University of Chicago Top Questions

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The best thing has to be the classes and class sizes--the personal attention and diversity of offerings is unparalleled. One thing I might change is to make the "core" courses take a little less time. It's great to get such a well rounded experience but for kids who really have a passion for a specific major early on it's difficult. Our size is perfect--we're medium, campus is walkable, you often run into people you know. People are always impressed when I tell them I go here. Most of my time on campus is spent on the quad in summer, in the library in winter. The most frequent complaint is probably the lack of grade inflation tied with the weather (Chicago winters can be killer)--but kids generally bond commiserating over both.

Overall, I love it. i can't imagine myself anywhere else. I love being at a place where nerdy debates and jokes about Plato are commonplace lunch conversation. I love that there are so many student groups that can cater to basically any interest. I love the size of the school; it's small enough that it's not overwhelming, but not so small it's stifling. That isn't to say I don't have my share of complaints about it. The workload isn't quite it. There is a tendency for the administration to not be as receptive to student voices as I believe it should be for the price we are paying for this school. I wish, for example, there were graduated dining plans much like there are at other schools instead of the current plans for people living in housing. I also wish Hyde Park had more to offer in terms of places to go (although this is getting better - we're getting a movie theater soon, and we just got a 24-hour diner that's pretty good). However, there is a lot of good coffee on campus, and for that, as some of the most studious people in the world, we are fortunate.

I couldn't be happier with my choice to attend the University of Chicago. When I initially told all of my friends that I was coming here, the general reactions were, "I guess you won't be going to a single party for the next four years," and "Wow! I had no idea you were that smart!" With that being said, this school will definitely push you to your limits academically. Countless hours are spent in the library, but the funny thing is; everyone needs to get work done, so going to the library is almost always done with friends, and is not really seen as too much of a drag. I love the size of this school, as I did not want to go to a University with 50,000 students, but also wanted more than 750. I think this 5,000-6,000 student size is perfect, as you still meet plenty of new people every time you go out, but its also not hard to know where everything and everyone lives and interacts. Although the school spirit for athletics sucks (I'm a football player and it tends to be pretty depressing looking up at the stands), everyone still supports the athletes and school in general. Overall I love the challenge of school and competing with some of the best students around the world. As far as the party scene goes, there typically is not too much going on during the week, which I like since that helps keep you focused on your studies, but on the weekends it is easy to find a party close to the dorms. These are always fun, as UIC and Loyolla kids always come down to party with us. The best thing about this school? You are but one 10 minute ride on the metra from the greatest city in the world, Chicago.

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I have feel in love with the .University of Chicago. It's a relatively small student body and campus still within a train ride of downtown. I enjoy being able to go to the city whenever to hang out with friends or eat dinner. Obviously, the academics are astounding, but not "kill yourself" difficult like you may hear. There are countless activities and intramurals to get involved in as well. The motto: "Where fun comes to die" is only true if you make it true.

Overall, I love this school, but I can also recognize that it is not for everyone. If you want to party six days a week, don't come here. If you want to do as little work possible, don't come here. If you want to take classes specifically in your major and nothing else, don't come here. If you want a really warm, fuzzy, hand holding experience with the faculty, don't come here. If you want a cheap education, don't come here. All of that being said, there are SO MANY reasons to come here. If you want an intellectually diverse student body, come here. If you want to go to parties and be able to do a keg stand while discussing Kant, come here. If you want professors that are honest with you, push you, and who really help you grow (not just give you grades), come here. If you want a school that provides amazing job resources and opportunities, come here. If you want to go to school in one of the best cities in the world, come here. If you want a school where people care about ideas and have conviction in their beliefs, come here. If you want to come out of your college experience feeling a little worn down but a million times smarter and more developed, COME HERE.

UChicago currently has about 5200 undergrads, and approximately double the number of grad school students. It's big enough to reach out to different people yet it's small enough that you don't get lost (figuratively) in a tsunami of students. The administration does a fantastic job with helping students develop personal relationships with not only their professors in small class settings, but with the house system that divides residents into 37 different houses. What's great about the house system is that you aren't assigned to 'Freshmen dormitories' but rather, a community of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th years who are involved in a plethora of different organizations and activities that you can learn from, grab dinner with, debate about which super smash bro character is best, actually play midnight super smash bro tournaments with, and look up to for guidance. Your house becomes your family as you take sushi trips downtown or go apple picking on the weekends, and there is always someone in the lounge (even at the most ungodly hours) that is there to keep you company as you both stay up till the wee hours, studying for your Honors chemistry exam. When people ask where I go to school and I answer they say "Wow, that's really good!" Half the time I'm not sure if they're saying that because they actually know the prestige of the University or because they don't really know anything at all. However, that is all irrelevant because UChicago is undoubtedly a prestigious name for recruiters or when you apply for jobs. Also, we have the most Rhodes scholars for an American University (score!). Our Career Advisory Planning Services (CAPS) program is also amazing. They guide you through writing your resume, and help place you into internships or jobs post-graduation and while you are an undergraduate (Metcalf internships anyone?). Before many people visit UChicago they have the idea that it will be like Columbia-- a University campus in the heart of the City. However, applicants should note that UChicago is located in Hyde Park, a neighborhood South of Chicago. It is a neighborhood that has a characteristic of its own, and we have a beautiful quad with trees and grass and ivy covered buildings. We are conveniently located a bus ride away from downtown Chicago so the accessibility to the city and the opportunities available in Chicago are great factors to consider. One thing I read the other day about UChicago and its traditions that I completely agree with is the student body's propensity to streak. The Polar Bear run is an annual campus streaking tradition to "kick the winter blues" and from time to time we have Harper Library streakers (usually during reading period/ finals week). 2008 marked the grand reopening of the Lascivious Ball, an annual event where people wear questionable costumes that shows more flesh than it covers. Apparently, at the University of Chicago, students are more comfortable meeting others sans clothes than they are properly dressed...

UChicago currently has about 5200 undergrads, and approximately double the number of grad school students. It's big enough to reach out to different people yet it's small enough that you don't get lost (figuratively) in a tsunami of students. The administration does a fantastic job with helping students develop personal relationships with not only their professors in small class settings, but with the house system that divides residents into 37 different houses. What's great about the house system is that you aren't assigned to 'Freshmen dormitories' but rather, a community of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th years who are involved in a plethora of different organizations and activities that you can learn from, grab dinner with, debate about which super smash bro character is best, actually play midnight super smash bro tournaments with, and look up to for guidance. Your house becomes your family as you take sushi trips downtown or go apple picking on the weekends, and there is always someone in the lounge (even at the most ungodly hours) that is there to keep you company as you both stay up till the wee hours, studying for your Honors chemistry exam. When people ask where I go to school and I answer they say "Wow, that's really good!" Half the time I'm not sure if they're saying that because they actually know the prestige of the University or because they don't really know anything at all. However, that is all irrelevant because UChicago is undoubtedly a prestigious name for recruiters or when you apply for jobs. Also, we have the most Rhodes scholars for an American University (score!). Our Career Advisory Planning Services (CAPS) program is also amazing. They guide you through writing your resume, and help place you into internships or jobs post-graduation and while you are an undergraduate (Metcalf internships anyone?). Before many people visit UChicago they have the idea that it will be like Columbia-- a University campus in the heart of the City. However, applicants should note that UChicago is located in Hyde Park, a neighborhood South of Chicago. It is a neighborhood that has a characteristic of its own, and we have a beautiful quad with trees and grass and ivy covered buildings. We are conveniently located a bus ride away from downtown Chicago so the accessibility to the city and the opportunities available in Chicago are great factors to consider. One thing I read the other day about UChicago and its traditions that I completely agree with is the student body's propensity to streak. The Polar Bear run is an annual campus streaking tradition to "kick the winter blues" and from time to time we have Harper Library streakers (usually during reading period/ finals week). 2008 marked the grand reopening of the Lascivious Ball, an annual event where people where questionable costumes that shows more flesh than it covers. Apparently, at the University of Chicago, students are more comfortable meeting others sans clothes than they are properly dressed...

UChicago currently has about 5200 undergrads, and approximately double the number of grad school students. It's big enough to reach out to different people yet it's small enough that you don't get lost (figuratively) in a tsunami of students. The administration does a fantastic job with helping students develop personal relationships with not only their professors in small class settings, but with the house system that divides residents into 37 different houses. What's great about the house system is that you aren't assigned to 'Freshmen dormitories' but rather, a community of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th years who are involved in a plethora of different organizations and activities that you can learn from, grab dinner with, debate about which super smash bro character is best, actually play midnight super smash bro tournaments with, and look up to for guidance. Your house becomes your family as you take sushi trips downtown or go apple picking on the weekends, and there is always someone in the lounge (even at the most ungodly hours) that is there to keep you company as you both stay up till the wee hours, studying for your Honors chemistry exam. When people ask where I go to school and I answer they say "Wow, that's really good!" Half the time I'm not sure if they're saying that because they actually know the prestige of the University or because they don't really know anything at all. However, that is all irrelevant because UChicago is undoubtedly a prestigious name for recruiters or when you apply for jobs. Also, we have the most Rhodes scholars for an American University (score!). Our Career Advisory Planning Services (CAPS) program is also amazing. They guide you through writing your resume, and help place you into internships or jobs post-graduation and while you are an undergraduate (Metcalf internships anyone?). Before many people visit UChicago they have the idea that it will be like Columbia-- a University campus in the heart of the City. However, applicants should note that UChicago is located in Hyde Park, a neighborhood South of Chicago. It is a neighborhood that has a characteristic of its own, and we have a beautiful quad with trees and grass and ivy covered buildings. We are conveniently located a bus ride away from downtown Chicago so the accessibility to the city and the opportunities available in Chicago are great factors to consider. One thing I read the other day about UChicago and its traditions that I completely agree with is the student body's propensity to streak. The Polar Bear run is an annual campus streaking tradition to "kick the winter blues" and from time to time we have Harper Library streakers (usually during reading period/ finals week). 2008 marked the grand reopening of the Lascivious Ball, an annual event where people where questionable costumes that shows more flesh than it covers. Apparently, at the University of Chicago, students are more comfortable meeting others sans clothes than they are properly dressed...