<p>I never really thought of them as that similar. Chicago is "the place" for liberal arts studies- it rivals the greats. CMU to me is more a professional route where you're being tailored for a career. But it is one of the best schools in the nation at doing so. I don't really think either school is good for "let's see if I like it" because if you don't like your program, you're either stuck or have to transfer. CMU doesn't have a ton of quality choices, granted it's a great school, but it's a lot more limited. On the other hand, UChi is very liberal-arts minded, and if that's not your thing you might be stuck in programs that could pull down your gpa (i.e. med school)</p>