A few more questions for current students =)

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Chicago ✅
1

<p>As I continue to choose between cornell and chicago I have a few questions that might help me make the decision easier.</p>

<li><p>How accessible is the city of Chicago? How often do students go out into the city for shopping/food/bars/shows/museums/etc. This is something that really appeals to me about UofC but it won’t be worth it if no one has any time or energy to go.</p></li>
<li><p>Obviously, Chicago is a very intellectual school. It values theory over practicality. So do I. However, I’m also a realist and I eventually want to work in finance hopefully in Wallstreet. Do you think job recruiters dont look as favorably on Chicago students because they’re so focused on theoretical aspects of academia and not enough on a preprofessional or practical track?</p></li>
<li><p>I know I’ve beat this question to death, but to make sure once more. How are the parties at UofC? If I go, I think I will stay at Shoreland for the “social” aspect. During my overnight, a girl told me that only TEN PERCENT of people at UofC party and drink and party every week. If this is true, it is a very sad and disappointing statistic for me.</p></li>
<li><p>How is the greek scene? I went to one frat party during my overnight and it was alright. My host said it wasn’t as good as usual. THe frat house itself I noticed was pretty crappy and dilapidated. </p></li>
</ol>

<p>I’ll ask more questions if any come to mind, but these are the most important to me. Thank you so much for helping me!</p>

2

<ol>
<li><p>Most of my housemates are content on ordering in takeout, watching bad movies, and partying on Friday/Saturday nights. It might sound lame, and personally, I think it is lame, but I love the people I live with, so even ordering in pizza and cracking jokes about a bad movie can be deliriously fun. Some are really into going around the city, and every time I take public transportation into downtown, I always bump into U of C kids. It will take you, depending on where you want to go, 20-45 minutes.</p></li>
<li><p>I got my posterior mercilessly kicked by CAPS earlier today in the course of a resume rewriting. Obviously finance jobs are competitive, and Chicago kids are competing against other great kids, so I think the final and best answer to this question is that if you get a great job, it's probably not due the Chicago name on your diploma but rather to the things you did once you got here. The recruiter I'm related to (yes, I'm related to one) went wide-eyed when I told him I was going to Chicago. It's obviously a name he's heard of and a name he associates a certain kind of quality with. He himself has had a long career in finance, and he went to state school. He's achingly smart, so while the state school name didn't wow anybody when he started working, his attention to detail and his work ethic did.</p></li>
<li><p>She could be right. Think about how you phrased the question-- you wanted to know what percentage party EVERY week. To me, I think 10 percent would better reflect the percentage of students who party Friday AND Saturday... I would say 60 percent party once a week.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>We also have to talk a bit about the definition of "party." (Sorry to be a U of C kid here, but it's important). The parties I go to are probably not like the parties you're looking for. At the parties I go to, a bunch of people gather in a room, discuss random things, and there's a bottle or two of something or other that people drink if they want to. We play The Smiths at our parties-- hardly dancing material.</p>

<p>I just point that out because while many people would not consider the things I go to parties, they are social, fun and relaxed, and for me, much more enjoyable (usually) than the music/dancing alternative.</p>

<p>Also, 10 percent is not a small number. That's two kids per sosc class. I think you'll find a party-oriented set, and you'll also find yourself among the sometimes-party set.</p>

<ol>
<li> Frats aren't a big deal here, and what you saw is probably what we have. Some people complain that they get boring, but I don't think that's a failing of the frat per se, rather that people realize that frat parties can get really repetitive, even when they are "good."</li>
</ol>

3

<p>......I loffe UChicago.</p>

4

<p>bumpbumpbump</p>

<p>Anyone can answer this, but as I was doing some research, I noticed Unalove mentioned that Chicago has weak alumni networks and weak recruiting. Will I have good job opportunities both in Chicago and NYC after undergrad if I graduate with a relatively good GPA? Will I be shadowed by ivy-graduates on the east coast, or will I be given the same attention by job recruiters?</p>

5

<p>yes same question as above. i noticed some people at peer schools mentioned they had internships with merill lynch/goldman sachs. will we get these at chicago if we are an average student?</p>

6

<p>"We also have to talk a bit about the definition of "party." (Sorry to be a U of C kid here, but it's important). The parties I go to are probably not like the parties you're looking for. At the parties I go to, a bunch of people gather in a room, discuss random things, and there's a bottle or two of something or other that people drink if they want to. We play The Smiths at our parties-- hardly dancing material."</p>

<p>Haha. Unalove, you're awesome. That's the final reason I chose UChicago. :P</p>

7

<p>By average do you mean typical? If the latter, excellent internships will be available. My alumni relationships help fund two separate companies and have helped in countless ways.</p>

8

<p>
[quote]
will we get these at chicago if we are an average student?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I don't know. Will you make it to the NBA if you're one of the top players from your state?</p>

<p>To be honest, I really have no idea how recruiting works here, or how strong it is, as it's something that doesn't interest me. My impression is that the alumni network is probably not as strong as it is in other schools, because Chicago people tend to scatter to the winds and do not concentrate in very specific fields. Some of them end up in positions where they do not oversee or hire other people, though I do know somebody who's convinced she got into a grad school because the coordinator of the grad school applications was a Chicago alum, and they had a long conversation about the school during a phone interview.</p>

<p>My impression (at least from CC) is that a lot of people want to go into high-level finance jobs, and a lot end up disappointed. If you don't get the dream job, I don't think you'll be able to blame the school-- you'll just have to recognize that there's a lot of talent in your applicant pool (does this speech sound familiar at all to you?) and that you will be able to use your Chicago degree to other ends.</p>

9

<p>If you poke around Vault.com you'll see Chicago is very well thought of in the recruiting/business sense.</p>

10

<p>Unless something bizarre has happened in the past four or five years, the only college where Goldman Sachs would look at an "average" student is Deep Springs. If you know an "average" student somewhere who has a supersensational Wall St. internship, then there's some of the story that you're missing. (Like, the bank underwrites the securities of her father's company. Or she has designed a unique trading algorithm.)</p>

<p>There are some nuances in this world that are hard to pick up from the vantage point of a 12th grader. Goldman Sachs really doesn't give much of a crap about (a) how many business courses you have taken, or (b) where you went to college. They figure they are going to have to train you anyway, and they think they are hotter stuff than Harvard, Yale, or whoever. What they want are super-smart, glittery, impressive kids who are willing to work like dogs (that, and the kids of people who are giving them tens of millions of business). Harvard, Yale, Wharton, and, yes, Chicago, are really good places to find kids like that. All of the institutions like that are interested in recruiting at Chicago. If they hire fewer Chicago students than they do at Wharton or Harvard, it reflects the fact that the number of legitimate candidates (people who are interested and qualified) is probably lower there, because a higher proportion of the good students don't give a crap about Goldman Sachs. Also, because Chicago probably has 50-60 econ or math/econ majors per class, and Wharton has many multiples of that in equivalent majors.</p>

11

<p>Chicago is a major purveyor of PhD candidates to a great variety of programs (I saw a pamphlet from Reed). Could it be that many students are staying in school much longer to get their PhD's and then go into academics? Many people have mentioned that Chicago stresses theory over practice.</p>

12

<p>When i said average at chicago i did not mean typical, i meant like average GPA.</p>

13

<p>
[quote]
i noticed some people at peer schools mentioned they had internships with merill lynch/goldman sachs. will we get these at chicago if we are an average student?

[/quote]

[quote]
When i said average at chicago i did not mean typical, i meant like average GPA.

[/quote]
No. You won't get those types of opportunities no matter where you go to college if you're an average student pulling just an OK GPA without extraordinary connections, abilities, or personal skills. The competition for the best internships at these top companies is stiff no matter how you look at it. </p>

<p>Cory, there is a lot of recruiting at the U of C, particularly in certain areas (such as banking and consulting). You can certainly get a good job that you're happy with if you graduate with a pretty good GPA.</p>

14

<p>alright thanks corranged. that's exactly what i intend to do</p>

15

<p>if you graduate from uchicago with a good GPA and internship experience you will get a job on wall street, and into one of the top business/finance schools. you don't have to major in economics to do this, because it's not like Chicago's (or anybody's) undergraduate econ program teaches you how to do business/finance in the real world - employers know this, which is why they expect you to have internships or plan on going to b-school.</p>

<p>as usual, JHS spits truth about the game</p>

<p>
[quote]
3. I know I've beat this question to death, but to make sure once more. How are the parties at UofC? If I go, I think I will stay at Shoreland for the "social" aspect. During my overnight, a girl told me that only TEN PERCENT of people at UofC party and drink and party every week. If this is true, it is a very sad and disappointing statistic for me.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>if you know the right people you can party hard enough to kill yourself. last night a friend at a fraternity turned 21. grey goose, patron, champagne spraying across the room, girls making out, people having sex in the hallway, clouds of smoke from cigars and blunts. we were talking about filming it to put an end to the "fun goes to die" thing once and for all. </p>

<p>that's obviously not your typical weekend, and i'm glad of that because i do want to graduate.</p>

16

<ol>
<li><p>Not that accessible. But this doesn't seem to deter most first-years.</p></li>
<li><p>Job recruiters really don't care how "academic" / "pre-professional" you are. All they care about is whether you're smart and people at the office can bear to spend 80 hours a week with you.</p></li>
<li><p>As a school, we do party less. But like the person above me said, if you know the right people you can definitely party hard.</p></li>
<li><p>Greek life is not a huge deal on-campus. But again, partying depends on your own preferences.</p></li>
</ol>

17

<p>I had a few more questions regarding the University, and I decided to continue on this thread rather than to start another one just to ask a few questions.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Is the campus safe? Does the University help to ensure safety? Do current students feel safe?</p></li>
<li><p>Does UChicago host a wide variety of speakers, artists, and performers?</p></li>
<li><p>Are people generally involved in clubs, student government, sports, and other extracurricular activities (I think I've asked this before a long time ago)?</p></li>
<li><p>Does the University promote diversity? Are different cultures and values reflected in the curriculum? Is there an international presence? </p></li>
</ol>

<p>Hopefully these questions will help me make an important decision: whether to attend the University of Chicago, which is my first choice school but gave me a crappy financial aid offer ($26,000 a year!?) or Swarthmore, which is my second choice school but gave my family enough aid for me to attend school with absolutely zero loans.</p>

18

<ol>
<li><p>Yes, the campus is reasonably safe. You can search past posts for a full run-down on safety measures, but the school is very active in keeping students safe. There are free shuttles around Hyde Park, a late night shuttle service that runs door-to-door, and a police umbrella service. There is a very large police presence around campus, and the UCPD are very nice and helpful. The dorms have very tight security. There are some muggings and occasional break-ins of off-campus apartments (most often during school breaks), but these events are relatively rare and certainly won't effect your day-to-day life. You of course need to pay attention to your surroundings, but I think that's true in all areas.</p></li>
<li><p>Yes. Definitely. I get invited to so many events that I couldn't possibly go to them all. Speakers are the real specialty, and many student groups bring speakers to campus regularly. Professors and visiting professors often give talks as well. Some big name musical groups come every year. A few months ago Ben Folds gave a concert, and there are other artists coming this Spring. </p></li>
<li><p>Well, I know very few people who aren't involved in any group on campus. Actually, I can't think of anyone who's not. I can think of some people who are very involved, either involved in multiple groups or very devoted to one group. The major players are Model UN and related groups, Mock Trial, club and Varsity sports, on campus jobs, tutoring, arts groups (improv, orchestra, dance, etc.), political groups, and religious organizations. </p></li>
<li><p>That's an interesting question. The University as an institution probably doesn't go very far out of its way to purposefully promote diversity, but I think it happens naturally. There are many international students from a variety of countries around the world, as well as a pretty good number of black and Hispanic students. There are many classes devoted to the study of minority groups in various contexts that you could take, and you can also major in a subject such as African American Studies. Diversity in the core varies with the course, I think. My hum was very focused on American and Western European literature, but other courses (Readings in World Literature comes to mind) are not. My sosc class, on the other hand, included extensive readings about other cultures and various values. In terms of non-academic life, there are student groups dedicated to many different cultural identities that are very visible on campus.</p></li>
</ol>

19

<p>Wow seems like one of my last posts was deleted (I was just asking about safety and if anyone ever travelled into the 'unsafe' zones). Anyway, since we're discussing parties, how would you say the drug scene is at uchicago? I spoke to a girl from the school who said lots of people smoke pot, but that she had never heard of anyone doing anything 'hardcore.' Is that true? Is there really no typical college drug community (not counting coke, though)?</p>

20

<p>Yes I have traveled in these "unsafe" areas by foot. I've done so with a group, at an hour where we were not the only ones on the street, and nothing has happened to me. That's not to say that these neigborhoods are hermetically sealed... it's just that where I was (Cottage Grove and 63rd to catch the Green Line) was in the coverage area of the UCPD.</p>

<p>I mean, most of these neighborhoods are not going to be travel destinations for you. If there's something you want to go to, it will most likely be in an area where you won't be "unsafe." (Quotation marks because I know more people who were held at gunpoint on the Upper East Side than I know people who were held at gunpoint here in Hyde Park).</p>

<p>Drugs....? Alcohol is plentiful, and I'd say pot varies. Some of my friends smoke very occasionally (about once a quarter), some smoke once a week, some people I know smoke multiple times a week. Some don't smoke at all. Most of my friends either don't smoke at all or smoke very occasionally, but I don't know what holds true for University students as a whole.</p>

<p>I haven't heard about coke/heroin. I don't think those are the habits you want to take away from college...</p>