u/spicysocks91

hi everyone! has anyone applied to a coordinated dual degree program (like LSM, huntsman, etc.) and got rejected but still got into the school of their choice?

hey everyone! i'm in the process of writing supplemental essays, so i would really love to see the ones that got people into their respective school. this would be really helpful especially for the more unique ones (like the thank-you letter for upenn and roommate one for stanford), but i'm also really interested in reading any "why major?" essays!

thank you so much in advance!

hi! i'm a rising senior and just took a look at UChicago's 2026 supplemental essay prompts. as someone who isn't really good at answering such unique & abstract questions (unless i sit on it for a few days), i was wondering if anyone could provide any advice on how to approach the prompts or could possibly share their essay topic to past UChicago prompts.

here are the newly-released prompts:

1. Food for thought: How do thoughts eat?

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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?

5. 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.

thanks a lot in advance! your words mean a lot to me and other rising seniors here that are feeling lost.

hi! i'm a rising senior and i've just gotten started on writing the supplemental essays for the colleges i'm looking to apply to, but i'm a bit confused on what a strong supp looks like.

for my personal statement (at least for my 1st draft), i strictly wrote about myself — no mention of any awards, honors, or activities. when writing supps, how much of my academic profile should i be mentioning? additionally, what are some resources i should look at to inspire my thinking or to give me ideas on what to write about?

thank you so much in advance! your advice means a lot to me.

note: if anyone has tips for UPenn specifically, lmk!

Are you a student currently pursuing scientific research, or a scientist already established in the field? I'd love to feature your story!

Hi everyone! I'm Chloe, and I'm running an organization called the Path Lab Initiative. I’m building a student-friendly blog dedicated to making research and STEM accessible to students of all backgrounds — especially those who are curious but unsure how to take their first step. This is a not-for-profit blog, and is something I have been working on in my free time. My goal is to break down the barriers that often make the world of research feel out of reach.

As part of this effort, I'm collecting testimonials from organizations, mentors, and students working in research. Your perspective and experience would be incredibly valuable in shaping the blog's content and showing students that there are communities out there who support them.

If you're willing to share your journey and the advice you wish you’d gotten earlier, I would be so grateful. Everyone can respond, and it only takes a few minutes to fill out:

Link to the Researcher Testimonial Form
Link to the Student Testimonial Form

The only personal aspect of the form is an optional biography that you can include if you feel comfortable doing!

Feel free to share this with anyone in your network who might want to contribute too. Thank you for helping make research feel a little less intimidating and a lot more welcoming!

Are you a student currently pursuing scientific research, or a scientist already established in the field? I'd love to feature your story!

Hi everyone! I'm Chloe, and I'm running an organization called the Path Lab Initiative. I’m building a student-friendly blog dedicated to making research and STEM accessible to students of all backgrounds — especially those who are curious but unsure how to take their first step. My goal is to break down the barriers that often make the world of research feel out of reach.

As part of this effort, I'm collecting testimonials from organizations, mentors, and students working in research. Your perspective and experience would be incredibly valuable in shaping the blog's content and showing students that there are communities out there who support them.

If you're willing to share your journey and the advice you wish you’d gotten earlier, I would be so grateful. It only takes a few minutes to fill out:

Link to the Researcher Testimonial Form
Link to the Student Testimonial Form

Feel free to share this with anyone in your network who might want to contribute too. Thank you for helping make research feel a little less intimidating and a lot more welcoming!

Are you a student currently pursuing scientific research, or a scientist already established in the field? I'd love to feature your story!

Hi everyone! I'm Chloe, and I'm running an organization called the Path Lab Initiative. I’m building a student-friendly blog dedicated to making research and STEM accessible to students of all backgrounds — especially those who are curious but unsure how to take their first step. My goal is to break down the barriers that often make the world of research feel out of reach.

As part of this effort, I'm collecting testimonials from organizations, mentors, and students working in research. Your perspective and experience would be incredibly valuable in shaping the blog's content and showing students that there are communities out there who support them.

If you're willing to share your journey and the advice you wish you’d gotten earlier, I would be so grateful. It only takes a few minutes to fill out:

Link to the Researcher Testimonial Form
Link to the Student Testimonial Form

Feel free to share this with anyone in your network who might want to contribute too. Thank you for helping make research feel a little less intimidating and a lot more welcoming!

Are you a student currently pursuing scientific research, or a scientist already established in the field? I'd love to feature your story!

Hi everyone! I'm Chloe, and I'm running an organization called the Path Lab Initiative. I’m building a student-friendly blog dedicated to making research and STEM accessible to students of all backgrounds — especially those who are curious but unsure how to take their first step. My goal is to break down the barriers that often make the world of research feel out of reach.

As part of this effort, I'm collecting testimonials from organizations, mentors, and students working in research. Your perspective and experience would be incredibly valuable in shaping the blog's content and showing students that there are communities out there who support them.

If you're willing to share your journey and the advice you wish you’d gotten earlier, I would be so grateful. It only takes a few minutes to fill out:

Link to the Researcher Testimonial Form
Link to the Student Testimonial Form

Feel free to share this with anyone in your network who might want to contribute too. Thank you for helping make research feel a little less intimidating and a lot more welcoming!

Are you a student currently pursuing scientific research, or a scientist already established in the field? I'd love to feature your story!

Hi everyone! I'm Chloe, and I'm running an organization called the Path Lab Initiative. I’m building a student-friendly blog dedicated to making research and STEM accessible to students of all backgrounds — especially those who are curious but unsure how to take their first step. My goal is to break down the barriers that often make the world of research feel out of reach.

As part of this effort, I'm collecting testimonials from organizations, mentors, and students working in research. Your perspective and experience would be incredibly valuable in shaping the blog's content and showing students that there are communities out there who support them.

If you're willing to share your journey and the advice you wish you’d gotten earlier, I would be so grateful. It only takes a few minutes to fill out:

Link to the Researcher Testimonial Form
Link to the Student Testimonial Form

Feel free to share this with anyone in your network who might want to contribute too. Thank you for helping make research feel a little less intimidating and a lot more welcoming!

Are you a student currently pursuing scientific research, or a scientist already established in the field? I'd love to feature your story!

Hi everyone! I'm Chloe, and I'm running an organization called the Path Lab Initiative. I’m building a student-friendly blog dedicated to making research and STEM accessible to students of all backgrounds — especially those who are curious but unsure how to take their first step. My goal is to break down the barriers that often make the world of research feel out of reach.

As part of this effort, I'm collecting testimonials from organizations, mentors, and students working in research. Your perspective and experience would be incredibly valuable in shaping the blog's content and showing students that there are communities out there who support them.

If you're willing to share your journey and the advice you wish you’d gotten earlier, I would be so grateful. It only takes a few minutes to fill out:

Link to the Researcher Testimonial Form
Link to the Student Testimonial Form

Feel free to share this with anyone in your network who might want to contribute too. Thank you for helping make research feel a little less intimidating and a lot more welcoming!