U Chicago - Experience?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:security on the campus is very high.
I did my residency at Boston city hospital, by far more dangerous than U Chicago but you never hear about it.
Honestly any where in USA could be dangerous if some one crazy shows up with a gun at your school or any where else for that matter.

Here we go again with the “anywhere can be dangerous” narrative.

[Anonymous]

The problem with UofC is that it is so freaking boring that the kids HAVE to get off campus to have any fun. If you have a child who is in anyway an extrovert the school social environment will kill them, not the random crime.

[Anonymous]

If you think is that boring and dangerous do not send your child. It is a fantastic environment for some students and might be a toxic place for others.

[Anonymous]

My kid loves it - physics and math. Went to a Maryland public. As others have said, it is not cut-throat, competitive, but is for kids that want an intellectual environment and enjoy it.

We visited Northwestern, and my kid was turned off by the student tour guide and student presentation that emphasized how to get out of hard work by taking a course on chocolate, for example.

Yes, trips to different parts of Chicago happen pretty often, my kid tutors, is a member of several clubs and has some good friends groups. They go to museums, Chinatown, Wicker Park, Lincoln Park, little Russia, comedy and concerts.

[Anonymous]

My DC loves, loves, loves UChicago - it has been a fantastic experience.

[Anonymous]

My son is a recent U Chicago Law grad. He loved the law school, Hyde Park, and the city of Chicago, and we loved visiting him during his time there. That said, it should be acknowledged that violent crime is a fact of life in Hyde Park -- not on a daily basis, but often enough that prospective students and their parents would be well advised to ask questions when they tour the campus, to do some additional research about the crime rate, and to have a frank discussion about this aspect of the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The problem with UofC is that it is so freaking boring that the kids HAVE to get off campus to have any fun. If you have a child who is in anyway an extrovert the school social environment will kill them, not the random crime.

The fundamental problem here is that families of moderately bright kids that care mainly about prestige and money are displacing academically minded kids with IQs of 180 who love learning for its own sake. Or, in other words, muggles are crowding wizards out of one of the few havens for wizards. The gangbangers of South Chicago are actually defending the wizards from the muggles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid loves it - physics and math. Went to a Maryland public. As others have said, it is not cut-throat, competitive, but is for kids that want an intellectual environment and enjoy it.

We visited Northwestern, and my kid was turned off by the student tour guide and student presentation that emphasized how to get out of hard work by taking a course on chocolate, for example.

Yes, trips to different parts of Chicago happen pretty often, my kid tutors, is a member of several clubs and has some good friends groups. They go to museums, Chinatown, Wicker Park, Lincoln Park, little Russia, comedy and concerts.

My DS is a junior and wants to study physics- high stats etc. He was similarly turned off by one tour guide at our flagship public who talked about which classes were the “easiest”. We have looked at Chicago, but I was turned off by the physics website bc it seemed not particularly welcoming to undergraduates. In your experience, is the university doing a better job than it used to catering to undergraduates? I am glad to hear it’s not cut throat (my kid isn’t one to compare scores etc) but I still worry that it’s indifferent to the undergrad experience. Is it fun for the right kid? My kid is “right” for that place in many respects, but I want the place to also care about him…

I went there to grad school there and got a phenomenal education and career out of it but the undergrads I knew - admittedly not a lot - didn’t seem happy.

Thanks for sharing your child’s experiences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid loves it - physics and math. Went to a Maryland public. As others have said, it is not cut-throat, competitive, but is for kids that want an intellectual environment and enjoy it.

We visited Northwestern, and my kid was turned off by the student tour guide and student presentation that emphasized how to get out of hard work by taking a course on chocolate, for example.

Yes, trips to different parts of Chicago happen pretty often, my kid tutors, is a member of several clubs and has some good friends groups. They go to museums, Chinatown, Wicker Park, Lincoln Park, little Russia, comedy and concerts.

Can you elaborate by what you mean by this?
My daughter wants to study physics or math. She attends a rigorous DC private and does very well in the hardest math and science classes. She's used to studying very hard and rising to whatever the academic as is--her school's work-load is 3+ hours of homework nightly and she just plods away at it.

However, she's not an intellectual. She's not reading math or physics journals for fun. She barely keeps up with current events. She spends an inordinate amount of time on social media and watching the latest Netflix show.

Would she find her people?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is hardly dangerous to go from Hyde Park to the loop, Near North, Wicker Park, Lincoln Park, etc. If you say otherwise, you are simply parroting what you *think* you know from inside some right wing bubble that thinks Chicago is some dangerous hell scape.

Our niece is there and she is having a great time. (Went to a private outside Philadelphia). She reports some classes are difficult, but manageable. Only dislike is the pace of the quarter system.

Over half the freshman and sophomores live in Woodlawn. No undergrads are routinely hanging out in Wicker Park and Lincoln Park. But it’s interesting you’re calling people Fox News MAGA nuts or whatever when you’re tripping over yourself to namedrop white yuppy neighborhoods. Why don’t you tell us how amazing Southside neighborhoods are? Woodlawn, Washington Park, Englewood.

Students don't really go to the neighboring southside neighborhoods.
The most dangerous thing a student would likely do is go up to 53rd at midnight to get some Harold's.

The insinuation was that students would be in danger going to "Chicago" - the neighborhoods listed are where they would go on a Saturday afternoon.

And yes, if you think the UChicago is in some sort of super dangerous place, then you are a MAGA nut that is drinking the koolaid. I'm sure you would have the same issues with students going to Johns Hopkins, Tufts, UPenn, etc. etc. Give it a rest.

You sound like an old fart. Are you David Brooks? Nobody is going to Harold's for chicken. It's humorous how every booster acts as if the most violent neighborhoods in the U.S. which surround campus have 100 ft walls to keep violent criminals away from your children. There are no walls. The criminals are at those train and bus stops, they are on those trains and buses, and they are prowling around campus day and night looking for easy and lucrative crimes of opportunity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem with UofC is that it is so freaking boring that the kids HAVE to get off campus to have any fun. If you have a child who is in anyway an extrovert the school social environment will kill them, not the random crime.

The fundamental problem here is that families of moderately bright kids that care mainly about prestige and money are displacing academically minded kids with IQs of 180 who love learning for its own sake. Or, in other words, muggles are crowding wizards out of one of the few havens for wizards. The gangbangers of South Chicago are actually defending the wizards from the muggles.

Wut?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem with UofC is that it is so freaking boring that the kids HAVE to get off campus to have any fun. If you have a child who is in anyway an extrovert the school social environment will kill them, not the random crime.

The fundamental problem here is that families of moderately bright kids that care mainly about prestige and money are displacing academically minded kids with IQs of 180 who love learning for its own sake. Or, in other words, muggles are crowding wizards out of one of the few havens for wizards. The gangbangers of South Chicago are actually defending the wizards from the muggles.

Wizards, Muggles and Gangbangers... sheesh... tell me where you have been in the real world besides home, school and the public library?

Better yet, just do your school work and chores and leave the "adulting" to us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem with UofC is that it is so freaking boring that the kids HAVE to get off campus to have any fun. If you have a child who is in anyway an extrovert the school social environment will kill them, not the random crime.

The fundamental problem here is that families of moderately bright kids that care mainly about prestige and money are displacing academically minded kids with IQs of 180 who love learning for its own sake. Or, in other words, muggles are crowding wizards out of one of the few havens for wizards. The gangbangers of South Chicago are actually defending the wizards from the muggles.

IQs of 180...? Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid loves it - physics and math. Went to a Maryland public. As others have said, it is not cut-throat, competitive, but is for kids that want an intellectual environment and enjoy it.

We visited Northwestern, and my kid was turned off by the student tour guide and student presentation that emphasized how to get out of hard work by taking a course on chocolate, for example.

Yes, trips to different parts of Chicago happen pretty often, my kid tutors, is a member of several clubs and has some good friends groups. They go to museums, Chinatown, Wicker Park, Lincoln Park, little Russia, comedy and concerts.

Can you elaborate by what you mean by this?
My daughter wants to study physics or math. She attends a rigorous DC private and does very well in the hardest math and science classes. She's used to studying very hard and rising to whatever the academic as is--her school's work-load is 3+ hours of homework nightly and she just plods away at it.

However, she's not an intellectual. She's not reading math or physics journals for fun. She barely keeps up with current events. She spends an inordinate amount of time on social media and watching the latest Netflix show.

Would she find her people?

No,
Mom of DD UChicago Physics/MENG major.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid loves it - physics and math. Went to a Maryland public. As others have said, it is not cut-throat, competitive, but is for kids that want an intellectual environment and enjoy it.

We visited Northwestern, and my kid was turned off by the student tour guide and student presentation that emphasized how to get out of hard work by taking a course on chocolate, for example.

Yes, trips to different parts of Chicago happen pretty often, my kid tutors, is a member of several clubs and has some good friends groups. They go to museums, Chinatown, Wicker Park, Lincoln Park, little Russia, comedy and concerts.

Can you elaborate by what you mean by this?
My daughter wants to study physics or math. She attends a rigorous DC private and does very well in the hardest math and science classes. She's used to studying very hard and rising to whatever the academic as is--her school's work-load is 3+ hours of homework nightly and she just plods away at it.

However, she's not an intellectual. She's not reading math or physics journals for fun. She barely keeps up with current events. She spends an inordinate amount of time on social media and watching the latest Netflix show.

Would she find her people?

I have the same question. My physics loving hard working kid is also playful and spends a lot of time hanging out with friends and playing frisbee. I am just leery about places like MIT or U of C that are perhaps too “intellectual.”