University of Chicago -Reading List for hs students

[gcindy]

University of Chicago requires that home educated students submit a reading list (all books read for courses and pleasure). We have a record of all the books that we used for high school. But, did not keep records of all books read.

This son reads, everything! How do I honestly answer this question? This son has 70 credits at the local community college (dual enrolled) and very high test scores (mensa level). I always wanted my children to read for pleasure, not because we were keeping a list.

[Kareni]

First of all, check with your library. Perhaps they can access past records to see what books you/your son checked out. Otherwise, I'd just start quizzing your son. Walk the aisles of the library or bookstore. See what books are on his shelves. As he starts to list books, other titles will come back to him. When he submits the list, title it "A selection of books read."

My daughter was also required to submit booklists to a couple of colleges. As I recall, we sorted her list into non-fiction, literature, fantasy (a favorite genre of pleasure reading for her), essays, Latin books (as this is quite likely what she will major in ... we included serious readings as well as Cat in the Hat in Latin, for example), and textbooks.

Regards,
Kareni

[gcindy]

Our library does not keep records because of the 911 privacy law.
Wouldn't it just be better to admit that you did not keep a list, and perhaps mention authors and genre?

[Gwen in VA]

If you title the list "A Sampling of Books Read during Junior and Senior Years....." that might help.

My son applied to and was accepted by U. Chicago two years ago. He submitted a reading list, but it was only 1 1/2 pages long. The books on it were a SMALL fraction of the books he read during his junior and senior years, and he didn't bother submitting any titles from freshman and sophomore years.

Even though the list was short, he tried to choose books to put on it that represented the variety of genres that he read as well as his eclectic interests.

If your son is a passionate reader, the admissions folks at U Chicago do NOT want to see his COMPLETE reading list! :tongue_smilie:

[gcindy]

Ohh, that's an excellent idea. I can live with that.

That is the BEST way of answering the question without being dishonest and still giving my son credit for the massive amount of reading (and yes, very eclectic) that he does.

Thank you everyone for your help.

Gwen,
What is your son studying and is he enjoying his college choice?

[MBM]

I have a 1991 list of books from U of C, but I don't remember if freshman were expected to already have read them or would read them their first year. It might give you an idea as to what to include.

The Iliad
Shakespeare
Emma
Madame Bovary
Death in Venice
As I Lay Dying
Things Fall Apart
The Wealth of Nations
Discourse on the Origins and Foundations of Inequality
The German Ideology, Part I
The Apology
The Nichomachean Ethics
Adventures of Ideas
The Second Treatise...of Civil Government
The Origin of the Species
The Interpretation of Dreams
The Savage Mind
The Realms of the Nebulae
It's a Matter of Survival
Herodutus' Histories
The Old Regime and the French Revolution
The Education of Henry Adams
The Human Condition
The Second Sex
The Analects
The Bhagavad-Gita
various essays and poems

The poster danielle went to U of C and would know what to include. She also might be able to offer some better suggestions.

Good luck to your son. :)

[Gwen in VA]

My son is studying philosophy and economics, with a minor in math.

He is enjoying his college choice. He absolutely loves the philosophy profs and his classes with them! He likes the classics dep't, though he decided not to major in it. And he has been blessed by some great research opportunities.

[transientChris]

If you have read books for classes and know what they are, include those. FOr pleasure reading or reading outside of class, include some of theat but not everything. Many things can be listed in groups, anyway. My son read Science fiction series like Philip K. Dick or the Foundations series. My older daughter is reading Mystery series like Sue Grafton books, JOanne Fluke, and older ones likes SHerlock Holmes and Poe. If someone wants reading lists for her, we will list them like that plus some other reading she has done.