I know all three of these schools very well, and for undergrad it would be Chicago, hands down. Undergrads are routinely taking classes with the (equally bright, if not brighter) doctoral students, and they are, far and away, the most intellectually impressive of the three schools.

Providence had always struck me as much sketchier than Hyde Park (U Chicago). The Brown campus is the only one of these three locales (Morningside Heights, Hyde Park) where I’ve ever been harassed and groped (right outside the dorm!), even though I’ve spent far more time in the other two locations.

Brown kids seem far richer and more fashionable than Columbia and Chicago kids, and not in a good way. It very much feels like a prep school in terms of atmosphere / social hierarchies.

Columbia is the natural choice for students with career ambitions that require a NYC location, or who really really love the big city. Hyde Park is set apart from the more urban areas of the city, and Providence feels less like a city than like a dumpy town.

A lot more classes are taught by adjuncts at Columbia and Brown than at Chicago, though doctoral students sometimes teach core classes and one-off courses at Chicago.

Forging relationships with tenured or tenure track professors seems easier and more common for Chicago undergrads, although some departments at Columbia are good about that.

For grad school, of course, you couldn’t lose with any of the three, though Brown would come last.

Anonymous wrote:This board is about Brown or Chicago. Brown's neighborhood is much safer than Chicago's. Chicago is harder academically, and more stressful.

Crazy Columbia lady asking and then answering her own question. She’s everywhere.

This board is about Brown or Chicago. Brown's neighborhood is much safer than Chicago's. Chicago is harder academically, and more stressful.

Hard to beat being close to the United Nations, Lincoln Center, and amazing museums - a quick subway ride away from the Columbia campus.

At U of Chicago, still a dangerous area outside the campus; and the real city is over 30 minutes to one hour away by commute.

Both are excellent, but I prefer Columbia, with respect.

Columbia is in a better neighborhood than is Chicago.

Both excellent.

Columbia is in the Ivy League and is wealthier in endowment and land asset value so has a leg up for undergraduates, and was founded in the 18th century. Also, New York, with respect, is more desirable than Chicago - city wealth, cultural opportunities, internships
and much, much better weather.

How does University of Chicago compare to Columbia for undergraduates?

Any thoughts, please ?

^ Admissions is a crapshoot. Applying to the top 10 or 15 of the top 15 colleges has become pretty common. Looking at College Confidential, kids get into Yale or Harvard Early Action and still fire off 10 more Regular Decision apps!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one is applying early to both Brown and Chicago, and if they did they aren't getting in both places because they are so different.

If you apply early to one of HYPS and were deferred or rejected, you'd likely apply to both RD (because why not). Chicago RD decisions came out last week, Brown RD likely letters were sent two weeks ago.

I can't wrap my head around the "why not". At DC's school, there's a limit on number of apps. I can't see wasting a slot or expending the effort without any thought as to whether you want to call it home for 4 years. Also, having met a number of UChicago families and kids, I don't see them doing that either (admittedly very small sample size). It takes a certain analytical personality type to take on the reputation for rigor. It would strike me as very odd that those same kids would randomly throw out apps. Totally does not preclude kds that have thoughtful reasons to choose both but IMO it's a really low number.

Anonymous wrote:No one is applying early to both Brown and Chicago, and if they did they aren't getting in both places because they are so different.

If you apply early to one of HYPS and were deferred or rejected, you'd likely apply to both RD (because why not). Chicago RD decisions came out last week, Brown RD likely letters were sent two weeks ago.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone know cross-admit data? I'd bet over 90% choose UofC for no other reason than it's #3 and Brown is #14 on US News.

No one actually thinks that Chicago is #3 and the split is far from a 90% - 10%. Brown might not be a top 10 school and might be possibly the weakest or second-weakest ivy, but there are plenty of reasons a cross-admit would choose Brown over Chicago, including the ivy league brand. Parchment actually says 49% Chicago - 51% Brown.

Clearly you don't have analysis skills, so I will point a few things out

1) Parchment doesn't break cross admit data by ED vs RD. So any school with an ED plan should have a massive advantage against a school that only had EA till a year ago, if applicants apply to both schools. It is amazing that Brown doesn't have a ratio of 70% to 30%. That tells you what you really need to know. Even with ED, Brown is not competing very well with Chicago on cross admits.
2) Parchment data is not broken by year, so it includes old data when Chicago did not have ED. It will take a few years for that data to get included.
3) The sample size of parchment is quite small. so it is hard to make any definitive predictions based on that limited data set.


As far as "No one actually thinks that Chicago is #3 ". Well everybody has opinions. The only problem is nobody cares about yours and many kids put way too much weight on the USNews ranking, which is sad, but they still have a lot of influence.

Hahahah everyone knows Chicago is hilariously overrated by USNews. USNews has a lot of influence but not at this level in the rankings and not to this extent. If it did Princeton would be seen as more desirable than HYS for example. Doesnt work this way.
Only desperate Chicago boosters think their school is a bona fide #3 because USNews says so. Chicago is a bona fide #6-#10, that is as far as it goes. Not an opinion, just a fact backed by all sorts of metrics.

Listen child, first go back to elementary school and learn the definitions of these words

Facts
Opinions

Or maybe they didn't teach you this at whatever pathetic school you attend, that the entire ranking universe is OPINION. Just because in your delusional reptilian head you have a certain ranking that seems real to you, doesn't mean everybody or anybody else agrees with you. Now here is a fact: USNews is not measuring "student preference", it is trying to measure "best colleges in America" based on certain input factors. If you use USNews' methodology, then indeed Princeton offers a better overall undergrad experience than Stanford and so does Chicago. Quibble with their methodology if you want but don't embarrass yourself by conflating fact and opinion.

Now repeat after me slowly "WHAT I THINK OF A SCHOOL'S RANK IS MY OPINION NOT A FACT AND SAYING THAT IT IS A FACT MAKES ME A DIMWITTED MENTAL SLOTH"

Good! Now go back and do your homework child!!

You must have mental issues. Feel sorry for you. Everything you just said is a bunch of crap but you are too unhinged to even realize it. What is a better undergrad experience anyway? This is such fuzzy BS. Keep believing that UChicago is a top 5 or even top 3 school for all I care. 99% of people don't and laugh at it for its over the top grubby antics. You seem to have lost touch with reality anyway on all levels, anyway. Bye felicia.

Which Community College will you be attending?

No one is applying early to both Brown and Chicago, and if they did they aren't getting in both places because they are so different.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No,.you cannot apply both EA to Chicago and ED to Brown. Brown's website for ED candidate info clearly forbids it.

No it does not. You can apply EA to Chicago and ED to Brown. What you can't do is apply to ED to both Chicago and Brown.

Ah, you're right. I didn't read clearly that it was single choice early action they were referring to. Sorry about that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone know cross-admit data? I'd bet over 90% choose UofC for no other reason than it's #3 and Brown is #14 on US News.

No one actually thinks that Chicago is #3 and the split is far from a 90% - 10%. Brown might not be a top 10 school and might be possibly the weakest or second-weakest ivy, but there are plenty of reasons a cross-admit would choose Brown over Chicago, including the ivy league brand. Parchment actually says 49% Chicago - 51% Brown.

Clearly you don't have analysis skills, so I will point a few things out

1) Parchment doesn't break cross admit data by ED vs RD. So any school with an ED plan should have a massive advantage against a school that only had EA till a year ago, if applicants apply to both schools. It is amazing that Brown doesn't have a ratio of 70% to 30%. That tells you what you really need to know. Even with ED, Brown is not competing very well with Chicago on cross admits.
2) Parchment data is not broken by year, so it includes old data when Chicago did not have ED. It will take a few years for that data to get included.
3) The sample size of parchment is quite small. so it is hard to make any definitive predictions based on that limited data set.


As far as "No one actually thinks that Chicago is #3 ". Well everybody has opinions. The only problem is nobody cares about yours and many kids put way too much weight on the USNews ranking, which is sad, but they still have a lot of influence.

Actually, the Parchment cross-admit is only influenced when students are accepted to multiple schools. So they would have had to self report they got into both Brown and UChicago, which wouldn't be possible for a ED admit.

You can't use Parchment for anything beyond peer schools, which UChicago and Brown are. There will be a significant number of students who have gotten into both and used Parchment's service to indicate where they go (or elsewhere).

That is not correct. Chicago has EA, so a kid can apply ED to Brown and EA to Chicago and get admitted to both in Dec

No a Brown ED admit must WITHDRAW his application from Chicago. This does not count as a cross admit. Let alone that Brown and Chicago are vastly different schools and very few people would do ED Brown/EA Chicago anyway.

If an applicant applies to both Brown ED and Chicago EA, they will get their decision at the same time in Mid December. So the admit decision on Chicago is already made before they can withdraw, unless they are deferred. Then the only option is to turn down the offer from Chicago if they are also admitted to Brown which counts towards the cross admit numbers.

Anonymous wrote:Your kid will be smart and cool after Brown. Your kid will be a neurotic try-hard nutbag on anti-depressants after Chicago.

They don’t let many simpletons into Chicago so I think everyone will be OK actually.