UChicago Pros and Cons

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Chicago ✅
1

<p>So UChicago has been on my college list for a while but I never got the chance to visit and I don't really know too much about the school itself either. If you've attended the school, you know someone who attended, or you just happen to have some sort of input on the school, please post below!!</p>

<p>What are some good/bad things about UChicago?
(Re: food, professors, weather, campus life, workload, dorm rooms, other students, majors, classes etc.)</p>

2

<p>Well, I’m just an EA applicant, but seeing as nobody else has posted in this thread, I’ll share what I know.</p>

<p>1) The students have a reputation for being quirky and committed to academics (you probably know this, though, the school is famous for it)</p>

<p>2) The workload is super-hard, from what I’ve heard. They really stress that you love learning, and some say that it’s harder to get an “A” at Chicago than it is at Harvard </p>

<p>3) There’s not much of a college town. Unlike Northwestern, UChicago is located in a relatively poor, residential neighborhood. There are shopping areas nearby, but the area directly surrounding the campus isn’t the best.</p>

<p>4) Winters are cold and windy. It’s Chicago.</p>

<p>5) The campus is very nice. It’s got plenty of greenery, and the buildings look like Hogwarts.</p>

3

<p>esimpnoxin, you got most of it right :slight_smile: My daughter is a first year and I have to say that in general, Hyde Park is a lovely residential area. The few blocks directly surrounding the campus to the north and east are very quaint, and in no way “poor”. I have not ventured west on foot, just drove through that area on our way from Midway. Not a great area for sure, but frankly, there is no reason to go too far west on foot.
I have been as far south as The Logan and I probably would not go much further than that on foot alone.
But, as I said, to the north and east is really very lovely.</p>

4

<p>Esimpnoxin,
I applaud you jumping into the silence that greeted OpenEars questions. I would, for OpenEars benefit, provide some gloss on your 5 points. My credentials for doing so are as a parent of a current 3rd year who has visited the school a number of times and who talks a lot with his kid about his school experience – academic and social. Others, with better knowledge, may have a different take. </p>

<ol>
<li><p>“The students have a reputation . . .” On target.</p></li>
<li><p>“The workload is super-hard . . .” I’d characterize the workload as rigorous but fair, certainly not “super-hard” for the Core and most majors. Of course, it all depends upon an individual’s standards and the frame of reference applied. As you’d expect, the higher level math and science courses are truly demanding, but then, most students who place or opt into them are up to the challenges. My kid, who is probably of average ability for a UChicago student, works a 10 hr/week job, manages to get his course work done (and well, for the most part), participate in a couple of ECs, and still chill or party or foray downtown most Friday and Saturday evenings. </p></li>
<li><p>“There’s not much of a college town. . . .” The University’s immediate setting is within Hyde Park, and personally, I rather like the sense of defined and contained campus, but one that merges on the verges with its community. UChiMom’s right, I think, in her assessment of Hyde Park. </p></li>
</ol>

<p>But more: the commercial offerings around the campus are increasing (actual shopping is being added to restaurants and bookstores), if not extensive, and not without charm. And then, you’ve got Chicago the city and its neighborhoods. I guess it depends on how one defines “college town.” The university’s walk-to environs are as stated above, so the college town “feel” of an Ann Arbor or Cambridge or Madison aren’t there. However, downtown and the Loop are quite accessible, so from a “resources available” perspective (in contrast to “’feel’ of immediate neighborhood”), going to UChicago is second only (or more accurately, fourth) to going to school in New York, London, or Paris. </p>

<ol>
<li><p>“Winters are cold . . .” They are, but less so than, say, the winters that Cornell or Dartmouth experience. And really, with a few exceptions (e.g., Duke, Rice, Stanford), what top schools have significantly milder winters? </p></li>
<li><p>“The campus is very nice. . . .” I think so, too.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>OpenEars,
As for your specific questions, here are my CliffNotes views, which others may expand upon:

  1. Food: more than decent in quality and variety for institutional food. Some schools likely have it better, most probably have it worse.
  2. Professors: about as good as they come anywhere with respect to both reputation and teaching abilities. There are some duds, but the majority range from solid to exceptional in the classroom, and the majority are accessible and interested in their students.
  3. Weather: see #4 above (first list).
  4. Campus life: vibrant. There’s an awful lot to do pretty much all of the time – cultural, political, artistic, educational, even athletic.
  5. Workload: see #2 above (first list).
  6. Dorm rooms: as with the dining halls, better than most, not as good as a few. Lots of variety in types of dorms and a good availability of singles after first year. This may have changed for the worse this year with the larger than anticipated incoming class. Given plans for new dorms coming on line by 2016, accommodations will likely be better than ever at that point.
  7. Other students: bright, interesting, interested, and accepting. Generally collaborative rather than mean-spirited or cut-throat.
  8. Majors: plenty of them (check out the course catalog; it’s online), minors, too. Double majors are do-able but can be more or less challenging (and sometimes near impossible) depending on choices and AP credits; major/minor combinations are fairly common but certainly not required.
  9. Classes: the quality/degree of interest depends upon the professor, so see #2 above. Larger classes have TAs assigned to help with grading, lead discussion sessions, etc. These graduate students are generally very good and very effiective – remember that UChicago has built its reputation on its graduate departments as feeding the top ranks of academia. Lots of small classes, too, some even in the single digits. It depends on the major and level. In general, most students like their classes, take them seriously, and are engaged, which makes most classes interesting, productive, and often fun.</p>

<p>And let me say, OpenEars, that I like your screen handle. It suggests the right mindset for a learner.</p>

5

<p>Parent of a first year here chiming in, first to say that I’m enjoying the responses of other students and parents, second to say that I agree with everything that’s been pointed out here so far (though of course our experience with the school is new), and third to add that my S’s favorite class (the Core Sosc class) is taught by an extremely engaging, committed, and smart GRAD STUDENT, while his Hum class is taught by a long-tenured, multi-titled professor who’s not bad but definitely phoning it in a bit. So for anyone (and there are many on CC) who believe professor=good/grad student=bad, there’s an example of one to turn that supposition on its head.</p>

6

<p>Mutti, not a U of Chicago specific comment, but I don’t think that is too big a surprise to anyone who has attended a research university. Now if the grad student does not speak English well… that is when it is a huge problem. But I attended a highly ranked research university, and some of my best teachers were the grad students (I still have fond memories of Greg - Calc, Mike - Natural Resources, Tim - Geology, and Bryn - History… the fact that I can still remember their names 30 years later says something!).</p>

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<p>intparent, it was more a response to the often knee-jerk CC responses I see here. Unfortunately my experience at an Ivy 30 years ago had too many non-English speaking grad student teachers and TAs in math and sciences (needless to say I was majoring in neither; just getting through my gen ed requirements…)</p>

8

<p>As a First Year in the university, so far I have nothing but good things to say about my personal experience with teachers and classes. Two of the four are grad students, and honestly, both are just as excellent teachers as the “official” professors. The feedback I get back from my assignments in all classes is always very thorough and helpful (each of my Humanities essays receives two pages worth of constructive criticism), and the TA’s I have are actually there to supplement the teachers rather than replace them. Maybe I’ve just been amazingly lucky with my courses, and some of my friends have complaints about certain classes, but overall I’m impressed with the quality of the teachers here.</p>

9

<p>I will say this: the quarter system is great, IN THE CONTEXT OF A LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATION WITH A CORE CURRICULUM.</p>

<p>There is a course here required for chem students where they learn quantum in 10 weeks…at a graduate level.</p>

<p>I am in a class now where I am getting an advanced introductoin to statistical theory in 10 weeks.</p>

<p>Sorry but that’s just not possible. What ends up happening is that the students with more advanced preparation have a huge advantage and end up getting the A’s. Unless you are literally a genius, some subjects take time to sink in. When I took honors econ 200, I had no idea what was going on. But when I later reviewed it, it made perfect sense.</p>

<p>In courses like those, professors know that they simply do not have enough lecture time and, as a result, you have to learn how to teach yourself. Which is a great skill. And it toughens you up. But it sucks!</p>

<p>I am almost certain that the instruction you will receive at MIT, for example, is many times better on average…</p>

<p>Don’t come here expecting a fantastic education unless you want to do the whole “well-rounded liberal arts” thing. Quarters are great for sampling a bunch of classes. Not for trying to cram a semester of technical knowledge into a quarter</p>

10

<p>The first response calling Hyde Park “a relatively poor, residential neighborhood” is just wrong. </p>

<p>UChiMom’s description is much more accurate, although “the few blocks” is really closer to 10:

</p>

<p>I don’t even think it’s fair to say that Hyde Park is not much of a college town, given that it has most of the features of a great “college town”–a friendly community, scenic avenues, decent places to eat on a student budget, quality coffee shops, parks, plenty of trees, affordable rent–and the rest is well within striking distance (you’re in Chicago, after all). In fact, most of the opportunities to be had in the city are missing from even the best “college towns.”</p>

11

<p>The main con for me (and the reason I’m not applying) is because they don’t have an engineering program. Which sucks, because I really like UChicago. :frowning: Its vibe and intellectual atmosphere is truly unique.</p>