Since last year…I have been getting alot of mails from U of Chicago… I don’t remember wanting anything nor does my parents… Not necessarily like “PLEASE COME TO OUR SCHOOL” but some weird letters… and the school magazine… is U of Chicago a good school? If so what is it well known for? (like a good pol.sci ? med school? law?)
<p>Best economics in the world</p>
<p>Excellent school. Profs around the country often prefer it for their own children. Particularly good in history, & subsets of that (such as art history,etc.). Quite well-rated for poli sci.</p>
<p>Quite heavy on the required courses list, once you get there. A ton of reading. Lots of access to graduate resources, though, & an excellent study abroad program. </p>
<p>You have to pass a swimming course to graduate.</p>
<p>Very good school, but the area surrounding the campus has a high crime rate.</p>
<p>You have to pass a swimming course to graduate.</p>
<p>Are u kidding me?</p>
<p>I'm not positive, but I THINK they told me on my Columbia tour that you have to pass a swim course or test there as well. It's not too un-common of a thing</p>
<p>IIIIIII am in love with the University of Chicago.</p>
<p>The crime rate around Hyde Park...it still isn't ideal, but it's gotten a lot better over the years. The neighborhood's improving and not declining.</p>
<p>Yes, you have to pass a swimming test as well as PE requirements. </p>
<p>U Chicago is an extremely good school, definitely on par with the Ivies. It is not, however, a school for everyone. It has a very demanding Core, and it runs on a quarter system. It has a reputation for being quirky and demanding. Chicago has produced more Nobel prizewinners than any university except Cambridge. The undergraduate to graduate ratio is roughly 1:2, meaning plenty of research opportunities. Housing is awesome (guaranteed for 4 years, I think); most of the singles were larger than my room. </p>
<p>Chicago's good in most fields, but its very best departments are physics, ecology/evolutionary biology, biochemistry, astrophysics, economics, anthropology, English, history & ancient history, Near/Middle Eastern Studies, political science, mathematics, and art history. </p>
<p>Really, Eugene? I thought the campus and the surrounding area seemed very safe when I visited. </p>
<p>Chicago is definitely "uncommon" in its application process. It refuses to accept the common app, and its essays are pretty unusual.</p>
<p>You have to pass a swimming test at MIT too, I believe. In fact, you have to pass a swimming test at one of the high schools near where I live. UChicago is an excellent school.</p>
<p>oh ya i forgot to mention, Chicago is where fun goes to die</p>
<p>Have fun!</p>
<p>Does anyone know if the French dept is decent? My D is already pretty advanced; she wants to continue studying it.</p>
<p>Chicago is truly a great school. Undergrads can get involved in research if they are interested. Class size is amazingly small, usually 18, sometimes 25. It is rigourous and fairly competitive. You must be good at everything there because you have to take a comprehensive core. </p>
<p>The campus is stunning, we loved it. It is perfectly safe. I'm sure there are areas nearby where you avoid, but that is not a problem.</p>
<p>The problem with University of chicago is a contrasting image. You have kdis who are smart and quirky get in, only you go on campus and it is dead. I mean that doesn't sound like anything to you, I want to go to a good school, who cares about the campus? Sadly, the campus is very sad, and the social life is non-existent. It becomes a very depressing place very quickly. A korean student transferred from U Chic to CUNY Stony Brook with straight a's in biological sciences because he says it gets too depressing. On the other hand the professors are great, especially economics IMHO. On the other hand, I don't think their sciences are too hot. Pertaining to economics and law, they are undoubtedly on the top of it all</p>
<p>S is going to visit Chicago on Monday- interview and meeting with a coach. It is not at the top of his list, but I am anxious to get his thoughts after the visit. He is flying up by himself. If I get more than "It was OK", I'll report back in. He thinks he wants to be in the northeast (although he wants the northeast to be warmer) and he thinks he wants DI sports.</p>
<p>UChicago is one of the top universities in the country - great academics, though very intensive atmosphere. Don't let their high acceptance rate fool you - their applicant pool is smaller than most other highly reputable schools b/c of the fact that its very self-selecting, only those who are attracted to the intense academia of Chicago bother applying, since the application itself is no easy feat to complete - it is known for its quirky and downright queer essay topics.</p>
<p>UChicago is an excellent university;however, the intense environment is NOT for everyone. Some will thrive in the quirky environment, while others will long for more conventional forms of amusement.</p>
<p>That is why I cannot stress enough how important it is to visit a university and discover whether you cam succeed academically and socially.</p>
<p>I am also getting tons of mail and magazines and flyers from University of Chicago! (and basically no where else). I have a legacy there as my dad did his residency at U of Chicago, but i don't think they would send me stuff because of that. I did put Chicago as one of the schools to send my SAT scores to on the collegeboard site, so that might be why they are sending stuff.</p>
<p>The funny part is I don't think I'm even going to apply there because I'm not sure I'm good enough for them. How much weight does legacy carry there if I am a decent IB student who probably wouldn't get accepted to most Ivies except for chance?</p>
<p>sorry...the swimming thing...do most colleges require you to pass it? Also, is PE require at all of them? I have no problem w/ PE but I CAN'T SWIM!!!!!!!!! :)</p>
<p>Legacy doesn't count for a whole lot at Chicago, but you do get the application fee waived. S has also gotten a lot of mailings from Chicago.
For anyone interested, I will tell you that a degree from Chicago opens a lot of doors in the business community. I have gotten interviews many, many years into my career because of my Chicago law degree. It really surprised me that it would matter after a certain point in one's career.</p>
<p>I really don't think I'm Chicago material, but I come from one of the best high schools in the country (as rated by newsweek), I'm in the <em>full</em> IB program (going for diploma) and also had 3 AP's tagged along junior year, 3.3 unweighted, 4.2 weighted GPA, and with my june SAT scores I will probably have just over 2000 for my new SAT score. with legacy, and a passion (I am very interested in art and computers, so digital design or architecture), and a very creative essay (which I plan to have), do you think it is still worth it to apply? I realize that a university like Chicago could change my life if I went there. (otherwise, I plan to attend UF).</p>