<p>Putturani, both UMich and Uchicago are wonderful schools. I have visited both universities.
UMich is very big. Freshman year in state schools are always challenging for people who are uncomfortable with large class sizes. Basic science classes like bio and chem are always going to be crowded. If you are highly self motivated student then you will excel at places like UMich. Jr and Sr yr classes tend to be much much smaller. Their honors program attracts top students from all over.</p>
<p>UChicago, is a different beast. It is much smaller and first few qtrs you will be immersed in core curriculum. It is important to learn about this before applying to UChicago. I know several people @ uchicago (one of them is from my immediate family and he started there last week). They all love it there. I don’t know what blue_box meant by cut-throat but the atmosphere is very friendly and collaborative. I have seen their dorms and how the house system works. It is just like how it is described on their web site. Applying EA @ UChicago definitely increases your chances. I don’t know how good/bad UChicago is regarding FA for foreign students.</p>