University of Chicago senior Daniel Schmidt recently sparked controversy with posts on X calling attention to the high rates of violent crime on and around campus (including the murders of three students during the first eleven months of 2021). Most of the perpetrators of these crimes, Schmidt noted, are black — which means that any proposals to reduce these crimes, even one as simple as asking for more police, are denounced as “racist” by leftist students and faculty.
Since the posts, Schmidt has been condemned by the University of Chicago’s student government and its Organization of Black Students, amid many calls for his expulsion. While X has throttled Schmidt’s original post for violating rules against “hateful conduct,” University of Chicago President Paul Alivisatos has defended Schmidt’s right to speak freely.
Schmidt previously came under fire in 2023 for X posts critical of University of Chicago lecturer Rebecca Journey’s seminar “The Problem of Whiteness.”
“It’s … one of the only colleges today that sincerely protects free speech (why I can make this post without getting expelled),” posted Schmidt about his school. “It’s undoubtedly the only top university that cowards haven’t co-opted. I love it dearly.”
In that spirit, we’re publishing Schmidt’s advice, originally posted on his X account, on how to get into the University of Chicago and other top American educational institutions.
—Matt Himes
I got into Princeton, Yale, and the University of Chicago three years ago. I wrote my admission essay about going to a Trump rally when I was 13 and how it inspired me.
This essay was part of a calculated strategy. When I was in high school, I understood that I had to game the system because I’m a white male. I realized I had to combine extreme risk-taking with extreme competence — two characteristics that maybe only 1% of people simultaneously have.
Yes, these universities are biased against you because you’re a white guy. But even greater than their disdain for white people is their need to claim future high achievers — because that is their entire business model.
Why? For one, I knew it would make me stand out. How many kids applying to Yale write about going to a Trump rally? But more importantly, I recognized that these universities are ultimately businesses. They retain their prestige and donations through the achievements of their alumni.
The admission process is simply a psychological screening to identify these future high achievers.
Unusual risk-taking at a young age coupled with demonstrated competence through test scores, grades, and extracurriculars are indicators of future success. I knew that admission officers would identify that, consciously or subconsciously, and that I could beat the odds placed against me because I’m white.
So if you’re a white male in high school, or a relative of one, here’s what I recommend.
First, you must discover what you’re passionate about and only focus on that. For me, it was public speaking and writing. You cannot be a “jack-of-all-trades.” These colleges want young people who are excellent at just one or two things. They want Math Olympiad winners, international debate champions, chess prodigies, etc. If you spread yourself thin, admission officers cannot picture where you will be 20 years from now. Remember: All that these universities ultimately care about is producing future leaders in their respective industries.
Fortunately, you do not need to be on the extreme level of “Math Olympiad winner.” I was president of two clubs (Model United Nations and Debate) and ran a blog and that was it. But you must orient your application around just one or two passions and excel in related extracurriculars to demonstrate your competence. That is crucial.
Then we get to the Common App essay, which is far and away the most significant part of the application. Here is where most kids fail. They write about unimaginative and cliched topics like going on a mission trip, volunteering at a homeless shelter, or participating in robotics club. Sorry, but at least 5,000 other kids are writing about that. You have just reduced your chances of admission to less than 1%, even if you have a perfect SAT score.
You need to set yourself apart and designate yourself as a future high achiever in the eyes of admission officers. You need to say something in your essay that stands out immediately. Naturally, only you can know what that “something” is. But it must relate to your passion in some capacity.
In high school, I realized I enjoyed public speaking and writing because they allowed me to push boundaries by advancing bold ideas. I get bored very quickly with the status quo. When Trump ran for president in 2016, he challenged the system through the power of his words, which inspired me. That’s what I wrote about in my Common App essay.
The best advice I can give you is to dig deep into your passion and discover what energizes you. What motivates you? What excites you the most? If you can connect that excitement to a unique experience, even better. The key is to be as authentic and memorable as possible, because that will make you stand out.
Of course, you need excellent test scores and grades. But don’t obsess over the numbers. As long as you score in the top 5% of test takers, you’re fine. I scored a 36 on the ACT and graduated with a 4.0 GPA … but so do thousands of other students applying to these colleges. Spend most of your time instead pursuing your passion and writing your essay. I cannot overstate the importance of that.
If you follow these steps, I sincerely believe you will get into at least one Ivy League or top school. Yes, these universities are biased against you because you’re a white guy. But even greater than their disdain for white people is their need to claim future high achievers — because that is their entire business model. Take advantage of that.
