Chicago or Brown?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Chicago ✅
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<p>All of the college decisions are out (at least from all the colleges I?ve applied to) and I?m having a tough time selecting a college. Out of all the colleges I have been accepted at, the two colleges that I?m most interested in are Brown University and the University of Chicago. I?m also leaving Cornell University open for consideration, but only if someone can tell me something fantastic about Cornell.</p>

<p>I?m an international student from India hoping to study Philosophy with a little bit of Physics at college. I?m an average student (at least I will be at any of these colleges) with quite a strong interest in academics. I?m not very much ?into? partying, though an odd party every few weeks or so is always fun, It?s more important to me that I make good friends. I?d like to go somewhere with a very friendly and open minded student body with a good intellectual atmosphere.</p>

<p>The idea of a smaller college is more appealing for me ? this is why I?m going to turn down the large state universities I got accepted at (and maybe should turn down Cornell for the very same reason?) I would like a nice community-like atmosphere which includes not only the students, but advisors and professors as well. It?s very important to me that I foster good personal relationships with my advisors and maybe the professors too (but the advisors are more important).</p>

<p>From the beginning of the application process, I felt a good connection with both Brown and Chicago. They?re both peculiar universities which don?t tend to attract everyone. They have something quirky about them which I can?t quite put my finger on ? but I know I?m intrigued.
In the end it is probably going to come down to the difference between a demanding core curriculum and a complete lack thereof. Although my gut instinct tells me to go with Brown and its open curriculum, I can?t help but wonder if Chicago?s expansive core would do me a whole lot of good?</p>

<p>Any advice is appreciated. Thank you very much.</p>

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<p>I didn't apply to Brown, and I don't know a huge amount about it. I have to say, you sound as if you would really find what you're looking for at the U of C. I think that you would enjoy the core curriculum since you have an interest in philosophy and in physics. The core exposes you too all subjects and disciplines while giving you a very solid educational foundation, which is something I personally valued when looking for a school (I wanted to know that at the end of four years I would truly be on the path to being an educated citizen in the way I conceptualized). At Brown, of course, you would have the freedom to take more electives in random subjects. I personally value the fact that Chicago expects students to form a broad educational foundation before going into specific subjects, but you may not agree.</p>

<p>There is a very strong community atmosphere. This is in part a bond among students at a very difficult institution, but it also includes professors and graduate students who all feel that this is a special place--something similar may be true at all Universities, I'm not sure. The students here are very cooperative. They are not competitive, and students are always willing to help out people in their classes or house who are having trouble. Problem sets are often completed in groups, and it's not unusual for students in a humanities class to "trade" paper to edit before turning them in. The advisors here are much better than advisors I've heard about at any other schools my friends or family members have attended. You keep the same advisor all four years, and you're required to meet with your advisor three times the first year and once every following year, though many students go in much more frequently. The classes here tend to be small, and the humanities core classes are discussion-based and tend to max out around eighteen students. Those professors will get to know you whether you want to or not. It's very easy to keep up relationships with most professors; they hold office hours, and they're very willing to talk. </p>

<p>Socially, the scene is whatever you want it to be. Some people party all the time, some never do, but most do something in between. There are movies, coffee houses, restaurants, the city, frats, apartment parties, casual get-togethers, and anything else you can think of. There's no stigma attached to not partying. Obviously the atmosphere at Chicago is quite intellectual, which results in people being open-minded to anything as long as you can back it up. If I remember correctly, Brown's student body is particularly politically active. You should know, I've heard that many Brown students are not accepting of political viewpoints that vary from the campus mainstream (which is very liberal). I'm not sure how true it is or how much it would bother you, but I've heard it multiple times. That's something I haven't seen much of at Chicago in any direction. People respect the thought process going into beliefs, so as long as that is solid, people tend to let you go without making a big deal out of it. </p>

<p>They are both great schools. From your post, you sound like a U of C student all the way, but I'm sure you'd succeed and be happy at Brown, as well. Good luck.</p>

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<p>I applied to Brown. In the end what it came down to was I thought the UC core would make me intellectually well-rounded and disciplined and Brown's hippie-dippie "do whatever" approach wouldn't. </p>

<p>The proximity of the city was important too. Being close to Chicago means being close to music, art, museums, culture, etc. Providence is cool, but smaller in scale and not really the same. Boston just sucks. </p>

<p>You have a tough choice, but at the same time its easy because it's pretty much win-win. You'll probably be happy at both places, and if not you can always transfer.</p>

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<p>Boston sucks, you say? I beg to differ :)</p>

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<p>jack4640, you already sound like a Senior at U of C, or even better, like the CC parent of one. It appears that U of C is certainly a fit for you.</p>

<p>Chicago is my favorite city in the world, but to say that Boston sucks is silly. I find that there is no way of comparing both schools because they are so different. The poster certainly has a difficult time because he/she is unable to visit the schools ( maybe the country ?) Otherwise, I would not understand how anyone would have to compare these two schools.</p>

<p>Just because Brown has an open curriculum, that does not mean that it would make one less intellectually well rounded and disciplined. It is just that ONE has the choice. I guess if someone needs a rigid structure to become "intellectually well rounded and disciplined" is a different story. ( Some people need the Marines...) But other people thrive in a different environment. The more disciplined one is, the more one will thrive in an open setting.</p>

<p>I am laughing at your "hippie-dippie" comment. I guess in the world of computers, Brown would be Apple.....and U of C....IBM? You just reminded me of a couple of commercials...</p>

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<p>Go to U of C if you're interested in applying yourself at an elite level. Brown is a great University and you should go there if you have a effective but nonchalant approach to education. If you don't, then you won't get as an effective education as U of C.</p>

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<p>No no, if Brown is Apple, Chicago is BeOS. Elegant, a tiny bit eccentric, not very well known, but universally praised by those who know it.</p>

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<p>movie buff, the diff between the core and the "hippie-dippie" (ha i love this phrase as well but evidently with a diff approach) is more than u make it out to be. Sure u can be well rounded with the open curriculum. However, Chicago's core is not juz a conglomeration of various courses from various majors. these are courses specially tailored for exploratory experiences in the various fields rather than a combination of the standard "intros" one has to take in each respective major. Its also far from a rigid structure but rather more of a rigid requirement. there is significant flexibility within the core. whereas there is no requirement at all from Brown.</p>

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<p>free love! =)</p>

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<p>Great post, Kt. I thought about posting something like that but decided to leave it alone. You have it exactly right. I think you'll have a great time at the U of C.</p>

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<p>The more I read about Chicago, the more I like it. I feel that the life of mind ideal is exactly what I'm looking for. When I read the aims of education address at Chicago by Mr.Abbott, I was completely blown away and have grown to adore everything Chicago stands for.
My only concern is that Chicago today may not be everything that it used to stand for (life of the mind, etc.) and is overrun by the careerism and "pre-professionalism" of most college students. Is the hallmark intellectual atmosphere of Chicago suffering from dilution right now?</p>

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<p>Abbott teaches a section of the core classes, actually, so if you like him, you could have him next year!!! And as to the pre-professionalism spiel, most of my friends here have aspirations to go onto graduate study in the arts and sciences, and yes, there are those who are eyeing professional schools, but they are certainly not in the majority. There is a healthy balance between these kinds of individuals.</p>

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<p>^ Lol, you got me quite excited but then I checked out Abbott's website - apparently he's going to be on leave in 2007-2008</p>

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<p>ohhh.... well, if you visit, Abbott is my house's faculty fellow, so he eats with us every week or so.... who knows... maybe he might be around. He's a very nice guy....</p>

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<p>ohh, the other thing you could do is to the just take SOSC your second year, so you could have him!!!</p>

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<p>Yeah, I was actually thinking it would be best to take HUM one year and SOS another year. Is that what most people do?</p>

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<p>it used to before my class. They used to make that recommendation, fearing that the workload would be too high, but this past year most advisors encouraged doing them both at once.</p>

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<p>Well, I wouldn't say they encouraged you to do them both at once. At least mine didn't. They just didn't discourage it, and they suggested that social science majors take sosc first year (along with hum, which everyone takes first year). A lot of people do hum and then sosc, and now a lot of people do both at once. You can talk to your advisor about it, but either one is fine.</p>

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<p>I would like to thank everybody who contributed to this thread - especially corranged, you really managed to answer all of my questions.
Anyway, I've decided to go with UChicago because I'm totally in love with it - the core, the life of the mind, everything. The only minus point for UChicago in comparison to Brown is the grade-deflation, but I'm looking forward to it!</p>

<p>@MovieBuff, thanks very much for your advice as well. I do understand that you were only trying to help me pick what was best for me, but after careful deliberation I've decided that UChicago is a much better fit for me.</p>

<p>@Corranged - I too think that I'm a UofC student all the way :).</p>

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<p>Right and cool decision.</p>