What’s in the water in Chicagoland? (Univ. of Chicago & Northwestern)

[Anonymous]

I’ve observed with increasing interest that the two main universities in the Chicago area, Northwestern and Univ. of Chicago have exploded both in popularity and general awareness but also seem to be climbing the rankings steadily. What are these colleges doing right? Niece is interested in both and a ton of her friends have either or both of those two schools on their wish-lists.

[Anonymous]

This is not new. These have been top schools for years. I graduated high school in 2002 and they were then, as they are now, highly-ranked, difficult to get into, well known schools.

[Anonymous]

Yes, altho as I recall Chicago was gaming the USNWR ratings for a while.

[Anonymous]

where have you been?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:where have you been?

+1 No different than 30 years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:where have you been?

+1 No different than 30 years ago.

+2
NU, Class of '98

[Anonymous]

I graduated from college in the 1980's.

This is nothing new.

[Anonymous]

Chicago and NU boosters on here - again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Chicago and NU boosters on here - again.

OP asked for answers. OP is getting them.

[Anonymous]

UChicago had acceptance rate of 40% in mid-2000. A new admission dean, common app, and aggressive marketing made the difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is not new. These have been top schools for years. I graduated high school in 2002 and they were then, as they are now, highly-ranked, difficult to get into, well known schools.

+1, I suspect I am older than most of the people on here and both of these schools have always been top flight... UChicago is home to Nobel Prizes galore, FermiLab, the Chicago School of Economics. Gorgeous Gothic campus. And there was the saying once that the blue blooded families of the Midwest would send their sons to the Ivy League and their daughters to Northwestern... and then send their sons off to Northwestern Law or MBA once they returned home from the East.

[Anonymous]

Both schools are in the M7. This is in no way a new development.

[Anonymous]

Chicago is a really cool city and very fun for young people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UChicago had acceptance rate of 40% in mid-2000. A new admission dean, common app, and aggressive marketing made the difference.

Keep in mind that, in the before times, MIT had an acceptance rate of about 35 percent. Schools like MIT weren’t trying to appeal to a mass applicant audience; they were trying to appeal to students who sincerely thought solving a calculus proof was fun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UChicago had acceptance rate of 40% in mid-2000. A new admission dean, common app, and aggressive marketing made the difference.

It also had an average SAT of like 1500. The quality of student was the same as now. The number of applicants was smaller because it was more of a niche school. It always attracted high achievers. Now it also attracts everyone else.