The University of Chicago is a highly competitive and academically rigorous midwestern gem that gives the Ivy League a run for its money when it comes to highly enthusiastic students who will carry their school pride with them their whole lives. Ranked the sixth-best school in the world by the 2026 US News list of top “National Universities,” UChicago presents a formidable task to prospective applicants.

You’ve come to the right place to review how to get into this top-notch school!

What Is the University of Chicago?

Situated in the heart of Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood, UChicago’s famed Gothic Revival style campus houses a student body consisting of 4,081 full-time male undergraduates and 3,432 full-time female undergraduates, for a total undergraduate population of 7,513.

UChicago Admissions Requirements

Getting into UChicago requires case-by-case strategizing on top of stellar grades and test scores. No one approach will guarantee admission, but honing a compelling, singular hook is not a bad idea! Let’s walk through each application requirement to clarify how to optimize the odds of admission.

UChicago GPA Requirements

There is technically no minimum GPA requirement to apply to UChicago. But just because they’re not flat-out denying poorly performing students the chance to apply doesn’t mean such students truly have a shot at acceptance. Here’s what the data has to say:

According to UChicago’s Common Data Set, 58.46% of the student body graduated high school with a 4.0 GPA, and nearly all the rest with a GPA in excess of 3.75. So while great grades aren’t an official requirement, they certainly are expected.

Does the University of Chicago Look at Class Rank?

According to the same UChicago Common Data Set, 96% of current UChicago students graduated in the top 10% of their class. That’s a proportion of top performing students that even many Ivy League schools pale in comparison to!

University of Chicago SAT/ACT Score Requirements

Admissions officers at this private research university claim to uphold a “no harm” test-optional policy, in which test scores will only be evaluated if they have a positive impact on the student’s odds of admission and will not decrease an applicant’s odds should they not be submitted or if they are lackluster. However, we at Ivy Coach would recommend taking this policy with a big fat grain of salt. 

At a school as competitive and rigorous as UChicago, admissions officers are in no position to disregard as valuable a metric as test scores when distinguishing between applicants. During your admissions process, be aware that if you fail to submit test scores or submit subpar scores, UChicago will likely hold it against you. It might sound cynical, but it’s the truth. That being said, we also acknowledge that, unlike most highly selective universities, UChicago went test-optional before the pandemic rather than as a consequence of the pandemic. As such, there’s slightly more truth to UChicago’s test-optional policies than others.

Amongst members of the UChicago Class of 2028, 49% submitted SAT scores, and 27% submitted ACT scores.

	SAT	ACT
Median	1,540	35
Mid 50% Range	1,510 — 1,560	34 — 35

Does UChicago Superscore Students’ SAT or ACT scores?

A superscore combines the highest section scores from each individual test sitting for admissions evaluation. UChicago does not superscore the SAT or ACT, instead requiring all applicants to submit scores exactly as they have received them.

What High School Courses Does the University of Chicago Require?

UChicago’s undergraduate admission office recommends the following high school curriculum:

English

• 4 years

Math

• 3-4 years

Lab Sciences

• 3-4 years

Social Sciences

• 3+ years

Foreign Language

• 2-3 years

Of course, it would be unwise to take only three years of science, history, or foreign language classes (and heaven forbid only two!). All highly selective colleges across America, including UChicago, expect applicants to excel in their core subjects for all four years of high school (and when it comes to foreign language, it is ideal to begin in eighth grade).

What Extracurriculars Does the University of Chicago Look For in Applicants?

Instead of heeding the old wives’ tales that have been passed down since the 1980s (AKA the last time such advice was actually helpful!), students should not attempt to present as well-rounded to try to wow UChicago admissions officers.

So what’s the alternative? As loyal readers of Ivy Coach’s college admissions blogs will happily inform you, the singular hook is the most competitive method for securing admission to a school as elite as the University of Chicago. Students with a singular hook are experts in taking advantage of resources and opportunities in their chosen field, whether it be urban farming, medieval history, or climate change activism. UChicago loves such students because they hit the ground running once on campus and make the most out of their four years.

University of Chicago Application Requirements

UChicago applicants must complete The Common Application or the Coalition Application, including UChicago-specific supplemental essays, a counselor recommendation, two teacher recommendations, and an optional “video profile.”

Let’s focus on how each individual component should be completed to maximize your chances of admission.

Who to Ask For Letters of Recommendation

Applicants to UChicago should ask two teachers for recommendations, ideally two junior year teachers in core subjects, i.e., science, social studies, mathematics, a foreign language, or English. This is in addition to the letter of recommendation from a school counselor. 

Does the UChicago Require an Alumni Interview?

While UChicago does not conduct alumni interviews, it recently piloted a two-minute video profile component. UChicago writes:

If you would like to add your voice to your application, you have the option to submit a two-minute video introduction in lieu of the traditional college interview, which is not part of our application process. Your recording does not need to be extensively rehearsed or polished, and the video does not need to be edited.

The video profile is an important component of the application, and we at Ivy Coach would recommend students approach it just as they would an essay, with great thought (and no fancy editing!).

What are the University of Chicago’s Supplemental Essay Topics?

As part of the UChicago supplement, applicants to UChicago are asked to complete a series of supplemental essay questions. All applicants must respond to the following prompt in 1 to 2 pages (we recommend 650 words):

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.

Applicants are also asked to pick one out of the following six prompts to respond in 1 to 2 pages (we recommend 650 words or so). No, you don’t need to adjust your screen. These prompts are genuinely weird, and that’s exactly how UChicago likes them! To keep with this school’s long-running tradition, applicants should lean into the quirkiness of their chosen prompt and surprise admissions officers with their answers:

Essay Option 1

Food for thought: How do thoughts eat?

Inspired by Ernest Leong, Class of 2026.

Essay Option 2

The James Webb Space Telescope, launched in 2021, utilized origami-inspired techniques to compactly store and deploy its sunshield in space. Choose an artistic practice and use its principles to propose an elegant solution to a problem.

Inspired by Akhil Korra, Class of 2028

Essay Option 3

Sometimes metaphors get mixed up. For one reason or another, one could say, “we’ll burn that bridge when we get there” or “the world is your china shop”. Make up your own mixed metaphor. Explain how it could make sense, be understood, or even applied.

Inspired by Julia Nieberg, Class of 2029

Essay Option 4

The Olympics have long celebrated the pinnacle of human athletic achievement. But what if they expanded to honor the mundane? Imagine a new Olympic event built around an everyday activity like speed dishwashing or competitive grocery bagging. How is it scored, officiated, and judged? Why is it a worthy addition?

Inspired by Ewan Smith, Class of 2028.

Essay Option 5

AI: Allen Iverson. NASA, or the North American Saxophone Alliance. Share a potentially confounding, comedic, or captivating example of MIA (Mistaken Identity of Acronym) and tell us its backstory.

Inspired by Jeeho Byun, Class of 2030

Essay Option 6

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!

University of Chicago Application Deadlines

UChicago has five admissions rounds: Early Decision 0 (SSEN), Early Decision I, Early Decision II, Early Action, and Regular Decision.

Admission through all three Early Decision rounds is binding. Students who have completed one of UChicago’s pre-college summer programs are eligible to apply through this round by October 15th and receive a decision by October 31st, before most other schools’ ED I rounds are due!

ED I applications are due on November 3rd of each year, ED II applications are due on January 5th of each year, non-binding EA applications are due alongside ED I applications on November 3rd of each year, and non-binding Regular Decision applications are due alongside ED II applications on January 5th of each year.

University of Chicago Admissions Statistics (Class of 2030 – Class of 2017)

University of Chicago Class Year	Total Number of Applications Received	Total Number of Applications Accepted	Overall Acceptance Rate
Class of 2030	Not Yet Released	Not Yet Released	Not Yet Released
Class of 2029	Not Yet Published	Not Yet Published	Not Yet Published
Class of 2028	43,612	1,955	4.48%
Class of 2027	38,800	1,849	4.78%
Class of 2026	37,522	2,041	5.44%
Class of 2025	37,977	2,460	6.48%
Class of 2024	34,372	2,511	7.31%
Class of 2023	34,900	2,065	5.92%
Class of 2022	32,291	2,329	7.21%
Class of 2021	27,694	2,419	8.73%
Class of 2020	31,484	2,499	7.94%
Class of 2019	30,162	2,356	7.81%
Class of 2018	27,503	2,304	8.38%
Class of 2017	30,369	2,676	8.81%

How Ivy Coach Helps Students Get Into the University of Chicago

We understand UChicago’s quirky admissions ethos, and we set ambitious students up with the best possible chance for admission with the help of Ivy Coach’s very own Hannah Skaran, a former University of Chicago admissions officer.

If you’re interested in Ivy Coach’s assistance in optimizing your child’s case for admission to UChicago, fill out our complimentary consultation form, and we’ll be in touch.