Hey guys, I just visited Uchicago (it was my first College visit so I can’t compare it to anything) and I absolutely loved the campus. Can anyone tell me of Colleges that are similar to feel and vibe of it. Take into consideration that it was during Summer so it was of warmer weather.
U.chicago is actually unusual in that it is a major research university with an undergraduate core that is structured more like a liberal arts college. Rice would be similar or Columbia. All three are in metropolitan areas with strong undergraduate and graduate programs. Extremely hard to get into U.Chicago, getting harder every year
^Columbia and Rice aren’t easy either!
It depends a bit on what you liked about Chicago. My son liked the intellectual vibe and didn’t mind the core. He also applied to Brown which some would consider the polar opposite. For something easier to get into you might look at Brandeis.
@Wje9164be @mathmom Sorry not to specify, but it wasn’t the liberal arts focus of the education that I took a liking too, while that would be nice, it isn’t a must-have, and I didn’t experience it. I went just yesterday so I didn’t get a chance to sit in on any classes as it was summer. I was more pertaining to the campus size, location (close to a city), and weather doesn’t really matter. I will base the education type or focus of it when I have a chance to visit more Colleges and figure out if I want a specialized education (i.e. business school) or if I would prefer a LA approach. Over my next couple College visits I should be able to develop an opinion on what should be best for me.
@Wje9164be @mathmom I also appreciate the amount of research opportunities they have in any field.
Can you try to break down what you mean by “feel and vibe”?
Some people who like Chicago, yet don’t care one way or another about the Core, also like Brown.
If you don’t care about the size or urban location but do want a similar academic atmosphere, then you might like Swarthmore, Carleton, or Reed. If you crave even more social prestige, and want gothic buildings in an urban setting, take a shot at Yale.
We have been on the tour a couple of times, and to an accepted students weekend at U of C. From your post, I wonder if you should do some more evaluation on what you are taking away from visits – U of C’s defining feature IS the intellectual intensity and vibrancy of the campus. Yes, it has a beautiful campus (esp in the summer, spring, and fall, but winter IS a thing in Chicago). Focus more on the academic side and what the student body is like (intellectual? pre-professional? academically intense? heavily Greek?). If you didn’t come away from the U of C visit with that impression, I think you want to consider what questions and notes you want to take on the next visit. The campus itself is a sort of superficial thing about colleges. I also get that it is the easiest aspect to assess in some ways. But if you want to find a place where you are really going to get the most out of colleges, think a little harder about what you are truly trying to get out of the experience as you go on more visits.
@intparent I did take away the U of C has a very rigorous approach and academically intense focus on undergraduate study, I just didn’t have anything to compare it to (this was my first ever college visit), all I could have taken away from the visit would be solid facts about the campus instead of a formed opinion of what I want prior to the visit. I didn’t go into the tour knowing what type of education I was looking for. The look of campuses is easier in that way, as it is easier to compare it to other campuses that I’ve just drove or walked by, however, not visiting any of these to get a deeper understanding of what their approach to undergrad education is, so I’m not quite sure yet what suits me. Hopefully that makes sense.
I would check out Rice if you like University of Chicago.
It does make sense… but be sure you are looking hard at that aspect, because honestly-- the academic side is (1) why you are going to college (I hope 
), and (2) takes up a huge amount of your time and focus while you are there – you spend by far the most hours in classrooms, labs, libraries, and focused on your coursework than doing anything else. So focusing there is pretty important.
From something you said, it sounds like you might be considering a business major. In that case, U of C isn’t probably the greatest choice for an undergrad (Booth doesn’t offer a BBA). Consider Michigan or Penn (Wharton), for example. Northwestern is more pre-professional, and they have undergraduate certificates from their Kellogg school (although also no BBA, but might be a better fit).
@intparent I’m not decided on what I want to do yet, but business is definitely one of my interests. I also will be visiting Colleges located on the east coast later this year or early next year. I think Upenn is a good fit because I don’t view myself as “nerdy”, I am more social. Michigan is an option as well considering I am a resident.
Based on your more detailed emails: Emory, Johns Hopkins, Rice, Tufts, Washington Univ in St Louis
Smaller size but similar: Carleton, Grinnell, Haverford, Swarthmore
In our area, kids who apply to U Chicago almost always look at Swarthmore too - similar intellectual vibe. But if it’s the edgy urban aspect you like, then Reed or Johns Hopkins would also work. Rice and Wash U were a bit too preppy for D, who liked U of C too.
Check out the University of Richmond. It’s #81 on the following list of beautiful college campuses:
http://www.bestcollegereviews.org/features/most-beautiful-college-campuses/
Unlike UChicago, Richmond does have undergraduate business programs (http://robins.richmond.edu/undergraduate/ ). It’s #16 in the Bloomberg undergraduate business program ranking:
http://www.bloomberg.com/bschools/rankings#5
Like Chicago and UPenn, Richmond claims to cover 100% of demonstrated financial need (but it’s much less selective than those schools). Try running its online net price calculator if cost is a concern.
However, I would think Michigan is the school to beat if you’re are a Michigan resident and are considering a business major.
In terms of beautiful colleges, Thrillist also offers an article and some decent photographs: “The 25 Most Beautiful College Campuses in America.”
@tk21769 I felt that U of C and Penn lowballed our estimated financial need in their NP calculators. They displayed EFC’s that were higher than results we attained in other calculators, therefore easier to “meet 100%” of it. So it seems to be subjective. Thoughts?
The campuses we like the best were Columbia, Rice, Yale, Brown, and Penn. Other lovely campuses were Pomona and Hopkins and Northwestern.
Georgetown also had that very modern feel like Hopkins, actually much more.
@ohiovalley16
The so-called “full need” schools definitely vary in their net price estimates. I’ve never heard that Penn or Chicago consistently give higher estimates than peer schools. Maybe they do. Or, maybe there is something about your situation that these two schools treat differently than other schools you considered.
There must be objective, impartial formulas for the NPCs to work at all. However, each school seems to be free to define its own formula. It would be nice if there were a little more transparency into the process.
@PartyNextDoor What do you mean by modern feel?