<p>Hi everyone,</p>
<p>I had a thread like this around EA decisions time, but it seems to have gotten buried in CollegeConfidential madness. I'm Grace, and I am the Web Content Director for the Prospective Students Advisory Committee (PSAC) at the UofC. I am a second year double-majoring in Biological Sciences and Germanic Studies. For PSAC, I basically coordinate anything that happens on the web- write blog posts, update the facebook groups, answer questions for admitted students through ThickEnvelope (an admitted students' message board), and (most especially!) make sure you all get reliable information about the UofC from the students' perspective on websites like CC.
There are a lot of current students floating around CC, especially those of us from the Prospective Students Advisory Committee, who are definitely interested in answering student life, class, dorm, etc questions you might have, so feel free to post them here! I'll check back around once a day, and will try to answer everything I can. No, I do not know how much financial aid you are going to get, no, I will not chance you, and no, I do not know when decisions are coming out, but yes, I do know a lot about the University and would be happy to asnwer any of your questions. So, post away!</p>
<p>Best,
Grace</p>
<p>I had heard from some students on CC who attend Chicago that pre-med is extremely difficult at chicago. What's your take on this? Also, do you know what Chicago's pre-med acceptance rate into medical school is?</p>
<p>Is Chicago "easily" affordable? How did you manage (through a combination of scholarships, FAFSA, loans, etc) to pay for Chicago?</p>
<p>How's the community at UChicago? From the viewbook, blog, etc. it seemed like the house system was a pretty big part of student life and quirky, campus wide events like Scav Hunt were a big deal--and then I ran across a CC thread that made it seem as if everyone lived off campus, there was no larger campus community, etc. So, what's up with that? What has your experience been?</p>
<p>Does UC provide refrigerators in any of the dorms?</p>
<p>Are there any storage facilities for dorm supplies over the summer?</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>On pre-med: yes, it is difficult. I don't know the statistics for medical school placement, but the one thing that I can say is that it is NOT your education that stands in your way- the majority of people who enter as pre-meds decide to stop of their own volition, and wind up not going to medical school because they don't continue with the coursework, not because they don't get in. The University of Chicago is difficult, point blank. General chemistry and organic chemistry are really difficult courses, both in terms of volume of material and grading, and are required courses for pre-med students. A lot of people start out taking gen chem to prepare for med school, and a lot of them drop when they realize there will be a C (or a few Cs) on their transcripts. There is no pre-med major, so you'll need to integrate your pre-med classes with whatever major you choose- biology is easiest to balance with this, although a difficult degree in itself, but advisors are very supportive of those trying to balance a non-science major with pre-med curriculum.
Now that I've scared you, it's totally possible to be a pre-med at Chicago- I'm doing it! I poke myself in the eye just a bit during finals week, but it IS possible, it's just a lot of work. Your grades will reflect this, but keeping yourself in a good sphere for med school admissions here means trying to say on the Deans' List, which is a 3.25 GPA, and is totally possible to do, although the higher the better.
The health professions advisors here are amazing, and really helpful and encouraging to those interested in going to medical school or in to any of the health professions. Meeting with them is a really, really good idea, and most people I know that have decided to discontinue being a pre-med never did so.</p>
<p>On fridges and dorms:
Some houses have house fridges that you can use for temporary storage of food. This isn't the case in all dorms, though, so the best option is renting or buying a mini-fridge. There is a rental service that advertises and does drop-offs on campus, or you can buy and maintain your own- the rental service is nice, because you don't have to worry about storage or defrosting and they'll replace it if it breaks, but in terms of cost, it's better to buy your own- renting starts at around $40 a year, and you can easily find a decent used fridge to buy off an upperclassman for around that, or a new one for $80-100. As for storage, all dorms have (somewhat limited) storage space in their basements- most times you can store about 5 or 6 large boxes, which for most people is enough, during the summer. Students who live locally are often nice to those who are international or live far away by taking home most of their things over the summer to increase space.</p>
<p>On paying for it:
This sucks as an answer, but this varies. I have a merit scholarship and did not qualify for financial aid, but this qualifies as being easily affordable for my family. People make it work, and financial aid is traditionally quite generous, although does lead to some griping depending on your situation. The Odyssey Scholarship program has significantly lessened the burden for a lot of lower- and middle-income families, which is making the "affordability" factor seem a lot higher. I have several friends who are attending the University for little to no money out of pocket because of their financial situation; others with decent financial aid; others with no financial aid and loans; others with merit scholarships; and still others who can afford to pay out of pocket entirely. It varies, and I know that's vague, but really, that's the way it goes. Don't. Get. Your. Heart. Set. On. Anything. There are plenty of good schools out there, and yes, sometimes things are unaffordable. As much as I love the University of Chicago, it is not worth it to graduate with $100,000 in debt- if you are admitted, and once you get your financial aid package, it's soul searching time as to which school amounts to the best academic AND financial option for you and your family.</p>
<p>On community:
I'd say your portrayal of on-campus living pretty accurately depicts life at Chicago. The majority of students live in the house system for the first two years of school, and then it's pretty divided between those who live on an off campus. Living off campus is different from living on campus- while there is a way to be tied to campus community and activities, and people definitely do so, a lot of traditions and group activities are tied to the things you do with your house. Most students living off campus desire a sort of detachment from home and school that you don't really get in the dorms; it's definitely possible to live and feel like you're living independently in the dorms, but community and community activity is a big part of housing. I really like living in housing, and I'm planning to do so for my four years here. I'd say that my experience has definitely aligned with your first idea- that community life here is great, and that there are lots of ways to be and become involved in community, whether that's through your house, a recognized student organization, a religious group, team, etc etc etc. Let me know if I can be more specific! I think I may have been a little vague...</p>
<p>I feel that Chicago is a community of independent people, if that makes any sense. One could imagine that off-campus housing by choice equals complete detachment, but the ways gracello described are one way in which students stay attached to campus.</p>
<p>Also, my off-campus friends and I feel we have a better social life off-campus. We have the space to have people over and the use of a kitchen and dining room for dinners and parties. The best parties I've been to have been apartment parties hosted by and organized through various student clubs. So I think that the sense of community through those activities is quite vibrant.</p>
<p>I also feel like I've gotten to know a sizable slice of the undergraduate student pie, enough so that I say hello to a lot of people when I walk to class and such.</p>
<p>Hey there! I currently go to boarding school, and am pretty much dying from lack of a kitchen to use. Are there any undergrad dorm residency options that include kitchens? Suite/apartment style or whatnot? Would it be hard to have this freshman year?</p>
<p>Also, what can you tell me about the art program? My first priority in school is a pretty traditional, well-rounded education, but visual art is a huge part of my life.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>There are definitely kitchens available to you in most of the dorms- most (if not all- not sure on BJ and Broadview) have dorm or house specific kitchens that you can use. Some, like those in Snitchcock, are set up in a co-op system, where you can use the kitchen freely, but have to buy in to get fridge and/or cabinet storage space. Some of the rooms in the South Campus Residence Hall will have kitchens, but I am not sure if many of those rooms will be open to first years. Blackstone has small kitchens shared personally between two people in mini-apartments.
On arts: the visual arts are present here, but as is the case with some more traditionally creative majors (art, music, drama) on campus, the major itself is rather heavy on the academic side of life. There are art opportunities for all students on campus, though, regardless of major; you can take a painting class, photography class, become active as an artist or photographer for an on-campus publication, or do art projects through Festival of the Arts (FOTA) in the spring- for the most part, you need to provide your own supplies, and I am not sure how accessible studio space is to students who are not enrolled in an art class, though. However, many people on campus hold art as a passion, and all students that I know who started out passionate about art (either with or without an art major) have been able to keep up with it in whatever way they choose.</p>
<p>Current parent here: S got a merit award, which was larger than our financial need, so that's all we get. Our contribution as calculated by Chicago (and other private schools) as lower than our FAFSA EFC. As to the nitty gritty of how we are paying for it: 1) S had some small outside one-time scholarships which he used this year; 2) he is taking out Stafford loans; 3) he works on campus; 4) he works during the summer. He is paying a little over 50% this year, and will be contributing ~40% each year the rest of his time at Chicago. I went back to work PT after five years on medical leave.</p>
<p>That was the trade-off for him not taking a merit ride elsewhere. He thinks it's a fabulous deal.</p>
<p>We'll see how things go when S2 heads off to college in a year and a half.</p>
<p>gracello: If pre-med at Chicago is hard, why did you pick UChicago? (No offense. Just interested in the reasons.)</p>
<p>@lala- legitimate question. Basically, I chose Chicago because I really didn't have any idea what I wanted to do beyond thinking vaguely about med school, and I wanted to be in a place where I know I was going to fit in, work hard, and have lots of options. Yes, pre-med is hard, but I knew that going in to it, and wouldn't dream of switching schools (nor do I regret coming here) even knowing this- other things overshadow the fact that pre-med is hard, and I'd rather have hard courses and get stressed out every once in a while while being at the perfect school for me than get an easy A in chem any day.</p>
<p>Thanks for the answer, gracello and unalove. </p>
<p>Unalove, do you still feel part of the college community living off campus, or do you simply attend class and then do your own thing? Also, does the college have it's own culture distinct from the city? Or does everyone just disperse into Chicago to find entertainment?</p>
<p>On an entirely unrelated note, do either of you (or anyone else, for that matter) know how the college is re: differing sexuality? Are there groups, a community, etc.? Is it easy to meet other queer people? I'm gay and closeted at home, so this has a pretty big impact on my college decisions--I definitely plan on being out at school.</p>
<p>I'll let unalove answer her part of that question, but I'll be happy to answer the second part. I'd say that people at the UofC are extremely respectful and supportive of differing sexuality. For the most part, people here really don't care if you're gay, straight, bi, transgender, questioning, black, white, green, a cat, whatever- you can be as open as you like about yourself, and people will respect that. We have a lot of recognized student organizations and societies catering to GLBTQ students- Queers and Associates, our version of a gay-straight alliance, is popular among both gay and straight students, as is Queereligious, a group for GLBTQ students interested in any sort of religious life to get together and discuss the difficulties many have with their existing religious groups. The 5710 center, a center on campus dedicated to promoting the various ways in which our campus is diverse, has a lot of programs and support networks for students belonging to sexual minorities, and offers many "coming out" support groups and networks for students. Overall, the campus community is very supportive of GLBTQ students; my favorite example is from about two weeks ago, when the Westboro Baptist Church (famous, unfortunately, for hating everything, most especially gay people) came to campus to protest various things, they set up shop between the quads and one of the stereotypically 'manliest' fraternities on campus, whose brothers made a large sign to hang out of their window that said "Straight Huggin': No tolerance for intolerance", and danced in their underpants on their party porch to songs like "It's Rainin' Men" and "Tiny Dancer" in support of the mostly-GSA organized counter protest activity.
Most of my gay friends were not comfortable being out at home, but feel completely comfortable doing so on campus because... nobody really cares about it. Not in a negative way, mind you, but in an "ok, you're gay, that's great, but it doesn't define you in my mind" sort of way. If you want to be active in GLBTQ life, you definitely can, but you're also welcome to live completely normally on campus while just so happening to be gay. Most times it will probably go like this: "Hey, friend X, I'm gay." "Oh, cool, Friend Y, that's nice. Now... can you show me how you did problem 22 on the chem problem set?"</p>
<p>That sounds really great...especially compared to my current closetedness. Thanks so much for answering my questions and putting up with our general craziness! I really appreciate having the point of view of a real, live student and not just a glossy view book to go by. :]</p>
<p>Ajlangs:</p>
<p>I feel very much a part of the campus community, considering I spend 8-12 hours a day on campus, doing courses, activities, etc. What I also enjoy is the independence, the chance to make my own food, and the chance to have a lot of people over.</p>
<p>I'm still pretty much involved in my house, as I'm on the listhost and an associate member, so I can attend meetings, play on intramural sports teams, and so on.</p>
<p>Dorm living is terrific, but for some, it can get a little repetitive, especially after a year or two.</p>
<p>I agree with gracello about the LGBTQ situation, particularly since I know many who self-identify as such. Some love the 5710 facilities, others feel like hanging out with others of their orientation is unimportant. I believe there's at least one gay couple who are resident heads in the housing system, so the University is aware of setting role models and "mainstreaming" the gay couple. Also, everywhere I look I see queer this and queer that-- we have a lot of academics who are interested in queer issues, from literature, historical, cultural, and sociological perspectives.</p>
<p>Grace! Nice to see another person I know on CC! I lived next to you in the dorm as of last week.</p>