Junior Open House Visit Report

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Chicago ✅
1

<p>Since I’ve been lurking and learning here for quite some time, I thought it was time to contribute.</p>

<p>DS and I attended the UC juniors spring open house on May 8. It was a beautiful day in Chicago, 74 and sunny, so the campus showed in it’s very best light. Getting to the university was relatively easy as was navigating the campus. Yes, it’s not in the best area of town, but I’ve certainly seen worse. All in all, I left not feeling as if safety would be a major issue.</p>

<p>The Good

  1. The architecture of the campus was something to behold. While there are some exceptions – the Reg. library, Max P. Dorm – most of the buildings are gothic and give off an air of seriousness. The grounds were well kept and litter free. All in all, a beautiful, compact campus which would not be intimidating to those who crave the small liberal arts college scene.</p>

<li><p>The famous (infamous?) Dean of Admissions Ted Oneill gave an opening address of about 15 minutes that was fascinating. This is a man who is dead serious about his mission and carries it out with such passion and purpose that he gave off an air of inapproachability. However, he knows UC, its history, its philosophy and its place in the world of higher education. He clearly loves this university, believes deeply in the common core, and has no doubt that UC students are unique in their preparation for the ever changing world after college.</p></li>
<li><p>I attended a session on dorm life and was left with the impression that students were very supportive of each other. The activities in the dorm and the manner in which the houses bond together as a group was the pleasant surprise of the visit.</p></li>
<li><p>Ate lunch in a dorm and food was actually pretty good. A nice selection of items running the gamut from tofu to ice cream.</p></li>
<li><p>This is a serious academic institution and everything about it reminds you of that. The academic programs are rigorous and there is no doubt that you will leave at the end of four years with a top notch education. I don’t really know how to describe it in more detail, but you’ll know what I mean if you visit. Throughout the day there was a concerted effort made to counter the impression that UC is where “fun comes to die.” Dean Oneill tackled it head on in his remarks. The students on the end of day panel harped on this topic. But at the end of the day, I was still left with the impression that whatever fun occurs here has a seriousness of purpose.</p></li>
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<p>The Bad</p>

<li><p>The aforementioned student panel was a pure chamber of commerce outing. I was hoping to get some honest impressions of the positive AND a negative of the school, but it was pure boosterism. For example, one audience member asked how much time the students spent studying, on average. The students who answered said they studied about 3 hours a day, Sunday through Thursday, and not at all on Friday or Saturday. Huh? You should have seen the audience members smirking at each other in total disbelief. I’m so glad my DS will be able to relax a bit more when he goes to college.</p></li>
<li><p>The other disconcerting moment also occurred at the student panel. The moderator of the panel was a regional admissions rep named Austin Bean. This is completely my take and may be way off base, but I found him be pretty pompous. In introducing himself, he said that he was a regional rep for OH, KY, IL and MI (I think) and proceeded to denigrate those places by saying something like “and all those other exciting places”. As he took questions from the audience, he would paraphrase them, sometimes in a mocking tone as he repeated them to the general audience. I believe it was rather insulting to some members of the audience, particularly the high school students who asked questions. I’m sure he was just trying to be witty and entertaining, but his lack of sincerity really put me off and left me with a bad taste after a pretty wonderful day. It also highlighted my concern that UC students are pretty “full of themselves” and, by their own admission, are the intellectual giants of the college world. The students, and Mr. Bean, need to tone it down a bit and inject a bit of modesty and self-deprecation into the presentation.</p></li>
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<p>All in all, it was a wonderful visit and still remains high on DS’s list.</p>

2

<p>I was also there for the panel yesterday and I walked away with a 180 opposite take. First of all, we (me, my son and wife) thought the admissions rep was very funny and we live in Indiana! c'mon, nobody thinks of OH, IN, MI, etc as exciting - even the tourist boards will tell you they market to people looking to 'get away' - thus Indiana's new catchy slogan, 'Re-start your Engines'. He came to our school last year and was by far (according to the kids) the most entertaining and memorable rep they met all year.</p>

<p>Anyway, I <em>liked</em> that he summarized each question for the audience and panel and gave off an air that this most academic of places could actually relax and enjoy itself on its own terms, and could turn pretensions around by mocking them. </p>

<p>You want pompous, attend a Yale or Harvard presentation.</p>

3

<p>I have never been to Harvard or Yale, so I have no basis of comparison. As with most things, it's all relative. </p>

<p>I'm not surprised you felt that way, but I sure didn't. "We have intellectual discussions about the role of funk in society as we dance" - oh come on! Compared to what we hear at State U, that's pretentious.</p>

<p>At any rate, glad Mr. Bean is not our rep.</p>

4

<p>dad4son-</p>

<p>I live on the U. of C. campus and know many current and former students, so I thought I could tell you a bit more on what you saw during your visit.</p>

<p>First off, everyone studies more than three hours/day. I don't know why students told you otherwise unless they were ordered by the administration to do so to make the school come off as "fun." I frequently study at the Reg (courtesy of my parents' alumni card), and many students are still there at 10 p.m., which is the latest I have been there. I have seen a group of o-chem students working on that for four hours straight before I went home - and I am sure they have three other courses for which they must study. (By the way, I have heard stretching of the truth on a campus tour, when a student said the frats mainly "raise money for charities;" they do that once a year for a week.). </p>

<p>And yes, the Reg might not be aesthetically pleasing, but it is a good place to study and meet people, as it is considered by some the social center of UChicago. I concur with what you wrote about the Max dorms; they are known as "Barbie's prison" for a reason!</p>

<p>Good luck to your son on his college search.</p>

5

<p>Perhaps those students only study 3 hours per day (perhaps they only take 3 courses), but my S recently told me last week when I called that he was taking a break from studying, he had been going to class and studying for 10 hours straight. He does study on weekends, especially Sunday night, which is when his dorm has an hour study break from 10 pm to 11 pm where they will have root beer floats etc. S does not spend much time in the Reg, however. He still finds time for plenty of fun. And, it is true, many students do discuss things not typically discussed at social events. My youngest stayed the night with my S and reported to us that one kid on the dorm floor came into a room rather drunk and loud, and got into an argument with some others in the room over the proper interpretation of some ancient writer. Though there was considerable hanging out, laughter, (and yes, some drinking), one could also find someone studying something even late into the night.</p>

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<p>""We have intellectual discussions about the role of funk in society as we dance" - oh come on!"</p>

<p>Well, that's certainly possible, LOL. They discuss all sorts of things from a variety of viewpoints. </p>

<p>I wonder if the hours studying were just studying - and did not include labs and problem sets and what not. I can see my son making a distinction like that.</p>

7

<p>I have walked my dog on University Avenue across from Bartlett and Max P. around midnight and have heard (drunk) students talking physics and philosophy. That was probably the most wonderful experience I have had living here.</p>

<p>Of course, students have most of their intellectual conversations when they are of sound mind - and these are also highly intellectual. </p>

<p>For me, the Univerisity has offered a wonderful environment in which to grow up. Perhaps that is why I have decided to stay for college.</p>

8

<p>ohio_mom has a good point. Often, papers, problems sets, projects, etc. are treated separately from studying or reading.</p>

9

<p>There's also Scavenger Hunt - starting in a little over a day. Some Chicago kids are pompous (mine, for one, especially when he is razing me) - but if you follow the link and read the judge's bios you will realize they are not taking themselves tooooooo seriously.</p>

<p><a href="http://www-news.uchicago.edu/releases/06/060509.scavenger.shtml%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www-news.uchicago.edu/releases/06/060509.scavenger.shtml&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>The Scav Hunt is amazing! They always have to find the craziest things, or make a nuclear reactor. . . :)</p>

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<p>I believe it was a breeder reactor at that. Here is a picture of it. <a href="http://www-news.uchicago.edu/releases/05/050503.scavhunt.shtml%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www-news.uchicago.edu/releases/05/050503.scavhunt.shtml&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>A little history: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Chicago_Scavenger_Hunt%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Chicago_Scavenger_Hunt&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>good point on problem sets, papers. One of the Jrs indicated she was traumatized by her bio core class but then loved her higher level bio so go figure. Despite its lack of sports teams (DS is a <em>big</em> sports fan) he is still very interested...</p>

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<p>Chicago does have full compliment of sports teams, just not Div I, they're Div III, I believe.</p>

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<p>Right, but apparently few go and they are mostly non-events on campus. If anyone can counter this feel free.</p>

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<p>indyduke, </p>

<p>Anyone who wants big time sports mania will find better choices than U Chi. That's why colleges of this nature are not for everyone.</p>

<p>This is one of the big differences from Northwestern, for example.</p>

<p>There are other sports venues in Chicago, of course, but they are pricy.</p>

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<p>indydukie: My S said the Limbo contest at half-time at a basketball game was fun to watch, and well attended. :)</p>

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<p>I thought I should add in re. that students have three hours of studying/night. Yes, that could mean problem sets don't count as studying. I know a physics major, and he told me that he has two problem sets for his physics class every week, and each set takes 5 hours to complete. I am sure he studies on top of that, as he is a serious student. </p>

<p>Students may have three hours of studying/night - but that is not to say that students have no homework. It really was deceptive of the students to tell you that, as it can be interpreted in different ways. My point is, there is no lack of homework here. One is never done studying.</p>