U Chicago vs Georgetown
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Anonymous
OP: Yes, he wants to major in Econ. At least right now (I wouldn't be shocked if he changes his mind during college, but we'll see). I don't think he'd be bummed about a pre-pro environment, though I personally see a lot of good in a liberal arts education. What appeals to me about Chicago (as a parent) is that it seems like both a liberal arts education plus good professional opportunities. GU is probably a little foreign service-y for a kid who hasn't really showed any interest in that. |
Anonymous
I think your perception is extremely inaccurate. |
Anonymous
OP - in what way is this inaccurate? Only thing I don't understand why she says the admit rate for GU is lower than UC? |
Anonymous
So sorry that people who actually earn money are making it possible for others who can't afford to attend for free. My kid is a full-pay and is a highly-engaged, contributing member of the Georgetown community who will go on to get a Ph.D. and do interesting things. Why is that sad? |
Anonymous
OP: My kid is MSB at Georgetown. He loves Georgetown, but what he likes the least, and by a lot, is the vocational nature of the business school. It is extremely rigorous and he describes the environment as fairly "toxic." But what he loves is his minor in the College and all the classes that are required as part of Georgetown's liberal arts core. Over half the undergrad students at Georgetown are in the College of Arts and Sciences, so this idea that those majors are "dying" there are just untrue. My other kid is in government in the College and it also is an incredibly challenging curriculum, that still allows for exploration and the opportunity for students to take full advantage at being at what truly is one of the best universities in the world. I know locals here love to bash Georgetown because it doesn't have any money and takes a lot of full-pay kids. But both my kids would say they are so happy they chose Georgeown, even with their misgivings since they grew up here. Neither wanted the kind of competitive environment that seems to push the students at Chicago. |
Anonymous
DP here. Technically, the GU admit rate is higher because they only receive applications from students who really want to attend Georgetown, as they are not on the Common App. Students have to be very serious about applying or they just won't apply. This is the opposite of Chicago who invites multitudes more to apply, many many of them for free, and has an ED option, through which most of its students are admitted. It's true what the poster said, if GU was on the common app, its rate would drop by at least 50% if not more. And that doesn't even account for TO, which GU never moved to. |
Anonymous
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Why do you think ED to Chicago is so much easier than ED to Penn?
Seems comparable to me. |
Anonymous
Because Chicago admits the bulk of its class ED and Penn doesn’t. |
Anonymous
Everything you’ve said seems to lean toward Chicago, but I noted you said he prefers DC for the location. It’s hard to know when you are 18, but if there is some sort of preference for ending up in DC after school versus Chicago I would take that into account as well. Georgetown grads are everywhere here. |
Anonymous
| Both good. Can get very good internships at either. GT has the government thing...can get agency and national organization internships. The GT business school is good too. DC is a great city to go to college in. My kid is at U Chicago and really likes it and the city; a real mix of kids there. |
Anonymous
Both are need-blind. Both reject high-stats full pay students all the time. |
Anonymous
Penn's ED rate is 14.8%. I haven't seen the latest leaked ED stats from UChicago, though a few years ago it was something like 18%, so mid-teens seems likely, around the same as Penn. In my opinion, the main difference would be that UChicago is looking for a certain type of applicant and the Uncommon Essay is very, very important. Either he is or isn't that type of applicant. |
Anonymous
Then he shoukd go to Chicago. It's held in far greater esteem in econ than Georgetown |
Anonymous
As a parent of a student on FA, thank you. I truly appreciate everything that makes it possible for my kid to go to a good school that we otherwise cannot afford. OP - people will rake me over the coals for this but it is not ED or bust for UChicago. My kid applied EA and needing financial aid and got in. We are not quite PELL eligible either but could not afford the $90K price tag and got significant enough aid to make it doable. It was however, their first choice school. Just did not apply ED because we were unsure of how the finances would work out having no prior experience to how accurate the NPCs truly are (and in this case, they were). But they knew in their heart that they loved everything about UChicago, including the grind. It was not necessarily the vision I had in mind for my first child's college experience since I wanted the whole vibe of a college campus (UChicago seems more embedded into the suburb of Hyde Park versus a more pronounced "campus") but in the end, they're the one going to school, not me. If your child truly has Georgetown as their first choice, I would consider REA and if that doesn't pan out, ED2 to UChicago. |
Anonymous
The difference in "esteem" is very negligible between these two schools. A graduate of either school will have the same degree of employability. OP - here's the deal, if your son is even slightly leaning towards GU and they ED to UChicago and gets in, they will always have the what-ifs and FOMO in their head. If forced to make a choice, always go with your top choice. There are other avenues to get to your second choice if the top choice does not work out. |