Is U Chicago worth cost over in-state UVA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP.

U of C has better resources. It is a unique and intellectually aggressive place. It is NOT an undergrad business school. Your kid will get a traditional BA there and learn things he probably won't at UVA.

UVA is a fine school, but it is not U of C.

Now, what is the value added from that experience? Only you and your family can decide that. I personally wouldn't do I think if it involved much in the way of loans, but you might have more than me.

What does that catch-all mean exactly for an average middle of the pack student?

Smaller class sizes. Smaller class sizes. More librarians (who are very useful in this modern age because they can help,you find the electronic resources you need, and the library will be in more electronic consortia). Better tech in the classes.... more and varied higher level classes. This kid won't be average at UVA.

OP, one poster commented that this will be obvious after visiting both. If you can't afford that, then choose UVA, but if the money is available, then choose the one that resonates with your kids.

When I was his age, I would have been willing to pay extra to go to a place with no sports scene.

Re better resources. First year, my UofC kid had 11 profs, 10 of whom knew who she was. This doesn’t include TAs. She had access to free tutors in the library (7-11pm, five nights a week) and never had a situation where she couldn’t get help when she needed it. When she had computer problems, tech lab at the library helped her out. Even supplied a loaner for a couple of days. (Again, no charge). Lives in an architecturally stunning new dorm, go a single first year. Nice communal facilities (lounges, music practice rooms, game room), good food in the cafeteria. Also ground floor retail including a cafe, pizza place, Insomnia cookies. House-arranged free/low cost trips all around town/region (Opera, museums, neighborhoods, Indian Dunes, apple picking). One cafeteria on campus (rotates each quarter) stays open for 4th meal — 8pm to midnight. Campus has a number of all-night study spaces and lots of security, so she felt comfortable coming and going at odd hours when she needed to. Was assigned both a career services and an academic advisor from day one. By Feb of first year had a paid internship for the summer in her STEM field (with zero prior experience). Internship enabled her to design and execute her own experiment in a world-class facility and taught her how to make a poster presentation at a conference. Over the course of the summer, got lots of info both about ongoing research at the facility and about how grad students and scientists manage careers and achieve work-life balance. Campus has hosted Special Olympics events and blues and folk festivals that she participated in. Her club sport has dedicated gym space at a convenient time 5 days a week. This is just the stuff DC personally accessed.

PP. I am sooo jealous. My son turned down a well regarded private U for a state flagship (neither in VA). His reasons aren't sound, but all those things you list, I wanted that for him. Good luck to your kid!

[Anonymous]

^^ oops. His reasons ARE sound.

[Anonymous]

UVa is a different experience for outgoing & connected rich kids who can get bids from top Greek houses. But if your child wasn’t born one of those types, I’d rather have the Chicago credential than be bottom tier or GDI from UVa.

[Anonymous]

When people ask these kinds of questions, why do they never provide financial details? Genuinely curious.

[Anonymous]

Can you afford it? Presuming the answer is yes, or else you wouldn't be asking.

So, only one question --

Where does DC want to go, and does it seem like a good fit?

Seriously, that's it.

[Anonymous]

As one of the passionate pro-UofC posters, I post regularly because the haters really misrepresent the undergrad experience there today. I don’t initiate UofC threads — I generally answer questions or respond to what I consider inaccurate info. Because I have a kid there now, I can provide details/examples.

FWIW, my respect for Chicago has nothing to do with USNWR. The school hit my radar when I realized that all my favorite profs (in an HYPS PhD program) had been educated there. A predoc fellowship took me to the city, where I got more exposure to the University. As I’ve indicated numerous times, I don’t think UChicago is the right school for every kid (or even every smart kid), but it’s a really great school for a certain kind of kid (mine is one). So I describe what DC has valued about the school. I was something of a skeptic when DC insisted on EAing there (rather than either of the HYPS schools where DC was a legacy), but DC was absolutely right re what she needed/wanted and I’ve been blown away by aspects of her experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When people ask these kinds of questions, why do they never provide financial details? Genuinely curious.

One it’s a public forum. And two, if OP is rich they’ll get all go to top ranked, you can afford it. If not, a bunch of no brainer go to UVA. Kills debate.

[Anonymous]

Put UChicago undergrad in the 10-15 range where it belongs and all these desperate strivers living through their tiger cubs would go back to being obsessed with Ivies Duke and Northwestern.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not impressed by Chicago at all. I went to an Ivy and my school doesn’t spam high school students it has no intention of admitting with materials to try and make it seem more selective than it is already. And I don’t see alumni going out of their way to denigrate top state schools like UVA, Michigan or Berkeley, either. It just comes across as constant self-promotion by people who couldn’t quite make the cut.

Screw you. You have no clue what you’re talking about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So for an average student — read: not some gunner future PhD who’s been doing cancer research since 12 yo — it’s an extra $40,000 per year for:

- better food? But UVA stu cafes are actually good.

- free tutors? UVA has those too.

- better dorms? UVA’s aren’t terrible, in my experience.

- prestige? Ok, it’s certainly near the top.

- smaller classes? Ok, no debate there.

That's $40,000 per year x4 years, you do the math ($200,000.) UChicago is known as a place where fun goes to die. You get a glimpse of that here with cutthroat alums and their parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So for an average student — read: not some gunner future PhD who’s been doing cancer research since 12 yo — it’s an extra $40,000 per year for:

- better food? But UVA stu cafes are actually good.

- free tutors? UVA has those too.

- better dorms? UVA’s aren’t terrible, in my experience.

- prestige? Ok, it’s certainly near the top.

- smaller classes? Ok, no debate there.

That's $40,000 per year x4 years, you do the math ($200,000.) UChicago is known as a place where fun goes to die. You get a glimpse of that here with cutthroat alums and their parents.

Is that uva/state school math?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So for an average student — read: not some gunner future PhD who’s been doing cancer research since 12 yo — it’s an extra $40,000 per year for:

- better food? But UVA stu cafes are actually good.

- free tutors? UVA has those too.

- better dorms? UVA’s aren’t terrible, in my experience.

- prestige? Ok, it’s certainly near the top.

- smaller classes? Ok, no debate there.

That's $40,000 per year x4 years, you do the math ($200,000.) UChicago is known as a place where fun goes to die. You get a glimpse of that here with cutthroat alums and their parents.

Is that uva/state school math?

You need to add hidden costs like travel (about 4x a year if you count all the breaks), walk-around money in Chicago, etc. That's how $160000 can equal $200000.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So for an average student — read: not some gunner future PhD who’s been doing cancer research since 12 yo — it’s an extra $40,000 per year for:

- better food? But UVA stu cafes are actually good.

- free tutors? UVA has those too.

- better dorms? UVA’s aren’t terrible, in my experience.

- prestige? Ok, it’s certainly near the top.

- smaller classes? Ok, no debate there.

That's $40,000 per year x4 years, you do the math ($200,000.) UChicago is known as a place where fun goes to die. You get a glimpse of that here with cutthroat alums and their parents.

Is that uva/state school math?

You need to add hidden costs like travel (about 4x a year if you count all the breaks), walk-around money in Chicago, etc. That's how $160000 can equal $200000.

That's not counting the tuition rise each year. It will be a greater at UChicago than at UVA. You need to have a 4 year tuition plan in place.

[Anonymous]

OP, this is a no-brainer. U Chicago, period, no matter what. U Chicago, at full pay, over a state school (ANY state school) for free. Not even a question.

[Anonymous]

Both schools have smart kids but if your kid is intellectually creative and curious, he/she will benefit from the academic resources and like cohort at UChicago.
Be realistic about your kid, you'll know whether you think it's worth it.