When Ethan Sitzes first heard about behavioral science during his sophomore year at Whitney M. Young Magnet High School, the field wasn't on his radar. But after attending a University of Chicago Collegiate Scholars Program (CSP) session featuring Dr. Laurie Santos, he found himself captivated by questions he'd never considered: What shapes our earliest social judgments? How can we minimize or overcome stereotypes?
That curiosity soon opened doors to hands-on research he wouldn’t have imagined.
"My sophomore year with CSP, they had something called a behavioral science series where we met with a behavioral psychologist. We went to an amazing talk…and it really piqued my interest," Sitzes said. "And from there through CSP I was able to get an internship at the Early Social Thinkers Lab."
The lab, led by UChicago psychology professor Lin Bian, examines how children form social categories and stereotypes. As a research assistant there, Sitzes studies how children reason about inequalities and how to combat them, especially within healthcare. He has been conducting his own research, which he hopes to see published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), one of the world’s most cited scientific journals. He feels that opportunities like this, which CSP made possible, have informed his college journey.
"Through CSP, all these doors that I would've never imagined have opened for me from research to networking to classes," he said. "I felt that CSP had unparalleled opportunities that really would be able to help me in my college application process and throughout high school."
Established in 2003, CSP is a three-year enrichment program that prepares talented Chicago Public Schools students from diverse backgrounds for admission and success at highly selective colleges. For Sitzes, who lives in the Garfield Ridge neighborhood on Chicago’s southwest side, the program's in-person workshops and events offered holistic guidance through the college application process.
Spending time on UChicago’s campus also helped him envision his future in concrete terms. "I remember one day during CSP walking with my peers through the quad and I'm like, I need to be here. I can see myself here," he said.
His experience gave him the confidence to apply for early notification at the University. This fall, that vision becomes reality: Sitzes will attend UChicago on a full scholarship as a Chicago Public Schools Scholar, planning to study neuroscience.
CSP's support also proved essential in strategizing to make his college journey financially accessible.
“Through CSP I learned about all the financial resources at the university. It’s feasible to attend now, and I’m just grateful for that,” said Sitzes.
From financial planning to scientific exploration, Sitzes’ CSP experience has motivated him to give back—serving as a teaching assistant for the program's College Countdown course and helping with recruitment efforts at Whitney Young. He is excited to expose other students to the opportunities and community he has found through the program.
"As I close out my time in CSP, I can truly say it has been an experience like no other," Sitzes reflected. "CSP lived up to the 'community of scholars' it claimed to be when I was applying, and the opportunities it has provided me with have been endless."