<p>topcat wrote: "Being in the middle of nowhere has certain benefits: 1. There is no place to spend money. . . 2. When kids drink, which they will, you can be fairly sure that they are not driving. 3. Kids stay on campus and form close relationships. The Grinnell community is incredibly tight. "</p>
<p>Exactly my sentiments about Williams. My son, who'd lived in big cities all his life, was extremely wary about the middle-of-nowhere factor, but in retrospect it's turned out to be a real draw.</p>
<p>"They also have a professor and his or her family living in each dorm to help foster the "life of the mind" in all aspects of the college."</p>
<p>I think that's a great thing. Are there any other schools that do this? I know you get similar impact when schools are in very small rural towns.</p>
<p>Shennie - Glad to hear your S is coming up to visit Carleton and Macalester. Both schools came to mind while reading your posts. St. Olaf has a superb orchestra, but those two would appear to have the rest of what he is looking for.</p>
<p>Bettina -- My daughter is a freshman at Chicago and she loves it. She studies hard, but finds plenty of time to have an active social life. Her "house" has gone apple picking, skiing, to a hockey game, and regularly has movie nights. She has a strong core group of friends and a number of "friendly acquaintances." She says she could not have chosen a school that is more right for her. Honestly, I think students at UChicago revel in the "where fun goes to die" reputation and do all they can to perpetuate it. Yes, students there have to work hard to succeed. But they don't have to give up a social life to do it.</p>
<p>Thanks Shennie & Sillystring for your comments.</p>
<p>My daughter (high school junior) visited U of Chicago in January with a friend, who is a high school senior. Both kids really loved Chicago -- and my daughter also loved the city -- I think that was one of the strongest draws for her. She also liked the idea of the core curriculum, and she like the gothic architecture on campus. Unfortunately, I didn't get much detail from her beyond that.</p>
<p>She certainly did find enough "campus" feel for her liking; the kids also visited Loyola, which they didn't like at all -- and the lack of campus feel was a strong point against Loyola. </p>
<p>My daughter is not the overly-studious or academic type -- she has a strong intellectual bent, but her social life and friendships are also important to her -- so I really appreciate the info from Sillystring. If my d. does decide on Chicago, she's going to be the one to bring fun back to life. ;)</p>
<p>Calmom--your daughter sounds like mine, the part about being smart, but valuing friendships and a social life. Interesting to note, she is sending the reply card back to Chicago. I noticed it sticking out of the mailbox this morning after I took H to the airport. She is only a sophomore, but the deluge of mail has started. So far Chicago is the only one she is interested enough in to send the card back. (My older two just ignored all the mail completely). Of course she has a good year and a half to consider these things. And much more mail to come! I just find it interesting. I really didn't think that Chicago appealed to her. I mean, we visited my S last fall there, and she expressed absolutely no interest at the time. I wanted to go sit in on classes, but she nixed that idea. Kids. Just like to keep me guessing, I suppose.</p>
<p>Just to show you something more of the variety of Chicago students. Among my work colleagues, three (so far) have sent kids to Chicago. </p>
<p>One of these students, a former high school wrestler, joined a fraternity at Chicago and had a lot of fun (read: parties), while also benefitting from the "core." He just earned his PhD from Duke.</p>
<p>Two, my son, a high school debater, went to Chicago because he wanted to be IN Chicago, and made a point of getting well off campus at least once a week, while pursuing his penchant for professional sports, writing for two of the school papers, and not letting himself cut a rut in the walkway between his dorm and Regenstein library. He graduated with honors and got an excellent job with a major consulting firm upon graduation.</p>
<p>Three, a high school softball player, now pitches on the UChicago varsity, part of a team on which all of the young women find plenty of time for their studies and yet also have something going that is not exclusively "the life of the mind," as the Chicago saying goes.</p>
<p>The three mentioned all attended the same high school but in very different cohorts. They all have "academic" parents, but they show the kind of varied interests that you will find among students at Chicago.</p>
<p>Wow, Mackinaw, three people at your work sent/send kids to UChicago? That's amazing. I would be happy if people at my work even knew about UChicago! (S accepted EA and though we're waiting for April 1 admissions decisions for some other schools, it's likely he will go.) Do you live in the mid-West by chance?</p>
<p>Mini- thanks for your observations and perspective on this school. Very helpful. </p>
<p>Sillystring -- so glad to hear your D is happy!</p>
<p>Yes, I live in the midwest, and I teach at a college that's about 200 mi. from Chicago. The people I'm referring to are all in my own department.</p>
<p>I live in NYC. My experience has been that U Chicago gets far more respect from midwesterners, and Chicagoans in particular, than from residents in the Northeast. I'm going out on a limb here, but I bet the Californians have the same experience, what with Stanford and Cal Tech and Berkley in their backyard.
To a man, U of Chicago is practically hallowed ground to the natives of the Chicago area.</p>
<p>Point of reference: My D's HS, only a few miles (literally) from Harvard, sent 4 kids to Chicago this fall. Like mackinaw's experience, all these kids are very different, and all having a great time. And only one is the child of an academic, a Harvard prof. </p>
<p>While I don't think Chicago is a "status" choice around here - your kid is much more likely to get sympathy regarding the workload, I don't think it's lacking a reputation for academic quality. I think, OTOH, it is much harder for northeasterners to recognize the attractions of the city of Chicago, as all too many folks in this neck 'o da woods think there is only one City worth thinking about, and one "Athens" of the US. IMHO, their problem and loss, it just made it that much easier for my D to get into a great school.</p>
<p>I went to the U of I for my first year of graduate school (enough time to experience a house being torn off over my head by a major tornado that killed a number of people). My boyfriend and I visited Chicago frequently to see friends and go to blues clubs. </p>
<p>Although I am biased toward the "Country of the Coasts" - and with those nasty tricksie funnel clouds always lurking about, you midwesterners can just keep your golden rolling plains to yourselves, thank you very much - I consider Chicago to be the resplendent Axis Mundi of the US. I just love the city's high energy, it's ethnic and integrated neighborhoods, great restaurants, and especially the MUSIC. </p>
<p>S visited in October with his father and was impressed with the campus and the "small but intense" theatre department. He is attracted to the notion of the Core and likes the 'house' living arrangements. When I asked him to summarize his impressions of Chicago in camparison to other universities he had visited, he said "it was most like St. John's College." Stringfellow Barr, be proud. Life-of-the-mind institutions, unite. </p>
<p>Speaking from our family's #1 criterion for college selection, "Quality of Undergraduate Education," I would much rather see S attend Chicago than the USN higher-ranking schools to which he also applied.</p>
<p>I graduated from Chicago Law a LONG time ago. I have switched jobs several times. I have been shocked at the incredible name-recognition Chicago has. The degree has opened many doors for me, which I think is sort of silly after a certain point in one's career. It is the same for undergrad. It is a very intellectual place and a little intimidating at first (at least it was for me) but it is an awesome environment and our kids are adaptable and will thrive. That said, it would not be a good fit for my S- he needs more athletics and less "geekiness".</p>
<p>My son and I visited that week also but we did it on Wednesday when almost everything was being packed.</p>
<p>A few observations:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>It seemed different than other schools. When we walked into the Admissions office they addressed my son instead of me.</p></li>
<li><p>The information session was held at a large table with Isabel Garcia, an Adcom, sitting at the head of the table. No video, no Powerpoint presentation. Just and interactive session.</p></li>
<li><p>The took us through the class rooms and showed us a typical room. Our tour guide said that freshman classes are capped at 25.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>I found it quite interesting. My son also noticed the difference and liked the school. Then again it is very early, he liked all the schools he visited. I think it will become more clear to him as we progress through the process further.</p>
<p>I just wanted to share that my daughter called home today, very excited about a conference of some sort she attended at UChicago this weekend. She was one of only a few undergrads there and she got to hear one of her favorite scholars speak -- something about demons, which sounds weird but she is very interested in religions of the world (minoring in Early Christian Lit). Anyway, she was so pleased because after the formal presentation was over, there was a reception with small roundtables. She got to personally meet and talk in-depth to the speaker (I don't remember his name, but she has read several of his books). She also was introduced to an fellow attendee, who turned out to be another author she had read. She was excited to have the chance to talk to him too. My daughter has attended several of these types of events this year, and found them really worthwhile. Just thought I'd mention it, because this seems to be one of the great opportunities UChicago provides its students.</p>
<p>Shennie:
Regarding summer plans, I really don't think anything much is going on at Oberlin in the summer. I could be wrong, and obviously you'll check first. But I suspect you'll just be seeing an empty campus if you don't plan carefully.</p>
<p>CMU, on the other hand, has active summer sessions going on, so this may be a more profitable summer trip, I'd think.</p>
<p>Not sure why Oberlin is much different, as far as transport to a city goes, than Carleton is.</p>
<p>Bettina:</p>
<p>Wellesley seemed to us to be a pretty tough school as well.</p>
<p>Monydad: thanks for the comments. I know that summer is not the best time to visit most schools, but it is really the only time that is going to work for our family to visit the schools son is interested in. I am thinking that once he narrows down his choices we can make visits to his top 1-2 acceptances in the spring for him to make the final decision.</p>
<p>Chicago versus Penn? Interesting question. </p>
<p>Penn: better rapid transit access to downtown, and airport. Of course, there's a lot less in downtown Phil. than downtown Chicago.</p>
<p>Penn: More urban feel to the location. Since Chicago borders the Midway Plaisance (straddles it to some degree), has the lakefront nearby etc., it has more of an open, almost suburban feel.</p>
<p>Chicago: sits in its own commmunity, Hyde Park, which has been something of an oasis for years.</p>
<p>Now for my question: Given how different the two places are in so many other, nonphysical ways, could the same kid be happy at both?</p>
<p>That's a good question. My own question comes from the fact that I live near Penn and am very familiar with the campus, and the neighborhood....but I've never set foot in the city of Chicago! Personally, I've always been attracted to U of Ch based on what I've read of the academics and general ethos. But I've heard it's in a dangerous neighborhood, which is often said of Penn. Penn manages to have a nice Ivy campus feel despite being bordered by some questionable areas, and you're right about easy access to center city. So for me, it's a point of reference question, having never seen Chicago.</p>