<p>For a future in research and a PhD, here is a handy table with various majors:</p>
<p>[COLLEGE</a> PHD PRODUCTIVITY](<a href=“http://web.reed.edu/ir/phd.html]COLLEGE”>Doctoral Degree Productivity - Institutional Research - Reed College)</p>
<p>Pomona appears five times, so peer schools are represented.</p>
<p>Chicago’s got pretty tight housing, fantastic residential colleges; we also have them quirky/intellectual types in spades. Careers in academia are very well supported (and perhaps even encouraged a little too much . . . grumble grumble 
), and the atmosphere is accepting of non-liberals (libertarian speaking from experience). The only problem would be dealing with the weather!</p>
<p>@vossron: Thanks for the chart!</p>
<p>@Rny2: Haha that’s awesome. The only thing I’m worried about is going to a place where everyone likes to argue about politics, history, etc. I’m not really into those things. And I’m NOT saying U Chicago is like this, because I really don’t know how it is there. As much as I love a good discussion, I don’t want argument/debate about politics, etc. to be a main focus of intellectual discussion. I want discussions to be empowering and uplifting. They can challenge my views, but I don’t want to be constantly attacked just for the sake of disagreeing.</p>
<p>What is your take on this? I would love to hear it from a current U Chicago student.</p>
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<p>Well, I would say that your involvement in ‘argument/debate about politics’ depends mostly upon who you are. </p>
<p>I’m a CS/Econ major and I’ve moved on since my political phase. I’ve gotten into very few debates about politics, mostly composed of hypotheticals like “who would win in a non-nuclear war in 2020, China or Japan?” Whimsical, yes? </p>
<p>My roommate, on the other hand, is a Poli Sci major and a committed Social Democrat and volunteers for UC Dems and SOUL (Students Organizing United with Labor). His life is much more full of political debate, but then again he also brings it into conversations a lot. So your mileage may vary.</p>
<p>Also, the nature of the debates here, political or apolitical, is much different from that of debates I’ve experienced elsewhere. I sometimes joke that many of the Econ majors here are just Physics majors who failed their labs, and to a degree that holds true for the rest of the student body. The way people approach problems and differences in opinion here is much more like scientists than pundits; they analyze and seek to understand, rather than attacking or judging.</p>
<p>For example, I’ve always held a soft spot in my heart for anarchism, left and right. This came up once in a conversation, and, of course, such an extreme political position begs response. Rather than simple slander or ad hominem attacks, however, I got directed and concise questions about the nature of an anarchist society and the reasons that one might support one. “Why would you think that” and “Why would you do that” become questions of curiosity rather than dismissal.</p>
<p>Oh, and watch out for the That Kids. But otherwise, you’ll be fine. 
If you do apply/are accepted, I would definitely suggest a visit and over-night. The exact tenor of the people and the place is hard to describe, but usually once you visit you’ll be able to tell if it’s the right one for you.</p>
<p>Thank you for your long, detailed, and thoughtful response. I’m still unsure about whether or not I will apply, but you have cleared up some of my issues about it. Thanks!</p>
<p>To everyone, here is my revised college list. Any thoughts/suggestions (regarding fit for student body)? I am particularly looking to trim down my list and find more matches to add in replacement.</p>
<p>Note: I realize that most of these do not meet all of my criteria (listed in original post). However, it is VERY difficult to find colleges that do since some of my criteria contradict each other. The most important thing right now is the student body. But if you know of better fits, please suggest them! Thanks.</p>
<p>Mid-High Reach:
Pomona
Stanford
Yale
Harvard
Dartmouth</p>
<p>Match-Low Reach:
Rice
Haverford
Carleton</p>
<p>Safety:
Chapman
Occidental
Grinnell</p>
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</p>
<p>No probs, I know it’s not for everyone, but it’s a damned good place for some. Best of luck with your applications!</p>
<p>Thank you!</p>
<p>Okay everyone! I’ve finalized my college list - for real now. Thanks for all your suggestions - you’ll see some of them on here :)</p>
<p>[Pomona]
Stanford
Yale
Harvard
Rice
Haverford
Carleton
Davidson
Chapman
Occidental</p>