Dartmouth or UChicago?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I envy Hyde Park’s cafes, bakeries, and bookstores.

The original Seminary Bookstore was the best.

[Anonymous]

OK, two good schools. Very different.

"Hey son, do you want to be in the woods or the city? Do you want to run into college classmates everywhere you go for 4 years, or do you sometimes want an escape from that?"

Really. That's all. They are both good options. Both will get you to WS just fine. And isn't your kid already applying to like a dozen schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I envy Hyde Park’s cafes, bakeries, and bookstores.

The original Seminary Bookstore was the best.

I miss it too (the tennis balls covering the pipes!), but the new one is an excellent bookstore (probably my second favorite in the US — behind Powell’s (Portland) but ahead of Strand and Harvard Book Store). It’s exceptionally well-stocked, bright and airy, and has a really nice cafe adjacent to it (with both indoor and outdoor space). Honestly, a better experience than being in the old cramped underground store.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Douche=Dartmouth. Not-a-douche=Chicago.

There are plenty of dbags at Chicago too, it is just a different kind: intellectual snobs who are insufferably pompous, socially awkward and think they are way smarter than they actually are

The Dartmouth dbags are fun and cool at least

I love that people think Chicago in 2017 is the Chicago of the 80s and 90s. Chicago is now full of soulless grubby tiger cubs who go there because Chicago shamelessly pursued a higher US News ranking.

Not quite. It still attracts a disctinct crowd compared to the ivies. Sure many tiger cubs apply but most of the people who actually choose to enroll are not interchangeable with the people who enroll at the ivies.

Critical mass is definitely moving toward the tiger cubs and excellent sheep.

[Anonymous]

^Maybe ED will have that effect, but it’s not what my DD is experiencing there now.

[Anonymous]

+1 with the comment that I have met a number of kids wanting high pay careers but they are very intellectual tiger cubs and far from sheep. Perhaps they will emerge leaders (among great minds from other schools) and assist us all in traversing a changing financial landscape.

[Anonymous]

I am the OP. Thanks for all the info! It looks like Dartmouth is probably a better fit for DC in terms of personality and career aspirations. What attracted us to Chicago is their great econ department but I understand that it doesn't matter too much for WS recruiting.

Spoke to the GC a couple days ago, she also mentioned what many of you have said about UChicago RD being not worth it chances-wise because of heavy focus on ED.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^Maybe ED will have that effect, but it’s not what my DD is experiencing there now.

How would a tiger cub there now know what Chicago was like 20 years ago? All the elite colleges are homogenized; the only differences are parents [and students] echoing high-dollar marketing materials like trained monkeys.

[Anonymous]

May be it's a nonsuffering version now but I think UChicago still has it's intellectual character.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am the OP. Thanks for all the info! It looks like Dartmouth is probably a better fit for DC in terms of personality and career aspirations. What attracted us to Chicago is their great econ department but I understand that it doesn't matter too much for WS recruiting.

Spoke to the GC a couple days ago, she also mentioned what many of you have said about UChicago RD being not worth it chances-wise because of heavy focus on ED.

OP - Good luck to our kid. I do hope you all aren't viewing Datmouth as a safety school though. If your kid doesn't get into his SCEA school, both Dartmouth and UChicago are tough reaches. Not a truly material difference beween their RD acceptance rates unless he's top of class or legacy.

[Anonymous]

*your

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^Maybe ED will have that effect, but it’s not what my DD is experiencing there now.

How would a tiger cub there now know what Chicago was like 20 years ago? All the elite colleges are homogenized; the only differences are parents [and students] echoing high-dollar marketing materials like trained monkeys.

You mean what Chicago was like until 5-10 years ago. Zimmer didn't take helm until 2006 and the changes were not immediate. Even with the changes Chicago is not interchangeable to the ivies. It is very very rigorous, kinda nerdy still, social life is a bit anemic compared to the ivies (but much better compared to what Chicago used to be like). Same goes for the whole where fun goes to die aspect: it is much less pronounced than before still there compared to the ivies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^Maybe ED will have that effect, but it’s not what my DD is experiencing there now.

How would a tiger cub there now know what Chicago was like 20 years ago? All the elite colleges are homogenized; the only differences are parents [and students] echoing high-dollar marketing materials like trained monkeys.

Uncle went there. And is quite familiar with excellent sheep from HS. Was looking to avoid them by avoiding Ivies, heading to Midwest. Mission accomplished from her POV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^Maybe ED will have that effect, but it’s not what my DD is experiencing there now.

How would a tiger cub there now know what Chicago was like 20 years ago? All the elite colleges are homogenized; the only differences are parents [and students] echoing high-dollar marketing materials like trained monkeys.

You mean what Chicago was like until 5-10 years ago. Zimmer didn't take helm until 2006 and the changes were not immediate. Even with the changes Chicago is not interchangeable to the ivies. It is very very rigorous, kinda nerdy still, social life is a bit anemic compared to the ivies (but much better compared to what Chicago used to be like). Same goes for the whole where fun goes to die aspect: it is much less pronounced than before still there compared to the ivies.

I have very much a preppy tiger cub there that is unexpectedly, over the mind happy at UChicago. Unexpected because he chose the school wanting a rigorous education to be well prepared for a WS career and decided to trade off the fun part, then found his version of nirvana. Extremely social kid but likes being able to party hard on the weekend and have it socially ecceptable to focus in on work during the week. He also finds the work and his peers so interesting, the rigor is worth it. And he appreciates that everyone is busy being productive all the time. For him, it's been a friendly and cooperative campus with no cut throat behavior. There seems to be a culture of helping each other through the rigor. I've had the good fortune to meet some of his friends and they really range form the nerdy to athletic and fellow preppies all co-existing very well. I don't know if he will remain a tiger club though. UChicaco has enormously expanded his outlook on what he wants to do with his life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^Maybe ED will have that effect, but it’s not what my DD is experiencing there now.

How would a tiger cub there now know what Chicago was like 20 years ago? All the elite colleges are homogenized; the only differences are parents [and students] echoing high-dollar marketing materials like trained monkeys.

You mean what Chicago was like until 5-10 years ago. Zimmer didn't take helm until 2006 and the changes were not immediate. Even with the changes Chicago is not interchangeable to the ivies. It is very very rigorous, kinda nerdy still, social life is a bit anemic compared to the ivies (but much better compared to what Chicago used to be like). Same goes for the whole where fun goes to die aspect: it is much less pronounced than before still there compared to the ivies.

I have very much a preppy tiger cub there that is unexpectedly, over the mind happy at UChicago. Unexpected because he chose the school wanting a rigorous education to be well prepared for a WS career and decided to trade off the fun part, then found his version of nirvana. Extremely social kid but likes being able to party hard on the weekend and have it socially ecceptable to focus in on work during the week. He also finds the work and his peers so interesting, the rigor is worth it. And he appreciates that everyone is busy being productive all the time. For him, it's been a friendly and cooperative campus with no cut throat behavior. There seems to be a culture of helping each other through the rigor. I've had the good fortune to meet some of his friends and they really range form the nerdy to athletic and fellow preppies all co-existing very well. I don't know if he will remain a tiger club though. UChicaco has enormously expanded his outlook on what he wants to do with his life.

I love this! Isn't this exactly what we want for our kids in college - that they be happy, have friends, and feel they can be themselves and expand their horizons?