<p>Also, i have some questions about the University of Chicago. What is the overall atmosphere there? I've heard that there is little in the way of social lives...is this true? Is it is safe campus? And are students there generally happy? Any other comments would be appreciated, especially from those who have attended the school. (I am from Michigan so i'm used to the weather)</p>
<p>The saying is that UChicago is where fun goes to die.</p>
<p>lol I was just starting to like the idea of Chicago.</p>
<p>Is it hard to get in? Or is very high acceptance rate misleading?(self selecting applicants?)</p>
<p>a friend was the captian of the freestyle frisbee team at Chicago- he had fun :)</p>
<p>It depends on what type of person you are. I heard (maybe this is a rumor) that the administration closed the library on saturday nights in an effort to get students out to have fun. </p>
<p>Chicago has an extremely well qualified applicant pool, so the acceptance rate is misleading. The students at Chicago are extremely smart and hard-working people.</p>
<p>I'll give you what information I've been able to glean from my daughter, who's just completed her first year.
First, in terms of the "place where fun comes to die," you have to realize that that's a phrase that Chicago students themselves came up with (along with other funnier sayings that we can't print on this board) that reflects both their self-deprecating sense of humor and the fact that Chicago isn't for everyone. It's not a frat dominated, party school. It has a rigorous academic program, with a quarter system and a core curriculum that isn't to everyone's liking. It seems to attract students who are very academically oriented.<br>
This doesn't mean that the students don't have fun. My daughter partied from Thursday through Sunday, had a very social dorm, went into downtown Chicago once or twice a week, saw movies, plays, went to museums and baseball games, etc.<br>
The students there seem less cliquish than at some other schools. While there may be students who keep to themselves, there are loads of students who are normal, playful, happy sorts who do the same sort of things that students do at every school.<br>
The campus is one of the most beautiful urban campuses in the country. It is situated in Hyde Park, which is considered to be one of the most vibrant multi-racial communities in the nation. It has the sort of safety concerns that you'd expect in any large American city, which means that (1) there is a lot of security on campus and (2) if you're off campus, you take the sort of precautions that you'd take in any city -- e.g., don't walk alone at the wee hours of the morning. My daughter uses the mass transit often and has had no problems.
One of the major selling points for Chicago is that it offers the advantages of one of the greatest research universities in the nation -- top notch faculty; huge library, etc. -- to a very small undergraduate student body, which is not much larger than a liberal arts college. The undergraduate student body numbers 4000. My daughter confirms that most of her classes numbered between 11 and 20 students and that all were taught by full professors. She found the core courses to vary in interest -- but they comprise only a third of the overall courses -- but has loved her electives.
Hope this helps. Good luck.</p>
<p>ER, all the reports I had of the University of Chicago from students who actually attended the University support your description of the University. Chicago is intimidating because of its large graduate programs, serious atmosphere and 78 Nobel Prize winners! But it is a good place to go for undergraduate studies, assuming one fits the Chicago mold. And the Chicago mold is not unusual. Every notable university has its own unique style and personality. With each of those styles and personalities comes student types. Chicago is no different in that regard. Some students will fit in and have an amazing time whereas other students would not fit in as well and probably not care much for the experience. So, is Chicago serious and intense? You bet. Can one have a great undergraduate experience at Chicago? Most assuredly.</p>
<p>Back in the day, I remember Chicago students used to have "lacivious" parties. The less a student wore, the less they paid to get in. I don't know if they have such parties anymore...but who would have ever excpted such parties at the University of Chicago.</p>
<p>they also have quite a scavenger hunt that my daughter @ Reed is quite enamored of- :)</p>
<p>I've been reading these College Prowlar books, and they seem to have everything you're asking about. Safety of the campus, atmosphere, etc. etc. They have a website, im sure u can find it by googling.</p>
<p>Chicago is an ideal school. Great campus. Great academics. Great city. If I weren't from Chicago, it would probably be one of my top choices along with Northwestern.</p>
<p>S just visited a few weeks ago. I think he was prepared not to like it (it isn't in the northeast.....) He loved it. He was impressed with the campus and the academic program. He is a little turned off by the rigid core. He met with a coach and was impressed with him and the athletic facilities. The school does take it's athletic teams seriously and competes DIII in a competitive conference. I went to law school at Chicago (back in the day) and I thought the undergrads seemed nerdy and joyless. The school has changed a LOT. It is for serious students and the applicants self-sort to a large degree, which is why the acceptance rate is better than some of the other top schools.</p>
<p>anyone know of transferring into chicago? i hear its not as difficult as other schools( in its league) because of the handful or freshman who leave after realizing it isnt for them.</p>
<p>Just to add to above: don't be fooled by relatively high acceptance rate. It has a self-selective pool of applicants and you will learn why when you sit down to prepare its application. Its application, with all its various essays, acts as a huge discouragement to applying except for those who are seriously considering attending.</p>
<p>I absolutely loved my time at U Chicago. And yes, people do go out all the time! Talk to people who went there and visit for yourself.</p>