<p>Chicago is probably pretty intense academically (though having not experienced any other schools, I can't really confirm it). I wondered if I would be prepared, coming from a school where my guidance counselor had never heard of UChicago. I wasn't worried about doing really poorly, but I came in expecting to get a mix of A's and B's with a lot of work. I ended up doing much better than expected.</p>
<p>I am also really amazed at how grades are so unknown here. I know the GPA of exactly one other person at this school, and a lot of the people I know are the type you'd expect to bring that sort of thing up (i.e. those planning on law school). I've been asked my GPA once in four years. In fact, the topic came up one time when I was with some friends and a student an Ivy was visiting. He really wanted to know one our GPAs. Everyone sorta looked around awkwardly when he first asked, since such a question never happens here. He was pretty pushy with the question, and the whole group consisted of pretty good friends, all of whom I think probably have pretty good GPAs (based on success with various applications/internships/etc), but after about five attempts to get a GPA response, someone else changed the subject. Occasionally people will ask about a grade on a specific assignment, usually either because they are just making conversation (i.e. they saw the person working on the paper previously), or because of a shared assignment. But overall GPA stuff never comes up. Most people find out that friend got major honors/awards by reading about it in a campus publication.</p>
<p>What Maroon8 describes is exactly what things were like when I was at college decades ago (not at Chicago, but one of those single-initial places). One of my freshman roommates may have tried to talk about grades a couple of times, until even he realized it would turn him into a social pariah if he kept at it. I knew some people got good grades because the junior Phi Beta Kappa list for our college got posted outside the dining room, and because honors were listed in our graduation program. I knew two people had bad grades -- one because he was an athlete in my entryway, and something of a collective effort was needed to help him avoid flunking out, and another because we had been friends since we were 3 years old (although we rarely saw each other in college), and one night, very drunk and high, he decided to tell me how hard a time he was having academically and how crappy he felt about himself.</p>
<p>At graduation, I learned that a girl with whom I had been friendly since we were freshmen had the highest grades in our class. I had had no idea about that previously. I knew she was smart, but so was everyone else. I learned that my girlfriend/future spouse, and one of my roommates, had good grades from the junior PBK lists; otherwise, I would never have known that, either.</p>
<p>My daughter is in her second year at U of Chicago. In high school she was totally non competitive with the other top students and could care less how she compared to them grade wise or in any other way. She continues to be that way at Chicago. She never talks about grades with anyone else or compares herself to them ( although I know that she is almost a totally A student there which I can't say was the case in highschool ). The difference is that she is stimulated to learn at Chicago. She has always been very quiet, yet at Chicago she has a wonderful social life that suits her. There are all kinds of students there and it apparently is easy to meet people and socialize with those that you are comfortable with. My daughter is musical and now she sings in three choirs at the school. She totally enjoys the city of Chicago and takes frequent advantage of the many opportunities and places the city has to offer. It really is a wonderful school. Definitely check it out in person before making a decision because your view of the school really is not accurate in my opinion.</p>
<p>MSHP: (I hope I got that right. I've been having a dyslexic morning!) Have you thought about deferring enrollment to UChicago and taking a gap year? You could hold your spot there and take some time to get yourself on a more even keel, then head to college. Furthermore, you could earn some $$ to help pay the tuition difference between U of I and UCHicago. </p>
<p>I didn't bother reading the posts on this thread, but I would think that you have the wrong impression about UChicago (probably said already). At UChicago, students like to learn. To them, it's not about the grades. It's about the learning experience. It's academically intense because of that. That difference has to be made clear. </p>
<p>If you're more of a chill laid back person that wants to keep school out of conversations...well I can't really speak of UChicago, but I'm sure there are different schools that may fit your personality better. I'm sure school doesn't fill up the conversations outside of the classroom, but they do play a role. It's not about "oh what grade did you get?" It's about discussing what's going on in class. I'll tell you, being at a school where grades are the most important thing, you see a school like Chicago where students discuss what they are "learning," that's what makes me want to go to UChicago. I'm sure I'm like you. I'm a chill laid back guy, but I don't like learning for the grades. However, I am more than willing to talk about things I'm learning in class if it helps me learn things better.</p>
<p>The big thing I'm trying to say...I guess about myself...I like to learn things rather than do things just because.</p>
<p>Anyway, I kind of went on a tangent. To sum up, I think you've got UChicago measured all wrong. I like your username. Malmsteen is pretty awesome.</p>
<p>CM does not have more opportunities in math - certainly in engineering and finance, but not math...if you are intent on pursuing math as an academic career (which may change while you're in college), go to UC.</p>
<p>Though I've not posted anything in the past week or two, I've been reading through this thread nightly in order to get a sense of what I'm really getting myself into in a few months.</p>
<p>Everything everyone has said has helped immensely, and I hope that your statements can be buttressed and augmented by my visit to the university in early April. Thank you.</p>
<p>And yes Yngwie Malmsteen is pretty damn cool.</p>
<p>I think you'll find your visit in April extremely informative. Talk to people, talk to people, talk to people, both in admissions and on the quads. Just go up to people, say hi, and see what happens. Seriously. Even if you make a fool of yourself, it's important for you to get as many points of view as possible. I think you'll find that students will be refreshingly candid about what they do and don't like. Try to really seek out as many points of view as possible, an econ major and Alpha Delt brother is going to have a different take on the school from say, an Anthro and Judaic Studies major in Hitchcock.</p>
<p>You should also visit classes to see what the classroom dynamic is like. To me, the selling point of the school is its academics and what ultimately made the U of C skyrocket to my first choice was a classroom visit. It will be early in the quarter, so I can't promise that the students in the class have warmed up to each other yet. If you want, PM me and I'll sift through timeschedules and advise you on what classes to visit and what profs to talk to. With a classroom visit, you'll get an idea of what <em>exactly</em> we mean by academic rigor and how U of C students tend to treat the material at hand and each other. I can nearly promise that you'll like what you'll see, and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by it.</p>
<p>At lunch, make sure to sit at a house table (i.e. one with a plaque on the side). If you eat at Barlett, that means sit at the long tables, and not the small ones on the sides.</p>
<p>During the day, the best student hangout spots are probably right outside of Cobb, by the C-bench, and the C-Shop and Hutch Commons in Reynolds Club. You can even just sit at one of the tables outside of Cobb and eavesdrop. The best place for people-watching, IMO, is Reynolds Club, by the seal. You can take a seat on the side of the steps up to Hutch and just listen and watch.</p>
<p>My daughter is about to graduate from UChicago. I can tell you for certain that students in her circle, while achievers, do not sit around and discuss their grades, GPAs, achievements, etc. I think her first three years, while not laid-back, were less stressful than this year (because this year they are applying for grad schools).</p>