I want to commit to UChicago but...

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Chicago ✅
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<p>The May 1st deadline is fast approaching and I am heavily leaning towards choosing UChicago but I have a couple of unanswered questions that are keeping me from putting down that deposit so I'd be grateful for any insight you all might have.</p>

<p>1) Curriculum
I'm a big fan of Brown's open curriculum (another school I'm considering) and ideally, I'd like to be able design my own curriculum. Yet, I can see the value of Chicago's Common Core and I think it would be good for me to have a strong understanding of many disciplines. However, I'm relatively sure that my interests lie in the social sciences and humanities, and 6 quarters of required courses in natural and mathematical sciences sound really daunting to me. I won't have any IB/AP credit to speak of (apparently UChicago doesn't allow credit for IB HL Maths and Physics) so does this mean that I really will have to do 2 years worth of maths and science? Will any of these maths and science courses count towards my major requirements if I choose to major in Psychology, for example?</p>

<p>2) Psychology department
While I'm not completely set on psych as a major, I was wondering how good is the department in social psychology in particular? I've also heard that UChicago doesn't offer any clinical psychology courses - is this true?</p>

<p>3) Study abroad
I'll be turning down Cambridge University for a liberal arts education in America but I still retain hope of spending my junior year at Cambridge. However, if I have to spend 2 years completing the core, will this make it really difficult for me to spend my 3rd year at Cambridge since that will only leave me my 4th year to really explore my major within UChicago? On top of taking those wonderful electives that Chicago offers. Also, can I accumulate enough knowledge about my major to be a viable candidate for Cambridge's programme if I've spent most of my first 2 years studying other (unrelated) disciplines? Will the grade deflation (relative to other schools at least) also hinder my chances?</p>

<p>4) Quarter system
I can't decide if this is a good or bad thing. I like the idea of taking more courses throughout my time in college but I've heard that it's ridiculously rigorous and occasionally feels too rushed. Also, I read somewhere that because UChicago finishes around a month later compared to schools on the semester system, students sometimes miss out on some internships/summer programmes- is this true?</p>

<p>Thanks everyone, I really love UChicago so I'd like to get past these issues if possible!</p>

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<p>UC gives its own placement tests in math and, I think, physics which allow you to get credit for some of the courses. IB HL math background should be sufficient for credit for at least Math 151 and Math 152. </p>

<p>In any case, even without getting any credit coming in, it is 6 quarters of math and science (which sounds less daunting than 2 years), and there are a lot of options. </p>

<p>Check the catalog for authoritative answers to your questions.</p>

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<p>Whether you go to Brown or to Chicago, if you are interested in (a) the social sciences, and/or (b) gainful employment, you probably ought to be taking math, and more than two quarters of it. So take that off the table. (And you should place out of some math based on your IB HL, even if it’s not automatic.) The equivalent of 1-1/3 year-long science classes shouldn’t phase you, especially since there are some fun, interesting, not particularly challenging gems in the offerings. (Look at the Bio Topics courses, and the course on modelling climate change.) If you pay attention to what Chicago students say about the Core, one of the regular criticisms is that the science core courses (which are all for non-science majors, since the science majors and pre-meds meet the core science requirements without taking any special courses) are not up to the University’s normal standards of academic rigor. You will hear that from scientists and poets alike. So that’s the topic of concern, not that they will be insanely hard and time-consuming.</p>

<p>And . . . if you are really interested in Psychology, you should probably try to learn as much neuro-biology as you can, because that’s going to be awfully important in the field during the rest of your lifetime. No one really does clinical psych for undergraduates, although lots of courses touch on it. That’s a field where you get trained in grad school.</p>

<p>Study abroad: Tons of Chicago students study abroad. And other tons of Chicago students view the University of Chicago as a unique, exotic foreign land all to itself, and they think 3-1/2 years isn’t long enough to spend some of it being a tourist elsewhere. (The Study Abroad programs are also widely suspected of being Not Quite Rigorous Enough.)</p>

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<p>Brown has specific programs abroad for junior year at Oxford, Cambridge and LSE,
[Brown</a> in the United Kingdom: Admission | Brown University: Office of International Programs](<a href=“Study Abroad | Brown University”>Study Abroad | Brown University)</p>

<p>as well as fellowships there for graduate students. [Fellowships@Brown</a> | Fellowships and Research](<a href=“Fellowships@Brown | Fellowships and Research”>Fellowships@Brown | Fellowships and Research)</p>

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<p>Hi there, current student here.</p>

<p>1) I agree with you here-Brown’s open curriculum seems more appealing to me personally. Although, I wouldn’t discount Chicago simply because of the core. UChicago has a math placement exam, and you can place out of a year’s worth of calculus if you’re ready. It also has an accreditation exam for physics. </p>

<p>2) I was considering a psychology major. I actually took a few psychology classes here; they were among my favorites of all the 20+ classes I’ve taken. Apparently though, they are a lot more research based than a lot of other places. And yeah, I’m pretty sure clinical psychology isn’t available. </p>

<p>3) Not entirely sure about this, but fairly certain a year at Cambridge should still be feasible. </p>

<p>4) In my view, the quarter system is a GREAT thing. I love it! You take fewer classes at any given time, but get to take more classes overall. Also, academically I am personally a sprinter and start to lose focus in classes if time drags on for too long. </p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

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<p>I know one of my daughter’s friends did an entire academic year at Sciences-Po in Paris, without delaying her graduation, so a year at Cambridge ought to be feasible.</p>

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<p>My daughter also did an entire academic year abroad but had no trouble fulfilling her core requirements or taking advantage of her major to the level of graduating with honors and winning some pretty sweet awards. There’s no Chicago-led program, but there is a partnership with Trinity College at Cambridge. If you haven’t looked into it, you might. </p>

<p>As for Brown, I know of the Oxford connection–some students like it more than they like their time in Rhode Island. I’m not totally sure, but I don’t think they have quite as close a Cambridge presence</p>

<p>But, the most important think for you to know is that you have outstanding choices. Whatever you choose, you’ll be able to make it work for you. So, you can go with your gut.</p>

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<p>If you want to take a lot of electives, it sounds like Brown and it’s open curriculum might be better for you if you want to spend a year in Cambridge; if you want to spend your first two years exploring various courses, I would think Brown would offer you a little more. I wouldn’t discount UChi though, esp. if you’re looking at social psych (see Prof. John Cacioppo and his research on social isolation.)</p>

<p>You’re in quite an enviable position; Brown, Chicago, Cambridge…just go with your gut!</p>

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<p>Thanks for the input everyone - I really appreciate it!</p>

<p>If I manage to place out of some Maths and Physics classes (which isn’t a certainty cause I took a gap year and I’m rather rusty), have I fulfilled some of my natural and mathematical sciences requirements or does it just mean I’ve just placed into a more demanding classes? </p>

<p>Also, I’d imagine if I was a psych major I’d have to take a fair few maths and science classes anyway. Can these classes count towards my core requirements as well as my major requirements?</p>

<p>Regarding the core, do you guys feel like there’s an intrinsic value in having a strong background in all disciplines especially in terms of critical thinking and writing skills, having a shared vocabulary with my peers etc, that I won’t be able to get at Brown? Also, because everyone in class at Brown will be there of their own volition, does that mean class participation is better and people are more engaged? Have UChicagoans found that in some of their core classes, people just can’t be arsed to be there?</p>

<p>About the study abroad thing, it does seem easier to study abroad at Brown but I won’t put too much stake into this - I think I’m just wresting with residual guilt over rejecting Cambridge!</p>

<p>My gut is still telling me to go with Chicago although my brain is increasingly saying Brown might be a better choice. Have people found Facebook groups to be good representations of student bodies? If yes, I think I’m a much better fit for Chicago than Brown. Don’t get me wrong, Brown kids seem great (read: intimidatingly happy and well-adjusted), but pwoar, some of the discourse among UChicago admits are on a different level entirely. I can’t help but get the feeling I will be surrounded by some of the most intelligent people I’ll ever meet if I go to Chicago.</p>

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<p>As a parent of a 4th year student at UChicago and a person with many ties to Brown faculty, administrators, and students, I have only encouraging words to offer about both universities. My son, too, did study abroad for a full academic year and still had enough credits to have graduated after 3 years if he had wanted to. By placing out of several requirements, he had room in his schedule to not only complete the Core in his first two years, but also to take a good number of electives and courses in his major. (BTW, placing out of math and physics allows you the option of either taking higher level classes or of simply reducing your natural and mathematical sciences requirements.) Not only will he graduate with many more credits in his major than he needs, but he also has unofficially audited several other classes he enjoyed so much he wanted to take a second time. He was not a particularly strong Core enthusiast, but still regarded his experience with the majority of his Core courses as very rewarding. </p>

<p>I am a clinical psychologist, and want to echo the statement above that courses in clinical psychology are rarely offered at an undergraduate level at any university. One becomes a clinical psychologist by pursuing a doctorate in the subject, and the strong foundation in psychology and related areas that you will need to do so would be available at either Brown or Chicago.</p>

<p>I think Brown and Chicago students overlap a great deal with regard to their “learning for learning’s sake” ethos. Still, the vibes of the schools are different and, if you are more drawn to the kinds of discussions that predominate in the Chicago group than the Brown one, that’s an important piece of data for you to consider in making your decision. Good luck with whichever choice you make!</p>

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<p>“just mean I’ve just placed into a more demanding classes” It is a placement test.
You just get off the prerequisites so you can go directly and take a more advanced course.
There is really no value whether you share a shared vocabulary or not. UChicago has reduced the core requirements than it was decades before in order to attract more students. Studying abroad is easier when you go through an organized program than applying alone for junior year. Have you visited the schools? UChicago has a more austere atmosphere that reminds of old type of universities with focus on theoretical areas. Brown is more of a free spirit where one can create their own studies. You need to decide. Both student bodies have smart students, just a different way to express it. Are you more of a person that likes to discuss a specific topic and beat it to death, or for the topic and its aspects to emerge through an unrelated free flowing discussion? That’s how I see the difference in styles. If you like the Cambridge style and atmosphere, then you will be better at UChicago. If you are more of an inquiring mind that explores different areas to reach your intended topic, then Brown will be for you. There has been a movement in medicine the last 10 years for more interdisciplinary studying of every field and it is more visible at Harvard, eg the Decision Science Lab that draws from psychology, economics, and neuroscience.</p>

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<p>Doesn’t Chicago have a building dedicated to the integration of sciences? I think I vaguely remember walking past it…</p>

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<p>^The Gordon Center for the Integrated Sciences. </p>

<p>I’m not exactly sure what Ana1 means by “If you are more of an inquiring mind that explores different areas to reach your intended topic” being just at Brown. This is very heavily emphasized at Chicago as well, where you always make connections between something you learned in,say, your philosophy course to something in another area. </p>

<p>Also, in response to “Also, because everyone in class at Brown will be there of their own volition, does that mean class participation is better and people are more engaged? Have UChicagoans found that in some of their core classes, people just can’t be arsed to be there?” People are here at UChicago for a reason, and they were accepted for a reason. I know of people who turned down Harvard, Columbia, MIT, Stanford, Dartmouth, and Brown (and even more who wanted to but couldn’t due to FA) to join this kind of different intellectual atmosphere. There are many, many different courses to choose from, so I don’t think people are taking courses that they don’t want to be in (it’s not a rigid course sequence in any manner). For example, I may not be into the physical sciences either, but an Intro to Astrophysics course piques my interest, so I can satisfy part of my requirement learning about that and being with people who find space/astronomy/astrophysics interesting.</p>

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<p>In response to the question about the 2016ers, man, the facebook group is pretty crazy yet amazing at the same time. It’s actually been a deciding factor for people I’ve talked to. If you feel at home in the group, you will absolutely feel at home at UChicago. And it’s not just the vocal ones either, ones I never met were mostly very interesting people in their own right, or at least very accomplished people in their passions. I’ve already made my share of friends with people who are very social (and even a bit wild) yet are at the top of their class and really into scholarly journals and well versed in contemporary issues. That’s not to say that you can’t get these kinds of people at other elite schools, but I’ve found a special niche at Chicago already (where people actually know who Jon Huntsman is). I have faith that the adcoms have screened out people who don’t fit into this kind of environment and embrace those who do, because my school’s val (who is essentially nothing more than an academic heavyweight) was accepted to Princeton (legacy), Columbia, Penn, Duke, and Brown, but was waitlisted at Chicago, and I’ve found this to be the case asking other accepted students as well.</p>

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<p>^If your valedictorian was accepted into all these ivies, then it was waitlisted by UChicago for yield protection, not because of screening by the UChicago ad com. I can bet that if that person remained on the WL, will be accepted on the first round. Every school does that.</p>

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<p>^Ouch, you might want to read this thread below. Waitlist and Deferral are not the same, but the general sentiment you’ll find is that people who don’t show why they belong here don’t get in- you don’t get into Chicago just because you’re a really smart kid. </p>

<p>Unless you’re equating yield protection with fit and qualifications for a unique school like Chicago, flat-out WUSTL yield protection does not happen. Wouldn’t you assume that a student from the same school (nearly identical stats, no hooks) accepted to Harvard & Yale would be waitlisted as well? She was accepted because she showed she would be a good fit (which she honestly was). As one of the top schools in the nation and world, Chicago is not anyone’s safety school… </p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-chicago/1052340-any-overqualified-applicant-got-deferred-uofc.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-chicago/1052340-any-overqualified-applicant-got-deferred-uofc.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-chicago/1304355-olympiad-medallists-overqualified-uchicago.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-chicago/1304355-olympiad-medallists-overqualified-uchicago.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>especially this: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/11719109-post77.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/11719109-post77.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>I used to think – and to some extent, I still do think – that the Brown and Chicago student bodies are almost interchangeable, and that, notwithstanding their polar curriculum structures, if you switched all their “cribs” one night 90% of each group would be just as happy at the other institution as they were at the one they were attending.</p>

<p>My daughter (Chicago '09) has long disagreed with me, however. She believes that there is a deep streak of anti-intellectualism at Brown, and that it’s a place where really smart students go to decide that they don’t want to learn any more, at least not in an academic setting. And, watching what has happened to her friends and her brother’s friends at Brown over the past 7 years or so, it’s hard to say she’s wrong. </p>

<p>Last summer, I spent an hour with a guy who had just graduated from Brown, someone who had been my kid’s best friend for a long time, and whom I’ve known since he was five. He was the top student, grade-wise, in his high school class, and a Presidential Scholar semi-finalist. He chose Brown over several schools that get higher ratings (on CC at least), and he absolutely believes that he made the right choice. He was heading off to one of those high-pay, high-prestige jobs so many kids here covet, and he loved his college experience. Except his classes. He told me that he stopped caring about any of his classes several years ago, and devoted all his efforts to one significant EC, choosing his major and his courses on the basis of what would require the least effort and permit him to spend the most time doing something else. He was completely over school, and dreaded the possibility that someday he might have to go back to get an MBA to advance his business career.</p>

<p>Now, this is only one person (albeit not the only Bruin I know now with a similar attitude). And there are probably people who talk like that when they graduate from Chicago. (Phuriku, an '11 grad who posts here sometimes, can sound a little like that.) But there aren’t many of them – that’s just not an attitude you encounter much among recent Chicago graduates. For better or worse, most people at Chicago seem to like their classes a whole lot.</p>

<p>On the other hand, I think a fair number of Chicago first years DO resent one or more of their Core courses, and sometimes their hostility makes things unpleasant for sectionmates. And lots of Chicago students find they like the idea of the Core better than the actual execution of it.</p>

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<p>Brown is more fun and the open curriculum greatly outways the rigid core of chicago</p>

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<p>My daughter also has a lot of friends who went to Brown, and she has a bit of JHS’s daughter’s prejudice as well, just a little bit. It’s not that she doesn’t think she couldn’t have gotten a great education there–she does. But…she definitely made note of how many of her Brown friends didn’t know squat about a whole lot of stuff covered in the core.</p>

<p>One thing that I haven’t seen mentioned in this thread is the very big difference in number of courses that Chicago students take compared to Brown students. Brown, on semesters, requires 32. Chicago, with its busy quarters requires 42. If you take a full load of 4 courses per quarter, you’d take 48 courses. That difference allows a lot more room for the core requirements.</p>

<p>I know this post comes off as rah-rah UChicago. I really didn’t mean for that to happen. Two great schools, and most everyone who does well at one will do well at the other one as well.</p>

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<p>@Seahawks506 “Waitlist and Deferral are not the same”
I know, I was specifically talking about WL and yield protection. I studied the naviance results for my child’s school that is a feeder for Harvard. YPSMD and Williams each accept 1 RD student every year. However, if the students WL at the above schools, they almost all get accepted.</p>