University of Chicago Top Questions

The UChicago student body is very diverse. We have students from all over the world and from every state in the US. People here are from different religious, sexual, social and racial backgrounds and everyone feels accepted. I really believe that no one here feels or at least should feel out of place or even the slightest bit od discomfort. In any event that there should be a rare case of discrimination felt, there are many different resources that students can utilize in order to deal with the situation and the college along with the Dean of Students will ensure that justice is brought. Students here relatively well-off many are wealthy, but of course there are those that are not as fortunate as others. This is just another aspect of our diversity here and no one is isolated because of that difference in class. Many of the students here are from the Chicago and other areas in Illinois and also surrounding states. However, due to the uniquely designed housing system (similar to that of Hogwarts) students from different backgrounds lived together in a close-knit community and we learn how to accept people, relate to people from different cultures and lifestyles and build life-long friendships.

Most students at the University are from an upper-middle or upper-class background. As a result, the value systems typical of lower-class communities are decidedly underrepresented. As a person with a lower-class background, I have at times felt very out of place at the University. Most students here are supported by their families, and have been sheltered or assisted to some large degree throughout their lives. They are at the University in part to learn how to live as individuals, separate from their parents (though they still rely on their parents financial assistance, of course). Therefore, the values that are most prevalent here are personal space and individuality. There is no pervading sense of personal responsibility towards others or towards society in general, and as a result students can at times act quite disrespectfully. It is difficult, coming from a lower-class community with intact systems of respect and obligation, to enter a community as free and valueless as the University of Chicago.

On the whole, the U of C is relatively diverse. The administration has done a lot to increase racial and ethnic diversity over the last few years, but the school is largely homogenous when it comes to their socio-economic status. There are few students mid to lower middle-class backgrounds, and even fewer students from the lower-class.

most students do not dress up to go to class. We have house tables in the dining hall. A lot of uchicago kids are internationals or from the midwest. Some students are focused on their careers, but I try to ignore them.

While there is plenty of ethnic diversity at Chicago, I think that intellectual diversity is what distinguishes our students from the students at other colleges. I've leaned so much from talking to fellow students and hearing their ideas.

Most people are a little eccentric -- but it's kinda cool.

You can find pretty much all kinds of students at the University of Chicago, just maybe in different proportions.

AWKWARD

There are so many races and languages and sexualities and political stances and financial backgrounds here that it's mind-blowing. But it exposes you to so many new ways of thinking and cultures and ideals that it helps to round out your education. You learn not just from your classes, but the interactions of those around you.

UChicago has all kinds; it really never ceases to amaze me. Just about every race and place on Earth is represented. People of all kinds of different socio-economic statuses and that wear all kinds of different clothing (I regularly see a guy that wears a cape and a guy that only wears tye-dye) are also present. Although there are also a lot of different religions represented, what I found most interesting was the amount of students with agnostic views since I typically felt ostracized at home for such a view. I think the biggest advantage to all the diversity is tolerance. I have yet to meet anyone especially judgmental or close-minded. It is inevitable that different groups form, but I wouldn't say any of them are "mean" or unapproachable. Students naturally form closer bonds with people with more similar interests, and interaction among the groups is not uncommon.

While left-learning, UChicago's student body is quite open to any opinions that are based in reason. As someone who leans slightly to the right on most issues, I felt a bit out of place for the first month or so as I was quite used to being surrounded by people who had fairly similar views. Once I realized that it was a situation that I really couldn't change and the views I had were ones that I generally believed in and had reasons to support, life became much more enjoyable. Different views allow for varying interpretations of the same material, something most people learn to be grateful for in the heavy discussion-based classes. As per discussions about how much we'll earn one day, the discussions usually center around how big our cardboard boxes will be (for the academics) or how our economic-geared friends will let us live in their third mansion.

I generally feel that UofC students are quite ignorant, and disinterested in some issues and events. I have attended plenty of events in which the turnout was surprisingly disappointing. My international student peers have skewed priorities of only participating in academics, since it is truly rigorous here; and this is really disturbing. However, I do venerate the many community outreach programs that students organize here, like tutoring or volunteering in non-profit organizations. Also, I realize that a majority of the students here are financially well-off, based on their schooling backgrounds, luxurious belongings, and looking at my roommate who is nothing like the American who works three jobs to put herself through college.

Nerds and geeks of all colors, creeds, nations, and political stripes, laced with a few "how'd they get in here" dumbasses and ditzes, and a sizable contingent of truly indescribable oddballs.

It is nice not being ridiculed for studying to hard etc., as pretty much everyone here realizes people work a lot. At the same time some people don't so it is really up to you. It's nice not being at a school where sports are a huge issue.

Most students are predominantly left, and abrasively so. There's this idea that UChicago is really open to all different types of students with all different ideas. But I've found since I've been here, that that claim only applies to those who are predominantly left. There are some moderates on campus, but god forbid you be right - its almost a sin. There's a pretty good interactions between students. I thought that when I came here there would be an excessive amount of nerds and that I wouldn't be able to relate to people. There are an excessive amount of nerds, but practically all of them are social and interesting people to talk to.

Basically white and Asian. There are very few black people or Latinos. There should be more diversity. It is very secular and can be hard to be a person of faith on this campus, if you even manage to keep your faith once you finish with undergraduate here. And, more teachers are hostile to religion than are students, but many of them are as well. The student that would feel at home here is one that likes suffering, doesn't mind having no life and studying at every spare moment, and generally doesn't like people. If you are not one of these people, then you will constantly know that you don't fit the mold of this school and what it is trying to shape you into.

Ok there is plenty of ok looking girls, but girls will need to look harder.......

Student body....there is a lack of diversity and I feel that the University is trying to change that. With diversity comes a new wave of perspectives that I feel is greatly needed on this campus.

I have a variety of ethnically different friends. Most of my friends here though are Latina/African American/African. This school is definitely self-selective. Most students know what they are getting into when they apply here. This school is for people who just love to learn and question things. Fashion at UChicago is interesting. Most people don't get that dressed up for class but you will find many people who have their own sense of style. I've noticed that a lot of people are from Chicago and the Midwest who attend here. Most of my friends come from middle class or upper middle class backgrounds and most of them have jobs.

There are a lot of children of academics here, but overall there's a pretty good mix of students. Someone who is a big jock who hates school probably wouldn't fit in well here, but generally, there's a good blend of people who could fit under the category of nerd. I think for the most part there's no problem with people interacting...but there's always some people who'll stick to whatever group they feel most comfortable with. Hmm...there are a surprising number of libertarians on campus, but otherwise we're mostly left.

The students here enjoy learning, and most of them won't hesitate to pass on what they've learned to other people. Someone who hates to read or who does not like stimulating conversation would probably feel wildly out of place at UChicago.

The minority experience here isn't always easy, but the school has been devoting significant attention to the matter in the past few years. They built a new center to function as a safe space for minorities and LGBTQs. There are subcultures for everyone and it is fairly easy to start and join student groups. The student body is fairly diverse--a lot of people from the coasts, the Midwest, and all over really. Students are very politically aware, although there isn't all that much campus activism in relation to other campuses. I think activities in general are constrained a little by our short quarters and tough academic demands. But we have right-wing, left-wing, etc. groups. And the campus is probably majority liberal, but our econ department tends to attract a bunch of Rand types as well.

Everyone here has something (or many things) that they are really engaged with, and so everyone has fresh perspective to offer. So I find that I learn a lot from my fellow students at the dining tables, in class, outside class, in late-night hallway conversations. Unlike the Ivies and elite small liberal arts colleges, no one simply bought their way in; everyone earned their place here. So there is a community of trust that has developed because everyone has something to offer, so most people here are past "high school" social drama. People here simply respect each other, which is a reflection of a good maturity.

The UChicago Paradox: The Normal Don't Fit In.

I think that OMSA (office of multicultural affairs) does a great job of making students of different races feel welcome and feel supported. They do an excellent job. I do not know much about religion on campus: but I heard they just hired a new person as some sort of spiritual leader. There is gay community, but you kind of need to actively seek it to find it. And I've heard it's relatively small compared to some other campuses: but I haven't heard of any gay-hate crimes and I find the community pretty welcoming. Most students wear jeans and a tshirt to class: but many students have their own unique style and it's really quite unfair to categorize it like that. You will find almost every type of person here if you look hard enough. I don't think many "different types" of students interact much: but I feel that that is how it's going to be everywhere. There are definitely some politically aware/active students on campus and I would say the campus is predominantly left.

I don't really think that you can define the student body in any sort of category. There are as many different groups as you could think of. I have often felt that people who thought they could never find someone with the same interests as them came to Chicago and found a group of them.

We have a mostly "alternative" student body. Those who try to fit in with the normal view of college students (ie, football players) are marginalized. Here, it's the smart people who are popular. It's definitely a liberal campus, but most colleges are. I love the house system. You make friends first with the people with whom you live. It's great to have a family away from home.

A lot of the extra-curricular activities that I'm involved with on campus are cultural-based. For example I am a member of the Organization of Black Students and I am a part of the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs Student Advisory Board. My experiences have been very positive with these two groups and I find that as a student of color it is important to have a support system at a mostly white institution. Most students don't care what they wear to class, as some where pajamas.

To try and bring the bitter reality of this school home, I'd like to mention that I personally know one first year who left first quarter, two people that are transfering, two that are taking a year off to rethink this whole place and whether they want to be here. Furthermore, I would say that most of the people that I like most here (10 or 15 people) definitely wish they had never come here. Also, look at the statistics. The University has by far the lowest retention rate among other schools of its caliber.

There are no assholes here. you begin to really see what is estimable in people, with social niceties left to the side. people really care about learning, theory, and humility, i think. There is a very specific sort of person who makes this place tick. if you care deeply about defensible learning, not just jumping into radical theories for their own sake, if you have a respect for the origin of things, you're on your way.

There isn't much tension between groups on campus, its more town-gown tension. The kind of student who would feel out of place at UChicago is someone who doesn't work their ass off.

Students who would feel out of place are the apathetic. Not caring does not cut it academically or socially here. If you have a passion for something, there are others that share it, but this is not the place for people who have a sole interest in napping or alcohol (these are certainly popular extra-curriculars, though). Students can mainly be divided into the hipsters, the division 12 jocks, the international kids (mostly Asian) and all the grades in between, but social groups are very nebulous and everyone knows everyone. Everyone's a nerd. If you took the nerdy table at high school, threw in a few punks and a few jocks for flavor, you'd have the population of UChicago. Predominantly liberal, intelligent, and planning on grad school.

I'm sick of most of the people here already. I'm tired of weird people. I'm tired of 19 year old libertarians. I'm tired of econ majors wearing suits and loafers to class everyday.

I find that while students are pretty accepting of the *idea* of diversity in the student body, actual opportunities to act upon that acceptance are a little rare. People tend to clump with people like them--whether that's the Asian econ kids or the sorority girls or the arty kids--even though I've never heard of anyone being explicitly rejected from a social group (formal or otherwise) because of race, orientation, etc. What I have found frustrating is that we have a disproportionate population of upper-middle-class, urban or suburban northerners whose parents all have college educations. This means that I periodically get into discussion about politics with peers only to discover that they have a completely stereotyped sense of religious Christian conservatism or rural, southern societies.

UGLY

Lots of smart motivated and talented people go there. I have friends who I met there who are from all over the country and around the world. I’m not sure on the gender and ethnic breakdown, but it felt pretty diverse. The Core classes make sure that all types of students get to interact with eachother. Fairly liberal student body. The campus has a great divinity school and Rockefeller Church so religion isn't entirely absent from the school. The students are not cutthroat.

I dont know, I coudn't say, clothes, yes, huh?, from new york or boston, rich people, yes, right and left and center, no

A student who didn't appreciate the value of a good book and didn't enjoy the feeling of triumph after staying up all night to do a paper wouldln't fit in here. We work for what we get, and unless you can appreciate that, don't apply here. What do we wear to class?? I'v seen men in ballgowns and gorilla suits, girls in bikinis, more pajamas than I can count. Formal, informal, whatever we want. Its the mind that's important... Students interact a lot. I have some wealthy friends, some rich ones, some middle class and lower. Pre-med, econ, poly sci, humanities, you name it and I have a friend. I have friends who are grad students and TAs and professors. We all interact, and don't discriminate like in high school. Sure, there are still cliques, but at the same time, these are the kind of cliques that you could acclimate yourself into easily - we all share common things, you just have to find out what they are.

People don't really talk about money here, other than to say a. how they can't afford dinner and b. how much debt they'll be in after they graduate. Yet many wouldn't trade it for the world, because they're getting a college experience only possible at the U of C. Sitting down at dinner always yields interesting conversations, since houses (dorm divisions) typically sit with one another. This leads to a mixture of your typical labels, with jocks, frat boys, geeks, musicians, and raving lunatics all sharing the same breathing space, which makes the conversation rather frenetic, to say the least. For example: tonight, the concept of the turducken was expanded past all logical rational, and the mathematical and logistical implications of cooking it were analyzed, along with the proper side dishes. Let's just say that eating the sheep layer might not be the best bet. As for feeling out of place, it's hard, because everyone here is utterly bizarre in one regard or another-you just have to find it.

Its hard to make a general ruling about the types of inter-culturals relationships that form or dont form at this school. On the south side fo Chicago, there is a pretty heavy divide between black people and white people, especially coupled with the fact that you are a university student. You arent targeted or bullied as a student, but most people in the community tend to look right past you or dismiss you as a tourist and a foreigner. A lot of the east asian students tend to band together, but it think this has a strong relationship to the econ program because some asian students are here for math classes and dont have a firm grasp of english, so they feel more comfortable staying with people from their part of the world. There are a lot of Indian student who, generally speaking, are pretty affluent and accustomed to the American lifestyle so they blend in nicely with other groups of upper class students. Within one's own house, however, I think you have the ability to cross a lot of barrier and get to know people from different cultures. The problems presented here though are 1) you have 30 people in your house, maybe. The chance of even 7 of those people being worth getting to know are pretty slim. and 2) People dont really freely associate outside of houses/activities/classes, so you just dont have a chance to meet some minority groups.

I feel like there are a million options for UChicago students to find their niches and that's fabulous. It leads to a whole variety of quality programming with tons of options. UChicago encompasses a host of all religions, nationalities, and styles of living. It's really fun and really fabulous. It's just sad that a great deal of people on campus aren't involved in anything or are involved in only one group and can't experience all the fun that comes with a group of people who are really different from what they are used to.

I am not sure about race, religion or sex at Uchicago. I feel that everyone is supported and diversity is embraced. People respect one another for the most part. there are some economic divisions, but the students tend not to emphasize these. People hang out with people with the same interests, despite any other differences they might have, at least in my experience. Many students are politically aware, but not as much as I expected when I came here. Students do not usually talk about how much they will make, but it does come up at times, more so for economics majors usually.

Student body improving, although still not amazing. Somewhat dull. But definitely improving.

Everyone is very open-minded and nice here, probably because students are forced to be by the administration. Almost everyone drinks and a ton of people smoke, but no one is ever ridiculed for not drinking and the atmosphere is always very casual. Parties here are way more fun than parties I go to in my hometown where it's just an excuse to play beer pong for 16 straight hours and the talking is limited to trash talking.

The student body is not nearly as diverse as it should be.

I'm in the Muslim Students Association and it truly gave me a belonging on campus from day one. I'm extremely grateful that this group is active on campus. The type of student who might feel out of place would be one with a weak work ethic who thinks college is a four-year long party. People wear whatever they want but I guess most people wear sweatshirts or t-shirts. Absolutely, I have friends from across America, across the globe and across all sorts of different socio-economic statuses. UofC students seem to think they're going to be rich most of the time but not always.