My Choice of College: College Admission Essay Sample

Why do you want to go to the University of Chicago?

Going to college is like marriage: I choose you, and you choose me. Just as you regard each candidate as an individual, I view colleges not by their statistics and ratings but by the extent to which they meet my particular needs. After my extensive research on many colleges, I have decided that the University of Chicago meets every criterion that constitutes my own definition of “Dream College”.

To me, suitability is the most important criterion in choosing a college. Through a conversation with a current Chicago student who graduated from my school, I learned that students of this university study hard not for high scores or ranks, but for the sake of learning itself. Chicago does not have the cutthroat competitiveness that permeates so many other top colleges. I learn that Chicago students sometimes debate over lunch about political issues, and that the conversations taking place in dorms can be the same as those that began in class a few hours before. The students really work hard to create a cooperative learning environment for each other, with acquisition of knowledge as the goal. This is the environment I desire most and in which I will thrive.

I am also impressed by the strong liberal art program and the eclectic array of courses that Chicago offers. Chicago’s strong emphasis on a core liberal art education can enhance and consolidate my reading comprehension and composition skills, which are vital in my future education and career. According to my online research, Chicago has a very strong East Asian program, which concentrates not only on Chinese, Japanese and Korean languages, but also on Eastern Asian history, culture and economics. Although I have already read voraciously on history of China and Japan, Chicago will always have challenging coursework and provide me with a niche within which to fit. In addition, Chicago’s unique quarter system can give me valuable opportunities to explore a wide range of areas other than my intended concentration, so that I can have a better chance to discover my potentials and talents. This schedule significantly quickens the pace, and therefore pushes me to “digest” a lot more in a shorter period of time. Nevertheless, I enjoy this challenge.

The way that knowledge is endowed on the students also strongly attracts me. I am particularly drawn to the fact that the student-faculty ratio is only 5.6 to 1, and that the classes are mostly discussion-oriented. Used to waiting in a long line just to ask my high school counselor a quick question, I look forward to receiving much more attention from my college professors and obtaining knowledge in a totally different way. Furthermore, Chicago boasts of a diverse student body, since this magnet attracts the brightest and most hardworking people across the country and from the world. This cultural blend will give me knowledge and inspiration well beyond the classroom.

Besides education, the financial aid package that Chicago offers is very enticing. Since I come from a low-income, recent-immigrant family, it is impossible for my parents to pay expensive tuition. Fortunately for me, Chicago is one of the few top universities that offer such generous financial aid. With its financial resources ranked among the top ten in the U.S., Chicago can grant me the chance to study at this worldly renowned academic institution without worrying about its expense.

No matter how I scrutinize it, the University of Chicago seems like the ideal college for me. Although I could not afford to visit the campus, I utilize all available resources to better acquaint myself with the university and its environs. My intuition tells me this is it, that the University of Chicago will be my second home. I can already imagine myself jogging along the shore of Lake of Michigan wearing a shirt that says “Save the Point.” With the spectacular skyline of the city of Chicago as the backdrop, the University of Chicago is smiling and waving at me.