College Essay系列（三十七）：芝大 小文书 Why Chicago（3）

The minute I got home from school, the first thing I think about coffee. Should I make my signature oat meal latte or pass on the late afternoon caffeine so that I can actually sleep? You guess it. I usually succumb to the enticing aroma and flavor of my favorite beverage.

One unique afternoon, a postcard caught my attention with vivid descriptions of UChicago’s 14 coffee shops. Intrigued, I felt that any school that makes daily dilemma a little more palatable must be the school for me. If I am accepted to Chicago, I plan to visit every one of those 14 coffee shops during my first two weeks. In between analyzing the ambiance, people, music, décor, and of course the coffee, I will be plenty busy talking the advantage of all the other opportunities that UChicago provides.

The University of Chicago curriculum presents perfect combination of liberal arts education and research, which I plan to explore primarily as an economics and math student. Economics allows me to exercise both my creative side, which manifests in writing and real-world problem solving, and my analytical side through quantitative research. With its dual focus on scientific and mathematical methodologies and on public policy, UChicago’s economics department stands alone. I hope to explore economics by joining cohorts and topics from central banking to game theory and participate the econometrics game to challenge my data analysis and presentation skills.

The Becker Friedman Institute’s research initiatives will inspire me to connect with professors and graduate students across academic disciplines. For example, I’m interested in Professor List’s Chicago Experiments Initiative, which applies experimental methods to the study of economic behavior right here at Chicago. Additionally, personalized career advisors and the prospect of Metcalf Internship will allow me to discover where my interests intersect real world problems and lead to a fulfilling career in the vibrant space of Chicago and beyond.

While I will focus my studies on economics and mathematics, I’m enticed by UChicago’s dedication to instilling a wide breadth of knowledge. I’ve considered topics ranging from political science to chemistry to music. UChicago’s core curriculum values all of these equally. Another exciting part of the interdisciplinary curriculum is the Big Problem Series. Inequality origins dimensions and policy is development sustainable. And from neo-liberalism to neo-imperialism can buy my interest in economics and public policy to identify complex problems and innovative solutions.

I am also drawn to UChicago’s teaching philosophy which matches my learning style. Instead of measuring progress simply by quantity of information transmitted, UChicago values discussion, writing, and research as life skills. The classes in high school that challenged and intrigued me most were based on primary source analysis and proof-based theory, which are methods emphasized within UChicago’s Core. I look forward to making intellectual connections that will impact my views on campus and in life through the stimulation of solving problems with a diverse student body.

Along with its emphasis on discussion-based academics, UChicago’s devotion to free expression and intellectual diversity is unique. From my volunteer work at Citizen Advocacy Center creating a citizen guide that analyzed local procedures on public protest to my tackling the political polarization induced by free speech debates on college campuses for an English research essay, I have been fascinated by the integration of first amendment rights into life. And how that impacts political and social environment. Unlike many elite colleges, the University of Chicago’s political culture is truly a melting pot of ideas, both in and out of the classroom.

Finally, I feared that college would mean choosing between academics and music, but UChicago will allow me to expand my artistic pursuits in a truly unique manner by emphasizing both the performance and academic study of music. As cellist, I look forward to playing in the university symphony orchestra and chamber groups, taking lessons from CSO musicians and combining music with other art forms. Unlike many schools, UChicago provides these opportunities equally to all majors, and blurs the lines between music and academics through an intellectual approach to music.

One of my most meaningful extracurriculars is the Elder Youth Symphony Orchestra conduct by UChicago’s own Matthew Shepard. While we perform technically demanding works such as Bartok’s concerto for orchestra and Shostakovich symphony #1, the organization also challenge me to think music intellectually. Connecting music, for example, to nature, literature, and movement. Formal rehearsals comprised of Socratic style discussions, ranging from what defines organism to historical implications of soviet communism, have instilled me an appreciation for connections between music and society. Professor Supakowski’s music and mind course bears a powerful to my EYSO studies. UChicago is the only school that will allow me to expand on this academic approach to music, where nothing is black and white. And the process of thinking is valued just as highly that of performing.

Outside the intellectual benefits， UChicago will enable me to pursue, I look forward to connecting with others in a vibrant community nowhere else. By fostering arts outreach in a culturally diverse community and pioneering social change through economic investment, UChicago provides a place where I will develop my passion for exploring the unknown. With a group of people who value building on each other at UChicago, the inspiration of a postcard and a simple sip of coffee can lead me to meet the mad scientist of Plein Air Café, discover exactly what makes grounds of being so divine, and conduct some experiments in Quantum Café to engineer a perfect cup of coffee.