<p>I really underestimated how hard it would be to chose a college.
I figured once I got my letters of acceptance and rejection it would be easy.
Man was I wrong.</p>
<p>So I've narrowed it down to Bard and UChicago.
UChicago is probably my favorite because of its location and a few more sentimental reasons, but i like Bard too, and for some reason they've decided to give me ~$32,000 a year. Money is an issue to the point where I don't want to be paying student loans until I die, and since Chicago is only giving me 13,000/yr in grants, going there is going to put me in debt for a while.</p>
<p>I'm wondering which academic system and student body I will mesh with better and I was hoping some of you guys would have advice.
I'm geeky and do like to be studious and whatnot, but I'm not sure if I'm as studious as those at Chicago.
I'm creative and free-thinking like most people at Bard, but I don't smoke or drink (which seems to be the favorite pastime).
I've always been able to handle stress well, but maybe the quick pace of the quarter system and the general vigor of Chicago's classes will make me crack.
Bard's classes are uber small, full of discussion, and their curriculum is loose and very customizable which I like.</p>
<p>Both are fine choices that I have visited with my children. I think you have captured the differences but I would pick Chicago if you are not intimidated by the work load. While Bard is a very intellectual place, with the social life you mention, it does not have the resources or the student body that Chicago has. Bard is a very fine LAC that is somewhat underrated, in my view, but Chicago is a world class university that is equal to any in the world.</p>
<p>Nice to have choices. You should visit both. The extra cost at Chicago would be a serious issue, depending on what fields you want to study, but you have to look at this as a lifetime investment.</p>
<p>I should say that Bard would be better for the performing arts and perhaps for some other areas that I don't know about.</p>
<p>A lot of students at Chicago are not "studious", but they ARE "interested". There's a lot of procrastination, just like anywhere else. There are people that almost never study, but stay up till 4 in the morning talking about what they were supposed to read.</p>
<p>Of course, there are people who never leave the library (they call them "reg rats" or something because of the Regenstein) but there are an equal number of people who aren't hard-working so much as intellectual. So my point is: don't let the workload at Chicago intimidate you, because you won't be the only one that's intimidated when you get there.</p>
<p>I will point out that Chicago's classes are also small and discussion-oriented. The seminars I believe are capped at 15 or 20 people, and it actually gets smaller from there. Always taught by a professor. </p>
<p>I will also suggest that the jobs you will be offered immediately post-graduation at Chicago will more than likely be more "prestigious" as far as careers go than the opportunities that will come your way at Bard. I'm not saying that Bard doesn't offer its graduates good career opportunities, but the caliber of companies that recruit at UChicago versus Bard is something to think about, and it relates to debt as well - even if you have several K's of debt, you will likely pay it off reasonably fast - especially if you study something that Chicago is known for (econ, any of the social sciences, math, physics, and a bunch more that I'm forgetting about).</p>
<p>I have a very good friend at Bard, and she LOVES it, but if this matters to you, it's worth noting that there is a lot of drug use at that school. It's enough to bother her.</p>
<p>Thank you for both of your opinions; they were very helpful.
I was thinking about the better job options if I were to attend Chicago as well, but I am planning (though everything is subject to change) to attend graduate school, so would it be a good idea to put off Chicago until then? I plan on majoring in some kind of science, most likely neuroscience or environmental, and I know Chicago has a grad program for neuroscience but not for undergrad while Bard does.
My heart is telling me Chicago, but my head and my logic is telling me Bard.</p>
<p>Bard is looking to upgrade their science offerings so you should carefully explore the are you are interested, though often undergraduates change their majors. I would lean more toward Chicago for science.</p>
<p>BTW, my son surprised us last year by not going to Bard and had applied to transfer there this year...not from Chicago though. My kids could not see past "where fun goes to die" and the sketchy neighborhood on one side at Chicago but I thought it was a very special place.</p>
<p>You might want to talk to some of the professors in your area of study. LAC's do provide undergraduates more research opportunities as Universities are often concentrated more on their graduate students in that area. Universities do usually have more sophisticated lab equipment but usually undergrads don't need that and/or don't get access. I don't know about your areas enough to comment.</p>
<p>While I think most graduate schools may have heard of Bard, the academic community is quite small in some respects, but they will certainly have heard of Chicago.</p>
<p>thanks for your perspective, i think chicago is special as well and i've been trying to gauge what the new science building is going to do for bard.</p>
<p>i think this whole issue has boiled down to if i want to be in a lot of debt when i graduate college because if money wasn't a factor i would choose chicago hands down, but as it is, chicago will put me into $80-100k in debt.</p>