen A. Douglas. At first, the school was a promising institution of higher learning. Unfortunately, it was also afflicted by financial difficulties and had to close its doors in 1886. 

By 1890, however, many alumni and several trustees had worked to get the school up and running again. They wanted to buy back the property that the original campus had been located on, but Marshall Field offered his land in Hyde Park, so the university was moved to the South Side.

Since it opened its doors in 1890 after being re-founded by John D. Rockefeller, the university has persevered through trying times and emerged as one of the most prestigious universities in the nation, laying claim to many great achievements born on its campus.

If you’re determined to join the Maroons in the Windy City, you need to learn how to get into University of Chicago and begin your preparation as soon as you can. 

It’s important to know what the admissions counselors are looking for in future students so you understand the qualities you must possess in order to convince them that you belong on campus.

There are currently 7,011 undergraduate students attending this midwestern university, along with 10,459 graduate and professional students. For the class of 2026, the school received 37,526 applications and accepted only 2,041 of them, giving the University of Chicago an acceptance rate of just 5.4%. 

This makes the University of Chicago one of the most selective schools in the United States. You will need to stand out with every bit of information that is included in your application if you’re going to make it through the first round. 

From your actual application to extracurricular activities, letters of recommendation, and your essay, you have to be near-perfect to impress the UChicago admission counselors.

The University of Chicago offers four different application plans for students:

• Early Action: Application deadline of November 1
• Early Decision I: Application deadline of November 1
• Early Decision II: Application deadline of January 3
• Regular Decision: Application deadline of January 3

While they share two application deadlines, these four options differ in their decision dates and reply dates.

Early Action is best if you want to apply early but are not 100% sure you want to attend UChicago. The admission decision will be made by mid-December. With this option, you will have until May 2 to accept or decline.

Early Decision I is for you if you absolutely have no doubt that, if accepted, you would go to the University of Chicago. Admission decisions are made by the middle of December, and with this option, your binding decision is due in mid-January.

Early Decision II is the right choice for you if you are 100% certain you would go to UChicago if accepted, but you did not make the November 1 Early Decision I date. Admission decisions are made by mid-February and your decision is binding.

Regular Decision is the standard non-binding plan, and admissions decisions are made by late March. With this option, your reply is not due until May 2.

With almost 100 Nobel laureates affiliated with this university, UChicago is ranked #6 in U.S. News & World Report’s Best College list. It offers 53 majors and 47 minors. In order to be considered for admission to this esteemed university and eventually join the 193,885 alumni around the world, make sure you submit all of the following:

• Either the Common Application or the Coalition Application with the accompanying essay
• University of Chicago supplemental essays
• Your school report, mid-year school report, and official transcripts
• Two letters of recommendation from teachers
• One letter of recommendation from a counselor

In addition, the following are optional but highly recommended:

• SAT or ACT scores
• AP exam results
• A two-minute video profile in lieu of an interview 
• Art, research, or creative additions

The additions include materials that showcase a passion, achievement, or talent and can be research projects, performance videos, or writing portfolios.

The University of Chicago, like many of the top universities in the U.S., does not report the high school GPA statistics of its admitted students. It also does not report class rankings. You will need to be at the top of your class and secure the highest GPA you can if you’re to have a shot at gaining entry as a Maroon.

In addition, you must make sure that the classes you take during high school align with what your interests will focus on during your years at UChicago. Your high school courses must also be rigorous and challenging and should increase in difficulty each year. 

If your high school offers AP or IB classes, take as many as you can. The University of Chicago will look more favorably on a B earned in AP calculus than an A earned in its regular-level counterpart class.

For the class of 2026, the University of Chicago reported that the middle 50% of admitted students scored between 34 and 35 on the ACT. Of the admitted students who took the SAT, 50% of them scored between 1510 and 1560.

The entire range of ACT scores for students admitted to the class of 2026 was 20–36, and the complete SAT score range of admitted students was 1020–1600. 

With that being said, you should know that in 2018, the University of Chicago permanently made reporting standardized test scores optional (it was the most elite school to do so). It is no longer required for applicants to take the ACT or the SAT. 

For the class of 2024, only 36% of applicants reported their ACT scores and 41% submitted SAT scores.

The University of Chicago recommends that you take high school courses that challenge and enrich you instead of selecting classes with the intention of impressing the UChicago admission faculty. The school has recommended the following:

• Four years of English
• Three or four years of math
• At least three years of social sciences
• Two or three years of one foreign language

This university uses a holistic review process for its admissions decisions, which means that there isn’t any single component of an application that is more important than another. 

The admission committee urges those who apply for admission to be themselves and write in their own voices.

When you are filling out your application, make sure that you include a list of activities that you have participated in outside of the classroom. Whether it’s a group that meets at school, sports teams, musical groups and performances, a part-time job, or anything else, make sure to include it.

For the class of 2026, students were involved in the following categories of activities during high school:

• Religious groups (16%)
• Community service (84%)
• Music (55%)
• Varsity athletics (67%)
• Theater (23%)
• Editorial groups (21%)

The admissions staff does not seek out the students who have been active in the most groups. They look at your list to see what kinds of things are worthwhile, interesting, or meaningful to you. They also look to see examples of leadership you displayed and the impacts you made within your groups and activities.

While the University of Chicago is world-famous for many things, one of them is the history of the thought-provoking essay questions it requires from applicants each year. When you sit down to draft your own essay answers, keep in mind that the university wants you to use this opportunity to tell the admissions staff about yourself. 

Remember, too, that UChicago wants you to write in your own voice, which can be eloquent or punchy, serious or off-the-wall. The essay questions are chosen each year after suggestions are obtained from newly admitted students. Some previous prompts are shown below to give you an idea of what the university asks.

For the 2022–2023 application session, the question for the required essay invited the student to explain how the university satisfies their desire for learning. Students were also asked to discuss some of their own desires and how they tie into UChicago.

In addition to the required essay question, students must choose one out of a handful of other essay prompts. Some examples of these options from previous years include:

• If a historical figure could be matched with any piece of technology, such as da Vinci with a toaster or George Washington with a water gun, who would it be, and why?
• If you were tasked with creating a new category for the Nobel Prize, what would it be, and why?
• What would a wisdom tooth give as its piece of valuable advice?
• What is something that is possible to divide by zero?

You might also be asked to misquote a famous person, place a historical figure in a different era of time, find “x,” or explain how silence is actually a form of communication. The possibilities are endless, and you never know what you’ll get when you come upon the famous UChicago essay questions!

If you want to know how to get accepted into University of Chicago, keep in mind that you should always go the extra mile. If you can’t do a UChicago interview, submit a two-minute video introducing yourself instead of doing nothing. 

Submit your test scores, especially if they are within the top 75th percentile. Start on your essays as early as possible so you’ll have ample time to write and revise them.

Most of all, don’t let statistics about test scores, class ranks, and GPAs discourage you from applying. Choose which admission plan out of the four you want to follow, and work to make sure you complete all parts of the application well in advance of the application deadline. 

Strive to use every opportunity to help the admissions staff get to know who you are and what you are about. The university is looking for students who will be a good fit with their mission and philosophy and who can contribute positively to the campus.