<p>Here are reviews of both colleges from The Princeton Review. Read them and think about which of the colleges would your D1 fit best at:</p>
<p>University Of Chicago</p>
<p>"Dedication to enriching the life of the mind is palpable at the incomparable The University of Chicago. It is home to the best Economics Department in the country and one of the best (and most monstrously ugly) main libraries on earth. Chicago students believe that no university offers a better academic experience, and there is an unexpectedly vibrant school spirit that comes not from athletics, but [a] shared academic involvement. Undergraduates must complete an intense, interdisciplinary core curriculum that teaches them how to think about literature and philosophy and science. The Core is rigorous and You will spend about a third of your time here on it. But its [also] fantastic, and you come out an incredibly well-rounded thinker with opinions on a wide variety of subjects. Naturally, Courses are tough. Once youre out of the fire, though, You realize how much more enriched youve become intellectually, with respect [as] to how to learn and . . . knowledge itself. Professors at Chicago are the best in the world and are real celebrities in their fields of study, but they make every effort to help every student who asks. Still, there are duds. Not everyone with the intelligence to do amazing research is capable of teaching. The incredibly supportive administration takes pains to engage the entire campus in a sort of collective, community-wide conversation. . . . They bring in all sorts of speakers, allow student groups almost absolute freedom, and are very supportive of student initiatives.
“Students at Chicago are intense, opinionated, engaged with the world around them, and somewhat zany. Most everyone has a quirk, a senior reports, like the center on the football team whos really into Dungeons & Dragons. Without question, the popular stereotype of the Chicago student is a nerdy, socially awkward person. Living up to the hype are an abundance of students religiously dedicated to academic performance and a bunch of strange people, usually clutching some fantastic book. However, There arent as many extremely strange and nerdy students as there have been in the past. A portion of the student body at the U of C [are] actually talented, cool, and (gasp!) attractive. There are loads of people that are fascinating, a sophomore writes. There are artists, communists, fashionistas, activists, and even some who arent posing at all. Everyone who is at The University of Chicago considers themselves at the best possible university, concludes one student. Its a self-selecting group, and most people are happy to be here. Chicago students look down on other schools, particularly the Ivies.”
“The quarter system makes for a particularly fast-paced schedule. We wear t-shirts that say U of C: Where fun comes to die, and were proud of it, explains a first-year student. Dont come here if you dont plan to work very hard, an economics major warns. We spend a large chunk of our time studying and should be studying much of the time that we are not. However, according to one student, As much as a lot of people complain about the extremely rigorous academics at this school, we all secretly love it or we wouldnt be here. And contrary to popular belief, students certainly do know how to have fun. There are concerts, plays, movies, and tons of truly brilliant events on campus. Students also spend a lot of time just talking with fascinating classmates who can hold their own on any topic under the sun. The frat party scene is not much at all compared to other schools, but its still there. Room parties with extended friends and random people from the building are usually more popular. While scorn for the lovely neighborhood surrounding the campus is exceedingly common, downtown Chicago is very accessible. The city is a huge asset and resource, whether its for an internship, a night out, or just a day away from campus.”</p>
<p>Washington University In St. Louis</p>
<p>“Rigorous but very rewarding, Washington University boasts a strong premed program, a very intense curriculum, and a very, very stressful academic atmosphere. Teachers are tough, warns a biology major. They have high expectations. Architecture majors for instance, have so much work and that they go for days without sleeping, observes a junior. Overall, though, students at Wash U wouldnt have it any other way. Ive had an amazing time since my first day of class, declares an English major. However, students arent without complaints. Distribution requirements are complicated and difficult for students to understand. The engineering professors are very poor teachers. However, All of my professors have been brilliant, says a chemistry major. My only problem with them is some of them are so smart that they cant even conceive how I dont understand an idea. Professors really care though. They love to talk to their students and they are remarkably accessible. Management is a huge hit. Administrators realize that their first priority should be the students. This school is also very wealthy and therefore offers greater opportunities than some schools would be able to. From building amazing new facilities to creating world class programs from scratch, it really feels like the sky is the limit.”
"Some people may say the typical student is a Jew from Long Island, but really this is just a hyped-up stereotype, says a junior. East Coasters definitely have a presence at Wash U but Midwesterners predominate. The campus is very ethnically diverse. However, self-segregation is a big issue. People who are very wealthy tend to hang out together, too. There is a frantic premed culture and, overall, the campus is a little nerdy. I hadnt seen so many hot geeks in one place until I came to Wash U, claims a first-year student. Jocks, punks, and goths are rare. A lot of people look exactly the same. This isnt really the best place to explore your education or figure out what you want to do with your life, reflects a senior. The typical student here has a plan and a goal they are working toward. These overcommitted, fun-loving high-school all stars are pretty politically apathetic but they have an array of other interests. I think the thing that connects everyone is passion, suggests a sophomore. Every student brings something different. There are the students involved in way too many activities just for the sake of activities, the premeds, the counterculture and counter-counterculture art students, B-school partiers, intense architecture students, frat boys, sorority girls who promised themselves they would never join one, the ethnicity-obsessed, and then a huge melting pot of all of those mixed together.
"The food is really amazing on this gorgeous campus. Dorms are reportedly fabulous, too. Things are way too expensive, though. Outside of class, Wash U students hit the books hard. The library is always incredibly crowded. Campus involvement is big as well and no one social scene dominates the campus. Wash U is a bit of a bubble, describes a senior, When youre here, the school experience shapes your entire lifestyle. Its a pleasant world, but hard to divorce yourself from the happy beauty of the campus and take note of the greater world and its problems. Not every weekend is buck wild but, of course, debauchery does happen. Some students seem to live this strange double life of intense studying and partying. A lot of students go to parties at the fraternities. There is little pressure to drink, though. If you just want to stay in and watch a movie or play board games with friends, its not a problem. The eclectic area next to campusfondly called The Loopis a great neighborhood to walk to for restaurants, boutiques, and bars, though sketchy neighborhoods are mere blocks away. St. Louis is a great sports town, so there are always great baseball, football, and hockey games and there is some culture here but much of the city shuts down after about 1:00 A.M.</p>