UChicago vs. Stanford (URGENT)

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Chicago ✅
1

<p>Okay. So I know I need to commit today...and although I am leaning towards Stanford, there are certain things about UChicago that I really don't want to give up. Officially committing to Stanford scares me...I want to be absolutely sure that I'm making the right choice before I commit.</p>

<p>I visited Admit Weekend at Stanford, and it really was an amazing experience. I did visit Chicago as well, but I did not stay overnight at the dorms (which I regret)...so my basis for comparison between the two isn't exactly fair.</p>

<p>What drew me to UChicago is the core curriculum that it offers (partly because it'll help me expand my horizons and therefore aid me in deciding what to major in, but also because it's just very cool), and I really like it's unique--and pretty nerdy!--student body. I think I would fit in great there, and I love their academic philosophy. At the same time, however, I'm not sure that the academic intensity of the school, plus the grade deflation, would be best for someone like me, who is considering doing pre-med/pre-law.</p>

<p>From what I've gathered of Stanford, it's a very welcoming and collaborative place, and there are a lot of great interdisciplinary opportunities for someone like me, who is interested in many different areas of study. I like how the atmosphere differs from many of the Ivy League schools. I also LOVE the study abroad opportunities (Oxford)! What I'm worried about, however, is fit--although I like the lack of a cut-throat atmosphere, I worry that maybe there isn't an emphasis on intellectualism (vs. "work hard, play hard," pre-professionalism) at the school? Or maybe that I won't be able to find people like me (aka: cool nerds, obviously :P) at Stanford?</p>

<p>Am I over-thinking this? I also know that it's likely that I'll find many different types of people wherever I go (I DID meet some amazing people at Stanford's Admit weekend, but I also met some that I definitely wouldn't hang out with...but then again, I didn't even interact with anyone when I visited Chicago so I don't know to what degree the intellectualism is even present there), but I was wondering if there was a pre-dominant attitude in any way, academically or socially.</p>

<p>I'm leaning towards Stanford because of it's location (I feel like it's just the right amount of distance from home--I live in southern California), and the fact that it would be better for me if I wanted to do pre-med/pre-law (inflation vs. deflation). They also have great research opportunities, and are great for interdisciplinary studies. I know there is the SLE option at Stanford as well, which is kind of the equivalent of a UChicago-esque dorm/house and curriculum at Stanford (Structured</a> Liberal Education | Structured Liberal Education).</p>

<p>I seemed set on Stanford yesterday, but then I keep thinking of the seemingly unique/quirky/somewhat hipster student body of UChicago, and I'm finding it difficult to let go. I also know that going to UChicago would be a risk, in terms of it being father away from home and because it's located in a city, and that kind of makes it exciting to me. But I also know that it will be difficult to turn down Stanford as well. </p>

<p>Help :(</p>

2

<p>I think you’ve summarized some of the differences pretty well, and I think you understand some of what you might miss at UChicago. That’s the problem with tough choices, sometimes: we don’t get everything. </p>

<p>If you end up choosing Stanford, you could probably choose courses that partially replicate Chicago’s Core. However, you would lose the advantage of being part of a group of students who are studying a large amount of overlapping material, and thus an environment that is better for discussion. You might not miss the weather in Chicago, though.</p>

<p>Good luck with your decision!</p>

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<p>I’d pick Stanford. Like Rlmmail said, you can replicate the core with the classes you pick at Stanford. I feel like Stanford is just more diverse in general.
Good luck!</p>

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<p>Posting this in the Chicago Forum may lead to some bias. I would go with Stanford!</p>

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<p>Where did you enroll?</p>

6

<p>I did UChicago undergrad, Stanford grad. Undergrads are comparably able at both institutions. The big difference concerns “look & feel” with Stanford more “academic superstore” and UChicago more “high-end boutique.” There is no meaningful difference, in aggregate, ranking-wise: in some places, Stanford leads, in others, UChicago rules the roost. Depends what you want to do.</p>

7

<p>What a dilemma! The following points are based on the perspective of a current parent, but for what it’s worth (and if you haven’t committed already) . . . .</p>

<ol>
<li>It goes without saying that Stanford is a fantastic school and extremely well regarded, perhaps more so than UChicago for many, despite the tie in the USNWR rankings, probably by virtue of the fact that its admissions is impossibly selective. </li>
</ol>

<p>However, the education per se at UChicago is second to none. What seems to be happening with Chicago these days is (1) there is increasing focus on and success in making the undergraduate experience more satisfying (evidenced by a Freshman retention rate now at 99%) and (2) the College’s broader reputation is catching up with the quality of its education and student body. </p>

<p>Today (unlike “yesterday”), and perhaps increasingly tomorrow, assuming UChicago’s star continues to rise, you will be doing yourself no disservice with respect to med and law school opportunities. Top tier academic and professional programs as well as elite employers recognize the rigor of a Chicago education and how well the school prepares its graduates for future endeavors. Of course, your prospects out of Stanford, all things being equal, will be equally promising.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Stanford will offer you the opportunity to root for highly successful Division I sports teams, and the human scenery at Stanford is on average more appealing than at UChicago (btw, I don’t consider either of these trivial attractions; they can have a lot to do with how you feel about your undergraduate experience). The architectural styles and layouts of the two campuses are quite different and whichever appeals to you more is certainly worth considering if you get down to needing a tie-breaker.</p></li>
<li><p>You are spot on wrt the Core, certainly in terms of what it can be if you choose your sequences well. Students emerge from the Core with a well rounded liberal education encompassing all the major disciplines (within the limitations of what can be achieved with only 15 courses), and in particular, with a broad knowledge of the classic texts of the Western intellectual tradition, having analyzed, debated, and written about many of those authors and a number of those books which those of us with intellectual pretensions wish we had read but probably haven’t. It’s pretty cool, actually. </p></li>
<li><p>The interdisciplinary approach that you value is also valued and encouraged at UChicago. </p></li>
<li><p>The UC student body tends to be collaborative, not competitive or mean-spirited. </p></li>
<li><p>A Venn diagram of student “types and personalities” would show a reasonable common area, but the clear balance of “feel” between the two schools is different – Stanford being more pre-professional and mainstream elite, Chicago being more intellectually focused and quirky (although arguably less so than in the past). Note though, that UC is paying increasing attention, with increasing effectiveness, to supporting students’ professional aspirations within its CAPS program (Chicago Careers in Law, Health Professions, et al.). You will not be able to rely upon past performance (not that it was bad) as a predictor of future success wrt med and law school placements.</p></li>
<li><p>I don’t know anything about the degree of grade inflation/deflation at Stanford. UChicago has had a reputation for grade deflation, but the reality there has also changed, and may continue to move in a more liberal direction. Still, this could be somewhat of a concern, although I’ve read that med/law schools, recognizing the rigorous standards, make some small GPA allowance (~.1-.2?) for Chicago students. </p></li>
<li><p>Concerning location, Stanford certainly has more temperate weather, although some people enjoy more pronounced seasons, and a few even find the unique pleasures of a stiff winter (snowball fights, ice skating on the Midway, hot chocolate) worth the challenges of the season. Chicago as a city has more to offer than San Francisco, delightful though San Francisco is (though it’s certainly more of a schlep from Palo Alto than the Loop is from Hyde Park). On the other hand, there are lots of wonderful places to visit within a day to weekend trip from Palo Alto if you have the time. </p></li>
</ol>

<p>With respect to being further from home, and leaving your home state, some would say that’s a good thing, and conducive to your growth. My son, a rabid New Yorker who originally was dead set on Columbia, opted for UChicago because, as he reasoned, he would always have NYC to come home to so why not experience another great city and another part of the country. Turns out, he’s absolutely delighted to be at Chicago.</p>

<ol>
<li>UChicago’s school sponsored study abroad program features UC faculty teaching the 3 course Civilization sequence (part of the Core that can be taken at Chicago or abroad), so there’s no potential compromise in the academic quality of the coursework. However, there’s currently no Civ program in the British Isles (although there are other programs), so if you want Oxford or Cambridge, you’d need to do it under other auspices with other course work, and complete the Civ requirement at Chicago. </li>
</ol>

<p>In the end, the schools are close enough in terms of educating you and offering you top notch alternatives after graduation that it should probably come down to the F words – fit and feel, which are markedly different. But you knew that already. As long as you feel compatible with the student body, you won’t be wrong with either choice. Good luck and congratulations!</p>

8

<p>I think you’re just having some mercurial last minute “what if?” doubts; if Stanford felt right to you, and you were set on it yesterday, I’d go with Stanford. Have you posted this in the Stanford forum?</p>

9

<p>^completely agree. After all this is Stanford we’re talking about, arguably the best school in the country. Frankly I don’t think Chicago even comes close to providing the opportunities that Stanford does (few schools do, HPY come to mind).</p>

10

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<p>You are, of course, free to believe what you wish. But, FYI, you really don’t know what you’re talking about.</p>

11

<p>For whatever it’s worth, years ago when I was at the UofC as an undergrad, I had a professor graduated from Yale and taught at both Yale and Stanford prior to the UofC. His thoughts regarding those places were simple and straightforward. Stanford and Yale were good places and you would no doubt get a great education at those places; however, you would not get the same kind of intellectual challenges as you would at the UofC. It’s a hard-core education, but it will prepare you for life, and you’ll be more well-rounded as a human being. I went to CMU for grad school, and I can tell you that it’s easier than the 4 years I had at the UofC. Having said that, I still would go back to the UofC if I could do it all over again.</p>