<p>Hey All,
I'm gonna be a freshman at a UC this fall, but for various reasons that i'd be fine with listing, i think transferring is a smart option. I did rather poorly in high school (3.3), though i took honors/AP classes. If there is one flaw in my character, it is my laziness, and my HS record is evidence of this. In all other respects, I consider myself a very intelligent person; i got a 2200 on my SAT, and in general im pretty bright. One of my friend's sister goes to University of Chicago, and he recommended the school to me. Based on some of the stuff I've read on CC, i hear the people are "odd". Now I'm fine with odd people, since I'm fairly eccentric, but what exactly makes them odd? also, due to bitterness that most of my friends are going to top colleges and what not, i'm realy committed ot doing well in undergraduate, so that i cna go to a top med school, like Hopkins or something liek that. Is it worht it you think, to try to transfer to UChi? Would it help me for med school? Is the grade inflation going to kill someone who wants to get a 3.9-4.0? thanks a lot for your hlep guys</p>
<p>wow this is rather bizarre... for half your post I thought you were an incoming Chicago student, so I was getting pretty upset that you were saying all of these things about the school lol... but then I got myself straight.</p>
<p>Well, as you know, a disproportionate number of people here either really like Chicago or will be attending, so it is prob. not the best place for unbiased advice, but I'll try (also, an admissions. rep just started posting here, so asking her a few questions on her thread is also prob. a good idea).</p>
<p>As usual, my first recommendation would be to visit the University of Chicago. I think you will notice very fast that the kids really aren't odd. Chicago tries as best it can to admit students who are, first and foremost, academically dedicated. It has an excellent track record for graduating academics, professors, teachers, writers, and bench scientists. I'd say that the student body largely reflects that. I visited and certainly didn't consider anyone odd - I just saw, for the most part, students that were very excited about and dedicated to their academics. If you consider that "odd," then I guess your average Chicago student is a bit odd. </p>
<p>When it comes to medical school admission, I honestly have no idea. Chicago is certainly notorious for its grade deflation, but it is widely accepted that admission departments are aware of this. However, there is really no way of finding out how much that offsets the grade deflation. My advice would be to try to see some data on the percentage of chicago kids who get into med. school and similar data... browse CAPS at chicago... caps.uchicago.edu you might find something there. And, like a said, going directly to the source - Chicago admissions - is prob. the best idea.</p>
<p>Also, the notion of "top" college is rather obscure, and I would certainly not transfer out of your school because of that. There are plenty of kids at so-called "top" schools who are truly unhappy there. Consider also that there are kids in those schools who won't get into some graduate programs that kids from your school will. So, its all kinda relative. Decide to transfer out of your present school because you truly dislike it, because you are enamored with another school because you like its campus, departments, philosophy....</p>
<p>Krueger, a Harvard economist, will show you that society actually values selective college degrees just about as much as they value any other college degree. I turned down schools which people would consider more "top" than Chicago to attend next year, yet something tells me that ill be better off going where I wanted to. So, if you decide you don't like UC, transfer out to the place you like... not just 'cause its "top" in the avarage American's eyes. Note also that school prestige today was largely set several decades ago - centuries ago if you consider the Ivy's. In terms of quality of education and academic relevance, if we were to set these things today, you'd see a pretty different make-up of "top" schools than what you see today. </p>
<p>I guess all I'm trying to say is for you to not to transfer out because of that "bitter" feeling, because the more you'll think about it, the more you'll see that your feelings aren't necessarily well-founded. Or so I hope...</p>
<p>also, for the sake of the discussion and to maybe compare you reasons for possibly transfering out with how well Chicago will suit those, would you mind posting some of those reasons you spoke of?</p>
<p>Do not go into the school with the idea of transferring. When you arrive, focus on enjoying as much of the school as you can and getting good grades. If after careful consideration and significant time at your school you would still like to look into a transfer, then that's fine. But always go in with a positive outlook. Do your best to make it work. (Did I just quote from Project Runway? How sad is that.)</p>
<p>It's beyond tough to get a 4.0 at any school, even if there is significant grade inflation.</p>
<p>you didn't make it sound like his college experience was worthless before you said that... you should've first beaten down on his prospects of enjoying college, then have said "make it work." That would've been more in line with the way he does it lol....</p>
<p>But, on a serious note, corranged is absolutely right. You will certainly dislike any college experience if you go into it with the mindset that it will suck. Go into it willing to give your best to make it an awesome experience, and I think that you will find that it just may well be!!!</p>
<p>thanks a lot for your input guys. felipecocco, yeah i think ur right in that bitterness shouldn't impact my reasons for transfer. the main reasons i wanna transfer out is because a. the california lifestyle just isn't my thing...partying out on the beach and just that relaxed life isn't comfortable for me. im one of those people who'd rather be in a library any day over a beach. b. i don't like the quarter system, and the fact that if you take more than 3 classes, it's considered a rigorous courseload. not to mention that pretty much every class i take in colelge would have to be a major requirement. while i defintley wanna learn new stuff about bio, i'd also like to minor or maybe even double major in near asian studies or maybe hindu studies; just something that's relevant to my culture (i'm brown). and c. this has bearing to point a. but i havne't found any peers, just in terms of intellectual interests, recreational interests etc. the bitterness i mentioned is partially manifested from this feeling, because my best friends, the ones whom i shared common intellectual and recreational interests with, are off to top colleges like columbia, duke, MIT, while I'm sitting here in cali, thanks to my laziness. though I realize it can be inferred that i wish to go to a top college because of the name brand, i honestly think i desire it more because i wnat to find people (not just the odd 1 or 2 i'll probably find here) that are on the same wavelength i am. you guys are all right in that i shoudln't be taking this dark and cynical view of college like this, but it's just kinda hard :/</p>
<p>It sounds like you might be a personality match with Chicago, but be forewarned, it is on the quarter system as well, though you can take 4 courses. As others have said, you should really visit before applying. Ever experienced ...WINTER?</p>
<p>hahah i came from indiana, so winter is nothing new for me</p>
<p>In terms of the quarter system, as long as we're in that subject, I think it has a marvelous attribute that is often overlooked. I certainly won't disagree with the fact that, due to the always-incoming tests and papers, there is probably a lot of work to go around. However, the 3 separate grading periods offer the chance to vary your course of study much more than what you could normally do in a semester-based college. </p>
<p>While flipping through the coursebook I saw many classes that were only 1 or 2 quarters in length. I am fascinated by this because not only does it allow professors to devote as much time to the topic as they feel is needed (no need to find stuff to drag a class along for an entire semester), but that it allows you to study many different things if you plan your course of study out really well. Instead of just having a total of 8 classes every year, you could get to a point in which you could take 12 different classes (theoretically). With a proper mix and match of 3,2, or 1 quarter classes, I think that the quarter system allows you to better maximize the college experience - class wise, that is.</p>
<p>God damn, felipe......I think we could organize some kind of thesis with this amount of writing.</p>
<p>hey... im just being thorough... besides, other than this and reading some of my books, my summer is being pretty uneventful.</p>
<p>Felipe, I envy you greatly! I have three jobs and have no time for anything anymore - same my visits to CC . . . As addictive as it is, it pulls me away from more productive things to look at everyone's posts. I need a life. :)</p>
<p>I envy him for different reasons.</p>
<p>it does pull you away from addictive things, but I happen to strike a very good balance between this and more productive activities... which for the time being include reading and playing soccer. Going very far in my reading and im getting quite a bit of a workout every day.</p>
<p>oh....sexy</p>
<p>working out. Hah. I ran sixteen miles today and I still felt bad for skipping weights. </p>
<p>I think the quarter system has its advantages and disadvantages. If you are thinking about a science major, be forewarned that you will have much less free time to take the cool one-quarter electives felipe talked about. Basically, all or most of the requirements for my ? major (biochem) are a full year long and I don't know whether or not I will be able to abroad unless I change my major.</p>
<p>sixteen miles?! why?</p>
<p>training for the chitown marathon</p>