<p>A lot of studying at these schools:
Top</a> 10 Colleges Where Students Always Study</p>
<p>I think it would be silly to formulate a list of the schools where students study the most. </p>
<p>Can we really say that if you go to Yale, Cornell, or Amherst instead of those on the list, you'd be studying less? I think we can assume that any elite university or LAC will offer some intense academics.</p>
<p>Apparently, if you do the math out, 120,000 surveyed spread out over all the universities in America.</p>
<p>It comes out to about 1-2% representation fo the entire population of the each colleges.</p>
<p>Interesting...That can't obviously represent the real situation at each school. But take it for what it is worth. A grain of salt. lol</p>
<p>UChicago....where fun goes to die? I've heard the Ivies are all a mass struggle too. Not to mention MIT and Duke produce the most bloodshot eyes. Oh an may I mention JHU? They're pre-med program I'm in is the top in the nation, that means no grade inflation, cutt-throats everywhere, intense competition, and studying is our love. Idk, JHU is a bit too cutt throat for me, or maybe its just me, I think I should have gone to a college which offers a more fun experience, as hard as it may be, a better college experience. Owell, JHU is great.</p>
<p>FWIW, Princeton Review rankings tend to vary wildly from year to year, suggesting (at least to the cynic in me) that the rankings are about causing a stir (like this one) and don't rely on much empirical data. If they did, they would be much more consistent from year to year, like USNWR.</p>
<p>Yes, Chicago really is where fun comes to die (that's what the t-shirts we sell say, at least) and we're very pround of it. But maybe we're not where fun comes to die any longer... oh no! :-P</p>
<p>MIT is tough, but you get a 3 day weekend every weekend</p>
<p>If you major in engineering, you'll be studying a lot. If you major in sociology, you won't be studying a lot. It's that simple.</p>
<p>
[quote]
MIT is tough, but you get a 3 day weekend every weekend
[/quote]
A three-day (or four-day) weekend every month. Not every weekend.</p>
<p>As long as it is statistically relevant, that is all that matters. From my ancient stat class, it only takes around 400+- random samples from each school to be relevant within an acceptable tolerance range. The numbers are probably just fine ... as long as they are truly random.</p>
<p>Well, you reap what you sow. Which is why selecting a college is so important. I have empathy for people who are suffering under the burden of uber intensity and "where fun goes to die" or such places. Or cut throat environments. Sounds awful.</p>
<p>Then again, party central and "animal house" isnt exactly my idea of a good idea or a wise expenditure of money either. </p>
<p>So there is a happy medium, thank goodness and it comprises the VAST MAJORITY of colleges and universities in the US. Where you work hard, but know how to relax and have a good time. Where you are striving for excellence, but your measurement of same is not ridiculous. Where success is not just how much coin is in your pocket or the name of your school, but who you are as a person inside.</p>
<p>I will say this: we visited a lot of schools in our search two years ago. We avoided the schools that had uber intensity and freaked out students wandering around like a plague of locusts.</p>
<p>Nocousin-- Chicago students play up "where fun comes to die" as a joke, and Chicago students wear it with pride. See, it's funny, get it? Get it? Get it? To us, it's ironic school pride. We can't call ourselves the best, so we'll call ourselves the worst.</p>
<p>According to this (accurate?) survey, there are eight other schools that have a more legitimate basis on taking our WFCTD claim.</p>
<p>While Chicago is an academically intense place, it's not some kind of doomsday... the kinds of students who want to go here (like me!) choose it for its academicness and are very happy with your choice. I don't mind if Chicago doesn't feel like your dream school, but I think it's unfair to characterize it as an unhappy place when it's a great place for a lot of people.</p>
<p>
[quote]
As long as it is statistically relevant, that is all that matters.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Your definition of statistical validity is interesting. It's not just about sample size.</p>
<p>I would hardly call some survey like this the final word (though most of the schools are the ones that I would have expected, and I'm proud to be an alum of one of them :)). Take it for what it is...a rough guideline.</p>
<p>I think articles like this may be misunderstood by some high school students. In particular, they may not understand what these articles mean when they use the word "study." The college workload has different components, and they can vary significantly depending on your major. College work includes reading, writing, research, solving problem sets, and studying for exams. In the sciences, studying for tests and exams can be a major part of your work, while in some humanities classes it can be minimal. So, even a student who "studies" a lot in high school may be challenged by the workload in college if, for example, there is a great deal of writing.</p>
<p>I don't mind if Chicago doesn't feel like your dream school, but I think it's unfair to characterize it as an unhappy place when it's a great place for a lot of people." Unalove.</p>
<p>Agreed. Actually, I was just borrowing the phrase from someone who posted above me. I am a HUGE fan of UChicago for my own quirky reasons. But gosh they need BIG help in the admissions office. My D pinged them with interest BEFORE she took her SAT's and they never even responded. That ended her interest right there. </p>
<p>As for whether its the place where fun goes to die, I have no idea. I was actually referring to another well known highly prestigious school in the Midwest that we DID visit...the admissions were warm, welcoming and we had lots of fun....but the students we saw all looked freaked out, stressed out, talking way too fast, complained about cut throat atmosphere etc...and these were random kids we spoke with "on the quad" and outside the cafeteria. Just our impressions on that one day.</p>
<p>The point I was making was that college is about hard work, but its about a lot of things.....growing up, meeting people, exploring ideas, learning how to find and make balance in your lives, dealing with adversity, meeting challenges, overcoming setbacks or limitations, making mature decisions, etc....and of course, having a lot of fun. If its Harvard for you (meaning the universal "you"), then great. But if its not, and you want a more laid back or less intense experience, then great...go to BC or Tufts or Illinois or where you want. You life doesnt end because you dont attend (or dont get admitted to) some big name prestige college.</p>
<p>Hunt: Agreed as well. The College Board recently disclosed that their research indicates that the often maligned new Writing Score may be a better indicator of success in college than the CR or Math Scores, because writing papers is a huge part of the college experience and those who write well tend to do better, those who dont write well are at a distinct disadvantage.</p>
<p>With all due respect, your interaction with the UChicago admisions office sounds like an isolated incident. They're certainly one of the more friendly and helpful offices out there.</p>
<p>For the longest time, I wanted to apply to UChicago, but then I didn't. I can't exactly place why - I think I just didn't like the attitude of most people on campus. Plus, I really wasn't fond of the idea of having Hyde Park around my campus.</p>
<p>Beefs....could be. I dont know exactly. It struck us as odd. Perhaps the day they got our request for information (an online form as I recall it) they were having a bad day, overwhelmed with requests, lost in the shuffle etc. No idea. Stuff happens.</p>
<p>But I have often counseled my D (who is now in college and doing very well) that you never judge a college by its admissions office.....you limit your views of admissions to that office.....</p>
<p>glad to know they were helpful to you.</p>
<p>nocousin, I don't know about how whether UChicago is where fun goes to die-I've never been there or applied there. What is interesting is that, I had the completely opposite experience with Chicago. They sent me so much mail and email and I barely indicated any interest, maybe I checked off one box? Yeah, so that's just sorta weird.</p>
<p>As to the list, I wasn't surprised, and I don't think anyone else seriously was. Basically though, if you expect to get anything out of college be prepared to work hard for it.</p>
<p>That sounds pretty true to me, Cervantes, regarding any college experience. I felt that if I wasn't working pretty hard, I wasn't really enjoying college for what it could be. (Of course, there's a difference between working hard and working all the time).</p>
<p>Olgita, check real estate prices in Hyde Park-- HP is a great place to be, and you're saying you don't want to be surrounded by a lot of million dollar homes. I don't mean to sound too sarcastic and snippy here, as I understand the safety concerns, but I do think safety concerns are way overblown.</p>
<p>Says the extremely biased source.</p>
<p>And nocousin, I agree with you completely about the admissions office deal. My brother almost didn't apply to the college that he ended up going to (and loving!) because the admissions office turned him off. My experience with the Chicago admissions office was pretty neutral, and I didn't think about them all that much until I was admitted and got a great personalized note from my admissions counselor and a great general letter from the dean of admissions.</p>