What kind of kids go to University of Chicago now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The two "top" local private schools are sending a lot of kids to Chicago these days when 20 years ago it'd have been one or two every other year.

I do agree that Chicago is deliberately going after the bright affluent kids who don't make cut at Penn or Brown or Yale.

TBH, nearly all would make the cut but they would lose the admissions lottery.

Is it possible that they’d make the cut in terms of academics but miss in terms of networking and activities?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They started hoovering up HYP students about 10-15 years ago. It's actually pretty crazy. Their targeting is intense. Only thing they haven't sent is a singing telegram

Their targeting is bad though. Kids with no chance of getting in get bombarded with info. They were working to get apps up for the longest time.

This is interesting. I live about 5 hours from Chicago in a neighboring state. I haven't heard of any students from our district going to Chicago. DC received probably 4-6 mailings from Chicago which surprised me. His SATs are "commended" level and his spike is not very spiky. I wondered why he was being targeted. It was a teeny bit flattering though....

DC had no interest in the city of Chicago and I decided it had to be an application count pumping campaign. I did like the mailings though. I wondered if DC was selected based on SAT score x zip code or number of AP tests x zip code.

Also of note, I talked to a mom who teaches at a local public IB high school the next county over (lower income compared to mine). She told me she received a fabric logo blanket from Chicago as a thank you for being a student's recommender. So they market to teachers, too.

My reaction: "So that's where the tuition money goes!"

[Anonymous]

My kid is 25. He has 3 friends who went to Chicago. They’re all in grad school.

He only has 1 other friend already in grad school.

Just an anecdote but it speaks to the academic focus of who goes there these days

[Anonymous]

Isn’t it ultra conservative? Kind of like Hillsdale?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Quirky, smart, leftist, non-athletic, well-off financially, lots from Northeast, enjoy the challenge of rigorous academics.

I know a kid like this who goes there, but he’s from a California private. Parents went to HYP schools and I assume he didn’t get in to either.

[Anonymous]

It’s pointless to apply to U Chicago unless you attend the elite school(s) in DC that have something going on with them that they send 10% of their class there. IYKYK.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I partially blame college counselors. Especially in the DC area, private school counselors and admissions consultants push Chicago as THE ED2 option. I know multiple Big 3 kids who were dinged or deferred REA or ED at their top choice schools who then applied to Chicago ED2 with a little "advice." Thankfully, they seem fairly happy there but it doesn't sound as quirky or intellectually distinct. It sounds like what some on DCUM call a lower Ivy, which is fine but different than what many expect.

So let's say the kid is dinged ED/REA at their top choice school. Where should they then apply? What are their options? Remember - most kids in that situation are not in the best mind set, especially if a lot of their friends got in ED. Many want to be done, so they go the ED2 Chicago route.

Seems fairly pragmatic to me.

Applying regular decision to the schools they actually prefer RD is the clear option. I already know a couple who speculate about what might have happened RD.
There are at least 3-4 schools with ED2 that I'd call better than Chicago but that is more subjective.
Get ready for, "is University of Chicago like CUNY?" It isn't like the name alone gets you too far (they've been more than happy to sell the rights to the grad school names too).
At least make Booth give a little more money like Kansas does before they name an athletic facility for their favorite booster

One can think there are a ton of better schools than Chicago with ED2 but what are the odds of admission? And what schools prefer RD? That’s a new one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The two "top" local private schools are sending a lot of kids to Chicago these days when 20 years ago it'd have been one or two every other year.

I do agree that Chicago is deliberately going after the bright affluent kids who don't make cut at Penn or Brown or Yale.

TBH, nearly all would make the cut but they would lose the admissions lottery.

Is it possible that they’d make the cut in terms of academics but miss in terms of networking and activities?

Networking?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I partially blame college counselors. Especially in the DC area, private school counselors and admissions consultants push Chicago as THE ED2 option. I know multiple Big 3 kids who were dinged or deferred REA or ED at their top choice schools who then applied to Chicago ED2 with a little "advice." Thankfully, they seem fairly happy there but it doesn't sound as quirky or intellectually distinct. It sounds like what some on DCUM call a lower Ivy, which is fine but different than what many expect.

So let's say the kid is dinged ED/REA at their top choice school. Where should they then apply? What are their options? Remember - most kids in that situation are not in the best mind set, especially if a lot of their friends got in ED. Many want to be done, so they go the ED2 Chicago route.

Seems fairly pragmatic to me.

Applying regular decision to the schools they actually prefer RD is the clear option. I already know a couple who speculate about what might have happened RD.
There are at least 3-4 schools with ED2 that I'd call better than Chicago but that is more subjective.
Get ready for, "is University of Chicago like CUNY?" It isn't like the name alone gets you too far (they've been more than happy to sell the rights to the grad school names too).
At least make Booth give a little more money like Kansas does before they name an athletic facility for their favorite booster

Which schools offering ED2 are better than Chicago?

[Anonymous]

PP again. Asking because Chicago’s crime rate makes me nervous and would love to find a strong alternative choice for ED2.

[Anonymous]

U Chicago offers very superb academic environment for very motivated and smart kids.
The quarter base makes it more intense and challenging but creates opportunities to take a lot more classes and do double majors.
It definitely lack school spirit like uva, Michigan
UNC or other big schools.
My kid won’t even go to a football game or sport event and definitely he is missing that aspect of a college experience but for academics standpoint and opportunities provided for internships and attending grad school it is an amazing school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They started hoovering up HYP students about 10-15 years ago. It's actually pretty crazy. Their targeting is intense. Only thing they haven't sent is a singing telegram

Their targeting is bad though. Kids with no chance of getting in get bombarded with info. They were working to get apps up for the longest time.

This is interesting. I live about 5 hours from Chicago in a neighboring state. I haven't heard of any students from our district going to Chicago. DC received probably 4-6 mailings from Chicago which surprised me. His SATs are "commended" level and his spike is not very spiky. I wondered why he was being targeted. It was a teeny bit flattering though....

DC had no interest in the city of Chicago and I decided it had to be an application count pumping campaign. I did like the mailings though. I wondered if DC was selected based on SAT score x zip code or number of AP tests x zip code.

Also of note, I talked to a mom who teaches at a local public IB high school the next county over (lower income compared to mine). She told me she received a fabric logo blanket from Chicago as a thank you for being a student's recommender. So they market to teachers, too.

My reaction: "So that's where the tuition money goes!"

Chicago targets everyone. There was a thread in this recently. The number 1 school for junk mail is Chicago, followed by Hofstra. They are not discerning and it’s not indicative of anything.

[Anonymous]

My DC is there and loves it. Refused to apply to Harvard where he is a legacy-maybe he would have got in, maybe not. Just said Chicago was his ideal fit due to economics and wanting to push himself to the limit intellectually. There are a LOT of old Chicago types as one of the PPs mentioned. But there is also a lot of wealth and private school kids- I think Chicago may be trying to take a long view on building their endowment. The Ivies do it too- what does legacy mean, if not a tag for multigenerational wealth that donated to the school?

[Anonymous]

Very smart move by U Chicago working to become more desirable and popular in the next few decades with a huge endowment.
They attract lots of super smart kids, some very rich kids but most of them are unhooked and they picked u Chicago to have a chance at an elite school.
U Penn started this whole trend years ago.

[Anonymous]

My kid is there. Brilliant kid, I think, although obviously there is some bias there. 😀

Accepted RD and chose it over her EA very selective admit. Classes are hard - it’s not a joke.

Moves very fast. The level of intellectual content and theoretical grounding is really special. She will have an excellent education when she is done. She wants to go on to a STEM PhD and she is on track. Her peers are really really really smart kids. One of them will likely do something really special someday.

She is not in the Econ crowd which attracts a lot of the private school kids I think.