Went to a SLAC but had a lot of (nerdy) friends who went to Cornell, and most of them had friendly relationships with a lot of professors and a close/mentor-ish relationship with at least one. I think "you'll know all your professors" is true but different at a lot of places with a low professor:student ratio. I saw mine all the time as we wandered around the same little campus, and that didn't happen as much for my Cornell friends. But once you're in seminars, professors get to know you, regardless of the size of the institution.

Another UChicago parent - Just so you have the data. The size of the first year classes have been extremely small. About 10-15 on average including the CS course. There are some honors courses but not a track because that's the level of the work. The professors love teaching core classes. My expectation was that was just talk but my freshman has not been taught by any TA's except having one to assist in a CS work group. They do not offer the option of skipping class in favor of viewing video which means classroom discussion is robust and teachers get a very fast impression on engagement. UChicago is heavy on theory; their premise being readying their grads for careers 10 years down the road. So there are graduate school students scattered into even the introductory classes. I find it interesting (admittedly from limited exposure) that the current undergraduates seem totally comfortable with picking up applied course material as needed on their own although there is a robust number of applied science and math courses available.

The weather has been unbelievable the last 2-3 years. Sadly probably due to global warming. Compared to prior years, there's been very little snow and the temperature has been moderate as it is in Washington DC.
Often better. DC has spent half the winter without a coat and running around in short sleeves and shorts. The lifestyle is outdoors with Lake Michigan right there. They have a beach! Food quality is great as far as dining hall can be (they switched to a California provider this year) and Chicago has a well deserved reputation for some of the best ethnic food in the country.

Cornell is also a great school with it's pro's but I would not place huge weight on the program she gained entry into. Many kids switch around their focus once they see all the possibilities in college and it's important she'll be supported no matter where her choices lead. For the same tuition dollars my expectation is that a private college should be conferring those advantages to every student. In your mind, do they do that for her without the program? The impression I got from the Cornell visit is that they do a great job of getting their students ready and launched into their first jobs. That is very practical and absolutely on target for some kids.

So your daughter has two great choices which couldn't be more different. You know her though. Ask the leading questions.

OP. I wouldn't turn down that program. Sounds terrific. Both schools are great. Both filled with hard workers. Both have awful winter weather.

^^^I was wondering that, too.

Which school do you think is less friendly?

U'Chicago is elitist nerdy and Cornell is hardworking nerdy.

The comparison with those familiar between LACs is like Swarthmore vs. Carleton. Both filled with hard-working, passionate students, but the students in one aren't as friendly as the others.

Not knocking Cornell (great school, definitely can find nerds there), but I don't think access to profs will be an issue at UChicago. It has a 5 or 6:1 student to faculty ratio and I thought that was probably meaningless -- until my kid got there. DC (who is generally shy) knows and is known by virtually all of her profs (12 courses, 2 exceptions). Her intro Chem and CS courses have 33 and 50 kids respectively. (Other courses have been smaller, except intro Bio). Faculty in CS encourage kids to hang out and do psets during their office hours so help is there if/when they need it. DC has a 10 week paid summer research opportunity this summer through the University. There's no honors program at UofC -- this is what every kid has access to.

I think your DD should choose whichever school she likes best (and, again, should think hard about whether she wants the Core). No wrong choices here -- just wanted to say that I wouldn't assume that the Cornell program will give her better access to faculty or research opportunities.

+1. And plenty of nerds at Cornell.

Anonymous wrote:Thanks to all who responded. Your comments have been very helpful. How do people think a nerdy kid would do at Cornell? Is there enough of a nerdy vibe that she could find her people? She was chosen as part of a very small group of students for an elite program that confers special opportunities all 4 years. She is leaning Cornell (and yes, it will ultimately be her choice) but I think the social culture at Chicago sounds like a better fit. The programs for her intended area of study are comparable at both schools. Can anyone weigh in? Thank you!

Well, your first question was which was nerdier overall, and I think Chicago wins hands down. But there are plenty of nerdy people at Cornell, and a nerdy kid will do fine there. And being able to participate in an honors or elite program within a larger university can mean unique and special opportunities, including close contacts with professors and other similar students that can be invaluable and that sometimes are difficult for other students at large institutions to tap into. I might weight that program pretty heavily in my decision-making.

Thanks to all who responded. Your comments have been very helpful. How do people think a nerdy kid would do at Cornell? Is there enough of a nerdy vibe that she could find her people? She was chosen as part of a very small group of students for an elite program that confers special opportunities all 4 years. She is leaning Cornell (and yes, it will ultimately be her choice) but I think the social culture at Chicago sounds like a better fit. The programs for her intended area of study are comparable at both schools. Can anyone weigh in? Thank you!

Chicago.

U of Chicago. Nice choices to have OP. Good luck to kiddo

It's a Stanford thing. Appearing to glide placidly on the surface while paddling furiously below/out of sight.

The UofC kids are more of the "if it seems easy, you're probably doing it wrong" variety.

I love everything PP says about Chicago but wonder - what is the Duck syndrome?