Stats
Bio
Xander Hastings
Hi, I’m Xander! I graduated from the University of Chicago in 2024 with a major in Economics and a minor in Astrophysics. I’ve always had a deep love for programming, but I made a conscious effort not to let that passion get buried under problem sets and p-sets. Instead, I kept it alive through side projects and exploration, and today I’m the founder and CEO of Scholarly, where I work with students on something I care about deeply: telling their stories through college applications. From the moment I set foot on UChicago’s campus, I knew it was the right place for me. The academic rigor was exactly what I wanted—it stretched me in every direction. But more than that, I found a community of eccentric, driven people, with ideas bouncing off the walls. It was the kind of place where Nobel laureates and absurd inside jokes coexist in the same hallway. And despite the school’s infamous motto—“where fun goes to die”—there was an unexpected undercurrent of creativity and chaos that made it genuinely fun, in its own way. I actually really enjoyed writing my college essays, though it took me a while to get there. I almost submitted something that didn’t quite feel like me. Then, on a last-minute instinct, I rewrote one of my essays entirely in Spenserian sonnet form, complete with strict iambic pentameter. It was risky and kind of ridiculous, but I think it worked because it was true to who I am—someone who overthinks everything but still wants to say something beautiful. That’s the kind of moment I want to help students find. Everyone has something real and unique to say—it’s just hard to figure out how to say it in a way that’s both honest and effective. College applications are strange like that. In a way, they remind me of Survivor, the reality show I competed on: tens of thousands of people apply, and a few are chosen—not necessarily because they’re the “best,” but because they stand out in a way that makes sense for the story the producers (or admissions officers) want to tell. It’s casting, but with transcripts. If you’re applying to UChicago, I actually wrote one of the 2023 Supplement prompts! It asks how you’d communicate humanity’s worth to a Martian species. I don’t quite know how I’d answer myself, so I’d love to hear how you would. I’m here to answer any questions you have—whether it’s about essays, strategy, or just figuring out what kind of character you want to be in this whole process.