<p>I don't know that much about UChicago but I hear it's such an amazing school! My cousin wants to apply but he doesn't know much about it. So please tell us the great things about the University of Chicago. </p>
<p>And please no negative comments or bad things about UChicago. Right know my cousin is just looking for the positive qualities about schools. Just good stuff right now!</p>
<p>Thanks :)</p>
<p>Most of your classes will be taught by outstanding professors. The great thing about is that most of the professors actually enjoy teaching the undergrads! At many other schools, you’ll find non-professors teaching a large percnetage of classes.</p>
<p>The faculty to student ratio is super good and there is huge opportunity to meet with professors outside of class.</p>
<p>Chicago is a world-class university, and shares with other great American universities a number of strengths: strong faculty across many fields, smart, interesting students, lots of chances for people to learn from each other, diversity in backgrounds and interests, tremendous resources supporting learning and research. </p>
<p>There are two related qualities that I think distinguish Chicago from the nation’s other great universities at the undergraduate level:</p>
<p>First, more than any other university, Chicago has a culture in which there is widespread agreement that what happens in the classroom (and in work done for courses) is vitally important, more so than what goes on outside the classroom. That doesn’t mean that no one cares about social things or extracurriculars at Chicago. People do care. But what they are doing in class is central to the experience of practically everyone there. And that isn’t necessarily true at the other top universities.</p>
<p>Second, there is a tremendous commitment to rigorous, but respectful debate. People shout political slogans at each other at Chicago less than anyplace else I know. No one, on the left or the right, thinks that’s ever appropriate. People really listen to one another and respond with careful logic and marshaled evidence. And they change their minds – even if only slightly – in response to good points made by others. Unfortunately, that’s more rare than it should be, but it’s deeply part of the culture at Chicago.</p>
<p>Chicago has had many famous faculty on the right and on the left, but none of them has ever been superficial or demagogic. And they talk to each other, across political divides. (For example, the Law School dean who hired Barack Obama to teach is a committed right-winger.)</p>
<p>I would note, too, that Chicago is on the whole more left-liberal than anything else – just like the rest of American elite universities – but it has stronger representation of conservative views than its peers, so discourse is more balanced. By “conservative,” though, I mean free-market libertarianism. Social or religious conservatives are a tiny minority, and barely noticeable.</p>
<p>Good things about U Chicago: relayed by my son:</p>
<p>(1) everybody works hard: it’s a rigorous institution when it comes to intellectual pursuit and academic excellence. Yet, it’s not dog eat dog. Students help each other out A LOT. They tutor each other. Help with home works and projects. Competitive grade grubbing is not common and frowned upon.</p>
<p>(2) Flaunting wealth is frowned upon. It’s very gauche to “act rich”. It’s not a pretentious place. So, if your idea of fun is to walk around draped in designer label clothes and armed with luxury goods, it’s not a good place. </p>
<p>(3) no dominance of campus culture by jocks and frat boys. However, depending on what you are looking for, this may be a negative.</p>
<p>(4) super accessible faculty members. At least this was my son’s experience.</p>
<p>(5) the fact that you could discuss hagel and buber at a drop of a pin in the middle of a drinking party and feel perfectly normal - not made fun of. Again, this may be a negative to some people.</p>
<p>From a post just 3 days ago from mynew favorite blog F*** Yeah UChicago:</p>
<p>I’m going to be a senior in high school and have been thinking about going to UChicago. Could you share some of your favorite things about the school?</p>
<p>1.Student body - You cant (well, actually you can) put a price tag on chance to meet the people youll at UChicago. I dont think I could imagine a place better than this for school, just because I dont think theres another place on the planet where everyone is so colorful and interesting, passionate, driven hilarious. The people here are so funny. </p>
<p>2.The classes - As someone who is currently dealing with course schedules at the University of Edinburgh (Im doing a year abroad), just trust me when I say that UChicago has the best selection of courses of probably any school ever. I took a class this winter called Wayward Shots: Alternative Aesthetics of the American West. I got to write a paper about the show Firefly. In Scotland? Next year Im registered for English Literature 2. ZZzzzzzzzz </p>
<p>3.Hyde Park - I was obsessed with Gilmore Girls growing up, and I think I actually cried for a solid hour one day (w/ full on shaking sobs) because I knew that Id never get to live in a super quirky small town. Hyde Park is kind of like the Stars Hollow of the southside of Chicago. I dont know how to describe it, but its true. Everywhere you go, youll recognize people. There are people on campus that everybody knows about (best example: tye dye guy). There are the infamous local haunts (Harolds, the Med). The sense of community is unbeatable.</p>
<p>4.Scav - Once a year, spring quarter, the student body goes from weirder to weirdest.</p>
<p>^ Firefly is an amazing show, just wanted to put that out there. Also, to keep things somewhat in topic, I heard that one of the Scav teams brought a LIVE LION to campus last year. Yes, apparently that is how awesome people at U Chicago can be.</p>
<p>Gilmore Girls ftw!</p>
<p>The buildings are great, looks like a midwest version of hogwarts.</p>
<p>(Now, where is Hermonie???)</p>
<p>Classes are huge, professors don’t care about you, peers are obsessed with studying, no social life, no community, no name recognition.</p>
<p>Give it a rest, collegechica7. Most people here, even (especially) when they are being critical, try to speak from some sort of base of knowledge and experience. What is yours?</p>
<p>Your question is very valid JHS, but it’s no use trying to engage these type of people in rational conversation. The best thing to do is ignore them: [don’t</a> feed the ■■■■■■ sign - Google Search](<a href=“http://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&source=mog&hl=en&gl=us&client=safari&tab=wi&q=don’t%20feed%20the%20trolls%20sign&sa=N&biw=320&bih=356#p=0]don’t”>http://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&source=mog&hl=en&gl=us&client=safari&tab=wi&q=don’t%20feed%20the%20trolls%20sign&sa=N&biw=320&bih=356#p=0)</p>
<p>UChicago’s “learning for learning’s sake” mentality draws me in the most.
I’ve read into their GE requirements, and I feel like it’s perfect for anybody who wants a solid, all-around education.</p>