University of Chicago Top Questions

The best thing about this school is that your BA (or B.S.--whatever degree you come here for) will have the name University of Chicago on it. It is a highly-respected university in the world of academia, and you will go far with a degree from UChicago. One thing I'd change about this school is the social diversity. There's not enough. As I stated for an earlier question, a lot of the people at this school fall under that "weird" category, and I began to get fed up with half the people here. I would like to see more black students on this campus, and more things for black students to do. Sure, if I wanted to go to a Greeked-out university with parties and step-shows all the time I would have gone somewhere else, but the reality is that I'm here for that UChicago degree. As far as the size of the University, I love it. It's not too small and not too large. When I tell people I go to UChicago, most say, "Oh, you mean UIC (University of Illinois @ Chicago)." It annoys me that people aren't aware that University of Chicago exists, but those that do know the name reply, "Oh really? wow..." My absolute favorite thing about this school is the independence the students are given. None of the administrators I've met here are the type to treat you like the high school student you're not. The motto here isn't "Don't drink if you're underrage." It's more like "Live and let live--don't be stupid. We're all grown, so let's just have a good time!"

UChicago has everything, but it's not always easy to find. We don't have a pre-law program or an undergrad business degree, but we have advisers in charge of looking after pre-law students, and we have a strong business program (though not a major) that many don't know about. UChicago is a strong brand name, especially among alums. Because the coursework is sometimes so rigorous, people who know about us--especially in academia, but often in business, too--really respect our degree.

U of C has advantages of a big university with lots and lots of resources and research opportunities and advantages of a smaller college in terms of a supportive house community and a commitment to small seminar classes throughout the four years. If you want to seriously engage with ideas and seriously commit to your studies, there is no better community to do that in, in my opinion. People care about what they are studying here. And the work is intense enough that if you don't care about it, you won't enjoy yourself as much. That's why it isn't as good a package for pre-professional people (pre-med, pre-law) or people who see college as the place to get "contacts" to become "well-connected" and "high-powered" in their career.

Me: "I go to the University of Chicago." Them: "Brr!" Chicago winters are honestly not as bad as people make them out to be. If you get a nice warm jacket and some good boots, you're good. I wouldn't suggest having a picnic or anything in February, but the weather is tolerable.

The best thing is probably the workload and professors: they keep everybody (or do their best, at least) on the same page and studying hard. I might mix up the housing system a little, so that students who don't immediately bond with their house have other opportunities to make friends. I feel that UChicago is the perfect size: many people expressed their doubts to me because the graduate school is so much larger than the undergraduate, but I never see the graduate students and they do not at all dominate campus. Some people are really impressed that I go to UofC, but some people think I chose the wrong school (should have gone to a more prestigious one). Some people remark on how dangerous Hyde Park is. I spend most of my time on campus in class. I like a lot of different study spots: so there's no place that I spend a LOT of time at. I feel there is a lot of school pride at UofC and that's one of the reasons that I decided to go here: because the students honestly seemed to love it and that has made me love it to.

The class size here is good. It is large enough that you can't possibly know everyone, but small enough that you feel connected. It has been great meeting a lot of different types of people from various backgrounds with varying interests. There can be said that certain locations attract a certain type of people, but I found that no matter where I decide to spend the time that I have I never feel out of place. This is especially nice in terms of the campus location. Hyde Park is a very interesting neighborhood and relatively close to the center of downtown, just a quick bus ride away. There is so much that Chicago has to offer and it has been really great to have so many people that come here love the city as much as I have and want to stay.

Chicago is a great place to go to get an education. It's close to the city, which is nice, but being in a neighborhood w/ families is great too. At UChicago, we're proud of being crazy-busy, doing lots of homework, and not having a very active social life.

I think U Chicago is just the right size. It's not too small where you know everyone, but it's not too large that you might get lost. Well, people in California don't really know of the school. So when I was first telling people that I was going to attend the school, most of them just warned me about the weather and said bring a heavy coat. Out here, however, people often mistake U of C for UIC and it can be very annoying. Not there this anything wrong with UIC but it's just not the school that I go to. People who understand that I mean University of Chicago usually assume that I must be smart and probably think I might be stuck up. On campus, I tend to be in the library a lot unless I'm running to class or different meetings. I also spend time in the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs building and also the University Community Service Center. Since we are div. III, there's not an overwhelming amount of school spirit on campus. However, there are people that faithfully attend athletic events and I would say they exhibit the most school pride. U Chicago tends to pride itself on being uncommon or unusual. One thing that is unusual is the quarter system and the rigorous, infamous core curriculum. One time that I'll always remember is O Week or the freshman orientation week, because that is the only time when you'll just be on campus with absolutely nothing to do! And even then we had required meetings we had to go to!

Housing setups make it difficult to meet people. In almost all dorms, first years live amongst upperclassmen, meaning that many of your neighbors already have friends and aren't really interested in knowing you at all. The high proportion of dorms with singles or suites with livingrooms and such encourage people to stay in their own rooms rather than socialize. I lived in BJ the first quarter of my first year and I had to move out because I couldn't stand the people there. BJ is mostly singles, and the people there obviously want to be by themselves. At the dinner table there was hardly any conversation. If there was, it was usually about something like the weather or what was for dinner. People were so withdrawn I felt like I didn't know anything about any of them after living with them for three months. Because the social life in the dorms are so poor, many people choose to live of campus after their first year without feeling like they'll be missing much. I'd say a quarter of second years, half of third years, and most fourth years live off campus. This contributes to the complete lack of community. The university is hardly an urban school. Hyde Park does not offer much in the way of activities or even restaurants. Think if it as a suburban school. Really.

If I were accepted to both Harvard and UChicago, I would turn down Harvard and a majority of the people I talk to here would agree... I just transferred here from a large state school, and there are certain things i wish i knew. For one thing, my social life (I don't want to add to stereotypes, I'm speaking as a transfer here) took a real nose dive for a while, and it's only beginning to pick up again. And i mean beyond the expected interim friendless period. It was a real experiment in extroversion. I think the people who make friends the easiest are in dorms, so do that if this is important to you (i live in a townhouse north of campus). Also, anyone with a general thirst for knowledge and unassuming naivety will make friends easier here with the slightly timid, but fundamentally substantial personalities to be found here.

Uchicago is a place that is all about the life of the mind. You see students walking around holding great texts in their hand, readily able to discuss whatever at an intellectual level. The atmosphere is pretty serious, but there is also a sort of "resistance troop." This troop consists basically of the same 200 people you see at every single frat party. Although every student is religiously academic, and every student is extremely unique; i.e. every person has a very interesting story about what has led them to the school, what they have done before they came here. But there people here who are extremely friendly, and equally smart as those who are not friendly, who make the school's atmosphere much nicer.

UChicago has amazing faculty (my Gen Chem professor is on the list for next year's Nobel Prize candidates, my econ teacher is a Nobel Laureate, etc.) and great facilities. I'm a sciences major, and UChicago has great teaching labs. I've seen a lot of labs at other schools, and 98{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} aren't half as nice as the UChicago labs. Some areas around campus are sketchy, but there are really nice spots and I never feel in danger really. They have great security. I spend a lot of time in coffee shops, there are, like, 18 student-run coffee shops on campus. There is a lot of school pride, but not for sports really. UChicago sports are kind of a joke, to be honest.

Chicago is a fantastic city, and the University of Chicago can only be as fantastic as you make it. It's not an easy place to go to school, but if you're willing to put a lot of work into it, it's an incredibly rewarding place. There are a variety of reactions to people hearing that I go to the University of Chicago: 1. "UIC?" (NO!) 2. confused look 3. impressed look. People who know the school and can differentiate it from the U of I know its superb academic reputation, but it's a pretty well-kept secret to a lot of people. Once discovered, it's full of bizarre quirky people and places. My favorite spots on campus with my favorite people are the student-run coffee shops, of which we have many; sitting and relaxing or sitting and stressing with a cup of tea and a friend and a couch is a daily experience and one that I relish. The administration is largely unseen as far as I'm concerned. One can be involved in the running of the university as one wants, and I'm content to make my own way. School pride is self-deprecating at best. We have only one t-shirt with a positive slogan on it. And yet the kids keep coming back. Almost everyone considers transferring at some point, or several points, and many take time off (I'm sure at a higher rate than at other schools), but the overwhelming majority graduate and from what I've heard, though I have yet to do it, feel completely satisfied by their experience here.

This school is just as hard, if not harder, than people tell you it is. When I tell people I go here they say, "Oh gosh, Chicago is so hard." They're absolutely right. There are NO easy classes here. The easiest core classes are more intense than other colleges' specialized classes in the same fields. Buckle up.

What I love about the University of Chicago is that it's okay to get enthusiastic about the things that were uncool in high school. This is not to say that all of my friends share my enthusiasm for 19th century British social customs or particularly tech-savvy stage lighting equipment, but I've never felt dismissed for being interested in those things. Plus, more often than not, the person you're talking to is equally interested in some related dorky thing.

i really think everyone would benefit if there were more attractive people on campus. this school is fucking depressing as far as sex drive goes. also, more people with social skills.

The U of C (it actually prefers to be called Chicago – but that’s a recent development) is a great place to learn. The U of C, as an institution and as a community, genuinely supports and encourages the “life of the mind.” If you’re honestly interested in getting a great education and really challenging yourself the U of C offers countless opportunities to do so. Great class selection. Great professors. Small classes (except for most of the entry level science classes). Beautiful gothic campus (some say all that grey stone and gargoyles are depressing – but I loved it). The one thing I’d change about the school is the location. The campus is located in Hyde Park in the south side of Chicago, and while the campus itself is relatively safe and clean, the surrounding neighborhood is not (though it is getting better). Now, don’t get me wrong, Chicago is a great city, and there are a lot of great things about Hyde Park (local dive bars and restaurants), but I did feel a little isolated living there (though some of this was self-inflicted). The class advisors were cool as was the rest of the administration. One experience I remember was getting grilled in class on a book I hadn't read (I joined the class late and didn't realize we had a reading assignment). I tried to fake my way through it but the professor wasn't buying it. He eventually left me off the hook only to come back to me the following week and grill me about another book. This time I was prepared and it went really well. Months later when I went to turn in my final exam he shook my hand and told me it was a pleasure having me in the class. Sort of a "Paper Chase" (it's a movie) type moment that led to a happy ending.

The University of Chicago is the best thing in the world if it's what you're looking for. The academics are rigorous and you're going to work a lot; at the same time, you meet people here that you simply wouldn't meet anywhere else (for better or, less commonly, for worse.) People are definitely proud, not only of the top-notch rankings but of the unique character. It also benefits hugely from the proximity to Chicago. For all the stereotypes of neckbeards in Star Trek t-shirts, campus is full of fashion-minded people, hipsters, clove-smoking intellectuals (who often have substantive things to say!) Campus is loaded with people of all races, backgrounds, orientations, etc... tight-knit communities of musicians, theater folks, film people. There are some real tensions between the admin and students, although it doesn't filter down to the undergrads so much as it does the graduate students, and it's the usual stuff - funding, housing etc.

The architecture is the best thing; I'd change the insane cost of tuition, the school is just right, people generally don't know what U Chicago is; the library; what college town, the administration is alright, the biggest recent controversy was keeping Coke on campus, there is not much school pride, its unusually cold at U Chicago, one experience I'll always remember is getting free food at the Medici for proxying for my friend who was in student government; the most frequent complaints are that the school is too hard

Well... when I tell people I go to the University of Chicago.. they think I go to UIC. And I don't. So I spend a lot of time trying to quell that myth. People either know the U of C and know how great it is, or they're oblivious. One thing I have never known is what our mascto really is... We're the Maroons, we have a phoenix logo, there are gargoyles all over campus, and I saw a person in an armadillo suit at some sporting events... Soooo what exactly our mascot is is as mysterious as the food at BJ... I absolutely love the U of C, and it really has taught me how to think, but sometimes I feel like the administration is trying too hard to make it like any other school (getting rid of the Uncommon Application, changing the website the way it did, etc.). We were rated #9 overall and best undergrad. academic experience for a reason! Don't try to acclimate yourselves into the melee when you're outstanding! Be proud of it!

Going to school in Chicago is great. Besides the depressing winter months (it really is depressing walking to class in the frigid cold staring up at a gray sky beyond the gothic architecture), living so close to the city provides so many things to do and places to explore. It is important to take advantage of the urban setting- you can take a bus, the metra train or the red line El downtown and even though it does get expensive since the UofC has not yet approved a UPass (every other Chicago school has a UPass that you pay for with tuition and consequently get free CTA transportation for the year), it's fun to get out of Hyde Park. I go to the movies a lot and like to try out restaurants in different parts of the city. Wicker Park is fun and trendy, Lincoln Park is yuppie but exciting, Logan Square is full of hipsters and some swank spots, Rogers Park has the best Indian food in the city, Pilsen has the best Mexican food, Bucktown has strips of thrift shops and the Magnificent mile is upscale and packed with all kinds of shoppers. I spend most of my time in coffee shops around campus and cafes in the city-I go in between classes and also to study and treat myself to cookies and cappuccinos. They make me feel collegiate and they are more social than the library!

UChicago runs on coffee. There are caffeine shops in literally the basement of every building (or the occasional second floor) and this is where the "life of the mind" UChicago is so proud of really flourishes. It's also where people catch up on their reading or their sleep while snagging some sugar-rich snack. As for the school's rep, it's really kind of funny: those who know about it, respect it, but half my family still thinks I attend UIC-University of Illinois at Chicago. They're always so impressed when I start quoting Marx...who you will read, along with Weber, Smith, Durkheim, Freud, Nietzsche, and other "greats". And the scary part is, you'll understand them. And probably agree, in some cases. This school enables you never to lose an argument again. Ever. Except possibly against other graduates ;^)

The campus architecture, design, landscaping are really impressive and look great in the spring and early fall. Winter is a frigid bitch and its hard to gauge the ways in which that makes so many other aspects of life worse. There is a lot of pride in the school's academic reputation, in some circles, but very little athletic spirit or pride, which doesnt bother me at all. A lot of people hang out in Reynolds Club and A-level of the library, which are pretty decent hang out spots for nerds.

I think that UChicago tends to blend into the background of other colleges--we aren't known for boasting our greatest achievements to the world or grabbing to take credit for our accomplishments. I think that it's both good and bad; it's good that we aren't pompous and full of ourselves and egotistical, but at the same time, we deserve a lot more credit than we are getting in a lot of different fields. At the same time, I am really disheartened when I tell people in Ohio (where I'm from) that I go to the University of Chicago and they think it's a state school with a fancy name. It's not. When people say that, I feel like it's taking a shot at all I've worked so hard to accomplish and all that I'm still working so hard to do with my life. Where I come from, you never hear that you can get into a college as hard and impressive as UChicago, so just the fact that I'm here now is a big deal. To have that undermined by other people's lack of knowledge is pretty sad. And I think that makes the student population a little bitter about being the so-called little sister or brother of the "big deal" colleges like Harvard, Princeton, or Yale. I've heard it and seen it a million times from a bunch of really happy, really content UChicago students. Although, I feel that our biggest issue right now is the Alderman's re-routing the 171 Bus Stop away from 57th and University.

I love the group of students who goes to this school. I have found my best friends here, because they understand my quirks and are here for the same reason: to learn. The school is a good size. It feels small at times, but this allows for us to be closer to classes and to each other. People react well usually when I tell them I go to UChicago. They think of it as in line with Harvard or Yale. A few issues I have are the new path the school is taking. I feel it is losing what makes it special, but moving to the common application. I also feel that some bad decisions were made in the science campus. The school does not respect plant research, and this is reflected in their decision to build the new Biomedical Center so that it blocks the school greenhouse. My favorite tradition is the bagpipe procession. I am looking forward to it at graduation.

Its a hard life, a hard school and you have to be very intellectually motivated. The people generally are not hardcore party-goers and you will definitely get frustrated by the lack of beautiful, promiscuous women. The winter will KILL you. Those 4 months are awful. Really. However, good conversation and nice people might make your day. As well as sosc and all the amazing classes you could take.

The best thing about UChicago is it teaches you how to think. Since I've been here, I've undergone a complete intellectual transformation. The core is probably the best academic workout in the world, and it will make you a better person in the end, even if it's painful. The school is a good size, but it's a shame the recognition isn't as high. People are rarely impressed when you tell them where you go.

need more career things? not too much though. they probably do a better job now, from what i hear.

The best thing is the quirky student body. It's the right size. People respect the name UChicago.

The educational lectures made outside of class as public events with big-name speakers are the best thing. I think everything is way to rushed here we need breaks just some down time to catch our breath--so I'd change the pace. When I tell people I go to UofC they act like I accomplished something wonderful. I spend most of my time in the library, reynolds club, and the dining halls. WE HAVE NO COLLEGE TOWN! The biggest recent controversy would have to have been when Amadou (May God have mercy on him) was shot and killed while walking from teh library to his dorm. No, not a lot of pride. I don't feel like very many people love this school, but most people come to like it. It grows on you. I would have to say the fact that UChicago doesn't believe in grade inflation is pretty unsual and strange. The days after Amadou's death and O-week. The most frequent complain I hear is that no matter how hard we try and study and push ourselves to do well our grades don't reflect our effort.