<p>For days now I’ve been juggling UChicago and Amherst. I CANNOT DECIDE!!! I seriously feel like I’m locked in limbo. For every good thing I tell myself about both schools there is something bad. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. What am I going to do? This is four years people.</p>
<p>What are the bad things you are talking about with respect to UChic and Amherst??</p>
<p>What are you looking for in a school? UChi is a good fit for some people, but Amherst is a better fit for others. I love Amherst and am so glad that UChi's finaid people told me to come here because they were too stingy. I visited and knew that this is the place for me. Sure, there are some things I dislike, but nothing that I hate. If you tell me what you're looking for or expecting, I can help you decide if Amherst might be the place for you. What are your interests or possible majors?</p>
<p>I want to major in English/History and Chicago's programs are ranked 8th and 10th, respectively. My problem with Amherst is that I'm worried it will be just like my high school. I go to a pretty elite boarding school in Mass. right now with about 1000 so students, I've seen Amherst campus and they look pretty similar. The thing about Chicago is that I keep hearing that its all work and no play, which I understand is a generalization, but still, it is known to have one of the most, if not, the most academically challenging undergraduate program in the country. And it is internationally known, while Amherst isn't.<br>
I just want a school where the education will be top notch, and the students are fun to be around, but not a prep school feel.</p>
<p>I just read another post of yours about how you want to be an Econ major. I understand why you'd be conflicted about choosing either one, especially if you want to be an Econ major. One thing I guess I could add is that (as if you haven't heard this a million times) we don't have the Core. At UChi, you would have to take classes that you might not be particularly fond of in order to fulfill the Core, whereas at Amherst, you can take as much Econ as you want without taking some other core-type classes that you're just not interested in. For instance, I thought that it was the dumbest idea ever to require a sports credit. Even though I go to the gym here, I'd rather not waste a class doing P.E. There are so many other courses that I'd much rather take. It's also really nice to walk around in the nature preserve and the bird sanctuary on sunny, warm days. You really can't do that at UChi.</p>
<p>UChi does have the advantage of being in the city (although not a very good part of it), but Amherst is in the middle of 2 large cities - Boston and New York. It may take a while by bus, but both cities are easily accessible. Plus, classes and clubs do go on field trips to both (and if you have a license, you can drive, ensuring speedy arrival.)</p>
<p>I do love the idea of not having a core. However, I have a 200 acre sanctuary right here at my school, and I never use it. I think both campuses are beautiful in their own ways. I guess it just comes down to big/small, and hard/normal (and by normal i realize its still hardwork, but my highschool is crazy and everyone who has graduated from it and gone on to Amherst/Harvard&Ivies/Stanford has agreed that it is much harder than college). Oh what to dooooo?????????</p>
<p>Please relax.</p>
<p>--You can try making a list of pros and cons. I found it helpful.</p>
<p>As for UChicago being ranked 8th and 10th... um, first question the validity of rankings, and whether rankings matter to you. If so, then go for it. </p>
<p>I'm sure you'll feel better afterwards if you visit the schools.</p>
<p>I do think that UChi trumps up the amount/difficulty of work that they have. When I visited, my host complained about the "load" of work that she had, but then she only did work for about 1 hour. This may be a negative for you, but I do work quite a bit. Last semester felt easier, but this semester is stressful just because of the amount of work that I have. But, I knew that that's what I would get when I came to college, so I shouldn't complain.</p>