<p>one of the coaches has contacted my D about applying to Chicago. She likes Chicago and it fits her academically, but she doesn't want to go to a school that looks down upon varsity athletes. Chicago has had that reputation--does it still deserve it?</p>
<p>That depends on what type of athlete your D is.</p>
<p>Is she someone who likes academics in addition to sports and enjoys a good conversation about academic topics? Is she passionate about a particular intellectual field? If so, she’ll be good to go. Many students here play sports, and athletes are generally not frowned upon… if anything, they’re respected.</p>
<p>That being said, if she has no interest at all in academics or isn’t passionate about learning, then she might (read: will) have problems socially and academically. I’ve only witnessed one instance of a jock sitting in the back of the classroom, not speaking the entire quarter, remaining entirely apathetic to his surroundings, and it was quite annoying. Usually, such students are weeded out in the admissions process and don’t get in even if they’re athletically qualified to play for our teams.</p>
<p>We have good friends whose son is a mega-jock at Chicago. He was someone who was legitimately D-I recruited, although not by fancy programs, and he shocked his parents by telling them that what he really wanted to do was go to Chicago and major in economics. There’s no question he got in as a sports recruit, but he loves the academic experience, and his parents are completely impressed by how smart, intellectually engaged, and serious he turns out to be. (In high school, his identity was mainly as a jock.) Somewhat to his father’s dismay, he has refused to do summer sports programs that might give him a better shot at the pros, opting instead for business-related internships, and he is doing a quarter abroad, which would have been impossible at a D-I program.</p>
<p>So . . . the point is that Chicago is a great place for a jock who wants to go to Chicago.</p>
<p>I don’t have the sense at all that anyone “looks down” on varsity athletes at all. The difference vs. most other places is probably that people don’t look up to them that much, either. They are admired and respected for what they can do, but not vastly more than, say, math whizzes, great musicians, or actors. I’m sure that could feel like a put-down to some.</p>
<p>I visited UChicago this summer at one of the big open house days, and spoke with a lot of current students (not much to go on but oh well). When I asked if any of them were athletes they quickly found one for me without trouble, and the student-athlete himself was really cool. There didn’t seem to be any social differences. As JHS said, they thought it was cool to be an athlete, the same way they thought it was cool to be a musician or anything else.</p>
<p>My son has had a similar experience as JHS’s friends. Recruited by D1 but chose Chicago for the academics because he knew that an education from Chicago would provide a higher probability of success than making it as a pro. Similarly, chose business internship over summer league and is the classic Jock who has found the school to be a fabulous fit… loves the intellectual vibe, his teammates and the students overall. The classwork coupled with games and practices is challenging but much more doable than at a D1. Of course, the coaches want to win, but not at the cost of the student’s academic success. The varsity teams support each other and many compete with great success, especially in recent years. It’s not uncommon to find many very serious athletes who chose Chicago for the academics and they don’t apologize for it. Many are held in high regard for doing that. I feel blessed that my son was given the opportunity to attend Chicago because of his athletic skill as well as his success in the classroom.</p>