How to strengthen your Loyola Chicago application

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What Loyola Chicago weights most

Loyola values applicants who demonstrate service-oriented leadership, a clear commitment to social justice, and sustained engagement with community or faith-based activities, reflecting its Jesuit mission. They give extra weight to students with tangible Chicago connections or internship-ready interests in nursing, social work, public health, and biology, and they are more forgiving of nontraditional grade patterns if compensated by strong upward trends and meaningful extracurricular impact.

Supplemental essay strategy

For the supplemental "why Loyola" response, cite specific Chicago resources you will use, for example the Arrupe Clinical Training Center, Institute for Racial Justice, or internship pathways on the lakefront, and tie one to a concrete project or career goal. If applying to nursing, social work, or bio, name a program, faculty member, or clinical placement and explain how Loyola's community-centered approach uniquely advances your plans.

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Where to focus next

If you only have time for one thing this month, do this:

1. Read 2 admitted-student essays from Loyola Chicago (search official admissions site or Reddit r/loyolachicago). Notice the level of specificity — that's the bar.
2. Write the ‘why this school’ supplement first, before anything else. If you can't fill 250 words with school-specific reasons, pick a different school.
3. Find one current student to ask about their experience — admissions offices often connect prospective applicants with current students. The follow-up email becomes specific essay material.