UChicago Supplemental Essays 2026–27

UChicago asks two essays: how UChicago satisfies your desire for a particular kind of learning, community, and future; and one "extended essay" from six options. For 2026–27 the options include "How do thoughts eat?", an artistic practice that solves a problem (inspired by the James Webb Space Telescope's origami sunshield), your own mixed metaphor, a new Olympic event for an everyday activity, a case of "Mistaken Identity of Acronym," and the classic choose-your-own prompt.

UChicago's prompts are famous for a reason. This guide shows how to have fun with them without losing substance...