University of Chicago Top Questions

I'm not going to lie - there is some truth to UChicago's unofficial motto ("where fun comes to die"). Most students care very much about their academics, and many RSOs (registered student organizations) on campus are largely related to academic and career ambitions. However, not all students are, as a result, socially awkward and unable to "party." A good time is had by most, though the definition of that good time varies depending on your social circles and, honestly, on your dorm. The dorms at this school have reputations, and while not all who inhabit them fit into these stereotypes, they are there for a reason. Max P is unofficially the "jock dorm," filled with students on the school's athletic teams. It is also, as a result, one of the more notoriously social and drinking-focused of the dorms. South Campus houses 800 students and also has a fairly strong party culture, as over half of the dorm is first years. On the other end of the spectrum are Snell-Hitchcock and BJ, both of which are regarded as the more nerdy and "UChicago strange." Both of these dorms participate heavily in Scav (a large yearly scavenger hunt), and their definition of fun is generally closer to the board game/intellectual discussion side of the spectrum. I don't mean to say that your dorm determines your social status however - you will find like-minded people wherever you go, be it to a frat party or to the Starcraft club's weekly meeting.

UChicago students generally classify themselves as "anti-social" because they put coursework, work-work, and extracurriculars over hanging out and socializing. The University of Chicago is one of the most rigorous universities in the country, and it's also really self-selective, which means the students who come here want to study hard and slave over papers. Call it masochism or dedication, but whatever it is, it leads to a smaller emphasis on social life. However, in terms of my own experience, I have had much richer social life at college than in high school. Like I mentioned earlier, UChicago is self-selective, meaning that the students who come here are more alike than different. As a result, people who are normally anti-social actually become more social, participating in quirky and/or intellectual activities like Scav (the largest scavenger hunt in the world), Icelandic calisthenics at 4 in the morning, intellectual debates over Durkheim and Hegel, Humans v. Zombies, etc. As a student a student here, I've made most of my friends through House activities and student organizations. I am currently dramaturging for a Beowulf dance show for University Theater's "Apocalypse" entry in the Festival of the Arts, which allows me to connect with quirky, smart people who share my interests and therefore don't question my choices.

The most common stereotype of the students at the University of Chicago is that they are mostly nerdy or geeky. I feel as though this stereotype is rooted in the fact that the University of Chicago is a very competitive school with a very rigorous academic environment. Also, it is true that the University of Chicago has a very high mean ACT and SAT score acceptance rate. Nevertheless, I find that this stereotype is not completely accurate and assuredly does not do justice to the University. Indeed it is true that many of the students- my peers- are witty and clever, but they are as “normal,” engaging, and eager to have a fun and fulfilling college experience (in the social and academic spheres) as any other college students. Thus, while the University definitely has an aura of wittiness about it, it certainly is an enjoyable and productive community of which to avail. In essence, it is not necessarily the place “where fun comes to die.” In fact, I see this stereotype put to the test each and every day with our intriguing dining hall conversations, interesting intramural sport opportunities, and entertaining Saturday nights.

The most common stereotype of the students at the University of Chicago is that they are mostly nerdy or geeky. I feel as though this stereotype is rooted in the fact that the University of Chicago is a very competitive school with a very rigorous academic environment. Also, it is true that the University of Chicago has a very high mean ACT and SAT score acceptance rate. Nevertheless, I find that this stereotype is not completely accurate and assuredly does not do justice to the University. Indeed it is true that many of the students- my peers- are witty and clever, but they are as “normal,” engaging, and eager to have a fun and fulfilling college experience (in the social and academic spheres) as any other college students. Thus, while the University definitely has an aura of wittiness about it, it certainly is an enjoyable and productive community of which to avail. In essence, it is not necessarily the place “where fun comes to die.” In fact, I see this stereotype put to the test each and every day with our intriguing dining hall conversations, interesting intramural sport opportunities, and entertaining Saturday nights.

The most common stereotype of the students at the University of Chicago is that they are mostly nerdy or geeky. I feel as though this stereotype is rooted in the fact that the University of Chicago is a very competitive school with a very rigorous academic environment. Also, it is true that the University of Chicago has a very high mean ACT and SAT score acceptance rate. Nevertheless, I find that this stereotype is not completely accurate and assuredly does not do justice to the University. Indeed it is true that many of the students- my peers- are witty and clever, but they are as “normal,” engaging, and eager to have a fun and fulfilling college experience (in the social and academic spheres) as any other college students. Thus, while the University definitely has an aura of wittiness about it, it certainly is an enjoyable and productive community of which to avail. In essence, it is not necessarily the place “where fun comes to die.” In fact, I see this stereotype put to the test each and every day with our intriguing dining hall conversations, interesting intramural sport opportunities, and entertaining Saturday nights.

Many prospective students assume that UChicago is where fun comes to die. Time and time again I've tried to battle this stigma. University of Chicago students have incredibly diverse interests, which means that there are tons of activities to join on the weekends and plays, concerts, sporting events to attend, as well. Joining an activity (we have over 400 registered student organizations) will definitely enhance your social life on campus. There are over 70 volunteer groups, which will definitely give you something fun to do on the weekend, as well as dance groups, literary magazines, student government, and even a zombie readiness task force! The housing system at UChicago is also conducive to having a good social life. At UChicago, every first year student is required to live in the dorms. Each dorm is split into a few houses, and houses typically have 70-100 students each. Those students live together, and often eat and play together, too. As a first year, I went to a Bulls basketball game with my house, on the annual ski trip, to a few plays in the city, and joined them for many, many meals both in the cafeteria and out and about in Chicago. All activities are subsidized using house funds, so an amazing musical can cost you on $5!

Probably the two most telling characteristics of the University of Chicago from an outside perspective. Scav Hunt is an opportunity for U of C students' relentless erudition to climax into its full absurdity, bringing tigers onto campus, building breeder reactors in sheds, and driving across the country to find pictures of the largest feet that are unavailable on the internet. Despite its notoriety, though, Scav Hunt's presence on campus is largely avoidable for the uninterested, say, third to two-thirds of campus. Similarly, although Econ is the most popular major on campus and undeniably influenced by economic precepts of the Milton Freedman school, there is no dearth of variety in political dispositions even among students in the department. The idea of the "Paul Wolfowitz Douche" at U of C, as articulated by GQ however many years ago now, is largely unfounded.

People say this is "The place where Fun comes to die". There is the constant stereotype that everyone here is a geek or a nerd, that all we do is work, study and sleep (in that order, too). It all couldn't be farther from the truth. While, admittedly, students here are intensely focused on their studies (and on everything else we do), there's a passion here for learning and thinking that I doubt many places in the world could top. Everyone pushes each other to do the best that they can, and while it can sometimes feel overwhelming, the rewards are well worth everything we go through. We study hard, but we also know how to have fun just as much. There are countless things to do around campus, many student organizations, clubs and events. And last, but certainly not least, we have the amazing city of Chicago nearby, and it's certainly one of the main attractions.

The University of Chicago has a reputation as the place where fun comes to die. As a first year student, I question that a lot. I came to UofC with the same stereotypical beliefs: students are studying all the time, workload is so heavy and there is no fun on campus. Unfortunately, It turned out to be not that accurate after all. The students of UofC are definitely studious but it does not mean that they are not having fun. First of all, Greek life is expanding rapidly . This year Delta Gamma had a record number of new sisters. In addition to that, not only Sigma Chi is rising as the new fraternity of UChicago but also other frats are much larger this year. These all mean that there is definitely a party scene on campus. We even have bar-nights on Wednesdays. Apart from the activities of fraternities, there are always apartment parties, house/dorm activities, regular downtown trips and shows/activities of Registered Student Organizations such as but not limited to the shows of South Asian Student Association, downtown Restaurant Week of the Student Government (ChewChicago), tea parties of International Student Organization. All those in mind, it is definitely true that a UChicago student is intellectual. Yes, we are intellectual and yes, we are proud of that! It is very easy to see a UofC student talking about Plato, Kant, Mozart, Occupy Movement or economic crisis in Greece in the dining hall or in a coffee shop. At the end, we know that crescat scientia; vita excolatur, thus we we will be enriched by the knowledge. All those might seem a lot to do; however, at UofC you learn how to organize yourself. Here students are social, intellectual and hard-working therefore multi-tasking. It might come as a surprise but UofC students also love sports. One can always see the gyms (Ratner and Henry Crown) with full of people.

Where the fun goes to die-- you've all heard it-- the rumor that UChicago is a place to go be with a lot of anti-social, unattractive, book-absorbed, and awkward folk. You can let the fun die whereever you'd like, that is always your choice. People most often reference the party scene, so I'll say now-- Our Greek life has increased dramatically in the past years, and there are multiple parties every night, of different types, starting Wednesday nights. We study hard, party hard-- turn all of the meters up to 11 out of 10. But that is generally not the kind of fun that we care most about, though it does matter to us. We look for the UChicago moment-- the philosophy behind the popular show, different ways to understand time, outrageousness from our professors, theater and the circus arts, pub crawls and city life, Scav and three days of madness, the polar bear run and other brave Winter traditions...We want to push the boundaries and break them, and that is what is fun to us. Yes, we are intellectual, even when intoxicated, but we are not afraid. And we are certainly not for everyone.