PS Your personal statement is your chance to present yourself and your ideas in your own words. Through the Common, Universal, or Coalition Application, your personal statement will be sent to all of the schools you are applying to. As a result, it should not be specific to any one school. Your personal statement should be appropriate for a wide array of audiences and should put your best foot forward. Be sure to proofread and edit your essay, and have someone you trust like a friend, family member, or counselor read it over before submitting it. Fee The University of Chicago does not charge an application fee for students applying for need-based financial aid. For students not applying for need-based financial aid, our application fee is $75 and can be submitted through the Coalition, Common, or Universal Application. RL We require two recommendations from teachers who have taught you in an academic subject: high school teachers for first-year applicants and college instructors for transfer applicants. Academic subjects, as defined for the purposes of letters of recommendation, include mathematics, social studies, history, science, English or literature, foreign language, and other courses in which you are doing substantial amounts of reading, writing, or class discussion. If you have questions about whether a particular course is a good choice, feel free to contact your regional Admissions Counselor.If you feel that we won't be able get a full picture of who you are without a third letter of recommendation from another teacher, an employer, role model, youth leader, or friend, you may submit one additional letter. Submitting a supplemental letter of recommendation is not an expectation, and please be considerate of the significant time commitment writing a good letter of recommendation takes before asking a potential recommender. Transcript Transcripts, test scores, secondary school reports, and recommendations are considered official only if they come directly from your school, teachers, counselors, or other recommenders. Any of these materials submitted by the applicant are unofficial, and won’t count toward our application requirements.