My College Essays #7 (UChicago)

University of Chicago

Deadline: November 1

Required (2):

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.

• 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? —Inspired by Alexander Hastings, Class of 2023, and Olivia Okun-Dubitsky, Class of 2026

Though some may view a kaleidoscope as a child’s toy, this simple object containing mirrors and pieces of colored glass demonstrates humanity’s complexity and value. This constantly changing pattern of objects could, in my eyes, convince a group of Martians that humanity is indeed worth their time.

As you slowly turn the tube of a kaleidoscope, the malleable images collide and morph into one another. Human kind does not abruptly change, instead one small action causes another, resulting in a gradual transformation, just like how a pattern of broken shapes appears as a brilliantly colorful picture with a slight turn. One small word of kindness causes a chain reaction of positivity and paying it forward just might turn someone's day around.

Humanity can be hard to pinpoint, just like when peering through the optical instrument. Does the image seen within a kaleidoscope look like the inside of a peach or a Chinese new year dragon? Does humanity look like angry marchers in protest of war, two strangers embracing after loss, or old friends reminiscing with tears of joy? One image cannot portray the whole picture, instead the cylinder must be turned to reveal another perspective.

Kaleidoscopes change each time you look at them, they are infinitely unique. Every person that has ever set food on planet Earth is unique and if a Martian were to attempt to generalize a human being, they would never quite be able to pin down an accurate image.

With nearly 86 billion neurons, the human brain is an example of a homosapien’s complexity. Behavioral and cognitive variables including verbal fluency, IQ, and working memory accuracy include just a few of the responsibilities of the brain in a single day.

Human kind cannot be accurately described with one image but rather an item that displays many. People are workable, colorful, and ever changing just like this simple toy. This will convince a Martian that humanity is worth their time but even if it does not, Humanity is perfect and complete just the way it is. If a kaleidoscope does not display the depths, colors, and volumes of people and their voices, I do not know what does.

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 ninth grade, I sat down at my desk and participated in the University of Chicago’s (UChicago) virtual information session on Zoom. This was my first taste of applying for college and I had never even heard the term “Early Action.” The college application process was daunting to me but after watching the student panel answer questions and talk so passionately about their school, I felt a sense of comfort. After this experience, I was hesitant to sign up for information sessions from other schools because I was set on UChicago and did not want to change my mind.

Later, on my first in-person tour, I absorbed every ounce of information that the guide gave me. When I sat down to eat lunch with my parents, I was unable to put into words the sense of comfort and belonging I felt on campus.

I have lived my entire life in the small resort town of Vail, Colorado. Parents say it is sheltered, skiers say it is heaven, but for a student, academia, rigor, resources, and civic engagement opportunities have been a challenge to find. I have craved an institution that encourages independent thinking, fosters the imagination, and provides opportunities for community impact. To me, these characteristics define the University of Chicago and I certainly felt the intellectual community as I gazed up at Harper Memorial Library, the curiosity nearly pouring out of the gothic windows on the third floor, home to the Arley D. Cathey Learning Center.

To harness my interest in the environment, I plan to further my knowledge of this field with the Environmental Economics and Policy track within the Environmental and Urban Studies minor, a program that fits everything I have been searching for. I care about the planet, but more importantly, I care about changing the planet. This economics and policy track would allow me to learn to inform solutions for today’s national and international environmental problems through studying environmental and resource policies.

It would be a priority for me to take Cities on Screen (ENST 20160) to investigate urban portrayal in film and apply it to my knowledge of environmental problems within metropolitan areas. Through this class, I would be able to acknowledge my passion for film and highlight my creative aspects.

During my time at University of Chicago, I aspire to participate in the CEGU/PGE Project and Communications Metcalf Internship, specifically with a focus in design. When coming across this internship, I could not believe my eyes as this opportunity truly touches on all of my interests. Not only do I have a deep interest in environmental studies, but I also have established an appreciation for composition and design. I am a detail-oriented individual, paying attention to artistic intricacies in my everyday life.

University of Chicago would not only add to my life, but I would be a leader on campus and add to the school itself. I envision myself joining Recognized Student Organizations (RSO), maybe creating my own waste-management education club where I could visit schools in the city of Chicago, and teach students about where their trash and recycling goes once it leaves their sticky fingers. Or I could join together with other students and form an RSO focused on exploring the connections between nature and music: two things that have impacted my life and can be investigated together.

Adults and peers often look surprised when I mention University of Chicago as my first choice for college. They suspect I will not be able to handle the drastic change from living in a small mountain community to a campus that sits within one of America’s largest cities. However, the draw to UChicago is stronger than any critical remark that comes my way. I have done the research in my bedroom, I have done the work throughout high school, and I am set on the University of Chicago for my future.