U Chicago v. Georgetown v. Barnard

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Any advice for choosing among these three?</p>

<p>Our daughter has been accepted at all three, and so far really likes U Chicago. (She's looking for basic liberal arts education -- no major identified at the moment.)</p>

<p>We know DC and Georgetown pretty well, but don't really know much about Barnard or Chicago.</p>

<p>Have heard that Chicago is excellent (world class in fact), but also that it is "where fun comes to die". We don't want her to jump into an academic pressure cooker at the expense of a school like Georgetown where you have opportunities to both study hard and to play hard.</p>

<p>Barnard is a different animal altogether, we guess, but the connection to Columbia would be great, especially if she gravitates toward journalism at some point.</p>

<p>Any perspectives would be much appreciated!</p>

<p>Thanks in advance!</p>

2

<p>Also got in here, and now coonsidering as well.</p>

<p>Any perspectives much appreciated!!!!!</p>

3

<p>bumpin for ya</p>

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<p>Chicago isn't that bad. Fun doesn't go there to die. That said, I went to Chicago, but was extremely interested in attending Barnard (didn't apply- went to Chicago ED). U Va would be great academically and financially (if you are in-state, which I assume), but it would be different socially from Chicago and Barnard. Barnard is supposed to be more nurturing, especially the first two years. Well, I like New York much more than Chicago, so regret not going. In the liberal arts, they both should have everything she could possibly want. Same for U Va. Another issue- would she want to settle down in Chicago and would you want her to? I did not-came back to the east coast. If I had settle d there, my life would be harder in regard to seeing family. New York is so much closer. It's an issue they don't want to think about, or they are all moving to Cali, most def, but once they are working, it makes thousands of dollars difference in the budget for you and them.</p>

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<p>OneMOM- did many east coast companies come to recruit in chicago? im worried if i go there for college i will live there my whole life, and all my family is in PA and NY.</p>

<p>And as i have heard, fun doesnt die at chicago. but i am going to visit in a week so then i will know.</p>

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<p>Chicago.......UVA.................Georgetown...........................................................Barnard...W&M.</p>

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<p>Very familiar with U Chicago. She won't have a life and it is very competitive although looks great on the resume. Georgetown is just as good in my opiinion. They took only 16% this year. She will have a life there. Barnard like you say is a different animal...I would take Chicago or Georgetown over Barnard. Both have more to do and the colleges aren't commuter colleges like NY.</p>

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<p>She won't have a life? Did you attend UChicago?</p>

9

<p>
[quote]
Have heard that Chicago is excellent (world class in fact), but also that it is "where fun comes to die". We don't want her to jump into an academic pressure cooker

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Let's put aside rankings for now. I honestly don't care how many school Chicago purportedly beats in XYZABC rankings, and neither should you or your daughter. It doesn't mean anything on the functional day-to-day experience of the school and your daughter's relationship to it.</p>

<p>"WFCTD" is a slogan that students created and that they sell to each other, plastered on the backs of ubiquitous t's and sweatshirts. We as students think it's hysterical. It's the prospective parents and students who get the sweaty palms.</p>

<p>At Chicago, your D will work hard, but she will also have free time to spend at her discretion. She'll find parties, but she'll also find people hanging out and talking in the house lounge. Chicago is not a party school because students here aren't that interested in partying, not because the school discourages it.</p>

<p>Chicago is also not competitive, at least not in the "I have to do better than you" sense. The kids here are smart, in a sublime and incredible way. I remember my first few days at Chicago-- I thought I was pretty hot stuff, because I was one of the intellectual leaders of my very elite high school-- and I remember composing an e-mail to my parents that started with the sentence, "For the first time in my life, I don't think I'm the smartest person in the room." At first the fact that my housemates knew Ancient Greek and poetry and history and could reference anything and everything (including Project Runway!) was way intimidating to me. But, as you can anticipate, I warmed up to them and became more comfortable with my strengths and my limitations. I still walk into class with a few comments in my head, and I come out thinking, "Oh darn, five people said what I wanted to say, only better."</p>

<p>I should also mention that this was exactly the experience I was looking for. I was unhappy with the students in my high school who did as much as they needed to for a grade and nothing more, and were about as excited to be in class as a can of tuna fish.</p>

<p>Your D will also see some grades she probably hasn't seen before. If she has a strong sense of self and she can accept not making straight A's, I think that this place is one of the best to let your mind roam. Nobody is going to ask her about her grades, and nobody is going to boast good grades, so she doesn't have to worry about saving face to others.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the thoughtful and thorough post Unalove! Very helpful and thought provoking.....</p>

<p>Can I impose on you for another take?</p>

<p>Our daughter is something of an introvert. She has worked very hard and very singlemindedly throughout her high school career, but she doesn't have a close group of friends, hasn't dated, no prom or senior ball etc. She's very well liked by all, but close to very few, and won't have a broad range of fond memories from her high school years.</p>

<p>My fear is that Chicago will make it all too easy for her to continue that pattern, while other more "rah-rah" schools may do more for her social development.</p>

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<p>My impression, based on the little bit of info. shared in your last post, is that your daughter would be most comfortable at Barnard (simply because it is all female) or Grinnell (although I know that she is not considering Grinnell). Perhaps a better way to evaluate your daughter's options would be consideration based on the housing arrangements at each school. A suite style living arrangement, for example, might be better at bringing an introverted personality into a small social arena whereas a single room might exacerbate introverted tendencies. It might be good for social development if your daughter makes a determined effort to join one or two clubs or activities as soon as she gets to school.</p>

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<p>Thank you for the input icy9ff8. She'll be doing the overnight at U Chicago later this week, and aq day trip to Barnard next, so that may help her with her decision...</p>

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<p>I graduated from Chicago in the seventies, so campus recruitment was much different. To me, it seems the Georgetown or Barnard could be better for NYDadAndMom's daughter. I agree that she ought to join activities. She should go to a school with thriving activities. That is a good area to investigate on the visits. Chicago had activities, but at least when I was there, few of them were thriving. People, including myself, did a lot of informal socializing. But often, friends had too much work, or no money. No money was a big thing to many people. The dorm activities seemed to thrive more than the other ones. Maybe the clubs, etc, are more popular now at Chicago. And, of course, Georgetown and Barnard may have the same problems. It just might be better to go to a school where a greater percentage considers social life to be important.</p>

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<p>NYDadandMom--</p>

<p>I think I was in a somewhat similar boat to your daughter socially. I could talk to all kinds of people in high school, and I think I can say I was well-liked and respected, but the weekends would come around and I realized that I didn't really have that many friend friends. I had two superclose friends and two or three others I could comfortably call up and invite over just to "hang out."</p>

<p>Part of the reason I chose Chicago was that I realized the kind of person I make friends with easily tends to be offbeat and academically oriented. I also chose Chicago because I felt that there wouldn't be pressure to join X sorority or wear Y clothing. I have almost no anxiety when it comes to academics, but lots and lots of anxiety when it comes to social situations and my fears of not fitting in/ what people think of me.</p>

<p>My results socially have been nothing short of fantastic. Yes, I'm still an introvert, but I have made very, very, very good friends with relative ease. It's also a great thing that my good friends tend to be more extroverted than me, so it's easy for me to tag along to a party with them.</p>

<p>Of course your D is a different person from me, but for me, simply being in a "social" environment would not make me social-- if anything, my feared lack of being "social" would cause me more anxiety. What I needed was a place where I felt comfortable being the person I am.</p>

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<p>Unalove certainly makes a good point.</p>