<p>How good is the English program at UChicago compared to other, smaller LAC (Amherst, Swarthmore, Williams, etc.)?</p>
<p>It’s not hard to have a great English Department. Chicago’s is definitely highly rated. For what it’s worth, last year USNWR had it ranked in the top 10 overall (tied for 7th with Princeton and Cornell) for English graduate programs, with special strength in American literature and literary theory. Amherst, Swarthmore, and Williams have much smaller departments, of course, but the teachers in them are excellent. </p>
<p>Any place you go, you will be best off if you keep an open mind and learn what the best teachers want to teach you, rather than deciding in advance what you want to study. If you do that, you can have a great experience at any of these colleges, although Chicago will have a few more options. (Amherst, too, will give you access to courses at UMass and four other LACs, which can be valuable. Swarthmore in theory has a similar deal with Penn, Haverford, and Bryn Mawr, but I think it is not used that much.) </p>
<p>Chicago, of course, will have graduate students, too (excellent ones). I consider that a plus, but not everyone does. They mediate between full faculty and undergraduates, provide role models, and are often very helpful as instructors.</p>