I don’t know what effect of the video portfolio is likely to have on chances of admission, but as a general matter, the bar for EA/RD is going to be much higher than ED.
Folks, you should really calm down about the optional video. Some “optional” things in college admissions may really be semi-required, but I think there’s no chance that the optional video is in that category.
The video idea looks like a creative response to two insights.
First, Chicago was going to have to abandon the pretense that it would try to have an alumni interview of every applicant. They didn’t have the infrastructure in the alumni network to do that. What’s more, even for the applicants who did get interviews, the interviews really weren’t providing actionable information. There were too many differences among interviewers, and a lot of the output reflected interviewer differences rather than differentiating the applicants. But they were concerned that abandoning the interviews would make it look like Chicago cared less about applicants as people than its competitors, and that might turn off some applicants. So . . . optional video! We want to meet you in person (sort of)! And it’s a direct communication between applicants and admissions staff, no mediation by unreliable alumni.
Second, Chicago’s famous emphasis on challenging and creative essay prompts might look a little antiquated in a world where multimedia communication is increasingly the norm. It isn’t hip. And maybe it was causing some high school seniors not to apply, if they thought of themselves not as writers but as producers/directors of audiovisual communications. So, notwithstanding that someone who is not comfortable with expressing ideas in writing would be absolutely nuts to choose to go to the University of Chicago . . . optional video! It must be hard these days to keep finding ways to expand Chicago’s applicant pool, and this could get a few hundred or even a thousand or more candidates to take the plunge. Plus, who knows?, maybe they’ll see someone who is so brilliant at video presentation that it will be worth the risk to admit them despite essays that are less brilliant.
In the background of both of those lines of thinking is that for years they have been making 99.9% of their admissions decisions on the basis of the written portions of the application, and that is not likely to change much if at all because of optional videos. I don’t think the impetus for this is that they believe the videos will improve their decisionmaking so much as that the videos will improve their image and marketing.
The admissions people would probably say it can’t hurt you, only help. And that’s probably mostly right, with the caveat that it won’t help very many people. (It may help lots of people in the sense that everyone feels a little worse for rejecting them, because they seem so nice, but it’s not going to make a difference between admission or wait-list for more than a handful of people.) And there is a risk, if you are not skilled at video presentation, that a sloppy, poorly considered video will dilute what would otherwise be a really excellent application.
Your admissions officers can’t un-see a mediocre video. That’s why you shouldn’t send them one. You shouldn’t send in a video just because you can.
(Also, yes, you should read the Admissions website of every college to which you are applying. It’s optional, but at highly selective universities that’s an example of required-optional. It’s not a formal requirement for admission, but the admitted pool is going to be heavily weighted to the kinds of people who read the website. Carefully.)
@jgladney yes, I agree. I was only answering the last question because that’s all I know the answer to
^ Barring new information such as you’ve just received an award or something, the Class of '24 RD applications are in the rear view mirror. So this advice pertains to prospective applicants for the future:
Last year, CC had some great general and UChicago-specific advice on the topic of an “optional” video. Here is the link again; IMO it’s excellent advice:
https://insights.collegeconfidential.com/are-optional-application-essays-and-videos-really-optional
The key paragraph: “The University of Chicago’s optional video is about as low-key as an application assignment can get. The time limit is just two minutes, and the instructions insist that edited, polished productions are not welcome; selfie-style phone recordings are. So, as with the open-ended optional essay mentioned above, this mini movie will give you the chance to show a side of yourself that may not be apparent in the other components of your application. It also says to U. Chicago, “I care enough about you to make this extra effort.” "
It’s true that applicants get in w/o having submitted a video. And PLENTY of applicants have been dinged despite sending a video. The video won’t make or break your application. But it is an additional chance to tell your story and give the adcom a reason to select you - perhaps confirming in their minds that you are truly a great fit for UChicago. While I have no evidence of this, I suspect that distinguishing yourself in this way might be particularly important in the non-binding rounds of admission.
Agree with @MohnGedachtnis that an optional video can highlight skills and talents other than essay-writing, but do keep in mind a couple of things: 1) You aren’t necessarily constrained to the written word for the Uncommon Essay, as UChicago has experimented a bit with alternative options in the past (see, for instance, the “Dean Nondorf” prompt from the “Classic Questions” section in the link below); and 2) The optional two-minute video isn’t intended to substitute for a creative supplement demonstrating talent in audio/visual communications. You can submit that as well, per their instructions.
https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/apply/uchicago-supplemental-essay-questions
Ok, I saw this somewhere and I’m not sure if it’s legit. So if you go to your UChicago portal, log in, right-click and select inspect element, and search (command F) for “admit” are there results that pop up? If so, is the result end with “admit.css”
@kobe248224
It doesn’t mean anything. Accepted people and rejected people both have it. 
yo I emailed FA office. they never responded. big oof
UChicago is releasing decisions on March 13th…I don’t know how accurate this website is…https://www.collegekickstart.com/blog/item/class-of-2024-regular-decision-notification-dates
Honestly, I’m so nervous yet anxious for these decisions to be released. Part of me is expecting a rejection, but the other part is trying to remain optimistic because at the end of the day, you never know.
I know right!!
Friday the 13th? How appropriate.
So many schools are releasing decisions on the 13th ahhh
Ahhh
That website states that Ivy decisions will be released on the 28th, even though they’ll actually be released on the 26th. Unfortunately, I’m not sure how accurate the website is.
For the past 3 years, UChicago has released decisions between the dates March 15th-17th. Hopefully we’ll hear news in under two weeks (I’m stressing out, I could use news!)
UChicago just tweeted that decisions are being released this Friday!
Uh oh. . . . Best of luck, everyone!
high-key getting rejected but oh well
Shaping up to be a rough week.
I’m so not ready!!! UChicago is so my dream school, and after not getting into Wellesley I’m highkey worried they won’t let me in either.
Life works out.