This is the application platform for students in the College who are applying for the Hugo F. Sonnenschein Medal of Excellence. Materials will only be accepted from fourth-year students who have already been nominated for this honor and invited to submit an application.
The Hugo F. Sonnenschein Medal of Excellence is the highest award bestowed upon undergraduates by the College. Named in honor of the University of Chicago's eleventh president, it recognizes one graduating student whose character and deeds embody the University's foundational commitment to the direct and active betterment of society at large. The award thereby seeks to inspire an ethos of engagement that further strengthens the University's service to local, national, and international communities.
If you choose to accept this nomination, you will be asked to provide the selection committee with information about your ambition for and service to others, leadership, academic excellence, and future goals. This includes submission of a CV, as well as three short essays (250 words or less), where you will be asked to describe an example of: 1) your ambition for and service to others; 2) leadership; and 3) academic excellence.
You will also be asked to submit two letters of recommendation. The first letter, which must be written by a faculty member of any rank, must testify to your academic excellence. The second letter must testify to your leadership and service; it may be written by anyone familiar with your ambition for others, including individuals beyond the UChicago community. All application materials are due on March 5, 2025, by 11:59 PM CT.
Eligibility and selection criteria:
- Ambition for and Service to Others. Nominees must possess a remarkable record of transforming lives and communities, especially beyond the University of Chicago’s campus, and elevating the public good.
- Leadership. Nominees must not only possess a vision of positive change, but exhibit the courage, conviction, and agency necessary to realize it.
- Ability to Deliver Results. Can the nominee demonstrate how he or she delivered results from a position of leadership—whether by organizing, mobilizing, or inspiring others? This may have been through his/her intellectual or artistic contributions, or in other ways. Is there evidence that the nominee initiated something and carried it through to an outcome?
- Character and Strength of Purpose. Has the nominee demonstrated courage of conviction, persistence, and determination in the pursuit of his or her goals? Do the candidate's extra-curricular activities indicate commitment?
- Academic Excellence. Nominees must possess an outstanding record of academic achievement (minimum GPA: 3.8) and have forged meaningful connections between their academic work, research, and/or creative inquiries and their social commitments. You must submit an official transcript by email to ccrf@uchicago.edu.
If you have any questions, please contact: Nichole Fazio (nfazio@uchicago.edu)
2025 Hugo F. Sonnenschein Medal of Excellence Nominee Portal
This is the application platform for students in the College who are applying for the Hugo F. Sonnenschein Medal of Excellence. Materials will only be accepted from fourth-year students who have already been nominated for this honor and invited to submit an application.
The Hugo F. Sonnenschein Medal of Excellence is the highest award bestowed upon undergraduates by the College. Named in honor of the University of Chicago's eleventh president, it recognizes one graduating student whose character and deeds embody the University's foundational commitment to the direct and active betterment of society at large. The award thereby seeks to inspire an ethos of engagement that further strengthens the University's service to local, national, and international communities.
If you choose to accept this nomination, you will be asked to provide the selection committee with information about your ambition for and service to others, leadership, academic excellence, and future goals. This includes submission of a CV, as well as three short essays (250 words or less), where you will be asked to describe an example of: 1) your ambition for and service to others; 2) leadership; and 3) academic excellence.
You will also be asked to submit two letters of recommendation. The first letter, which must be written by a faculty member of any rank, must testify to your academic excellence. The second letter must testify to your leadership and service; it may be written by anyone familiar with your ambition for others, including individuals beyond the UChicago community. All application materials are due on March 5, 2025, by 11:59 PM CT.
Eligibility and selection criteria:
- Ambition for and Service to Others. Nominees must possess a remarkable record of transforming lives and communities, especially beyond the University of Chicago’s campus, and elevating the public good.
- Leadership. Nominees must not only possess a vision of positive change, but exhibit the courage, conviction, and agency necessary to realize it.
- Ability to Deliver Results. Can the nominee demonstrate how he or she delivered results from a position of leadership—whether by organizing, mobilizing, or inspiring others? This may have been through his/her intellectual or artistic contributions, or in other ways. Is there evidence that the nominee initiated something and carried it through to an outcome?
- Character and Strength of Purpose. Has the nominee demonstrated courage of conviction, persistence, and determination in the pursuit of his or her goals? Do the candidate's extra-curricular activities indicate commitment?
- Academic Excellence. Nominees must possess an outstanding record of academic achievement (minimum GPA: 3.8) and have forged meaningful connections between their academic work, research, and/or creative inquiries and their social commitments. You must submit an official transcript by email to ccrf@uchicago.edu.
If you have any questions, please contact: Nichole Fazio (nfazio@uchicago.edu)