University of Chicago

Getting in is the hard part. University of Chicago admitted 4.5% of applicants in its most recent reported class, one of the lowest rates in the country. Realistically it is a reach for every applicant, no matter how strong.

Admitted students cluster near the top of the testing range: the middle 50% score 1510–1580 on the SAT and 34–35 on the ACT. Scores at or above that band keep you in contention, but they do not decide it.

The real question is not your odds but your move. That is where Spike comes in: it reads your profile against what University of Chicago actually rewards, and tells you what to do next.

Check your own numbers against this class →

• Testingoptional (2027 cycle)

Verified from uchicago.edu.

The current prompts, straight from the application. These change year to year, so most guides you will find are a cycle behind.

• 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.

• Food for thought: How do thoughts eat?

• 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.

• 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.

• 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?

• 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.

• 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!

• 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.

Every prompt, with how to approach each →

Verified from uchicago.edu.

The sticker price is about $90,360, but that is not what most families pay. After need-based aid, the average net price is $14,860.

Ten years after enrolling, graduates earn a median of $91,885.

Verified from uchicago.edu and the U.S. Department of Education.

Is University of Chicago test-optional?

For the 2027 application cycle, standardized testing at University of Chicago is optional.

How hard is it to get into University of Chicago?

Very hard. University of Chicago admits 4.5% of applicants, and the middle 50% of admitted students score 1510 to 1580 on the SAT. Treat it as a reach for every applicant.

How much does University of Chicago cost?

The list price is about $90,360, but the average price families actually pay after aid is $14,860.

Is University of Chicago worth it?

Graduates earn a median of $91,885 ten years after enrolling, and 95% graduate within six years. Value depends on your aid offer and your goals, which is exactly what Spike helps you weigh.