10 UChicago Traditions Every Applicant Should Know

The University of Chicago (UChicago) is known for its rigorous academics, but its campus culture is shaped just as much by the traditions students look forward to each year. From the legendary 72-hour Scav Hunt to weekly Dollar Shake Days at the Reynolds Club, these UChicago traditions bring students together, celebrate creativity, and make the university unlike any other.

For applicants, these traditions are more than fun facts. UChicago’s “Why Us?” essay asks you to reflect on the kind of academic community you want to join, and understanding campus traditions can help you write a more specific and authentic response. Instead of listing programs or rankings, you can show admissions officers that you’ve taken the time to learn what life at UChicago is actually like.

In this guide, we’ll walk through 10 of the most iconic UChicago traditions, explain what makes each one special, and show you how to use what you’ve learned to strengthen your application.

• Top 10 UChicago Traditions
• How to Use UChicago Traditions in Your Application
• Take the Next Step in Your UChicago Application
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Takeaways

Top 10 UChicago Traditions

UChicago’s culture extends well beyond its classrooms. The university’s traditions reveal how students celebrate, collaborate, unwind, and build community throughout the year. Exploring these UChicago unique traditions gives prospective and admitted students a clearer picture of what campus life is actually like beyond academics.

Here are 10 UChicago traditions every prospective student should know:

1. Housing and residential system

UChicago traditions are all about building a strong sense of community, and the Housing & Residence Life program is at the heart of it all. From the very beginning, the university has focused on connecting students with one another, and that’s exactly what you’ll experience living in one of UChicago’s 38 residential Houses.

Each House has its own vibe and traditions that set it apart. Whether it’s creating your House mascot or crafting a custom T-shirt with your House’s slogan, you’ll immediately feel the pride of being part of your House family.

And if you love a little friendly competition, you’re in luck. The annual Chairman’s Broomball Cup is one of the most popular events, where Houses face off in a spirited (and sometimes chaotic) broomball game. The winner gets to take home the Golden Broom and, of course, bragging rights for the year.

Your House will likely have its own special events too, whether it’s a “Housegiving” potluck or a sunrise gathering by the lakefront.

2. Art to Live With program

One beloved UChicago tradition even lets you transform your dorm into a mini art gallery. Through the Art to Live With program, you can borrow original works of art from the University’s Smart Museum and decorate your own space for the entire school year.

It’s a long-running program (dating back to 1958!) that has become a hallmark of UChicago traditions. In fact, it was one of the first university art-loan programs in the country. Each fall, the Smart Museum designates around 100-140 artworks for students to choose from, and it’s first-come, first-served at the big Art Match selection event.

The collection—intentionally curated to spark students’ intellectual curiosity—features works by renowned artists like Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso, and Chicago’s own Eleanor Coen. You’ll find dorm rooms all across campus adorned with these original pieces, on loan to students with an eye for inspiration.

Getting your dream painting has become an event in itself. On Art Match weekend, many students get up at the crack of dawn (some used to camp out overnight!) just to snag their favorite artwork for the year.

3. Scav hunt

Scav hunt is a 72-hour campus-wide adventure that’s been going strong for over 30 years. Every spring, you and your housemates will go on a whirlwind quest solving encrypted clues, riddles, and hunting down seemingly impossible items across campus, throughout Chicago, and sometimes clear across the country. It’s such a big deal that at one point, Scav even held the Guinness World Record as the largest scavenger hunt on the planet.

Past Scav Hunts have challenged students to accomplish feats like:

• Backward Bike Ride. Pedal a bicycle backwards across the quads.
• Zelda-Style Mapmaking. Map out the Chicago Pedway (the city’s underground walkway system) in the style of The Legend of Zelda, as if the tunnels were levels in a video game.
• King Kong Road Trip. Pile into a car for a road-trip to Oklahoma and return with a giant statue of King Kong (one team actually did it, just for those coveted points!).
• Nuclear DIY. Perhaps the most infamous Scav item ever: build a working nuclear breeder reactor in a shed. Believe it or not, a team of students pulled this off back in 1999.

4. Latke-Hamantash debate

You might not expect it, but one of the quirkier UChicago traditions revolves around a debate about food. Since 1946, University of Chicago faculty have gathered for the annual Latke-Hamantash Debate—a humorous academic showdown that attempts to settle which Jewish holiday delicacy is superior: the crispy latke (a Hanukkah potato pancake) or the sweet hamantash (a Purim pastry).

Over the decades, some of UChicago’s most brilliant minds—including Nobel Prize-winning professors and even university presidents have taken part, each using their own field of expertise (and a hearty dose of humor) to champion their preferred treat.

Debaters often don full academic regalia and pepper their arguments with the technical jargon of their disciplines, as if proving the latke’s supremacy or the hamantash’s greatness were as serious as defending a thesis.

Of course, it’s all in great fun. There’s never an official winner—after all, how could anyone truly choose? At the end of the night, everyone gets to taste both latkes and hamantashen for themselves.

5. Dollar Shake days

Every Wednesday during the academic year, the campus community heads to the Reynolds Club—the student hub—to relax with friends and drop a dollar on a delicious milkshake. Dollar Shake Days have become one of the most beloved UChicago traditions, turning the midweek slump into a mini celebration of cheap, sweet joy.

For just $1, you get a cold, creamy milkshake complete with free toppings piled high—a deal so good it almost sounds too awesome to be true.

This weekly ritual has been a part of campus life for decades, it dates back to the 1940s and has been enjoyed by generations of UChicago students. Upperclassmen eagerly introduce first-years to the tradition, and even faculty and staff have been known to stop by for a midweek pick-me-up.

The University itself clearly recognizes how beloved this tradition is. When an outside vendor (Einstein Bros. Bagels) took over the Reynolds Club café, UChicago required them to continue the $1 milkshake Wednesdays in their contract.

6. Reynolds Club seal

Among UChicago traditions, one of the first unwritten rules you’ll learn as a new student is to watch your step in the Reynolds Club—specifically, don’t step on the gold seal set into its lobby floor.

This shiny University emblem, embedded near the entrance to Hutchinson Commons in the student union building, might look like a harmless decoration, but according to campus lore, it’s strictly off-limits. Legend says that any student who sets foot on the seal won’t graduate on time, often meaning you won’t finish within the standard four years.

According to campus legend, this superstition may even have started as a practical ploy by clever staff who wanted to prevent the beautiful seal’s engraving from getting worn down.

7. Kuvia

Kuvia, short for Kuviasungnerk/Kangeiko, is a weeklong festival that’s as much about community as it is about rejuvenation. The name itself is a blend of the Inuit word for “pursuit of happiness” and the Japanese tradition of winter training, and it’s been a beloved UChicago tradition for years.

Each day of Kuvia begins before sunrise with activities that help you shake off the winter chill and start your day with energy. You and your fellow students gather at the crack of dawn for a calming yoga session followed by a warm breakfast. Throughout the week, there are also dance classes, outdoor runs, and other group activities designed to energize both your body and mind.

The final day of Kuvia is the grand finale. The morning begins with sun salutations by the lakefront as the first light of the day stretches across Lake Michigan.

8. Summer Breeze

As the academic year winds down, Summer Breeze is the perfect way to say goodbye to the stress of finals and welcome the laid-back vibes of summer. Every spring quarter, the Council on University Programming and the Major Activities Board team up to throw this highly anticipated festival, and it’s become one of the best-loved UChicago traditions.

Whether you’re competing in a tug-of-war, soaking up the sun on a blanket, or trying your hand at one of the carnival-style games, there’s something for everyone. And the best part? It’s all about relaxation and fun, giving you a chance to take a breather before you dive into the end-of-year grind.

9. Midnight Breakfast and Primal Scream

The Primal Scream & Midnight Breakfast duo captures the emotional rollercoaster of finals week perfectly. In the span of an hour, you go from intense stress, to wild release, to relaxed togetherness.

Screaming into the night lets you purge that anxiety—an energetic reset button for your brain. And immediately afterward, filling up on pancakes with friends helps stifle any lingering jitters.

By the time you head back to your dorm or the library after midnight breakfast, you feel recharged. Sure, you’ve still got exams to tackle in the morning, but somehow they feel a little less daunting now. You’ve yelled, you’ve laughed, you’ve eaten, and you’ve remembered that you’re not alone in this.

10. O-week

When you first arrive at UChicago, one of the most exciting and memorable experiences is College Orientation Week, affectionately known as O-Week. This multi-day event has been a key part of UChicago traditions since 1934, and it’s designed to introduce new students to everything that makes the University of Chicago one of the most unique institutions in the world.

Throughout O-Week, new students are given an in-depth overview of how the College works, with sessions ranging from practical (like navigating course registration and understanding the library system) to the more cultural and fun (think icebreakers, social mixers, and group activities).

How to Use UChicago Traditions in Your Application

Learning about UChicago traditions is only the first step. The real value comes from showing how those traditions connect to the kind of student and community member you hope to be.

UChicago is known for its unconventional essay prompts, which encourage applicants to share their personality, interests, and ambitions with creativity and authenticity. The “Why UChicago” essay is no different. In 300 to 600 words, you’ll explain why the university is a good fit by reflecting on three core ideas: learning, community, and your future goals.

While your academic interests and career aspirations will naturally influence the learning and future portions of your response, campus traditions are one of the clearest ways to demonstrate that you understand the community you’re hoping to join.

Here’s how to use UChicago traditions thoughtfully in your essay without making them feel like a list of facts:

1. Use a tradition to answer the “community” part of the prompt.

Many applicants spend most of their “Why UChicago” essay focusing on academics, discussing the Core Curriculum, professors, research opportunities, or specific courses. Those details are important, but they often leave the community portion of the essay underdeveloped.

A UChicago tradition is one of the most effective ways to strengthen that part of your response. Events like Kuvia or Scav Hunt reveal aspects of campus culture that are difficult to capture through a list of clubs or campus resources alone. They reflect a community that is collaborative, intellectually curious, and willing to embrace creativity and a little bit of absurdity.

Focus on the qualities a tradition represents and why they appeal to you. For example, you might explain that Scav Hunt stands out because it combines creativity, teamwork, and intellectual curiosity in a way that matches how you enjoy tackling ambitious projects with others. That helps admissions officers understand the kind of community you’re hoping to join and the role you see yourself playing in it.

Simply mentioning that you’re excited to participate in Scav Hunt isn’t enough. Connecting the tradition to your own values and experiences demonstrates why UChicago’s community is a good fit for you.

2. Tie the tradition to a specific personal trait or interest.

Every tradition you mention should reinforce something admissions officers learn about you. Use it to highlight a personal trait, interest, or way of thinking that has already shaped your experiences and goals.

For instance, you might write about the Latke-Hamantash Debate because you’ve always enjoyed examining complex questions from multiple perspectives and appreciate discussions that blend intellectual rigor with humor. You could connect that interest to your experiences in debate competitions, philosophy classes, or even spirited conversations outside class. The tradition then reinforces that UChicago’s culture matches how you naturally engage with ideas.

Remember, each tradition should support a larger point about why you’re a good fit for UChicago. When it reflects a genuine part of your personality or interests, it becomes meaningful evidence of compatibility rather than simply another detail about campus life.

3. Use one detail, not a list.

A single tradition connected to a meaningful personal insight is usually more memorable than mentioning several campus traditions at once. Give one tradition enough space to reveal something meaningful about who you are and why UChicago’s community appeals to you.

The examples below show how that principle works in practice:

The first example is effective because the tradition supports a larger point about the applicant’s personality and values. Kuvia illustrates the type of campus environment the student hopes to join, while the personal reflection reveals the values that make it an authentic fit.

The second example mentions several traditions but never develops any of them. Admissions officers learn very little about the applicant because the traditions aren’t connected to any personal experiences, interests, or values. A single well-developed example almost always leaves a stronger impression because it gives admissions officers insight into who you are and how you hope to contribute to the UChicago community.

Referencing UChicago traditions thoughtfully can make your “Why UChicago” essay feel more specific, authentic, and memorable, but it’s only one part of a successful response. For a complete breakdown of every UChicago supplemental prompt, along with expert writing strategies and examples, check out our UChicago Supplemental Essays Guide.

Take the Next Step in Your UChicago Application

Learning about UChicago traditions is a great way to understand the university’s culture, but building a competitive application requires a broader strategy. If you’re ready to move from campus research to application planning, see our How to Get into UChicago Guide for expert advice on academics, extracurriculars, essays, and admissions requirements.

If you’d like personalized guidance throughout the admissions process, AdmissionSight’s Standard College Counseling Program provides one-on-one support with college selection, application strategy, essay development, and every step of the admissions journey.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are some unique traditions at UChicago?

UChicago traditions range from century-old campus customs to student-run events. Some of the best-known examples include Scav Hunt, Kuvia, Dollar Shake Days, the Latke-Hamantash Debate, Summer Breeze, and the university’s House traditions.

2. What is Scav Hunt at UChicago?

Scav Hunt is UChicago’s annual 72-hour scavenger hunt, where student teams complete hundreds of creative, unusual, and often seemingly impossible challenges. It has become one of the university’s most iconic traditions and was once recognized as the world’s largest scavenger hunt between 2011 to 2014.

3. What is Kuvia at UChicago?

Kuvia is a weeklong winter tradition centered on wellness, community, and personal growth. Students participate in early morning workouts, yoga, group activities, and community breakfasts before celebrating the final day with sunrise activities along Lake Michigan.

4. Does UChicago have a “Why UChicago” essay?

Yes. UChicago requires applicants to complete a 300 to 600-word “Why UChicago” essay that explores why the university is a good fit by reflecting on learning, community, and future goals.

5. How can I mention UChicago traditions in my Why UChicago essay?

Choose one tradition that genuinely resonates with your interests, values, or experiences, then explain why it matters to you. Connecting a tradition to your own story creates a stronger and more authentic response than simply listing several campus traditions.

Takeaways

• UChicago traditions offer a window into the university’s culture, highlighting the creativity, collaboration, intellectual curiosity, and close-knit community that define student life.
• Traditions like Scav Hunt, Kuvia, Dollar Shake Days, and the Latke-Hamantash Debate can help you understand what life at UChicago is like beyond academics.
• The strongest “Why UChicago” essays use one well-chosen tradition to illustrate your interests, values, and the kind of community you hope to join, rather than listing several campus traditions.
• Connecting a tradition to your own experiences and personality helps demonstrate authentic fit and makes your application more specific and memorable.
• If you’re applying to UChicago, working with an admissions expert can help you build a cohesive application strategy, strengthen your essays, and present your story in the most compelling way possible.