<p>Which school is better for a political science and English double major? Just a heads up, I have absolutely no interest in econ. :)</p>
<p>Have you visited each school. They are not similar except in that they are both quite selective. South Chicago is a rough neighborhood right up close to the school. Northwestern and CMC are much more similar locations(upscale,safe). Go spend a weekend at each if you can. They are very different. Have you heard their respective traditional nicknames?</p>
<p>Yes, I am aware that UChicago is termed “Where Fun Goes to Die.” However, I don’t know what CMC’s nickname is. I have visited both colleges, and I loved the vibes of both campuses even though they are completely different in terms of weather, architecture and the social environment. I could acclimate very easily to both of them, and in all reality I’m actually waiting on Claremont to get back to me because I was waitlisted. I got into UChicago, even though they had an 8.8% acceptance rate this year, but then Claremont waitlisted me and they had a 12% acceptance rate this year, which makes little sense, but then again the college process is completely arbitrary. I just wanted to know what the general consensus was on the two schools from an academic standpoint. I heard that Claremont McKenna really emphasizes leadership in its mission statement, and I am also familiar with the cross-registration system at the 5 Claremont Colleges. However, because of their affiliation with Obama, I’ve also heard that the Institute of Politics at UChicago is a hotspot for those interested in law and politics. I probably can’t go wrong with either, but I was just double-checking with people on this forum who have valuable insight.</p>
<p>CMC is usually rated #1 for the happiest students. CMC has a very non-stressful vibe which is definitely not the vibe at U of C. You shouldn’t get hung up about 8.8% versus 11.7% since they are both in the top 11. Keep in mind that CMC is now the most selective LAC in the country. Only you can choose which suits you best if you end up getting off the wait list but they are very different schools. Carleton and Swarthmore would be much closer in vibe to U of C because of their extreme work load and very tough grading.</p>
<p>Wait, CMC beat Pomona in selectivity? That’s insane. And don’t worry, I’m not one of those people who would make their decision solely on the acceptance rate of a college. If so, Chicago would be the clear choice, but from the sounds of it, I might like CMC’s community a lot better, and it’s probably a better fit in some regards (class size, dorm size, internship opportunities). Plus, once a person gets to this level of higher education, the differences in ranking are often negligible. However, I was still wondering which one is a better feeder school into elite law schools such as Stanford Law (my dream graduate university)?</p>
<p>“South Chicago is a rough neighborhood right up close to the school. Northwestern and CMC are much more similar locations(upscale,safe).”</p>
<p>Sounds like someone’s never been to Chicago. There’s more retail near NU, but who would want to live near either university as an adult?</p>
<p>Sorry rhg3rd but I lived in Chicago for years and you are not giving E320 accurate information. Here is a letter from a former U of C student. His point is that the school quite dishonestly minimizes the true crime rates. Now to be fair Hyde Park is not super dangerous but it’s far different than the North Shore area around say NU’s downtown campus which is about as safe as any large city can be. </p>
<p>viewpoints » contributors
Column exaggerates Hyde Park safety
Hyde Park is more dangerous than Maroon statistics imply.</p>
<p>by Letter to the Editor - May 29, 2009 6:50 am CDT
Emmett Rensin’s column “Hyde Park Hysteria” (5/15/09) seriously mischaracterizes issues of public safety in the Hyde Park community. Rensin uses the statistics provided by the University under the Clery Act to argue that crime rates in Hyde Park are very low. However, that data only includes crimes committed on campus and other University property. Perhaps that’s all that matters to Rensin, but it represents only a tiny fraction of our community. The Chicago Police Department reveals that in the past year, there have been 162 violent crimes in Hyde Park and 912 property crimes—more than 10 times greater than Rensin’s estimates. That’s the fifth most violent of any neighborhood in Chicago (neighboring Woodlawn, Washington Park, and Kenwood are first, third, and fourth, respectively), and the third most prevalent in property crime (Woodlawn, Washington Park, and Kenwood are first, fourth, and fifth). It is true that many of these crimes occur away from campus. Perhaps for Rensin, that means that these crimes—and their victims—are safe to ignore. For those of us who believe that crime in our community is a serious issue, even if the victims happen to be poor and black, this editorial is deeply disturbing.</p>
<p>James Klugman
Class of 2009</p>
<p>E320 CMC has been more selective for a few years though is truth the difference is meaningless. CMC and Pomona are quite different schools. Pomona is Carleton on the West Coast. Super super rigorous and much more likely to have students getting PhD’s rather focusing on professional school. Getting into any top law school is about GPA and an LSAT above 170. But in all honesty you probably should be focusing on U of C because based on the data released so far very very few students are getting admitted off wait lists this year.</p>