<p>Hey all,
I'm a current first year at The University of Chicago and have some spare time over break. I know how much I benefited from asking questions here last year, so I wanted to pay it back. I absolutely love this school and would love to answer any questions you may have about life here on campus whether it be academic or social. I do not know anything on the admissions side of things, but I can give you the unabridged student view. Please feel free to ask anything and I will try to help give perspective!</p>
<p>Looking forward to sharing my love of this place!</p>
<p>Do you know if it is possible to transfer from UIC to Uchicago? Specifically in accounting and would a 4 gpa, chess player, 2100 sats, 32 act cover it? I know you got in right from high school, but what were your grades, classes, ec activities, etc… Would really appreciate with Uchicago being my DREAM school, thanks.</p>
<p>What’s your favorite course that you have taken so far? Is the coursework as stressful as the school is notorious for? What are some general things you like about the school? :)</p>
<p>How is life on campus? Do you like the house system? Are you involved in any sports (varsity or club)? What is the workload like? Did you go into the city much this first trimester?</p>
<p>What don’t you like about the school?
What do you regret not being able to do at UChicago?
What other schools were you looking at and why did you turn them down?</p>
<p>Djd123 - No idea, that would be a better question for an admissions counselor. </p>
<p>itapitamou - The coursework is a lot but certainly manageable. Its more than I ever had in high school but at the same time this work is more rewarding. My week usually consists of lots of reading and math/science Psets. Of course tests and papers occur within all that. You just have to know what you’re getting yourself into, this is not a blow off school. I really loved my SOSC class because we read and discussed political philosophers which I find interesting. Hardest class I ever took but certainly worth it. </p>
<p>Some general things I like about the school…hmm…there is a lot. I really like how everyone has found their niche. There is so much to do here. Everyone is incredibly smart though which is nice because you can have a philosophical conversation with a friend then realize he’s on the football team. People here want to further themselves academically which makes it a unique environment. </p>
<p>Mocha99 - Life on campus is great. I was initially worried about the social scene when I applied but I was completely wrong. PEOPLE HERE ARE NORMAL AND SOCIAL but also really smart. I love my house, we are all close and do a lot of neat things together like eat, see movies and chill together. Its a great automatic group of friends. Workload-wise it is hard but do-able. You learn that sometimes you have too much work to go party but, hey, that’s college. I’ve been into the city like 5 or 6 times but that is low because I’m also just lazy. </p>
<p>kitkat522 - Right now I do not like the cold! But I am also unsure how I feel about the quarter system. It’s great because you get to take more classes but you also are constantly in midterm season. I’m still formulating my opinion. Right now though, there is nothing i absolutely DON’T like at Uchicago that wouldn’t be the same at any other college. Nothing I regret not being able to do, nothing at all. If anything there is too much to do and I hate having to prioritize the many awesome extra curricular activities. Lastly, I applied to uchicago early and got in, so I was done after that. BEST DECISION I EVER MADE!</p>
<p>To everyone who applied early, good luck tomorrow and remember that this is not the end of the world. Keep your head high and you will get in somewhere great! If you have anymore questions, feel free to ask!</p>
<p>There is every kind of person you can imagine. I have friends who are jocks but then also like doctor who. I have nerdy friends who party with me every weekend. There is no real “type” per say, you find who you want to hang with…it’s college.</p>
<p>Professors, in my experience, are as close with you as you want them to be. I’ve developed great relationships with my professors by going to office hours and through email communication. Being pretty close with them has come in handy for test prep and for papers. </p>
<p>Also a first-year student here. Perhaps I can offer a bit of a perspective to firstyear2017’s answers.</p>
<p>itapitamou - Not going to lie. If you are in the hard sciences, a good chunk of time is dedicated to p-sets, lab reports, and studying for midterms. The classes will push you to think abstractly and to apply concepts that may seem unrelated, but are not. Grade deflation does exist here though and hard science/math classes are normalized based on the strength of the class. My favorite class right now is the Math 160s Honors Calculus sequence. Math at UChicago is different from math in high school. We learn proofs and the foundations to why certain theorems may be applied. In the 160s there’s very little actual computation. During O-Week, you can take a math placement test to determine placement into either the 110s, 130s, 150s, 160s, or Honors Analysis (for the crazy brilliant mathematicians). I think the most surprising thing about coming here (besides how normal the people here are) is the sheer intellectual vitality and brilliance that the students here have. I absolutely love the people here–the conversations are interesting and engaging. I mean, we’re all kind of weird here; we have our own quarks that make us who we are. </p>
<p>Mocha99 - I would wager that most students agree that the house system is one of the greatest things that has ever been created. Your house is like your family. We take care of each other and look after each other. I play a spring sport, but because of the snow, practice is usually indoors. The city is amazing (and a bit scary), but most people tend to go to the city every two weeks or so. By public transportation, it’s really easy to go off-campus and explore. </p>
<p>kitkat522 - Hmm, that’s quite an interesting question. It’s only been one quarter so I don’t really have any regrets of not doing anything, yet. It’s really really cold. Like -20 with wind chill cold and according to some chicagoans it hasn’t even gotten really really cold yet. Ah the schools question… I turned down schools that might have been deemed better (although I now question that type of thinking) than Chicago for my major. I turned them all down because I truly felt that UChicago was a perfect match for me. If you have the opportunity to do so, absolutely do one of the April overnights. </p>
<p>I am also a bored first year so I shall respond to some of these questions!</p>
<p>On people/the house-system: My favorite thing about UChicago is the amazing people I have met. I am very close with people in my house and I love our sometimes witty, often punny, always ridiculous conversations. The people in my section (I live in Hitchcock; we all live in different sections of the building) are like my family and I actually miss them a lot right now. Everyone is smart and interesting and it is wonderful getting to know everyone. </p>
<p>Classes: I loved 2/3 of my classes. My Gen Chem professor was hilarious, adorable, and a very good lecturer. I even liked my TA a lot. I took Readings in World Lit for my HUM sequence and it is probably my favorite class. The discussion is always really interesting and I learn a lot from my classmates as well as my Professor. Both Professors are brilliant. Calculus was a nightmare for me, but it turned out to be fine. It’s over now. I don’t have to think about it anymore.
All of the work is tolerable as long as you manage it properly. Some days you have mountains of work and some days, not so much.</p>
<p>EC’s: I haven’t joined many RSO’s. What I have done is started to work in a Neurobiology lab on campus which has been a great experience. I work a couple of days a week and gain experience in research and I’ve become friends with several grad students. It’s equivalent to me as taking another class so that’s why I just took 3 first quarter. There are a lot of RSO’s and I’m excited to join some soon. </p>
<p>Weather: It’s really cold right now, but the campus is gorgeous and there is a lot of coffee.</p>
<p>On fun: All types of fun exist. It isn’t dead. Don’t worry about it.</p>
<p>Other Schools I looked at: It was between here, WUSTL, and UMich Honors. It came down to where I thought I fit the best. It’s kind of subjective, but UChicago felt like home to me and it still does. I am very happy here and I am confident I made the right choice.</p>
<p>@jrs777: I submitted my deposit in March right before Ivy Day. Most of my friends turned their deposits in immediately, but I do have a friend who was Regular Decision, submitted it in late April, and somehow got in Hitchcock. I think if you turn it in sometime before April/Late March you’ll get it in.</p>
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