UChicagoEssay Adventure

Problem

Every year, UChicago releases a new set of notoriously unconventional college essay prompts — the kind that have become something of a legend among high school students. The challenge wasn't explaining the prompts. It was setting the right tone: convincing a nervous seventeen-year-old that the correct response to 'find x' or 'what can actually be divided by zero' wasn't panic, but curiosity. The video needed to make the whole thing feel like an invitation rather than an exam.

Decision

The framing device was Indiana Jones. Specifically, the detail that Indy earned his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, a fact the university has quietly claimed for decades. That connection made the metaphor available: college essays as expedition and the blank page as unexplored territory. I directed and edited the piece to carry that sense of momentum and discovery, and composed an original score that leaned into the adventure-film register. The goal was a video that felt like it had been made by people who understood exactly what makes UChicago unusual, and were proud of it.

Outcome

The video was released to prospective students as part of the annual essay prompt rollout and did exactly what it was meant to do: reframe a potentially intimidating moment as something to look forward to. The Indiana Jones thread gave students a way in; a recognizable story about following questions wherever they lead you.