Master UChicago's philosophically challenging essays. Learn to tackle "Where is Waldo, really?" with logic, wit, and intellectual rigor.
UChicago is the "Where Fun Goes to Die" school—but in a way they are proud of. They want the intellectuals, the philosophers, and the weirdos. Their supplemental prompts reflect this commitment to intellectual rigor and unconventional thinking.
UChicago essays are intentionally impossible to answer with a standard five-paragraph essay. They're designed to reveal how you think, not what you know.
Each year, UChicago releases a list of prompts suggested by current students. Example: "Where is Waldo, really?"
This isn't a question about a book; it's a question about sociology, surveillance, or the human condition. Pick a lens and defend it rigorously.
Lens 1: Quantum Physics (Waldo exists everywhere until observed) Lens 2: Art History (Waldo as commentary on spectacle) Lens 3: Capitalism (Waldo as commodified attention)
Start in the middle of a thought. Don't explain from the beginning.
Show the 'math' of your thinking. If making a weird claim, back it with rigor.
Don't wrap it up with a bow. Leave the reader with a new question.