Thoughts? Haven’t been on College Confidential for about 8 years, surprised and proud it is still up, but I thought it might be a good place to post this.
http://www.reddit.com/r/UpliftingNews/comments/315400/stanford_just_made_tuition_free_for_families/cpyyy8d
Flat what. This doesn’t jive with anything I’ve seen or heard. I wrote a response, and I’m going to copy it beneath:
" The data sheet you give doesn’t say that 70% of non-international students are white. International students made up 10% of the College in 2010 (more now–15%, I think), and white students were 42% of the whole–and 46% of US students.
The majority of students now receive financial aid, and due to the new policies adopted this year, all aid is grant-based.
Business school isn't just about management--there's a lot of theory (primarily sociology, but also economics and design) that goes into the function of businesses as well. The MBA program is just a way of teaching both the theory and application of these factors. Also, the College and the B-School are very separate entities, so that really doesn't factor into a discussion about undergrad.
Those numbers are taken from a study that really doesn't mean all that much? Why? Because it ignores students who go on to get graduate/professional degrees, which 70+% of Chicago students do. Since those students are more likely to earn more (esp. if they get a professional degree), not counting them is just ridiculous.
That premed statistic is just wrong. Also, weeding happens almost everywhere. Hopkins, Cornell, and Wash U are much more stringent about weeding out pre-meds than we are. If you're a pre-med and choose to go to a halfway selective school, you should expect a bit of weeding.
We now have engineering, specifically molecular (and it's the only program of its kind in the nation). And Big Data "testing" is statistics, not pure CS. We've had that here for years.
I've had maybe one class taught by a TA, so I'm guessing your brother was in the wrong classes. Besides, all College professors are appointed to the College, so they have to be interested in teaching if they want to be there. If they're pure research, they stay in the graduate Divisions.
The point of the Core is to teach you how to write and the basics of western thought. Why have a separate class when you can integrate the Western canon with your writing instruction? Furthermore, Chicago seems to believe that you should come into the university with at least the fundamentals of writing--how you could write the uncommon essay without those fundamentals boggles my mind.
Dangerous? Wow. Hyde Park is extremely safe, thanks to the UCPD, and Woodlawn isn't bad (but isn't great). Yes, occasionally there are problems, but that's what the blue lights are for. If you keep your "urban sense" on when you're walking around, you'll be fine.
The Quarter System gives you a pretty standard 10-week summer break (unless you choose to take more classes). And it gives you more overall classes over your four years (or three, which you can do, though it is difficult). Stanford, Northwestern, and Dartmouth all do it as well, so employers do know about it.
Limited nutritional options? There are multiple supermarkets (including a whole foods) in Hyde Park. And while there aren't any markets all that close, it's a short L right up to Pilsen, or Chinatown, or wherever you want to go. Besides, there are dining halls for a reason.
NYU is a top school, though I would find it difficult to make an argument for picking over Chicago (unless it's Tisch we're talking about here).
I haven't lived in NYC, LA, or SF, but DC seems to be pretty similar to Chicago in terms of class-mixing. In that there is a lot of it. Especially in parks and on public transit.
Every Chicago alum I've met has been extremely thankful for their degree, and wouldn't consider going anywhere else.
In closing, I’m sad that your brother apparently had a bad experience, but to all those out there, most people seem to enjoy their time here (jokes about fun dying or not). And most seem satisfied to elated about the effect of their degree.
And there would be those (me) who say that, for the most part, where you went still matters hugely (especially in finance, though as your anecdote stated, there are some exceptions to the rule)."