Questions about Chicago (life and such)

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Chicago ✅
1

<p>Hi, I’m a current junior and I am looking to apply to the University of Chicago next year. I have some questions, and if anyone could answer them, I would appreciate it.</p>

<li><p>How does Chicago weight teacher recs.? Of course, everything is counted, but for example, a high school transcript will count more than say, SAT scores. My problem is that while I have REALLY good relationships with my English/social studies teachers, I don’t with my math/science teachers because I don’t go to AMCs and think Newton is God. I don’t think any of them would write anything more than just a “standard” letter. When it’s time to apply, should I just pick the teacher who teaches the harder subject? (AP classes over academic classes.)</p></li>
<li><p>Does Chicago provide free heating? Especially in the winter? Also, does it provide free A/C around the summertime? Or should you bring the weird sauna fan and … a regular fan?</p></li>
<li><p>How long can you study abroad for? If it makes a difference, I want to major in international relations. How will Chicago help me with plane fare/housing/spending allowances for food, books, clothes, etc. (since I won’t be able to work in <em>insert foreign country</em>)?</p></li>
<li><p>What’s the truth in “where the fun goes to die?”</p></li>
<li><p>From the pictures/brochures I’ve seen (I can’t visit unless I am accepted due to money problems), Chicago has a very beautiful side. What is its ugly side (aesthetically)?</p></li>
<li><p>Tell me about dorms. Are bookshelves/desks provided? Is there a closet? Are the bathrooms clean? Trash in the hallways and on the lawns? RAs evil? Can a “friend” spend the night? How are the beds? Are they twin size or larger/smaller? Are the mattresses old and stained? And how thin/thick are the walls? I like to blast Keane and Sara Bareilles. I’m sure the kid who loves megadeath will not appreciate.</p></li>
<li><p>Will Chicago rip me off? That is, the bookstore selling a used textbook for only 10% off and things of that sort. Also, my FAFSA EFC is zero. Will Chicago honor that or recalculate it?</p></li>
<li><p>How are the prices/quality of surrounding shops and stores? I’m used to a dollar for a cup of ice cream and two-dollar sandwiches (these are from friendly community shops, not chains like Starbucks), if you want something to compare with.</p></li>
<li><p>Does the core really help you, or is it just annoying? Do you think it makes your college experience more stressful than need be?</p></li>
<li><p>How many classes (on average) do people take a quarter? What would you say is the average night of homework (excluding studying)?</p></li>
<li><p>My best Chicago experience is _<strong><em>. The one thing that has made me wonder if I should have gone somewhere else is _</em></strong>.</p></li>
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<p>Thank you so much! You guys are really helping me with my college decisions!</p>

2

<p>I'm a member of the class of 2012, so I can't cite direct experience. Most of this is hearsay.</p>

<p>As for #1, Newsweek.com:</a> Society: Inside The Admissions Game gives an insider's perspective on U(C) admissions. Libby Pearson got in with only one teacher rec; the adcom will 'weight' what they feel is the most important and strong part of your application.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>From what I've heard, most RAs are liberal and understanding. The residence halls are all pretty clean, though some are older than others. Housing</a> - University of Chicago Housing & Dining Services will tell you all about housing, and some houses have websites, so you can look at room layouts and maybe even some photos. If the sites are up, which they never are...</p></li>
<li><p>Most current students on this board enjoy and value the Core, though some HUM/SOSC classes are more rigorous than others. You could search for course syllabi on the Chicago website to judge possible annoyance factor for yourself. Personally, I think reading- and writing-intensive courses examining foundational texts are enriching and necessary. If you have any doubts about your fit with the curriculum, then you should consider applying to Chicago carefully because the Core is 1/3 of your courseload.</p></li>
<li><p>Most people take 4 courses each quarter, I think. The minimum is 3.</p></li>
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3

<ol>
<li><p>Teacher recs:Talk to your guidance counselor about what you think you should do, but I would say go for the teacher of the harder subject. As a current student, I have no involvement in admissions mechanics, so I don't like answering these sorts of questions.</p></li>
<li><p>Heating/Cooling: Heating is free with tuition and room and board. Only Max P has A/C (the new dorm that will be up by your first year will have it too) but dorms that don't have A/C don't have much to complain about. You don't really need it. </p></li>
<li><p>Study abroad and financing options: I don't think there's a maximum number of study abroad programs you can do (as an IS major, you're required to do one) and I have friends who have done two and one friend who went abroad for an entire year (three quarters). Financial aid does transfer to study abroad, but how other living expenses are worked out... I don't know.</p></li>
<li><p>What's the truth in "where the fun goes to die?" If you want to not have fun, nobody's going to force you, but I think what's largely misundestood that this is a slogan that we created to make fun of ourselves, and WFCTD t-shirt is probably the most popular unofficial shirt sold. President Zimmer and trustees are trying to get rid of it, which is an understandable but foolish move, as they'll be alienating lots and lots of undergrads who won't be able to buy their shirts anymore. Yes, Chicago kids party, go to movies, go downtown, etc.</p></li>
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<p>Then again... if you're looking for an absolutely raging party scene, look further.</p>

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<li><p>From the pictures/brochures I've seen (I can't visit unless I am accepted due to money problems), Chicago has a very beautiful side. What is its ugly side (aesthetically)? Pick hall, as one architectural guide put it, is like a suit that came back from the tailor and still had chalk marks on it. Other than that, I would say the "ugly side" aesthetically are areas west and south of campus, in neighborhoods Woodlawn and Englewood. There is almost nonexistent student interaction with these neighborhoods, but if you're worried about safety, run a search on this forum for past threads... a lot of virtual ink has been spilled on this one.</p></li>
<li><p>Tell me about dorms. Are bookshelves/desks provided? Is there a closet? Are the bathrooms clean? Trash in the hallways and on the lawns? RAs evil? Can a "friend" spend the night? How are the beds? Are they twin size or larger/smaller? Are the mattresses old and stained? And how thin/thick are the walls? I like to blast Keane and Sara Bareilles. I'm sure the kid who loves megadeath will not appreciate. Nice, yes, yes, yes, no (lots of cleaning crews in and out of the dorms), mattresses are decent (get a nice and think mattress pad, the most expensive one your morals let you, and you'll feel like you're staying at the Ritz-Carlton), depends on the dorm. A lot of kids like to play their music loud anyways.</p></li>
<li><p>Will Chicago rip me off? That is, the bookstore selling a used textbook for only 10% off and things of that sort. Also, my FAFSA EFC is zero. Will Chicago honor that or recalculate it? College is really expensive, and the textbook market is horrific. I don't know much about FA, but I believe Chicago honors FAFSA.</p></li>
<li><p>How are the prices/quality of surrounding shops and stores? I'm used to a dollar for a cup of ice cream and two-dollar sandwiches (these are from friendly community shops, not chains like Starbucks), if you want something to compare with. There's a good deal of cute and collegiate mom-and-pop ness (Medici, Istria, Third World Cafe, etc.), but they are far more expensive (5-6 dollar sandwiches?). Including the bookstore, there are three Starbuckses in HP, but that's because we're a coffee-obsessed bunch.</p></li>
<li><p>Does the core really help you, or is it just annoying? Do you think it makes your college experience more stressful than need be? I'm think of the SNL skit "Men on Film": "Loved it!" I think core is quite wonderful, and I would expound upon why, but it sort of deserves a post and a thread of its own. Maybe later.</p></li>
<li><p>How many classes (on average) do people take a quarter? What would you say is the average night of homework (excluding studying)? 4 or 3 (usually 4). How much time you spend on homework is highly variable, depending on your major, your classes, and if you're the kind of person who reads every sentence of the 100-page reading or if you're the kind of person who skims it and says, "That'll do." I probably put in about 20 hours a week of work for 13 hours of classes.</p></li>
<li><p>My best Chicago experience has been watching the sun come up over Lake Michigan with my friends. (Hokey, and not academic, but there it is). Maybe my second best Chicago experience is writing a five-page paper on three sentences in a short story. The one thing that has made me wonder if I should have gone somewhere else is that I fantasize about hills and forests on a near-daily basis, something which Chicago has none of.</p></li>
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4

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<li><p>Ugly? I like the Reg (library), but Max (dorm) is just overwhelmingly awful from the outside. There are some so-so 50's buildings on campus, but nothing actively ugly. As far as the city goes, the general architecture is some of the most interesting and diverse I've seen. The only thing I could call ugly is in a way aesthetically beautiful – blocks and blocks of abandoned or burned out apartment buildings on the southwest side.</p></li>
<li><p>The University Bookstore is average, so yes, they will rip you off. However, getting used textbooks independantly can be a fine deal, and if you are not an econ or science major, you won't need many textbooks. Classes tend to use readings and actual normal paperbacks, which are reasonable at the Seminary Co-Op bookstore (usually $10-25, avg 3 books per course, easy to find cheaper used).</p></li>
<li><p>Ice cream and coffee aren't terrible at the dining halls, so they are effectively free. Hyde Park is average outer-city. Coming from San Francisco, this felt normal. There are crazy cheap chicken and sandwich places that look pretty clearly like holdovers from the 50s and some moderately nice restaurants.</p></li>
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5

<p>SCOMathmo -- thanks for the links and advice!</p>

<p>unalove --
2. Haha, thanks for that tidbit.
4. Thanks for that information. Sadly, I know no one who goes to Chicago, so I have to rely on what everyone on the Internet says.
7. Yay! Thanks for that bit about the FAFSA, I've heard Chicago gives bad FA so I was a little worried.
11. Haha, thanks for that.</p>

<p>kodama:
6. Thanks for the info.!
7. Ooo, nice to know there's free ice cream.</p>

<p>Thanks everyone!</p>

6

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<li>the girls</li>
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7

<ol>
<li> Chicago does not use FAFSA EFC. You need to go to an online calculator and compute your EFC using the "Institutional" method based on the CSS/Profile, not the "Federal" method based on the FAFSA. It may or may not make any difference, but you should check it.</li>
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