3rd year reporting in

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Chicago ✅
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<p>Warning: this is LONG.</p>

<p>I'm a third year undergraduate at UChicago. I used to go on CC often in HS, but sadly I can't remember my username. </p>

<p>I want to address the social scene, because that seems to be the primary concern on everyone's mind. First of all, if you always wanted to be in a big city, this is the school for you. Because we're students, we get big discounts and it's affordable even for a middle class student (case in point: I got $175 opera tickets for $22). There's opera, symphonies, museums (many art museums are free/discounted because of our Arts Pass), clothing stores, lots and lots of food. Neighborhoods include Lincoln Park (yuppies), Wicker Park (hipsters), Oldtown (comedy clubs, bohemian hippies), Greektown, Little Italy, Ukrainian Village, Pilsen (Mexican), Chinatown, Vietnamesetown, Devon (Indian/Pakistani), Humboldt Park (Puerto Rican), Loop ("downtown", shopping), Gold Coast (rich people), and pretty much all of South Side counts, in a way. Only exception is kids who come from NYC are often underwhelmed, but no one can compete with NYC. I have been to every neighborhood I listed above, most of them multiple times.</p>

<p>However, most people do not go out to the city on weekends. Most people stay in the dorm and hang out with friends, and then drink in apartments/dorms/frats at night. When I lived in the House system there would be ppl going out 3x a week, every week: Wednesday, Friday, Saturday. </p>

<p>I am not even going to address "Where Fun Comes to Die". That's been addressed so many times before and honestly, if you can't see the self-deprecating humor in that phrase, this school might not be a good fit. </p>

<p>Most people make their first set of friends through the House system, which, interestingly enough, often leads to racially integrated friend groups. I mention this only because my high school friends have entirely racially homogeneous friend groups, not always by choice. Of course, black kids have their own frats and sororities, and Asian kids, particularly international ones, tend to cluster as well. But the point is that I have never felt limited to making friends of my own race, unlike my friends who go to certain other schools (<em>cough</em> Duke Pton UPenn <em>cough</em>)</p>

<p>It's a lie that kids here are not weird or nerdy. Every year people try to downplay this and idk why, it's not like the student body is getting less nerdy. I have personally met multiple people who play Dungeons and Dragons or Magic the Card Gathering. I have watched a LAN party occur, and I have learned the difference between Star Trek, Star Wars, Starcraft, Warcraft, World of Warcraft, and Warhammer. A student may be sociable, fashionable, and outwardly normal, but if you get to know them long enough you'll find out they're a Trekkie or a hardcore gamer or you'll go from a discussion about who drank the most last weekend to a discussion of game theory. I'd break it down as 75% nerd/hipster, 25% normal. If you don't have a high tolerance for oddball and nerdy personalities I'd stay away from this school.</p>

<p>There are plenty of attractive people here, particularly if you like the urban fashionista look. There's a LOT of hooking up, and also serious relationships. Honestly one of my pet peeves is hearing people say "everyone at UChicago is ugly". Usually, that phrase stems from bitterness over not being able to get a girl/guy, which is more of a reflection on your own attractiveness than a reflection of the student body. idk I feel like a lot of ppl come here and they think they're entitled to a hot guy/girl because it's college and that's what all the movies are like, even when they themselves are not good-looking. </p>

<p>I don't know if this is useful to anyone, but I am a pre-med female science major of average intelligence for UChicago. I have a GPA that is competitive for med school, with a courseload that is neither easy nor hard compared to other science majors. I am an officer in two RSOs and I work in a lab where I spend upwards of 20 hours a week. I am not particularly intellectual, but I am deeply devoted to science and to videogames. Like many other girls here, I care a lot about fashion and appearance. I get out of Hyde Park 1-2x a week, sleep 6-7 hours a night and don't drink caffeine. My relationship with UChicago is 1/4 hate and 3/4 PURE UNADULTERATED LOVE.</p>

<p>tl;dr --big city, lots of alcohol, racially integrated, nerds, lots of hookups, i love this place</p>

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<p>It abolutely is. Thank you for taking the time to post so insightfully.</p>

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<p>Thanks hypertime, this was extremely helpful!</p>

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<p>Hyper, any insights with details and examples like what you’ve provided is invaluable. You mentioned a lot about the social atmosphere, but I was wondering if I could get your personal opinions on the Core? Do you feel it’s something that any one can enjoy or at least tolerate, even if that person isn’t planning on majoring in the humanities? The reputation is that it’s difficult and dominates the first two years of your undergrad experience. I’m not necessarily averse to that, but I’d just like to get the truth from someone who’s been through it. Thanks.</p>

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<p>THIS THIS THIS THIS THIS. THIS X 10,000</p>

<p>I also had a bit of a love/hate with the U of C, but, as the OP mentions, my hate was related to my own personal limitations and I recognized this while I was an undergrad. There’s only so much any school can do for any student!</p>

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<p>I think it’s worth adding that there are kids there who are NOT Trekkies or hardcore gamers, but they may well have other things that they obsess about in the same kind of way. Like (in the case of my daughter and several of her friends) Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Neutral Milk Hotel, or Hayao Miyazake, or experimental French cinema from the 1950s. And discuss game theory, etc. In short, it’s not all nerd-nerds, there are plenty of hipster-nerds as well. </p>

<p>I will also add that my kids left Chicago with friends who spanned a pretty wide ethnic spectrum, only one or two of whom they met in their first-year houses. It’s not just the house system that fosters diversity, it’s the Core and the whole attitude.</p>

<p>Those are just small grace notes to hypertime’s really excellent, honest post.</p>

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<p>I also asked my son about dating scene diversity (ethnic & racial). The answer: Huh? that was supposed to be a factor? He was not just reflecting on his own preference or a lack therefore, but general observations about his friends and other kids on campus</p>

<p>(in discussing with other parents with kids in top schools, that did not sound like a norm always).</p>

<p>The tibdit about subject matter switch from drinking to the game theory: right on. This is what I hear from my son all the time also. From popular rap to Kierkegaard on a dime. This is what my son loves most about UChicago, that is, he can discuss Kierkegaard with his drinking buddies and every one thinks it’s normal. This is definitely not the case for my son’s best friends who are going to other top 10 schools.</p>

<p>So, if you can’t stand the idea of a campus infested with a large majority of 18-21 year olds waxing poetics about all the deal philosophers, UChicago is not for you.</p>

<p>(speaking of good looking kids, some of my sons’s U Chicago friends are drop dead gorgeous! I am talking about model gorgeous).</p>

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<p>Thanks for spending the time in posting this. This really helps me see into the depth of what really is UofChicago</p>

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<p>^ Yea, I second that.</p>

<p>Hypertime, you make UC sound like a school I’d love to go to lol</p>

<p>And same to hyeonjlee: “From popular rap to Kierkegaard on a dime. This is what my son loves most about UChicago, that is, he can discuss Kierkegaard with his drinking buddies and every one thinks it’s normal.” that sounds awesome</p>