Niece just finished her freshman year at University of Chicago. She hates it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UChicago has been pretty well known for happy really solid faculty for at least 50 years.

By happy and solid do you mean abrasive, smug, and hostile pr*cks? There's a reason you can quickly tease out UChicago faculty and graduates at conferences and in the workplace. They are insufferable pr*cks.

I am sorry that you did not get in.

[Anonymous]

What is the point of this post? Are you looking for recommendations on places to transfer? Or trying to warn people off? If so, I would remind you that your niece is one story. I was just talking to a mom whose daughter has been incredibly happy at U Chicago. Lots of perspectives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She earned very high marks and she does not wish to return. And not just for known reasons like violent crime, weather, and its isolated location in the Midwest, and more specifically, on the deep south side of Chicago. We had a long lunch and here are her words in quotes: Her classmates are "repulsively obnoxious" and "insufferable," her professors were "checked out" or "barely spoke English," the university seems "unprofessional" and in "disarray," and most of the staff she encountered were "useless" and "incompetent." "It looks like a serious university but it does not operate like a serious university."

It was not her first choice but she was so excited when we met for lunch late last summer. It is sad to see her so unhappy after a year.

Schools better than UChicago:
Harvard
Yale
Princeton
Stanford
MIT
UPenn
Caltech
Duke
Columbia
Dartmouth
Brown
Georgetown
Amherst
Pomona

+1 but replace Georgetown with Williams

[Anonymous]

-1 but replace Dartmouth with Natty Ice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is uncool to remain in Chicago after graduating. The gunners all move to the coasts.

I’m a coastie but Chicago would be world class if they just went full Lee kwan yew

Of course, but that will never happen, so it's a bleeding city and uncool to stay there when you have better options. The kids who really love the city of Chicago are the kids from the Midwest who want to remain close to family. Average Big Ten graduates love Chicago. More competitive top 20 private college graduates generally don't want to be in the middle of the country, they prefer New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington DC, Miami and Boston.

You say many things (e.g. , what's considered "uncool" or who the kids who love Chicago are) as if they are facts, but they're not. It is your biased opinion,, so of no value.

It is not an opinion that most UChicago students flee the Midwest after graduation. This sub-topic came about after someone asked why go to college for four years in the crummy south side of Chicago if you are not going to remain in Chicago after graduation. It is not like UChicago offers such a distinct education or provides any bump in pay or prestige; UChicago salaries are relatively awful. You are better off going to college someone ranked a little lower in the region you can see yourself living in after college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She earned very high marks and she does not wish to return. And not just for known reasons like violent crime, weather, and its isolated location in the Midwest, and more specifically, on the deep south side of Chicago. We had a long lunch and here are her words in quotes: Her classmates are "repulsively obnoxious" and "insufferable," her professors were "checked out" or "barely spoke English," the university seems "unprofessional" and in "disarray," and most of the staff she encountered were "useless" and "incompetent." "It looks like a serious university but it does not operate like a serious university."

It was not her first choice but she was so excited when we met for lunch late last summer. It is sad to see her so unhappy after a year.

Schools better than UChicago:
Harvard
Yale
Princeton
Stanford
MIT
UPenn
Caltech
Duke
Columbia
Dartmouth
Brown
Georgetown
Amherst
Pomona

Plus:
Cornell
Notre Dame
Boston College
USC, UCLA, Berkeley -- if you plan to settle in California after graduation
UW -- if you plan to settle in Seattle
Miami, UF -- if you plan to settle in Florida
Rice, UT, A&M, SMU -- if you plan to settle in Texas

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is uncool to remain in Chicago after graduating. The gunners all move to the coasts.

I’m a coastie but Chicago would be world class if they just went full Lee kwan yew

Of course, but that will never happen, so it's a bleeding city and uncool to stay there when you have better options. The kids who really love the city of Chicago are the kids from the Midwest who want to remain close to family. Average Big Ten graduates love Chicago. More competitive top 20 private college graduates generally don't want to be in the middle of the country, they prefer New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington DC, Miami and Boston.

You say many things (e.g. , what's considered "uncool" or who the kids who love Chicago are) as if they are facts, but they're not. It is your biased opinion,, so of no value.

It is not an opinion that most UChicago students flee the Midwest after graduation. This sub-topic came about after someone asked why go to college for four years in the crummy south side of Chicago if you are not going to remain in Chicago after graduation. It is not like UChicago offers such a distinct education or provides any bump in pay or prestige; UChicago salaries are relatively awful. You are better off going to college someone ranked a little lower in the region you can see yourself living in after college.

As has been posted several times previously, a majority of students at lots of top schools leave the city or state in which they attend undergrad. Do you think most Yale graduates stay in New Haven or Connecticut? Or that no one should go to Princeton if they intend to work in LA? And was also shown, the percentage of students who stay in the Midwest after graduating from U of C is greater than the percentage of students from the Midwest who enroll there as freshmen. So it's not just kids remaining close to home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is uncool to remain in Chicago after graduating. The gunners all move to the coasts.

I’m a coastie but Chicago would be world class if they just went full Lee kwan yew

Of course, but that will never happen, so it's a bleeding city and uncool to stay there when you have better options. The kids who really love the city of Chicago are the kids from the Midwest who want to remain close to family. Average Big Ten graduates love Chicago. More competitive top 20 private college graduates generally don't want to be in the middle of the country, they prefer New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington DC, Miami and Boston.

You say many things (e.g. , what's considered "uncool" or who the kids who love Chicago are) as if they are facts, but they're not. It is your biased opinion,, so of no value.

It is not an opinion that most UChicago students flee the Midwest after graduation. This sub-topic came about after someone asked why go to college for four years in the crummy south side of Chicago if you are not going to remain in Chicago after graduation. It is not like UChicago offers such a distinct education or provides any bump in pay or prestige; UChicago salaries are relatively awful. You are better off going to college someone ranked a little lower in the region you can see yourself living in after college.

Pretty ignorant. Also, why exactly do undergrads have to stay in the same area they went to school? I don't understand this logic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:-1 but replace Dartmouth with Natty Ice.

Please translate.

[Anonymous]

I know few kids graduated from UC.
All doing pretty well and working in NYC.
Another one went to medical school in North Carolina.
As long as you work hard and have some connections, you will be fine .
Some of the wealthiest and most connected kids in America and overseas attend UC.
They will be fine

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She earned very high marks and she does not wish to return. And not just for known reasons like violent crime, weather, and its isolated location in the Midwest, and more specifically, on the deep south side of Chicago. We had a long lunch and here are her words in quotes: Her classmates are "repulsively obnoxious" and "insufferable," her professors were "checked out" or "barely spoke English," the university seems "unprofessional" and in "disarray," and most of the staff she encountered were "useless" and "incompetent." "It looks like a serious university but it does not operate like a serious university."

It was not her first choice but she was so excited when we met for lunch late last summer. It is sad to see her so unhappy after a year.

Transfer to Northwestern University if NU offers her desired major.

Evanston, Illinois is a beautiful safe suburb of Chicago. Northwestern's campus borders on Lake Michigan.

https://www3.forbes.com/leadership/top-20-law-schools-in-america-2021-ifs-vue-mn-wnb/?slide9

Scroll down to #12 ranked Northwestern law (slide 9). The law school is actually located on the even, arguably, more beautiful Chicago campus (law & medical schools) on Lake Shore Drive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is uncool to remain in Chicago after graduating. The gunners all move to the coasts.

I’m a coastie but Chicago would be world class if they just went full Lee kwan yew

Of course, but that will never happen, so it's a bleeding city and uncool to stay there when you have better options. The kids who really love the city of Chicago are the kids from the Midwest who want to remain close to family. Average Big Ten graduates love Chicago. More competitive top 20 private college graduates generally don't want to be in the middle of the country, they prefer New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington DC, Miami and Boston.

You say many things (e.g. , what's considered "uncool" or who the kids who love Chicago are) as if they are facts, but they're not. It is your biased opinion,, so of no value.

It is not an opinion that most UChicago students flee the Midwest after graduation. This sub-topic came about after someone asked why go to college for four years in the crummy south side of Chicago if you are not going to remain in Chicago after graduation. It is not like UChicago offers such a distinct education or provides any bump in pay or prestige; UChicago salaries are relatively awful. You are better off going to college someone ranked a little lower in the region you can see yourself living in after college.

Pretty ignorant. Also, why exactly do undergrads have to stay in the same area they went to school? I don't understand this logic.

Ivies are all on the east coast. The majority of their grads do not move away from the east coast, as UChicago kids flee the Midwest. And as far as top 20s go, ambitious students are seeking career and grad school placement, connections and prestige. It seems UChicago offers arguably the lowest or near the lowest return of all the above among its top 20 peers. Unconnected UChicago kids can’t just show up in Los Angeles and get a great job like an Ivy or even Michigan kid can. Once a UChicago grad leaves the Chicago bubble—and it’s a fact most do—very few people care about your allegedly challenging and quirky UC degree. I frankly don’t see the point of coastal kids going there if they’re not going to remain in Chicago after graduation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is uncool to remain in Chicago after graduating. The gunners all move to the coasts.

I’m a coastie but Chicago would be world class if they just went full Lee kwan yew

Of course, but that will never happen, so it's a bleeding city and uncool to stay there when you have better options. The kids who really love the city of Chicago are the kids from the Midwest who want to remain close to family. Average Big Ten graduates love Chicago. More competitive top 20 private college graduates generally don't want to be in the middle of the country, they prefer New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington DC, Miami and Boston.

You say many things (e.g. , what's considered "uncool" or who the kids who love Chicago are) as if they are facts, but they're not. It is your biased opinion,, so of no value.

It is not an opinion that most UChicago students flee the Midwest after graduation. This sub-topic came about after someone asked why go to college for four years in the crummy south side of Chicago if you are not going to remain in Chicago after graduation. It is not like UChicago offers such a distinct education or provides any bump in pay or prestige; UChicago salaries are relatively awful. You are better off going to college someone ranked a little lower in the region you can see yourself living in after college.

As has been posted several times previously, a majority of students at lots of top schools leave the city or state in which they attend undergrad. Do you think most Yale graduates stay in New Haven or Connecticut? Or that no one should go to Princeton if they intend to work in LA? And was also shown, the percentage of students who stay in the Midwest after graduating from U of C is greater than the percentage of students from the Midwest who enroll there as freshmen. So it's not just kids remaining close to home.

It’s not just the city and state, it is a fact UChicago kids flee the entire Midwest region of the country. The majority of Yale students end up in New York City, Boston, and Washington, making Yale power more concentrated in the same region of the country. And obviously a Yale degree carries much more prestige coast to coast. Nobody outside of the city of Chicago really cares about a UC degree. And even in Chicago, more than likely your boss will be some Big Ten or Notre Dame grad, so they don’t care about your UC degree either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is uncool to remain in Chicago after graduating. The gunners all move to the coasts.

I’m a coastie but Chicago would be world class if they just went full Lee kwan yew

Of course, but that will never happen, so it's a bleeding city and uncool to stay there when you have better options. The kids who really love the city of Chicago are the kids from the Midwest who want to remain close to family. Average Big Ten graduates love Chicago. More competitive top 20 private college graduates generally don't want to be in the middle of the country, they prefer New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington DC, Miami and Boston.

You say many things (e.g. , what's considered "uncool" or who the kids who love Chicago are) as if they are facts, but they're not. It is your biased opinion,, so of no value.

It is not an opinion that most UChicago students flee the Midwest after graduation. This sub-topic came about after someone asked why go to college for four years in the crummy south side of Chicago if you are not going to remain in Chicago after graduation. It is not like UChicago offers such a distinct education or provides any bump in pay or prestige; UChicago salaries are relatively awful. You are better off going to college someone ranked a little lower in the region you can see yourself living in after college.

As has been posted several times previously, a majority of students at lots of top schools leave the city or state in which they attend undergrad. Do you think most Yale graduates stay in New Haven or Connecticut? Or that no one should go to Princeton if they intend to work in LA? And was also shown, the percentage of students who stay in the Midwest after graduating from U of C is greater than the percentage of students from the Midwest who enroll there as freshmen. So it's not just kids remaining close to home.

It’s not just the city and state, it is a fact UChicago kids flee the entire Midwest region of the country. The majority of Yale students end up in New York City, Boston, and Washington, making Yale power more concentrated in the same region of the country. And obviously a Yale degree carries much more prestige coast to coast. Nobody outside of the city of Chicago really cares about a UC degree. And even in Chicago, more than likely your boss will be some Big Ten or Notre Dame grad, so they don’t care about your UC degree either.

Your word choice reflects your extreme bias and the heavy axe you have to grind against the Midwest. UC kids aren't "fleeing" the Midwest -- students go there to get a great education at a top-rated school in a world-class city, not because they plan to stay in the Chicago area or the Midwest in general after graduation. (And plenty of non-Midwesterners do decide to stay in the region.) Do you think all the Ivy kids going to work in California or Seattle are "fleeing" the East Coast? And of course you have to throw in unfounded assumptions devoid of credible evidence (e.g., no one outside Chicago cares about a University of Chicago degree) to grind that axe even further. It's SO tiresome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She earned very high marks and she does not wish to return. And not just for known reasons like violent crime, weather, and its isolated location in the Midwest, and more specifically, on the deep south side of Chicago. We had a long lunch and here are her words in quotes: Her classmates are "repulsively obnoxious" and "insufferable," her professors were "checked out" or "barely spoke English," the university seems "unprofessional" and in "disarray," and most of the staff she encountered were "useless" and "incompetent." "It looks like a serious university but it does not operate like a serious university."

It was not her first choice but she was so excited when we met for lunch late last summer. It is sad to see her so unhappy after a year.

Schools better than UChicago:
Harvard
Yale
Princeton
Stanford
MIT
UPenn
Caltech
Duke
Columbia
Dartmouth
Brown
Georgetown
Amherst
Pomona

Plus:
Cornell
Notre Dame
Boston College
USC, UCLA, Berkeley -- if you plan to settle in California after graduation
UW -- if you plan to settle in Seattle
Miami, UF -- if you plan to settle in Florida
Rice, UT, A&M, SMU -- if you plan to settle in Texas

UChicago has a far better academic reputation than most of these schools. It’s not the most fun place, but it is a mistake to disregard its academic chops. It’s a great place for intellectual students.