Thank you for your interest in the University of Chicago! Our team of international admissions officers is happy to answer your questions. We hope to be as helpful as possible, so we have collected many “Frequently Asked Questions” (a.k.a. “FAQs”) along with the corresponding answers to provide additional information to help you understand the application process.
If you find that still have unanswered questions after exploring our site, we are here to help!
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are a student attending school outside of the US, you will apply as and be read as an international student. For purposes of your application, we will read your application in the context of where you attend high school regardless of citizenship.
Students are invited to submit scores from any English proficiency examination they believe represents their English language ability. If you feel as though mastery of the English language is already represented throughout your application, you are not required to submit formal exam scores.
International applicants are welcome to submit materials from InitalView in order to demonstrate their communication skills and ability to converse about academic topics, and to showcase their interests and personality. InitialView conducts an unscripted conversation and proctors an open-ended writing sample. You can learn more about InitialView at initialview.com.
If your application materials include any documents that are not in English, you must provide us with an official English translation in addition to the original documents.
Please do not send us copies of certificates, awards, or news clippings. Simply list your major activities and awards on the Common Application. We believe you!
International students use the same application forms and follow most of the same processes as all other applicants. The primary difference is if you think you may need financial aid at any time during your four years of college, you must apply for need-based financial aid at the same time you submit an application for admission.
If your school does not have a counselor, any school administrator can complete the Secondary School Report. If you are working with an accredited community-based organization, such as an EducationUSA Advising Center, you may ask a mentor or counselor in that program to assist you as well. Independently hired educational consultants may not complete the Secondary School Report.
If your school does not report class rank or have grade point averages, leave that information blank. We understand that many schools do not report class rank or compute averages as a matter of policy. Please do not estimate or guess.
Please do not convert your grades into a 4.0 scaled grade-point average. We evaluate all transcripts based upon the system of where you attend school. We have international admissions officers who travel to and review applications from schools all around the world so that we can effectively evaluate your transcript in the context of your school and country.
We do not admit a fixed number or percentage of students from each country. Overall, our classes are comprised of 12-15% international students from over 80 countries throughout the world.
Unfortunately we do not have statistics available about students from specific countries, however, please note that UChicago is committed to recruiting and admitting students from diverse backgrounds all around the world. You can learn more about what we do for students of all backgrounds here: http://diversity.uchicago.edu/.
UChicago graduates are typically successful when applying to professional degree programs, however there is no automatic advantage for UChicago graduates when applying to the university’s professional schools.
No. Currently, UChicago does not offer ESL courses, and we do not offer conditional admission.
We cannot give an assessment of eligibility based on academic credentials you provide. We have a contextual reading process, and on our application, we ask for a large variety of information, from test scores and transcripts to essays to letters of recommendation. When making decisions, we take all of these documents into account and also the pool of applicants at the time of application. Furthermore, no one person decides who is admitted to UChicago. It is a long process that requires us to read your entire application several times and then present to a committee. You can learn more about our contextual application process on our website, http://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu
No. UChicago does not have relationships with recruiting agencies overseas or domestically and we are not interested in pursuing relationships of that nature. Students should contact us directly with any questions they may have regarding our admissions process. We also encourage students to work with their local EducationUSA Advising Center for additional support in their U.S. university search and admissions process.
First year international students are eligible for need-based and merit-based financial aid. In fact, if you apply for need-based aid, and we offer you admission, we are committed to meeting 100% of your demonstrated financial aid. If you think you may require aid at any time during the four years of college, you must apply for financial aid at the same time you submit an application for the College. If you do not apply for aid, there will not be funds available after you are admitted. To learn more about international financial aid, see the international financial aid section on our Cost & Aid page.
Unfortunately, there are no exceptions. We have limited funds available for international students and because we promise to meet 100% of demonstrated need for first year students, we simply have no funds left for international transfer students.
The Student Financial Aid Worksheet should be filled out and submitted online, through a student's UChicago Account. You should also submit supporting documents, like tax returns, receipts and bank statements.
International students are eligible for merit scholarships. We automatically consider all applicants for merit scholarships. There is no separate application or essay for merit scholarships. Merit scholarships can be partial-tuition scholarships, single lump sum awards, and some are renewable each year.
We recommend that you contact your local EducationUSA Advising Center. These centers are funded by the U.S. State Department to help students from around the world interested in studying in the United States, and they offer most advising services free of charge. To learn about your local EducationUSA Advising Center, you can visit https://educationusa.state.gov.