The University of Chicago (UChicago) is a private research university located in, you guessed it, Chicago, Illinois. UChicago is one of the most popular colleges amongst our clients, and it’s one of the best places to study things like econ, public policy, business, and math. UChicago is considered an “Ivy+” school, which means we categorize it along with other highly selective non-Ivies like Stanford, MIT, and Duke because of their rigor and exclusivity. If you’re serious about UChicago, we implore you to apply early, and we’re going to make the case for why.
UChicago loves Early Decision. They love any admissions path that allows for more students to show heightened interest in their school. UChicago offers ED, EA, RD, ED2, and something we’ve coined ED0. If they’ve got four ways for you to apply early or with heightened interest, and only one way to apply regular, it’s safe to assume it is a smart strategic choice to apply early. So let’s break down what you need to do to be a compelling early candidate to UChicago.
What is ED?
Early decision is a binding admissions decision, which means by applying to UChicago early you’re saying “I will attend if I am accepted.” Colleges care deeply about their yield rate, aka the amount of accepted students who enroll, and UChicago had the highest yield rate out of the top 50 schools we track, at 86%. To compare, MIT has an 85% yield rate, Stanford 81%, and Harvard’s is 84%. That means UChicago takes early applications very, very seriously.
Now, UChicago also offers something we call ED0, which is an even more advanced admissions decision that is only open to students who attend UChicago pre-college programs. If you know UChicago is your top choice, we recommend taking this path. If you didn’t attend a UChicago summer program, though, not all is lost. You can still apply ED and have an increased shot at admission.
The vast majority of our clients get into their Early Decision school, and 100% of our long-term clients get into one of their top three schools. If you want to apply early to UChicago, reach out to us today.
While UChicago doesn’t release concrete data, we have reason to believe they accept over 2/3rds of their incoming class from these early applicant pools. We also know, from experience, that 99% of our clients who apply early to UChicago get in. We’re weirdly UChicago wizards. What does this mean for you? You should absolutely apply early to UChicago if you can.
Why Should I ED?
Applying Early Decision is the best strategic move you can make. Again, while UChicago does not publish their early admissions data, we can speculate from experience that the combined ED/EA/ED2 acceptance rates are around 20-30%, with some speculating it could be as high as 40%. While we think 40% is far-fetched, we could absolutely see something in the high 20s or low 30s being feasible.
That said, applying Early Decision to UChicago only helps if your application is already strong. It’s not a free pass. A low GPA, average test scores, or a sparse extracurricular record won’t suddenly become more impressive just because you applied early. UChicago’s early applicant pool is packed with high-achieving, highly focused students who are just as serious about the school as you are. While applying early can show your enthusiasm, it’s only a smart move if the rest of your application holds up to UChicago’s high standards.
What Can You Do?
Getting into a top-tier school like UChicago is no easy feat, but it’s absolutely doable. We work with students every year who gain admission to UChicago, and while we can’t predict the future, we can help you take full control of the parts of this process that matter most. If you’re aiming for UChicago Early Decision, we know how to help you build the strongest possible application to give yourself the best chance at hearing “yes.”
Grades
The students we work with who get into UChicago early all have one thing in common: truly exceptional grades. We’re talking straight As, top-tier course loads, and academic consistency from day one. And that tracks! UChicago sets a high academic bar, especially for early applicants.
But it’s not just about the GPA. UChicago wants to see that you challenged yourself. That means taking the most rigorous courses your school offers (not just the easy As) and excelling in them. Academic curiosity and intellectual risk-taking aren’t just encouraged at UChicago, it’s expected.
Scores
UChicago is test-optional for the 2025-2026 season, but let’s be honest – nothing in college admissions is ever truly optional. The students we work with who get into UChicago early are submitting test scores, and not just decent ones, but outstanding ones. If you want to stand out in one of the most intellectually demanding applicant pools in the country, you should be aiming for 1550+ and 35+.
UChicago claims to have a no-harm testing policy, which means your ACT or SAT will only be considered if it helps your application. We don’t know how much we believe this, especially given their middle 50 data.
Extracurriculars
You might have a packed resume, but if it’s all generic (think sports, volunteer hours, a dozen random clubs) then it’s not going to stand out. At UChicago, where intellectual depth matters, your activities need to reflect what you actually care about. If nothing in your extracurriculars points to your academic interests, it’ll look like you just threw things on the page to fill space, and that weakens your story.
If you say you’re passionate about economics, that has to show up in how you’ve spent your time. Maybe you launched a school investing club, completed a research project on income inequality, interned at a local nonprofit focused on economic policy, or took a summer course in behavioral econ. If all you’ve done is check the “Economics” box on your application without any meaningful follow-through, admissions officers won’t buy it.
The strongest applicants don’t start crafting their story senior year. They start early – freshman or sophomore year – so by the time they apply, they’ve built something authentic, intentional, and impossible to ignore.
Essays
The summer before senior year is when we start putting the application together, and it all begins with the Common App essay. The most effective essays aren’t just humblebrags in disguise. They’re thoughtful, personal, and show the reader who you are beyond your resume. UChicago, in particular, has a reputation for appreciating essays that are creative, unique, and offbeat, which you’ll notice from their supplements, too. We’ve helped students write essays like that year after year, and we know how to find that sweet spot between clever and meaningful.
While there are seven Common App prompts, we often recommend prompt seven – write an essay of your own design. That freedom allows you to tell a smaller, more personal story in a creative way, which is exactly the kind of writing UChicago tends to reward. When done right, these essays don’t just stand out, they stick with the reader.
UChicago is famous for their, let’s say, unique supplemental questions. Each year the rotation of questions change, but you’re also able to write supplements from any other year. These questions require you to think outside the box, and we’ll be straight with you – if you hate the questions they’re asking and think they’re cringe, you probably won’t like the culture and vibe at UChicago. Outside of the creative question, they also ask a very long “Why Us” question. They want to see that you’ve done the research and know exactly why you like their school and what you intend to get out of the experience.
Strong stats aren’t enough to get you into UChicago. Sure, the numbers matter, but what the admissions team really wants are students who will lean into the university’s unique culture: curious, driven, a little unconventional, and eager to challenge ideas. That’s where your supplemental essays come in. This is your chance to show UChicago who you are beyond the GPA and test scores, and why you’re the kind of person who would thrive in their intellectually intense, idea-loving community.
Apply Early
Obviously! If you can take advantage of ED0, we fully recommend that. If that isn’t an option for you, then ED is a great option.
A word to the wise about UChicago EA: At a lot of UChicago’s peer schools, like MIT, Stanford, and Harvard, they offer something called Restricted Early Action. This means you can apply early to their school, but cannot apply ED to any other school or apply EA to any private universities. So, if you have your heart set on one of their peers but have UChicago in second place, you will not be able to apply EA to UChicago. You can, of course, hold UChicago back as a potential ED2 option.
Work With Us
The students who start early with us see incredible results. Many have their college decisions finalized before winter break, and our long-term clients regularly earn spots at their top-choice schools – including highly selective ones like UChicago.
We know what UChicago is looking for: intellectual curiosity, originality, and a strong sense of purpose. Whether it’s building an extracurricular profile that reflects deep engagement or crafting essays that are sharp, creative, and memorable, we help students develop applications that speak directly to what makes UChicago, well… UChicago. And we’ll be with you every step of the way.
If UChicago is your dream school and you want your application to truly stand out, we’re here to help you make it happen. Whether you’re starting early to build a distinctive, academically driven resume or need support in junior or senior year to fine-tune your application and essays, we know what UChicago is looking for, and how to help you show them you belong there.
Need help strategizing or working on your UChicago early application? Reach out to us today.