<p>Haha cool, you are right. Choosing on enjoyment between schools of similar academic levels, finally someone understands!!</p>
<p>dont u wish we had a choice for highschool too? sorry last four years of my life: i didnt have a choice :(... i hope the next four years make up for it :)</p>
<p>duke is better for biology-related fields, i.e. pre-med, so thats why the doctors like it better.</p>
<p>i know someone who is pondering UChicago over Princeton because he'd be a presidential scholar at chicago (and wants to major in math, which chicago is damn good at).</p>
<p>now does northwestern and chicago compare?</p>
<p>Northwestern and Chicago are eerily similiar. The main difference between them is the location and reputation--Chicago is located in an urban area whereas Northwestern is located in a suburban area. Also, Chicago has a reputation of being intensely academic.</p>
<p>Really...I think that NU and UofC couldn't be more different. NU is a Big 10 school, and feels like one. U of C feels more like MIT, more liberal-arts focused and in chicago.</p>
<p>A friend turned down Dartmouth for Harvard.</p>
<p>Said the social atmosphere was mainly centered around frats.
Liked Harvard better</p>
<p>My brother in law turned down Harvard undergrad for Boston College. At the time he felt it was a better fit. Didn't seem to hurt him. Upon graduation from BC he applied to Harvard Law school and was accepted. He turned Harvard down again, this time to attend Yale Law school.</p>
<p>Both personal decisions and it seems to have turned out well for him.</p>
<p>UChicago is infamous for a generally "ugly" student body. (and as much as you wish you werent shallow, you know you care)</p>
<p>and some of these posts are silly. turning down dartmouth for harvard? DUH. thats what you would expect. duke over cornell? DUH.</p>
<p>An0nym0u5: I have never heard of anyone commenting that Chicago's student body is "ugly" as you claim it is nor have any of the seniors who were accepted at Chicago at my school this year. If you look at each Classes' Directory (located on Chicago's website), you'll see that what you said is a misleading statement...</p>
<p>bingo: I was joking :) I was poking fun at all the people who are saying things like I turned down Harvard for Stanford or WashU for Emory, etc. In other words, turning down a school of one level of prestige and caliber for a school of the same level and prestige adn caliber.</p>
<p>I turned down University of Notre Dame for UT-Austin.</p>
<p>But Austin rocks so I can't say much.</p>
<p>actually i heard chicago people are ugly..haha well it was just one friend of mine. apparently, as the guy's there say "squirrels cuter than girls"</p>
<p>Chicago = full of over-anxious nerds who have no fun and yet have lower stats than their peers</p>
<p>I find it surprising that slipper1234, who I've come to respect for his posts on the Dartmouth and Columbia boards, would make such a statement against students at UChicago. I don't agree with your statement that Chicago's full of "over-anxious nerds who have no fun." None of the students I've met from Chicago are "over-anxious" and all of them genuinely enjoy what they learn. Many students at Chicago enjoy their weekends from attending plays, playing intramural sports, tp going shoppin in Chicago. The argument that Chicago students have lower stats doesn't mean that Chiacgo students are "bad students." Do you actually think it's better that students earn "good grades" and score "high SAT scores" when they don't even enjoy what they're learning? I'm not saying this is true of most college students in the top 25 colleges, but slipper1234 makes it seem like that's how it is. Chicago students enjoy what they study about and "stats" don't prove anything about a person's ability or character.</p>
<p>Sorry Audioslave, I didn't mean to offend you and probably should take that back. Chicago is obviously a great school, I just think that places like Northwestern and Princeton also offer amazing academics but also have a much better quality of life. I understand that Chicago students might find other things more interesting and obviously might have a different definition of what a good quality of life is. The lack of a traditional college culture might be an asset to those students. Personally, I find Princeton and Northwestern to be more balanced experiences, but again this is coming from my own viewpoint and needs. My biggest gripe with Chicago actually has more to do with their seeming lack of long term commitment to the institution, honestly I have come across many Chicago alums and none seem too excited about the place outside the classroom.</p>
<p>My clearly over the top and reactionary comment stems from experiences I have had with students on the Chicago board who seem to think that schools like Duke, etc are full of non-intellectuals who only want to drink and are only at school to get by. This is simply not true. All the top schools offer amazing academic resources for those who want to tap into them, and just because Princeton or Northwestern students take Friday night off to go to parties or on roadtrips does not make them anti-intellectuals.</p>
<p>Basically I feel Chicago tries to market itself as an intellectually superior experience and I kind of resent this, especially because it is not. Its an extremely good school just like all the other top schools.</p>
<p>Thanks for the clarification, slipper1234.</p>
<p>slipper, where do you go?</p>
<p>hey slipper- I agree with how Chicago attempts to market itself as this intellectual powerhouse in an almost superior manner, though many schools are similarily rigorous and intellectual. Honestly, though, chicago can market itself as unique, but it is slowly 'selling out' or compromising that uniqueness in order to become more prestigious, selective and ivy-like. </p>
<p>btw the bit about the looks was a joke. it was just something my friend had told me. i dont really think they're ugly.</p>
<p>Hey Clay,</p>
<p>Went to Columbia first year, transferred to Dartmouth, now at Columbia Business School, currently procrastinating for an Econ final tomorrow.</p>