<p>Haha JHS. I teased D that she had seen so many episodes of Sex and the City that Barnard was the only place to give scope to her sartorial experiments. Glad to have you back.</p>
<p>D also dressed S for Williams. He couldn't care less. She called him "College Ken." Don't know if he wears any of the wardrobe she planned.</p>
<p>I guess Chicago's dress code goes all over the spectrum. I'm a jeans and plain t-shirt kind of person, and everything I own is Gap, Old Navy, or American Eagle-- on sale. A lot of my female friends like to dress up-- I guess in a way that could be called "preppy" or "arty"-- and a few of my male friends do collared shirts from Abercrombie/Hollister.</p>
<p>What I like about Chicago is that there are no expectations for how to dress or how much time and money to devote to clothing. New York has always been about dress-- I guess Barnard is not much of an exception.</p>
<p>unalove, Preppy? First the core gets diluted. Then the common app comes. Then the place discusses adding engineering. Now students dress preppy? </p>
<p>Next a name change to Northwestern South Side?</p>
<p>(just kidding...)</p>
<p>This is such a "it depends" thread, but I'll add my two cents.</p>
<p>DS had a very difficult time deciding between Michigan and Chicago. In the end he chose Michigan and is finding it be very similar academically to what he perceived the Chicago experience would offer.</p>
<p>For example, he loves Math and is taking Math 295, Honors Math. He has found that it is, in essence, the same class as Chicago's Math 20700, Honors Analysis. It uses the same textbook (Spivak) and is even taught by a Chicago PhD, whose previous teaching position was at Harvard. The students in his class are all intensely interested in math and have vast amounts of experience in math competitions, etc. His Great Books Class, taught by H D Cameron, is very much like what you would expect to find at Chicago. Add Honors Physics, Honors Philosophy and Jazz Piano taught by Geri Allen and you have as challenging a freshman cirriculum as you would find anywhere. </p>
<p>However, DS knows kids who have so "dumbed down" their course load that they could be at any third tier school.</p>
<p>My point being, one person might say that (academically) Michigan is very similar to Chicago and another might totally disagree - and both would be correct.</p>
<p>That illustrates a point I was trying to make above: Michigan is a great university, where a motivated student can easily put together an academic program that's challenging and stimulating, and find other likeminded students. It's not "the same" as Chicago by any stretch of the imagination -- the parties and sports are better, the bus rides to anything you want to do that's not in the neighborhood are longer, and EVERYONE isn't on the exact same page about academics -- but it is a reasonable alternative for many students who might like Chicago but who want to look at alternatives, too. The two colleges are completely different, but on important levels plenty similar, too.</p>
<p>What you pointed out, though, SBDad, is something I wish more people paid attention to. Yes, you can get a bang-up quality education at Michigan, and it could exceed the one you get at Chicago. At Michigan, the super-challenge courses might be more unusual for an undergraduate student, but they are indeed there and students do indeed take them. I know somebody who turned down Yale for a full-ride at Michigan and could not have been happier with the rigor of his undergraduate education.</p>
<p>DS sat in on Math 295 when he visited and was very happy with it. Michigan offers some very nice specialized majors within the math dept., and for those who are willing to seek it out, there seems to be ample opportunity for a really challenging education there. Michigan is probably the biggest surprise out of the schools DS considered -- I figured it was too big and too sports-driven for him to even consider it. However, the things he considers important were alive and well at both schools.</p>
<p>Another reason why it's important to do one's homework in researching schools!</p>
<p>Ditto! D sees academic and research opportunities at Michigan as overshadowing the rah rah thing. It's not Chicago, but she thinks it could be an ok alternative...of course, it could be just as hard to get in there as an OOS.</p>
<p>timely comments for us, too about Michigan and Chicago. We visited last week, D loved them both. I was pretty sure she'd love Chicago, not quite sure about Michigan, even though I had urged her to give it a serious look --and I might even be considered traitorous for that, as I'm a Mich State alum :). I thought the rah-rah AND the size might be a turnoff for orchestragirl, but she picked up a vibe that for her, also overshadowed (iin a good way) all that. She felt a really nice, positive energy during her visit. Her comment to me was, "I think Michigan might have the total package." </p>
<p>So both schools have made her final list and are neck and neck at the top (and Michigan is OOS for her as well). IF she gets accepted to both, it will be interesting to see what happens....</p>
<p>One can find great academic experiences at many universities, state or otherwise. The main difference is one must seek it out, whereas at Chicago it is often thrust upon one.</p>
<p>I gotta agree with idad after talking with my first year today! And he's done a little probing for extra and all sorts of stuff seems to be tumbling his way.</p>
<p>Many schools for many styles, but my s finds Chicago is working for him.</p>
<p>For the people comparing Michigan and Chicago- <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=130452%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=130452</a></p>
<p>Thanks, warblersrule -- that thread was from "before my time" but I'm glad to see it now, as it's just as applicable now!</p>
<p>I thought it might be high time to bump this thread, given that it seems like FA estimates are coming out and some are less than pleased with Chicago's pricetag.</p>
<p>I think these schools have been mentioned before, but I'd like to plug Beloit, Earlham, and Knox as schools that are intellectual and are poised to give merit aid to students with Chicago qualifications. I've met students and alumni from all three schools, all of whom have impressed me and all of whom had good things to say about their schools.</p>
<p>Beloit's preferred application deadline for regular is Jan. 15, Knox is Feb.1 Earlham's is Feb. 15. You still have time!</p>
<p>If a city is a must, check out Eugene Lang College at the New School (in New York), and if you're a female, Simmons College in Boston. Lang definitely fits the "quirky" mold, and a friend of mine who attended was in love with his classes, his professors, and (of course) the city. Another of my good friends is at Simmons in the honors program and also couldn't be happier. Both schools have Feb. 1 application deadlines.</p>