University of Chicago

[Anonymous]

What are your thoughts on UChicago? What makes it a great school? What makes it maybe not so great? What is your outlook on the school's future?

[Anonymous]

Very high quality education with motivated peers. I feel like my kids are being challenged and engaged.

[Anonymous]

UofC, along with Northwestern U, are the two "Ivies" of the Midwest. Extremely rigorous and intellectual in a big way, and reputed to be quirky, but I've heard rumors that this character has toned down significantly and that it is, for all intents and purposes, much more similar to its mainstream counterparts now. I believe it is also slightly more conservative than other elite schools. Life of the mind is the unofficial motto.

Neither a good nor bad thing necessarily, but it seems like its reputation for having gamed the rankings persists even among high school students. Still, can't complain about the #6 ranking on USNWR.

[Anonymous]

Best education in the country. Unflagging commitment to free speech on campus, setting it apart, unfortunately, from a growing number of elite colleges and universities. If you major in econ, you'll study under the most brilliant and forward-thinking economists not just in the country but in the world. Chix aren't the best-looking and parties aren't the most turnt, but Chicago and everything it offers, good and bad, is at your doorstep.

[Anonymous]

My sister went there for undergrad (graduated in 2007). I almost went there (ended up turning them down for a school that was more appropriate for my career), but went there for grad school (graduated in 2012).

I would say it’s extremely intellectually rigorous (much more so than my undergrad institution). I really like their emphasis on interdisciplinary work.

They used to be quirkier, before they started taking the Common App and switched Directors for Admission, but I think/hope they still retain some quirkiness. When my sister and I applied, they would routinely turn down high stats kids if they didn’t think that kid “got” UChicago. Now I’m not so sure that’s true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Best education in the country. Unflagging commitment to free speech on campus, setting it apart, unfortunately, from a growing number of elite colleges and universities. If you major in econ, you'll study under the most brilliant and forward-thinking economists not just in the country but in the world. Chix aren't the best-looking and parties aren't the most turnt, but Chicago and everything it offers, good and bad, is at your doorstep.

Giving it the usual extra credit for being slightly conservative. Biggest affirmative action out there.

[Anonymous]

I graduated some (read: many) years ago, when it was quite similar to Berkeley in that it was perhaps one of the best places for grad school in the world, but its undergraduate College was quite literally terrible. I strongly encouraged both of my kids not to apply to UChicago when it came to college apps.

I've heard things have changed quite a lot in recent times, and alumni are torn down the middle on whether those changes are good or bad.

As you can already see from some PPs, many right-wingers and conservatives have co-opted UChicago as their darling child, while blind to the fact that its student body is completely interchangeable with any other top school in the nation (aka, very liberal).

[Anonymous]

This doesn't look so good.

https://www.chicagobusiness.com/education/cheating-scandal-rocks-uchicago

https://talk.collegeconfidential.com/t/cheating-scandal-roils-university/2801652

[Anonymous]

The quality of the undergraduate education is amazing. U Chicago often is bashed on DCUM but I'm not sure why. There still are quirky aspects to the school, although I agree that the student body is less non-conformist than it used to be 25+ years ago. They have a large endowment and can be generous with financial aid. The name alone will open doors for your child's entire life. And the students aren't stuck in Hyde Park unless they want to be, Chicago is an amazing city.

[Anonymous]

I think they are trying to up their applications so they can reject more. Why? Our son, a HS senior, has received at least one thing in the mail from them every week for months. Sometimes 2-3 items in the mail in the same week (mind boggling they spend that much on someone who has zero interest in attending or even applying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The quality of the undergraduate education is amazing. U Chicago often is bashed on DCUM but I'm not sure why. There still are quirky aspects to the school, although I agree that the student body is less non-conformist than it used to be 25+ years ago. They have a large endowment and can be generous with financial aid. The name alone will open doors for your child's entire life. And the students aren't stuck in Hyde Park unless they want to be, Chicago is an amazing city.

Is UChicago bashed on DCUM? I feel like I see much more of the opposite.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Best education in the country. Unflagging commitment to free speech on campus, setting it apart, unfortunately, from a growing number of elite colleges and universities. If you major in econ, you'll study under the most brilliant and forward-thinking economists not just in the country but in the world. Chix aren't the best-looking and parties aren't the most turnt, but Chicago and everything it offers, good and bad, is at your doorstep.

Giving it the usual extra credit for being slightly conservative. Biggest affirmative action out there.

Riiight. Some guy’s anonymous opinion online is the “biggest affirmative action out there”. As opposed to, you know, actual affirmative action. The one where every sane person out there readily acknowledges that being black, Latino, or Inuit lowers the SAT bar by literally hundreds of points. Or where my company is literally scouring the building for black women who can put a sentence together to throw opportunity at them.

AA may or may not be justified or a good thing. But spare me this lame attempt at a double secret reverse where the REAL AA beneficiaries are... white conservatives in academia?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think they are trying to up their applications so they can reject more. Why? Our son, a HS senior, has received at least one thing in the mail from them every week for months. Sometimes 2-3 items in the mail in the same week (mind boggling they spend that much on someone who has zero interest in attending or even applying.

Yes they're notorious for having an extremely aggressive marketing strategy for the last two decades to play catch-up in the rankings, which is well-known among college applicants. Still an excellent school though, although it's probably a tad overrated at this point, ironically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think they are trying to up their applications so they can reject more. Why? Our son, a HS senior, has received at least one thing in the mail from them every week for months. Sometimes 2-3 items in the mail in the same week (mind boggling they spend that much on someone who has zero interest in attending or even applying.

Yes, this is an article from 2013...
https://www.chicagomaroon.com/article/2013/11/1/admissions-ripped-for-mass-mailings/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Best education in the country. Unflagging commitment to free speech on campus, setting it apart, unfortunately, from a growing number of elite colleges and universities. If you major in econ, you'll study under the most brilliant and forward-thinking economists not just in the country but in the world. Chix aren't the best-looking and parties aren't the most turnt, but Chicago and everything it offers, good and bad, is at your doorstep.

Giving it the usual extra credit for being slightly conservative. Biggest affirmative action out there.

Riiight. Some guy’s anonymous opinion online is the “biggest affirmative action out there”. As opposed to, you know, actual affirmative action. The one where every sane person out there readily acknowledges that being black, Latino, or Inuit lowers the SAT bar by literally hundreds of points. Or where my company is literally scouring the building for black women who can put a sentence together to throw opportunity at them.

AA may or may not be justified or a good thing. But spare me this lame attempt at a double secret reverse where the REAL AA beneficiaries are... white conservatives in academia?!

Wow. Next time I’ll include a trigger warning on my anonymous opinion.