The Core of UChicago: College Admission Essay Sample

As a devout Catholic, I have passionately embraced my spirituality by reading and adhering to the moralities outlined in Theology and Philosophy which I hold so close to my identity. Taking thirty minutes out of my daily routine, I always find myself starting the day with a few verses on the nature of Virtue or a glance at Christianity’s Beatitudes and ending it with a reading of Dr. Osler’s “Aequanimitas,” feeling the spiritual comfort that these works bring to my life. To be able to shut out the burdens of everyday life and meditate on these works is a salubrious exercise to me, mentally preparing me for school or nightly prayer.

Many people in my family don’t understand my obsession, but I feel as though they too can benefit from simply taking thirty minutes to embrace something that isn’t the tedium of our daily routines. Intellectual vitality, which is found in abundance at the University of Chicago, has always been important to me, and I feel that these allotted thirty minutes transcend the mental health aspect and truly is representative of a passion in my life. However, as a Philosopher and Theologian in high school, I became cognizant of an inherent flaw in contemporary curricula: a lack of emphasis in the humanities and its associated fields.

With an emphasis on the importance of education that solely teaches of developing one’s technical ability, there is a failure in addressing the human aspect of life, underscoring the inherent flaw of contemporary curricula. Thus, in my opinion, The Core prompted by the University of Chicago provides a holistic education that caters to the twofold nature of learning, teaching the humanities that stress rational thought and morality and the specialized sciences that stress technical ability, an attribute that has been missing in many schools since the inculcation that practical expertise eclipses a developed spirit.

At this instructional oasis in Chicago, I wish to study Philosophy and Religion for the moral preparation to pursue Immunotherapy and Gene Splicing Technologies and to evaluate their moral dilemmas. With the University of Chicago’s global network and numerous research opportunities, I know that I will be able to one day obtain a PhD and achieve my overall goal of researching Immunotherapy and its oncological applications.

In the spirit of science, I wish to pursue research opportunities to give me the experience necessary to fulfill my dream of working at The Doudna Laboratory, the founder being one of my inspirations for pursuing medicine in the scope of the humanities. After visiting the university during the summer, I was informed by my admissions counselor, Ms. Neeti Jain, of the wealth of resources that the University of Chicago has to support this passion of mine, providing students with the tools to achieve whatever they have their hearts set upon. In fact, following the university’s breakthroughs in science, I have seen the school progress the oncological applications of Immunotherapy to combat cancers thought to be an instant death sentence for many. With the improvement of checkpoint blockade treatment, once considered to be the pinnacle of modern medicine as it produced stellar results in some cancers while also failing with others, the University of Chicago truly is one of the top schools on the forefront of medicine and I wish to join that army devoted to mankind. The ingenious light-sensitive nanoparticle cocktail that the researchers employed in conjunction with the checkpoint blockade treatment is an absolute testament to the intellectual wonders of students at the school. As a Philosophy and Religious Studies major with scientific coursework through The Core and pre-medical path, I firmly believe that I may assist in these laboratories while also providing a fresh perspective on ethics from my humanities courses.

Thus, I believe The Core of The University of Chicago sets a precedent of what education should be: a full-body experience that edifies the entirety of the self and nurtures both the spiritual and physical person by honing both rational thought and technical ability. Thus, to study at an elite institution where intellectual vitality is encouraged and sought by students, I believe that I can utilize my coursework to make a difference in the university’s research, driving it forward which, in turn, gives back to mankind.