S25 is a rising sophomore and is just beginning the college search process. It’s very early (no test scores yet), so for now we’re just making a preliminary list.
Based on his interests and personality, the University of Chicago sounds like a good fit (especially the multidisciplinary core curriculum and the reputation for in-depth debate/discussion among peers outside of class). But, he prefers a college town over an urban setting.
Any suggestions on non-urban schools with similar vibe to the University of Chicago? Thanks in advance.
Columbia to me. But you don’t want urban. Maybe a school like UC Davis but it’s bigger and won’t have that exact vibe ??
I think you are early. Go see more schools in different settings - maybe not urban but of varying size in rural and suburban. You are a year and a half from needing a list…imho…and setting a bar like Chicago will be too high for 99% of people.
Swarthmore and Reed are both filled with intellectual students and often appeal to students who like University of Chicago. You may want to consider Williams which offers Oxford-style tutorials, “Two students. One professor. An in-depth conversation, fueled by intellectual curiosity and the spirit of debate, that takes place over the course of an entire semester.” Tutorials – Academics
I would also look at St. John’s College (campuses in Annapolis and Santa Fe) which has a curriculum built around “great books.” From their site: “The undergraduate program at St. John’s College (Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts) is centered on study of the liberal arts through intense reading and seminar-style discussion classes.”
sorry, but the answer is zero. Less than a handful of Universities maintain a Core Curriculum, and both Chicago and Columbia are urban. OTOH, many colleges have students who love to discuss/debate stuff outside of class.
I will agree with @tsbna44 - your kid is a rising sophomore, and it’s really too early to be focusing on such specifics. At this stage, look at much broader categories, like large/small rurban/rural, etc.
Between now and colleges applications, things can change drastically. You do not know which colleges your kid will be competitive for. There is no point talking about any colleges when you do not know what your kid’s GPA and tests scores will look like, what their achievements will look like, or what their interests are.
My kid as a rising sophomore would not have known what she wanted from a college, including the major. She only started getting a good idea when she had visited a few colleges, had developed more interests, and had a better idea as to her strengths and weaknesses, not to mention had a few achievements under her belt. I’ve mentioned elsewhere just how drastically her ECs changed between middle school and high school, but as a rising sophomore, it wasn’t clear whether this was a short-term or long-term trend. In fact, so much changed between then and now that, had you asked me, when she was a rising sophomore in high school, where she would be as a college sophomore, any guess would not have ben close to the actual future.
Just so you know, Hyde Park is really not that urban. Lots of row houses, not many tall buildings at all. It’s more of a suburban environment, while still being only 5 miles away from downtown. Definitely does not have a college-town feel though.
Depending on the why “UChicago”, you might take a look at William and Mary. Both kind of off beat nerdy students. It has an interesting core curriculum broken into different levels of courses, and Williamsburg is sort of a mix use partial college/partial tourist town
What is his definition of a “college town”? Mine is where (most) of the surrounding city takes on the identity of the university. Examples would be Madison, Ann Arbor, College Station, etc. Most, if not all, of my college towns get their aura from big time sports. I guess you could have a very small town be highly impacted by a local college (ex. Gambier and Kenyon), but that wouldn’t be a college town to me.
Yeah, Hyde park is tony. I almost feel uncomfortable when I go to U Chicago to visit my collaborators. Once you get out of Hyde park though, definitely urban.
No, but Chicago does have a duolopoly on the Core curriculum. So son needs to decide how important that it. (not to mention whether S has the grades to even apply in two years)
Son needn’t decide anything. They are going into tenth grade. This is 3 semesters premature and unneeded pressure on the kid who should focus on good grades,an out of school life (ECs) ahd a happy social life.
If the family travels, throwing in a quick self tour and walk/ lunch in the surrounding area is appropriate but only one or two per trip…not to dominate.
These kids have enough to worry about daily…college three years in advance is not something they need to think about now.
The art, math and science parts of the Core at UChicago are easily replicated at any college. The big difference between the humanities, social science, and civilization at UChicago vs other schools is that the are capped at 19 students and use the Socratic method. The format may be hard to reproduce, but the subject material will be similar.
You could look at Princeton. No core but Distribution Requirements in all areas. You have specialized programs like the Integrated Science Curriculum, Humanistic Studies, Reading Courses, Freshman Seminars, etc. It’ll be ‘no fun’ at times especially if you take ISC or Humanistic Studies as a Frosh. And it’s in a college town.
