<p>I completely disagree with SoulInNeeds "job prospects" post. It is certainly not true in the case of investment banks hiring in New York, London and Hong Kong.</p>
<p>^I never said it was true, I just said that many people pick ivies over UChi because they believe it will lead to a better job. Remember for most people, perception is reality. Personally, I feel UChi will better prepare a person for the high demands of a job. I'm not too sure if going to an ivy over UChi will get you a better job but, it is however, without question, that the ivies are more well known than UChi.</p>
<p>Everyone should click on idad's link above. I just finished applying to five other schools, but after reading Andrew Abbott's address I'm near convinced Chicago is The One.</p>
<p>Among the general population, the Ivies are definitely better-known, but graduate schools and employers absolutely recognize UChicago. I'm pretty sure the world's leading investment banks and graduate schools are aware of the fact that UChicago is extremely difficult and doesn't inflate grades.</p>
<p>According to the WSJ, Chicago has been the most influential university concerning business policy & practices in the US for the last 30 years. I believe the name is not only recognized, but considered quite the asset.</p>
<p>idad thank you for posting the above article (the address by Andrew Abbot). It was a very enjoyable read (I applied to UChicago, but I think much of what he said is applicable wherever you go).</p>
<p>Yes, it's applicable to wherever you go, and may even make you consider the frightfully liberating prospect that "it doesn't really matter where I end up going to college," but the speech is really a perfect testimony to the value of University of Chicago's intellectual playground. Relatively everyone goes to college, but rather than preocupy themselves with internships, networking, graduation requirements, prestige, gpa, etc., it sounds like Chicago students are encouraged simply to learn, to aim for education, not worry and fret what the aims of an education are. I find this absolutely encouraging, even relieving.</p>
<p>From what I have gauged from this thread, UofChicago>all ivies, yes HYP included. No offense.</p>
<p>Most people don't know about Chicago. When I tell them I want to go there they say, "O you mean University of Illinois". I don't know if Chicago is better than HYP, but I prefer Chicago over those schools.</p>
<p>Well, lets do a small comparison to Columbia then. Columbia is a middle ivy (arguably not as good as HYP but up there with Upenn, Dartmout etc). In my opinion, Columbia is so close to UChicago in almost all aspects: both are in big cities, both are ranked the same, both a have a well-known common core, and in my major's case (economics), both have influencial people (Milton Friedman, Benjamin Graham) etc. The only thing the seperates is word of mouth. Columbia is just more 'popular' then Chicago because it's an ivy. </p>
<p>So in any sense, UChicago's quality is no different, if not better than some of the ivy league, but general consus is all that seperates, and for a majority, the difference is enough to make them go to an ivy.</p>
<p>True...but no worries we aren't that bereft of prestige when in the right circles i.e. the circles that matter haha.</p>
<p>I just met a person from the banking profession today and he definitely recognized the university of chicago. was chattin over email with a prof friend of my father's and he also more than recognzied the university of chicago. </p>
<p>hope it helps...specially for those Intl's like me who are hard pressed to find people your age not exposed to overseas education who recognize your uni...</p>
<p>I think JM8879 has a point with COlumbia, but you ignore that the other Ivies are NOT like that. Columbia is the only Ivy for which I think those statements are accurate. And Chicago's campus is SO much better than Columbia IMHO!</p>
<p>I would rather have gone to Chicago than, say, Darthmouth or Cornell. Chicago has in abundance a lot of the things I was looking for in a university that the latter two environments do not emphasize.</p>
<p>A lot of students here at Chicago do in fact acknowledge that the Ivy league which they think most closely resembles the things here is Columbia. But, I'd add a little note to that.</p>
<p>Like JM8879 pointed out, Columbia is very similar to Chicago when it comes to curriculum, strength of departments, etc... and I think he also correctly pointed out that the only discernible difference between them is man-on-the-stree recognition. </p>
<p>This being the case, it creates an entirely different atmosphere at both schools which cannot be measured by statistics. By being a school with a better street cred., it also attracts and enrolls more students who see brand-name as a very important criterium in selecting colleges. This, I would say, creates a major gulf between Columbia and Chicago.</p>
<p>IvyProf, I happened to be typing when you wrote your post so I didn't see it until after I posted...</p>
<p>People all over CC should read it!!!!!</p>
<p>Ivy Prof:</p>
<p>Like you, I teach grad-level courses, but unlike you, I teach them at a flagship state university. My experience is somewhat similar to yours, but I would add that we are quite selective at the grad level, so students from non-elite schools are at or near the top of the applicant pool from their schools or similar schools. Grads from elite universities are sometimes not from the top of the pool at their schools. </p>
<p>This is what one would expect. Of course every large university has stunningly intelligent and motivated undergrads. The difference is in the depth of the talent pool.</p>
<p>And I will certainly agree with you that certain schools tend to turn out students who become part of the cultural norms at those schools.</p>
<p>Dear Tarhunt,</p>
<p>You are absolutely right. </p>
<p>I agree with you on the sample selection bias issue.
My observation took the generalist approach, and must be read and interpreted with a grain of salt. My intention was to provide a perspective that might provide a different angle to high school seniors.</p>
<p>I should probably edit my post, but I do not know how.</p>
<p>Thanks for pointing it out.</p>
<p>I don't know if one can say that Columbia's name recognition is greater than Chicago's because Columbia is ivy. People are also forgetting that Columbia is much older and is also in NY. I would think that students who desire to be in a big city would choose to be in NY over Chicago. </p>
<p>I also think that UChicago has greater name recognition than some ivies, including Dartmouth and Brown.</p>
<p>Ivy Prof -
"All schools have distinctive styles: pros and cons. One can never conclude what the best school is."</p>
<p>An important point that it is very easy to forget - and why it is so important to visit if at all possible. </p>
<p>"Best" for a particular student is somewhat better defined ... but I suspect that even then one is attempting to measure the unmeasurable.</p>
<p>I just keep thinking about that great Groucho Marx line, "I would never join a club that would have me as a member." Sometimes I think something like this is operating when people in discussions of "best" colleges.</p>