<p>To be entirely honest, I visited U. Chicago (as an admitted student) expecting to be impressed, and I was. But cynical as this may seem, I also expected to feel that 'fit' which everyone searches for. It was a nice place, I can see myself as a student there, and I know it will be fun, but to me it was just another solidly awesome college. </p>
<p>So I was wondering if any CC members could respond with stories of similar experiences from years back and describe how their view of a wonderful (but not fit-feeling) college changed over time. Thank you.</p>
<p>Can you put into words what that desired fit would have felt like and what, on an ideal visit, would trigger it? It might help you to define what you found to be missing, or it might help you determine that the angelic voices were an unrealistic expectation.</p>
<p>Last year, DD did not get the “This is where I belong” feeling at any of the numerous colleges and universities we visited–including Chicago. The lack of feeling made it easier for her to follow the money to another university, which she grew to love quickly.</p>
<p>gadad: true. Sorry for sounding so muse-like. I really was just wondering what people mean when they say “I walked onto campus and knew I belonged there.” I enjoyed my visit, but is simple enjoyment enough to decide where I am going to be for the next four years of my life?</p>
<p>MD Mom: but wouls she have been equally happy at a University like U. Chicago?</p>
<p>Tenisghs: That is the problem… There was nothing negative. I just don’t know whether the lack of anything negative is enough of a factor.</p>
<p>qizixite, I think your expectations may have been a bit unrealistic, although given all the marketing that universities engage in (UChicago included), I’m not surprised. I think they key question is whether you feel comfortable in a place (assuming that the college in question also meets purely objective ‘fit’ criteria). There might be a cause for concern if you felt uncomfortable, but this does not seem to be the case.</p>
<p>The lack of anything negative is enough of a factor if:</p>
<ul>
<li>you can afford the cost</li>
<li>you are motivated enough that you won’t be wasting your time</li>
<li>you have no more compelling alternatives (including less prestigious, less expensive schools you happen to like better)</li>
</ul>
<p>Is there something you’d rather do than go to college at all, if that were a serious option?</p>
<p>HST: I do feel comfortable… But as I asked Tenisghs, is not being uncomfortable enough of a deciding factor? I liked the classes I went to and the people I met, but there was nothing really really extraordinary (besides for the architecture)</p>
<p>tk21769: I can afford the cost, and I am motivated enough, and my other choices (quite frankly) do not offer the same academic rigor as U. Chicago.</p>
<p>(I’m gone for a coupe of hours, but please continue writing; it’s helping me flesh out my thoughts).</p>
<p>Academic rigor is hard to judge though I know Chicago has a great reputation. If you major in sciences or engineering, most colleges are rigorous, and you will have plenty of bright kids around you.</p>
<p>I visited Chicago and immediately got a bad vibe. I’m sure what I’m looking for in a college is much different than what you are looking for, but I wanted at least some sense of school spirit. When the tour guide explained that their most fun event of the year was the school wide scavenger hunt and when multiple kids were taking detailed notes at a SAMPLE lecture, I decided that even though the academics are amazing, I wanted to have some fun in college, considering it will make up 4 years of my life.</p>
<p>You liked the classes, the people, and the architecture. That’s pretty good, actually. You’d be seeing a lot of all three.</p>
<p>Did you get out into the city at all (the Loop, museums, north side neighborhoods, etc.)? Did you eat Chicago pizza, ride the ‘L’, or go out to the lake front? Did you wander around Hyde Park much? </p>
<p>Aside from academic rigor (which as MD Mom suggests, you can seek out elsewhere), is there anywhere else where you simply felt a better fit? </p>
<p>The main attraction at Chicago is the academics. There is a more or less rich extracurricular life, too, but compared to some other schools, admissions does not seem to do so much to “craft” that. Other than Scav Hunt there are not too many big institutional EC attractions like Princeton’s eating clubs, Dartmouth’s fraternities, or Big Ten football. Students are relatively left to their own devices to entertain each other. Some people are fine with that. Many others arrive on a college campus expecting a big people-watching “scene” such as you find in and around Boulder, Berkeley, Charlottesville, sections of Georgetown, Greenwich Village, or Cambridge. Hyde Park? Um, not so much … at least not at first glance. Some of my best memories of college social life are of quiet dinner parties in an apartment off campus. But then, I lasted about 15 minutes at a Grateful Dead concert. So it depends on what you’re after.</p>
<p>I agree. Fit can be important in the general sense–ie, if you really don’t relate to the student body–but barring any glaring negatives, I don’t think “fit” is the single most important thing in your college decision.</p>
<p>One other comment. UChicago is a rather individualistic place. In my view, the notion of ‘fit’ or ‘belonging’ takes on a somewhat different meaning than at many other colleges. If you are looking for a warm, fuzzy ‘family-type’ feeling, UChicago is certainly not the first place I’d look. You can certainly find a sense of community here, but Notre Dame or Duke it is not. Some of us prefer it that way, but others may not.</p>
<p>If you really feel there’s a vast separation in the “academic rigor” between UC and the other places you’ve been accepted, then my personal preference would be to pick UC. For me, that quality of academics was an absolute must-have, and I was confident enough in my ability to meet like-minded people and enjoy myself wherever I ended up. And I can totally relate to the lack of angelic voices-- I think by the time I visited the school I where I eventually matriculated, the campus had been so hyped up that my response was pretty “meh”. Fortunately, I made a logical decision about the best place to go and loved it as soon as I arrived for orientation.</p>
<p>Agree with HST. I definitely think that UChicago is quite an individualistic place, and that’s exactly the reason why I chose it. I hated the overflow of school spirit (and everything else that comes along with it) at places like Northwestern or Duke. Also didn’t like a different kind of school spirit (nonetheless very strong) I saw at many Ivies, especially Yale. (The whole Bulldogs business drove me CRAZY.) </p>
<p>I don’t think you’ll hear “angelic voices” anywhere you visit. (At least that was my personal experience.) Much of our expectations are set way too high, thanks to marketing and other factors. So, if you liked the atmosphere, classes, campus, and the people you met (or at least the majority of them) you should be fine.</p>
<p>Oh, and a little more on the social thing. I do disagre with HST on the “fuzzy family thing.” I do think you can definitely get that at UChicago and would like to believe that I have that feeling with my friends. No, it’s not going to be the whole school as a family or your frat. But you do get to know people in your house very well (and I’ve always been impressed at how well the house system works at UChicago) and you do get to have a small yet very close group of friends. </p>
<p>I suppose that’s true anywhere, but just saying that you definitely can get that warm feeling at Chicago.</p>