Stanford vs. University of Chicago

Colleges and Universities A-Z Stanford University
1

<p>I've been admitted to the class of 2013 to Stanford and University of Chicago. I'm having an extremely difficult time choosing between the two. While I'm posting this as a way to clear my head, I welcome any insight the rest of you have.</p>

<p>A little background... I'm from Ohio. I'm a good student, but not a genius and I have no particularly special achievements. I'm not athletic, though I snowboard and bike. I visited Stanford for the first time over Admit Weekend last weekend. I didn't have a great experience, but there were some good parts to it... I only visited University of Chicago for one day, on a Saturday, so I didn't really get to meet students or go to class or anything.</p>

<p>I don't know exactly what I want in college. I don't know what I'll major in, but I want to do something ultimately with environmentalism and sustainability. I need my life to mean something and the thing I'm most concerned about, and the thing I think we all need to be concerned about the most, is the future of the planet. For a while I considered engineering, but I'm not sure if that's the right job for me. I'm considering double majoring in Economics and either Environmental Studies/Sciences or Earth Sciences and ultimately attending Law School to practice Environmental Law. I may even pursue politics eventually. However, none of this is really solid; I may find that it isn't for me. I'm not a particularly math/science guy, although I'm good in both and I love both.</p>

<p>Stanford</p>

<p>Pros
-Huge endowment; one of the largest per student
-Better financial aid than University of Chicago (it would cost half as much for me to attend Stanford than University of Chicago)
-Excellent sciences; best environmental engineering program in the country, lots of undergraduate research opportunities
-One of the more environmentally conscious campuses
-I think a generally more liberal campus?
-More diverse campus...? Ethnically, anyway
-The foothills; lots of nature to explore
-Gardening!
-More housing options; ethnic theme houses and co-ops.
-Safer campus
-Good study abroad programs</p>

<p>Cons
-Although I've heard the weather is great, I like the seasons, so I don't see "Californian weather" as a definite selling point
-40% of the people are from California; I felt out of place there
-There seems to be an air of Californian snobbery about it? But this isn't necessarily fair, I met plenty of nice and humble enough people. Plus, at any top tier college this is unavoidable (I was originally aiming for Ivies) and in life in general.
-There seems to be a huge emphasis on sports. I'm not sporty, and I've always been bothered by condescending jocks.
-I felt out of place on campus. Perhaps it was homesickness, but everything seemed unfamiliar.
-I'm weary of the "Stanford bubble"--though San Francisco is less than an hour away via train, I hate feeling trapped. On the other hand, it could be a good thing.</p>

<p>University of Chicago</p>

<p>Pros
-Based on gut instinct, I felt good at University of Chicago. (It was a beautiful day and the architecture was awesome and I enjoyed relaxing by the lake.)
-Stanford's campus was beautiful, but unlike anything I'd ever seen. The palm trees were awesome and the Greco-Roman style architecture was great, but I have to admit I love collegiate Gothic Architecture.
-A very good friend of mine since middle school is going there. We're talking about rooming together. I'm not a particularly shy person, but I felt a little uncomfortable at Stanford. I'd like to have a support system and something familiar to hold onto--I worry about my happiness and mental health. Some say it's a horrible idea to room with a friend because it can destroy the friendship, and it's possible we won't even be friends in four years, but I have to admit college sounds pretty scary (which is funny because I've moved several times in my life so I should be used to it...)
-Great economics program; one of the best in the world.
-I'm from the midwest, so it feels familiar. I'm comfortable there
-Big city means I can get away from campus and explore something new. Not far away at all.</p>

<p>Cons
-Big city and Hyde Park means crime. If I'm smart I should be fine, I know this, and the campus has a good system in place, but I have to admit I don't want to feel afraid when I'm on campus. I should feel comfortable where I go to school, not worried about being mugged.
-Not as high endowment as Stanford. I'm worried about my financial aid. I know that it will go down (I confirmed this) but it's possible that if the Odyssey Scholarship Challenge isn't met I'll have to take loans, which I don't want to do. As it stands right now, it will already cost twice as much as Stanford.
-Rooming with a friend may be a bad idea; I should probably go somewhere on my own and learn how to stand on my feet and meet people, explore etc.
-No engineering. I don't know if engineering is right for me, but at Chicago it's not even an option.
-Not as liberal of a campus? Though to be truthful I think it's better to have both sides.
-Doesn't appear to be doing much in the way of the environment. There are some small initiatives, but it's not mentioned anywhere for doing anything significant.</p>

<p>So what to do? Do I go to University of Chicago, which felt more comfortable? Or is this unwise? Shouldn't I be branching out and experiencing something totally new? Did I have a misconception of Stanford? Some say UChicago has more intellectual discourse, which is appealing. Some say Stanford is more cutthroat and preprofessional, but then people say the exact opposite--that it's really supportive. All of the people at Admit Weekend and the Stanford people seemed super excited about Stanford, but I really wasn't. It seemed surreal. It seemed fake. It also seemed a tad too high energy and happy for me. (Some described it as the Disney Land of college.) They have the metaphor of the calm duck struggling under water. University of Chicago is where fun goes to die... </p>

<p>I really don't know how to make my decision. I'm worried about my opportunities to study abroad and research and money in general at University of Chicago. I feel more or less confident that I'd be happy there though (though this is based on absolutely nothing). However, I fear that I would still regret not going to Stanford (it's ranked higher in a lot of areas and it'd be a totally new experience with lots of resources on hand and no money issues). I fear going to Stanford and feeling completely lost (the campus is ridiculously large and the student body is a little larger than UChicago's). I felt really out of place and ignored at Admit Weekend. I met some cool people, to be sure, but then some seemed self-absorbed, closed off, arrogant, etc. (I had a bad experience with some people). Plus the whole thing was cheesy as **** and I felt like I was in 6th grade camp (I hate camp--I've had bad experiences with it).</p>

<p>If you've read this far, thanks. Thoughts, comments anyone?</p>

2

<p>I think you can fit in at either place, but after reading your post I think you should choose Chicago.</p>

<p>Chicago has PHENOMONAL academics. Arguably as good as HYP, for sure. There’s no doubt if you go there you won’t be missing out on anything. The only difference is Stanford has the name, which to some people means alot. See how much that matters to you, I guess?</p>

<p>Not many people turn down schools like Stanford , because they’re blind to the amazing reputations of these schools. But I honestly think you will get far better personal interaction with professors at the undergraduate level at Chicago. There’s no doubt about this in my mind. Now the weather, Stanford wins hands down.</p>

<p>Last year, my friend turned down MIT for Chicago, and she is INCREDIBLY happy. She loves Chicago and feels like she’s learnt more than any of her friends in the first year–including those at Princeton. MIT had the rep, but Chicago is growing substantially in reputation. Ranked in the top 10 best schools in the world now.</p>

3

<p>To me, Chicago is more about the brains, Stanford, the prestige (though both have plenty of both). For the pure intellectual type, I’d go to Chicago. It may be helpful to you that it’s somewhat familiar in landscape–when you’re in California, people think you’re insane to live anywhere else, but honestly, there are plenty of reasons to live in plenty of places. It’s very far away from your home and it’s very strange. Some people hate the Stanford Taco bell look. If you end up going to Chicago, you really should NOT room with your friend, though.</p>

4

<p>Yes, one of the first things I was considering was name recognition. The need to prove to people that I’m something has driven me my entire life because of bullying, self hatred, and insecurities. I’ve somewhat moved past that at this point and accepted that University of Chicago is a world class college. I’m simultaneously repulsed by the shallowness of going with name recognition, yet I’m compelled by personal insecurities (and the need to be “great”) to desire name recognition like that. I think, as far as personal growth is considered, choosing Chicago would be a big thing (because it would mean rejecting that disgusting competitiveness and egotism).</p>

<p>I heard (though I don’t know this for sure) that the matriculation rate is something ridiculous like 98%. I also heard that the reason Chicago’s acceptance rate is so high (30% vs. 7.5%) is due to the fact that it’s the “safety school” for many of the students who attend Ivy League, MIT, or Stanford. Supposedly the reason it’s not chosen often is because of the location: the weather is bad (for those who hate the cold) and the city (and Hyde Park) are dangerous. Also, it’s endowment is nothing close to Stanford’s. This is actually one of the thing’s holding me back at the moment. I want to save myself (and my parents) money, and Stanford has pretty much guaranteed my financial aid to stay the same because of my family’s income, but University of Chicago said already that my package will decrease (because my brother will not be in college in two years) and the Odyssey Scholarship might not pay out if the matching donations are not met by 2010.</p>

<p>I think it’d almost feel good to reject Stanford; to say I got in, got an excellent package, and then went to a “lesser” school which was paying me less… Part of me loves sticking it to the man and going against the status quo, while part of me wants desperately to be a part of said status quo. I always want the underdog to win… I almost feel compelled to choose University of Chicago because I feel so bad for it. But it would also be ungracious (I’d feel silly rejecting the offer Stanford is giving me, but then I feel ungracious rejecting any of these schools :). Plus, by that logic I don’t know why I wouldn’t be attending Oberlin or Swarthmore, which gave me similar financial aid packages and are lesser known liberal arts colleges.</p>

<p>This is the hardest decision I’ve ever made.</p>

5

<p>can’tdecide2013, first of all, congratulations on your admissions to two such great universities! I thought I’d reply because my son was admitted to both places, too.</p>

<p>First, the costs of college can make a big difference to the quality of your life after graduation. You say it will cost twice as much at the UofC and that FA might be less in future years. At Stanford, it is a priority to continue their excellent FA. Our S’s FA for his sophomore year will probably be better than this year, because of the effect of the economic downturn on our finances. That is a big plus for us. If loans are a possibility with U of C, you might want to do an online loan payment calculator to see what kind of monthly payment you would have after graduation. Maybe that will help you make up your mind. Not having a loan payment means you have more options after graduation.</p>

<p>My S started as a freshman this year at Stanford without knowing a soul there, and he has absolutely loved his experience so far. He didn’t have much in common with anyone in his HS, but has made many friends in college. He had visited the campus previously, so he didn’t go to Admit Weekend. He knew that it would have been an awful time for him since he hates all of the rah-rah stuff and going around in groups. It doesn’t matter a whit whether you are interested in sports at Stanford. Everyone does exactly what they want, and there is an enormous variety of clubs, activities and interests. The campus is huge, but most of the classes aren’t that far apart. The rest of campus is to enjoy when you feel like exploring. He runs a lot, and he feels completely at ease everywhere, off campus and on. We are from the Chicago area, and he has been on the UofC campus often. He doesn’t like the gothic, center-of-the-city vibe, and isn’t sure that he would have felt safe there. He has really liked all of his professors so far, and the academics are challenging and interesting. He plans a major in econ and has taken econ classes all 3 quarters so far. He feels completely at home there.</p>

<p>The UofC is a fantastic school, too, with incredible academics. Our S got zero FA there, though, so that helped him make his decision. You seem to really prefer UofC, and if your parents can afford to send you to there, I’m sure you’d be happy. However, you’d probably end up loving Stanford if you went there. Good luck with your decision!</p>

6

<p>Thank you for your responses everyone!</p>

<p>It’s interesting that two of you have mentioned that I seem to prefer University of Chicago. I wonder why that is. I showed this post to a friend, who said it seemed that I preferred Stanford. Perhaps it is surprising to simply have to compare the two in many people’s minds.</p>

<p>In my mind the two are so evenly matched.</p>

7

<p>Be sure and let us know where you decide to go!</p>

8

<p>cantdecide- The fact that you evidently tried to give a balanced list of pros and cons for each school, and tried to objectively present what you like about each place, but still unconsciously made it relatively clear that you prefer Chicago, is what tells me that UChicago is the right place for you. This is not meant as a criticism at all. I do not envy you your decision, and I respect the way in which you are trying to formulate an appropriate conclusion to your college dilemma. However, it seems fairly clear to me that, from your post alone, you will be happier at Chicago then you would be at Stanford.
On a side note, what exactly was it that you did not like about Stanford’s admit weekend? I had a great time there, but it might have been because I stepped out and hung out with the freshman in my dorm every night, rather than focusing solely on engaging in awkward conversations with other profros (although, to be fair, I definitely had my share of conversations with other pre-frosh)!
I also met a girl at SU who is in the same boat as you, except she got more finaid at UC than she did at Stanford.
I wish you luck in your decision! I’m confident that you will thrive wherever you end up. These schools didn’t admit you for nothing!</p>

9

<p>WHAT DID SHE DECIDE! ahhh . . .</p>

10

<p>My guess is she went to U Chicago, roomed with her friend, and got a great degree :)</p>

11

<p>Sorry for reviving an year old post guys, but hear me out:</p>

<p>I’m really intrigued by the OP, because we have almost identical career aspirations and interests. I too want to major in either environmental engineering or env sci and econ and am in the process of applying to both Stanford and UChicago…whether or not I get in though is a long shot. But I’m someone who wishes to get involved in varsity sports (not as a recruit though because I’m an international and the recruitment process is not something I want to go through amid all the senior year stuff!) and loves the social side of going to college. I’d be really interested to hear which school you chose to go to at the end and why…please take the time to reply if you can ! Thanks so much in advance…</p>

12

<p>Both great schools, really elite. S wins on location.</p>

13

<p>Funny story, possibly true:</p>

<p>In the 1950s, Stanford and The University of Chicago entered into serious merger talks. </p>

<p>Leland Stanford, Jr. University of Chicago, anyone?</p>

14

<p>tortoise, do you happen to have a link to the story? It sounds like an interesting story if that’s true.</p>

15

<p>I would be interested in a link as well, tortoise. I searched google and nothing comes up. There might be a chance you meant Northwestern instead of Stanford? That would seem much more plausible and many things come up on that search result:</p>

<p>[History</a> of the University of Chicago - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“History of the University of Chicago - Wikipedia”>History of the University of Chicago - Wikipedia)</p>

16

<p>I believe I heard of fleeting talks with Northwestern that went nowhere, largely because, at that time, UChicago did not consider NU to be a peer institution. The more serious dialogue (so I heard from old-timers who’d been around) was with Stanford. During the 1950s, the surrounding neighborhood was collapsing, jeopardizing UChicago’s pre-war pre-eminence. UChicago president Lawrence Kimpton (a Stanford undergrad alum) entertained an offer from Stanford to create a “Stanford University of Chicago” in Palo Alto. There was also said to have been a Mortimer Adler-led drive to relocate the entire university to Aspen, CO. </p>

<p>In the end, UChicago decided to stay put and, with the assistance of the Daley machine, raze the surrounding slums to create a kind of DMZ. Thus urban gentrification was born, a process that continues to this day as, some 60 years later, UChicago begins to re-approach its early-to-mid 20th century prestige.</p>