Why all the Chicago bashing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Chicago is the one top15 school that will take kids down to the 50% percentile from top privates. It is also a very, very reliable bet for kids in the top 20% at these same high schools. As such, many kids from these privates will ED1/SCEA an Ivy or other top15 school and then if they don't get in they will ED2 Chicago.

As such, it gets a reputation as a safety school of sorts at these high schools. The gild is off the lily. Few kids get excited by Chicago.

Everyone agrees that it is a fantastic school but it's not one that kids from certain privates get excited by. Also in part because so many kids attend it. At these privates, up to 10% of the class will end up matriculating there.

Stated differently, it ain’t a top 10 school (for undergrad). IYKYK.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Chicago is the one top15 school that will take kids down to the 50% percentile from top privates. It is also a very, very reliable bet for kids in the top 20% at these same high schools. As such, many kids from these privates will ED1/SCEA an Ivy or other top15 school and then if they don't get in they will ED2 Chicago.

As such, it gets a reputation as a safety school of sorts at these high schools. The gild is off the lily. Few kids get excited by Chicago.

Everyone agrees that it is a fantastic school but it's not one that kids from certain privates get excited by. Also in part because so many kids attend it. At these privates, up to 10% of the class will end up matriculating there.

Stated differently, it ain’t a top 10 school (for undergrad). IYKYK.

I get your point, but, to my surprise, it is currently ranked one spot higher than Northwestern by US News. U Chicago is ranked #5, while Northwestern is ranked at #7 in a tie with Duke, U Penn,and JHU.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Chicago is the one top15 school that will take kids down to the 50% percentile from top privates. It is also a very, very reliable bet for kids in the top 20% at these same high schools. As such, many kids from these privates will ED1/SCEA an Ivy or other top15 school and then if they don't get in they will ED2 Chicago.

As such, it gets a reputation as a safety school of sorts at these high schools. The gild is off the lily. Few kids get excited by Chicago.

Everyone agrees that it is a fantastic school but it's not one that kids from certain privates get excited by. Also in part because so many kids attend it. At these privates, up to 10% of the class will end up matriculating there.

Stated differently, it ain’t a top 10 school (for undergrad). IYKYK.

I don't know if it's top10 or not, just that it's not a sexy or exciting choice if you're coming from a top private because up to 10% of your classmates will matriculate there and some won't be among the top students in your class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Chicago is the one top15 school that will take kids down to the 50% percentile from top privates. It is also a very, very reliable bet for kids in the top 20% at these same high schools. As such, many kids from these privates will ED1/SCEA an Ivy or other top15 school and then if they don't get in they will ED2 Chicago.

As such, it gets a reputation as a safety school of sorts at these high schools. The gild is off the lily. Few kids get excited by Chicago.

Everyone agrees that it is a fantastic school but it's not one that kids from certain privates get excited by. Also in part because so many kids attend it. At these privates, up to 10% of the class will end up matriculating there.

It’s a much harder admit for ED2 and so not a safety at that point for anyone except maybe a really strong HYP candidate.

[Anonymous]

My kid would love to go to Chicago! I only hope he gets in. It’s still a very hard school to get into. I went there myself and had an amazing experience. I don’t get all the Chicago hate

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In our ORM community, Chicago is highly respected.

Often parents and kids out of reach for T5 would look into Chicago. Essentially it is the default T6 in practice. Its elite signaling is unambiguous, an ivy plus for sure.

Elite outcomes in: Law. Economics. Academia. Finance. Consulting. Policy.

A weak legacy preference. Extremely high academic intensity. Little emphasis on athletic recruitment. Often rewards exactly the ORM kids' profiles.

I was never able to figure out their stand on legacy. But interestingly they ask about legacy even on summer programs apps. So I think they care? At least I hope they do!

[Anonymous]

The bashing comes from a lot of us having come of age when Chicago was a “self-selecting” school for quirky types, albeit an academically rigorous one. The low admit rate—pushed artificially even lower by their ED heavy AO—still surprises me. The Obama effect was really something for that school!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Always amused by U Chicago supporters who constantly let others know of their intellectual prowess. Not even clear that U Chicago is the best university in the Chicago area.

I acknowledge that U Chicago's law school is outstanding and its MBA school (Booth), while usually ranked lower than Northwestern-Kellogg, is outstanding.

Not sure, but, if I recall correctly, Northwestern University is ranked higher than U Chicago regarding undergraduate school.

NO. Chicago is raked 6. Northwestern is tied with two or three others at 7

[Anonymous]

Imagine being so myopic that you think that what kids do at a handful of East Coast private high schools is somehow indicative of whether a college is top or not.

[Anonymous]

The pandering to private schools and outsized influence of being full pay means my kid might wind up in a little bubble that looks so very much like his high school social circle. I was hoping for a bit more growth.

No doubt it is a fine school, but it gives me the ick when I consider that they appear to have no sense of social responsibility whatsoever. My kid does not want to go somewhere that people think he got into simply because we can foot the bill. Chicago signals a bit of that. My kid wants to be seen as an adult who can make his own opportunities.

Fair? I’m not sure. But nothing in college admissions is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Chicago is the one top15 school that will take kids down to the 50% percentile from top privates. It is also a very, very reliable bet for kids in the top 20% at these same high schools. As such, many kids from these privates will ED1/SCEA an Ivy or other top15 school and then if they don't get in they will ED2 Chicago.

As such, it gets a reputation as a safety school of sorts at these high schools. The gild is off the lily. Few kids get excited by Chicago.

Everyone agrees that it is a fantastic school but it's not one that kids from certain privates get excited by. Also in part because so many kids attend it. At these privates, up to 10% of the class will end up matriculating there.

Stated differently, it ain’t a top 10 school (for undergrad). IYKYK.

I get your point, but, to my surprise, it is currently ranked one spot higher than Northwestern by US News. U Chicago is ranked #5, while Northwestern is ranked at #7 in a tie with Duke, U Penn,and JHU.

US News jumped the shark a while back; it is increasingly irrelevant. Let me put it this way: if the premise is that Chicago is a HYPSM “backup” but, gosh, kids still can get in — and it’s the only “top” school kids can somewhat reliably get into — maybe, just maybe, it is because it is not really a top 10 school….

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Imagine being so myopic that you think that what kids do at a handful of East Coast private high schools is somehow indicative of whether a college is top or not.

An ED acceptance rate approaching 35% means it is not top; the rate is so high that Chicago is embarrassed to publish it — uniquely amongst so-called “top” schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Imagine being so myopic that you think that what kids do at a handful of East Coast private high schools is somehow indicative of whether a college is top or not.

If your kids attend one of these schools it will be their impression of the school. You can tour the school and tell them "it's an amazing place" and they won't get super excited when 10% of the class goes each year and they know that for many it was a second choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The bashing comes from a lot of us having come of age when Chicago was a “self-selecting” school for quirky types, albeit an academically rigorous one. The low admit rate—pushed artificially even lower by their ED heavy AO—still surprises me. The Obama effect was really something for that school!

NO, concern, not bashing is coming from a lot of educators who are concerned about Chicago’s 6.2 billion in debt loan and the resultant cuts. https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltnietzel/2025/08/29/university-of-chicago-announces-it-must-cut-100-million-in-spending/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The bashing comes from a lot of us having come of age when Chicago was a “self-selecting” school for quirky types, albeit an academically rigorous one. The low admit rate—pushed artificially even lower by their ED heavy AO—still surprises me. The Obama effect was really something for that school!

NO, concern, not bashing is coming from a lot of educators who are concerned about Chicago’s 6.2 billion in debt loan and the resultant cuts. https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltnietzel/2025/08/29/university-of-chicago-announces-it-must-cut-100-million-in-spending/

They had to beautify the place and give its academics some more juice. Tough decisions made that mostly paid off.