<p>So, now I hate to bring this up, but I'm quite frankly exhausted at having to explain on a daily basis that I'm NOT going to the University of Illinois at Chicago, but the University of Chicago - and that there's a difference. I even had someone say to me, "What happened? I thought you were smart." Ick. UChicago merits far more respect than that.</p>
<p>The U of C has been the only school I've wanted to go to for so long, but I occasionally envy my friend who's going to Yale - only because he never has to explain anything, if that makes sense. I know it sounds awful, but your self-esteem can take a hit after awhile, man. </p>
<p>Anyway, so the question I'm posing is this: Has anyone here experienced similar exasperation? And is this an accurate portrayal of how a majority of the world views the school I love more than anything? (I do live in Miami, and IQs are an estimated 10 points below the national average, not kidding.)</p>
<p>Dude, chill. Having <em>less</em> name recognition can be a nice thing in and of itself.</p>
<p>Sure, your friend at Yale doesn’t have to explain anything. But his going to Yale has, in many people’s minds, already explained enough about him. There’s a reason some Harvard students will say they went to school in Boston.</p>
<p>I know that it can be disheartening when you have to argue with people over what school you’re going to. Believe me, I lived in the Chicago area where plenty of kids went to UIC; I had to convince my high school college counsellor that the U of C existed. But cheer up! It’s a stupid reason, but it’s easier to meet and hang with people who dropped out, go to community college or crappy state school if you’re from Chicago than if you’re from Yale.</p>
<p>Anyone who does not know the difference between the University of Chicago, and the University of Illinois at Chicago is obviously not important and you should not worry about their opinion.</p>
<p>They probably believe the sun revolves around the Earth.</p>
<p>I think if we were to compile a “Top 10” list of topics of concern that repeatedly arise about attending U of C, the confusion about the name would probably rank #2 (#1 ranking would be assigned to the “Where fun comes to die” musings.)</p>
<p>Amongst academics, saying that one has attended U of C garners at least as much, if not more, respect than any other school. The same is true for highly placed individuals in professions in which U of C has made contributions which have had a significant impact on their fields (e.g., economics, business). For those in the trenches, those working in areas which are very unlikely to have been influenced by the thinkers of U of C (e.g., fashion design), and those whose contact with academia has been minimal, the “wow” factor is generally lacking and, as you have experienced, often replaced with a perception of being downright unprestigious. As with all communication, one must consider one’s audience when gauging likely responses to what one says.</p>
<pre><code> They aren’t even thinking about the Univ of Illinois at Chicago, they think you’re going to the Univ of Illinois, they’ve heard of that from sports.
I’m in the city, I’ve learned to respond “He’s in Hyde Park, at the University of Chicago”.
Meanwhile, the University was on Nova last night. The subject was developing new medicines from venom, venom from many different species including some endangered.
Funny, I didn’t know that knowing the existence of U of C was a necessary prerequisite to being an “important” person. My father had never heard of Chicago till I started applying to college and he was a regional manager for a Fortune 500 company. </p>
<p>There are two kinds of prestige: academic fame and social cachet. Chicago has plenty of the former and not enough of the latter. I think it has something to do with the fact that Chicago doesn’t produce as many doctors, lawyers, politicians and investment bankers as some of its peer schools. That doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s a fantastic institution though.</p>
<p>Well, I would think the good old folks at even the Wall Street Journal (the most influential and prestigious business journal) are important or know that the earth, in fact, revolves around the sun Just yesterday they confused the schools and made the correction today .</p>
<p>Dick Simpson is a political science professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. A Thursday U.S. News article about the Chicago mayoral election incorrectly gave the school’s name as the University of Chicago at Illinois.</p>
<p>trollnyc, I don’t see how the Wall Street Journal correction demonstrates any confusion about the identity of the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois at Chicago. I would have interpreted the error as mistaking the order of the propositional phrases in UIC’s full name; this might possibly have passed the editors due to recognition of “U of Chicago” and ignoring the rest.</p>
<p>And anyways, name recognition is a dumb thing to argue about. I didn’t know what Duke was until I watched the Dukes of Hazzard (Daisy goes to Duke). And yet I’m turning out fine . . .</p>
<p>EDIT: and for the record, University of Chicago at Illinois is a pretty sweet name. UChill . . .</p>
<p>Same issue for elite LAC’s (yes, believe it or not, many haven’t heard of Amherst or Williams) and even some smaller ivies (e.g. Dartmouth). U Penn is also commonly confused with a state school, and CalTech with Cal Poly. The fact is, those who matter know, although having people implode when you mention that you attend Harvard must be kind of a trip.</p>
<p>Dad2 is absolutely right. As an Amherst alum, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to explain that I went to Amherst College, not the Amherst campus of the University of Massachusetts. Employers and graduate schools know.</p>
<p>My son (2nd year) actually likes the fact that U Chicago does not have an instant name recognition among the “normal” folks. He said it’s much easier to move in out and out of any kind of circle without having the “guarded” reaction from people when they hear ultra elite school name. </p>
<p>On the other hand, people he actually needs to impress (interviewer for internship, etc) have plenty respect for the institution.</p>
<p>I get the impression people hear S goes “to university in Chicago” as opposed to “University of Chicago.” For the general population it’s still the standard “it’s very cold and/or windy in Chicago” response. When you talk to high school students/parents, once you get past the initial Loyola? from the Catholic school ones, Northwestern? from the private-preppy non-denominational ones, and Urbana-Champaign? from the engineering types, I’m getting more and more of the raised eyebrows/that’s a very good school kind of response.</p>
<p>This is so annoying to me right now. I got into UChicago recently, and when I told my career counselor she was like “Why would you want to go there (over UCLA)?” I was like… o___O</p>
<p>I didn’t even realize she probably didn’t understand it was like a top 10 school until later. But then it KEPT happening. My boss/former teacher is obsessed with the idea that I MIGHT get into Columbia. When I told her I got into UChicago she just waved her hand and was like “Tell me when you get into Columbia.” ***? Hahaha.</p>
<p>My relatives thought I was talking about University of Illinois (which my grandpa went to.)</p>
<p>When I got into UCLA everyone was coming up to me and congratulating me. No one has come up to me about UChicago. I don’t care, I still want to go there extremely badly. I’m not going to turn down a school because it doesn’t have name recognition, but it’s still annoying when my TEACHERS think I’m a ■■■■■■ because I would rather go to Chicago than UCLA.</p>
<p>Ironically, the only people who are even happy for me are like my friends…hahaha. Fail.</p>
<p>The only reason that anybody here knows about U Chicago (nobody at my school really even applies to top schools like Chicago, Ivies; there’s not much knowledge of colleges beyond mid-level LACs and state schools) is my Econ teacher - he’s very knowledgeable about Econ and mentions Chicago every once and a while when talking about different developments. Besides him, and other people in Econ…I don’t think anybody has any clue what U Chicago is.</p>
<p>as many people have already noted, while uchicago doesn’t have the instant, universal name recognition associated with, for instance, harvard, people in academia and business (i.e. those who it eventually becomes important to impress with your academic credentials) are very aware of it. at the high school level, though i get the sense that very few of my classmates have heard of uchicago, i have received many congratulations from, among others, the guidance counselors (who were surprisingly impressed and excited…apparently it’s been awhile since someone from my school’s attended/been accepted), my english teacher, who went a bit berserk and rattled off some statistic about nobel laureates to the class, and my physics teacher. </p>
<p>i have also heard multiple times from multiple sources that name recognition and prestige for uchicago is actually much stronger internationally than it frequently is domestically. first nuclear chain reaction, economics, etc. this seems a bit strange, honestly, but i’m not completely surprised, and it may be some solace to you. </p>
<p>on the other hand, uchicago is a fantastic school, regardless of whether your friends and family have heard of it, which is what really matters.</p>