University of Chicago Top Questions

What matters most about college will be the people-- not the classes or professors, not the parties, not the dining halls and residence halls-- it'll be who you're spending the next 4 or so years with. What attracted me to this school are the people who are passionate about something incredibly detailed or quirky, who are are able to have a deep conversation about everything, who have overtime acquired a large number of hobbies and interests. We are all intellectuals, but we are often artists at heart. We are ambitious in a non-standard way, and we want to do everything. As I write this response, I am sitting at the front of a student-run cafe, Hallowed Grounds, listening to the Open Mic-- a night where numerous student volunteers come to perform improv comedy, or slam poetry, or serenade us with their guitar. We enjoy beauty and expression, despite our rumored focus on academics. Tomorrow, I dance Argentine Tango outdoors and practice with the student circus, playing with fire, bodies, feathers, and stilts for a future show. Last Friday, I organized 40 people to give free hugs to everyone on campus. And in 6 hours of class today, I questioned the learning of number and language, the views of the world by Greek philosophers trying to decide if there is an answer to "What is?" and explored topology. We are not that big for a college, slightly over four thousand, but our number of activities is almost unmanageble. Sometimes, that is our weakness-- everyone is a leader or an idealist, and too much happens on those individual plots of land. We are still working on collaborating across groups. We are headstrong-- we WILL do what we have set out to do-- in fact, we dedicate 75k in school funds to fund these uncommon projects. I love that about us.

UChicago is absolutely amazing. I love the people, the classes, the core (the requirements every student has), the campus, the house system (the dorm system here), the location, etc. If I had the option, I’d change the weather (which tends to oscillate wildly and be freezing during the winter). The size is perfect for someone who wants to always meet new people, but always see familiar faces around as well. Also, despite the large amount of people that go here, UChicago’s house system (which breaks down undergraduates into various dorm ‘houses’) allows people to find a smaller group of people to depend on as their family. It’s really nice, and definitely one of my favorite parts about being here. When I tell students (from my high school, for example) that I go to UChicago, I can tell people don’t really know about the school’s reputation and prestige. However, talking to people who go to other top schools and employers, they’re always very impressed. On campus, my time is evenly spread out. I’ll hang out in my dorm/dorm lounge, go over to the library to study, meet friends at a coffee shop/dining hall to talk, go to the main quad for classes/other activities, etc. Everything’s close enough that walking everywhere is convenient and generally, pretty pleasant. Also, the location/surrounding college town is incredible. We’re very close to downtown and surrounded by some of the most interesting neighborhoods of Chicago. I wouldn’t change it all. There’s also a cute strip of small restaurants and things near campus and convenience stores/grocery stores within a small walking distance away. Public transportation for students go into the city is also very readily available near/on campus. And despite what I heard before I came to this school, UChicago certainly has pride. I wouldn’t say it’s as intense as a state school’s, but people do go to athletic events (like homecoming) and go to support teams. On an average day here, you’ll see many people walking around with UChicago gear. Students have some complaints – about the weather and the core – but nothing too major. . I’ve noticed that people that go to this school generally really like it and are proud to be here.

This school is the perfect size. It's not so big that you're lost in the herd (although sometimes this may be the case), but it's not so small that everyone knows who you are. You can easily find new friends who haven't heard all the embarrassing gossip about you, and you can easily find people you already know in your classes. When I tell people I go to UChicago, the general reaction is "Oh, that's a good school..." with an awkward smile and glazed over eyes. Many think I'm going to state school, but if they haven't heard of the University of Chicago, it probably doesn't matter where they think I go. The people that matter know about the school. More and more people are hearing about UofC, however, likely due to Obama and admissions going insane with the PR. Times are changing for the University of Chicago. My first year I lived close to campus so I spent most of my time in the dorm or the C-Shop with friends. There are plenty of student hang outs on campus, and the A-Level of the Reg is often a popular destination. (It's a level of the library where students can talk.) I didn't go downtown much during the school year, since I was so busy around Hyde Park, but I've gotten out more during the summer. (I highly recommend living here during the summer!) For people who do have the time, the rest of Chicago is pretty easy to get to and there are plenty of things to do on weekends. One of the biggest problems on campus is racism. The University Police are pretty aggressive with the neighborhood and are known to stop people for "looking suspicious." The size of the police force is comforting, however, because there would be even more crime without them hanging around everywhere. I imagine it's hard to determine how much involvement is necessary. There is a lot of school pride, just not really in terms of sports. There are many self-deprecating t-shirts around campus, reiterating the familiar slogans: "Where fun comes to die," "Where the squirrels are cuter than the girls," etc. A lot of guys complain about how ugly the girls are here, but I really don't think the girls are any worse looking than the guys. Society has higher standards for women, and many women either reject these standards or are just too damn busy to take an hour to get ready in the morning. The school does have its fair share of traditionally "hot" girls. Essentially the school is just uglier than normal. (Tip: The guys who complain about how ugly the girls are generally very much alone.)

Uchicago has a great reputation in academia but most people think you go to UIC. If you want people to think you're the bees knees go to an ivy. if you are okay with just educated people knowing how good your school is then you'll be okay with uchicago.

The undergraduate body is small-ish (4500 students or so) but it's impossible to get to know everybody or do everything. As a third-year, I continue to meet lots of new people who are in my year. I feel like if I went to a school with a fourth the number of undergraduates, I wouldn't get that experience. I divide my time between Hyde Park and the rest of the city. Sometimes I'll go downtown 2-3 times a week, sometimes not for a month. People like to complain about Hyde Park (five places to buy books, zero places to buy pants), but I like it very much just the way it is... though yes, being able to buy pants here would be nice. If you come here, don't expect people to be patting your back about how awesome/smart you are. Yes, this school is prestigious, but only in certain circles (i.e. if people care about the name on the degree, like law schools, consulting firms, academia, they'll know the school and know how awesome it is) but I'm telling you right now that Joe the Plumber thinks we're the same as UIC or Chicago State. To me, that's also a blessing of sorts-- I didn't want to go to a school where students were overly self-satisfied with the name on their sweatshirt.

This school has been really good to me. It has taught me what I do and don't want to do after I graduate. It can be immensely difficult at times as it is on the quarter system. Depending on your major (the sciences are especially tough) you'll have just finished mid-terms when finals seem to be coming up next. The two things I'd change about the school: 1) the quarter system. Make it a semester system. Classes go by too quickly, it might be hard to absorb the information, it's stressful, and all your friends on the semester system start school before you and end before you (by a factor of about a month!) 2) The core curriculum is a bit over-rated in my opinion. I DID learn a lot, it WAS a good transition from high school education, and it does provide a good foundation for any college student's education. I don't want to get rid of it, it's just that they way it's taught (often, though not exclusively, by grad students and professors who don't like being stuck teaching first years). I LOVE how this school is in a city, and only a few miles by public transit or commuter rail from the downtown and North Side. The school is not gated, providing students with a more personal connection to local neighborhood life. It helps get away from the conception of the "ivory tower". There is a ton of school pride, though we don't necessarily express it at sports games. Theater performances, modeling contests, stand up comedy, acting, dancing, cultural groups, music, singing, orchestra, among others, are all well attended. Orientation week of first year was by far the best time I ever had in college in one given week. It continued throughout first year. Second year started to get more difficult, third year, with exception of study abroad, was even more intense, and I plan on making my fourth year the most relaxed and "college-like" as I can. By the way, telling people (or prospective employers) that you went to UChicago will be a huge boost! If you can make it here, you have developed a strong independence and a diligent work ethic. You can make it anywhere. Hell, even English majors graduate to become consultants in finance and trading firms.

Chicago is a place where you'll get a vigorous education, which is why it surprises me when I get mixed reactions when I tell people where I go. Some have never heard about it, some immediately talk about how windy it is, and others are really impressed. It's a mixed bag, overall. Chicago has a perfect size: you know a lot of people, but it's still big enough so you don't know the intimate details of everyone's lives. The mix of people on campus really makes the difference for me, though. Everyone has such varied interests and passions that you learn a lot from your classmates in addition to your classes. From bhangra to abstract algebra, this school has one person who knows a whole lot about something really unique, and that's why I love this school so much.

Uchicago is a school that's different from many of the other top institutions. It's a very weird school, with many quirky traditions that you really have to be involved in to appreciate. Campus is alright on the south side of Chicago, and only a couple minutes bus ride from downtown.

I would increase the foreign language requirement. Many people have not heard of U Chicago, and react accordingly. There is school pride, but it is self-deprecating and unrelated to sports. A recent controversy surrounds the impending construction of a supplementary library; some find the proposed design ugly, others the location inconvenient.

Basically, the U of C is a small school where a lot of the people you know know each other. This is good in that professors usually know who you are; it's bad in that, well, professors usually know who you are. That said, it's nice not to get swallowed up in this sea of people, and to know that there are adults at the school who both know who you are and care that you make it through. I think my favorite thing about UChicago is that people do the strangest, most awesome things, and they don't even think about it. There are so many hidden talents, or just cool hobbies. There's the kid on the unicycle that I see everywhere, or tie-dye kid (who wears entirely tie-dye; it's cool); or even my friends who are great actors or great singers or great artists and I don't even know it until I wander into their room and see their amazing painting because they're a Chemistry major. People tend not to be easily definable at the University of Chicago, and I like that. Plus, most people are really really nice, and when you tell them that your greatest ambition in life is to learn how to juggle, they just take it in stride.