UChicago vs University of Michigan

College Search & Selection
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<p>ClassicRockerDad:</p>

<p>That’s interesting you heard the school was still “brutally rigorous.” From all the current students I’ve spoken to, a fair amount of selection seems to be happening - students can pick and choose the challenges they want. This is different from my day, where the challenge was pretty uniform across the board.</p>

<p>An interesting article on this:</p>

<p>[Grey</a> City: What to do about Global Warming? – The Chicago Maroon](<a href=“Saul Bellow, dead at 89 – Chicago Maroon”>Saul Bellow, dead at 89 – Chicago Maroon)</p>

<p>Granted, this is a core science class for non-science majors, but it’s kind of surprising to see how this class sounds, frankly, like a complete joke where As are handed out. Maybe this is the only class of its kind at UChicago, but I can’t remember anything like this 15 years ago. </p>

<p>Finally, you said it - the student body is changing fast, but the faculty and their expectations are the same. By all measures, the students at UChicago now are - as a whole - more capable than my cohort. It was no secret that maybe 25% of my class struggled, and were accepted because the school had to fill seats. Now, there is far less difference between the bottom quarter of the class and the top.</p>

<p>At the same time, professors haven’t changed their expectations, but the students are more capable. This leads, I would think, to some inflation of grades. Further, from administrative push back, I imagine that grade deflation is harder to keep up across the board. As the gradeinflation.com notes, in 2006, the average GPA at UChicago was 3.35 - not horrible by any means. Drastic changes to the student body started a few years after that, so I imagine average GPA has gone up since then.</p>

<p>Now, students can still find the classic challenges on campus, but especially with the current first year class (the first to be fully under Nondorf’s watch - after years of marketing and an uptick in the rankings have settled in), I imagine the students are much savvier.</p>

<p>Of interest, I only know upper year students - ones that were still influenced by the Ted O’Neill selected classes, and they all mention that the current first years seem “much more into” extracurriculars and the like. This isn’t bad at all - I welcome these changes - but I imagine they translate into more competitive pre-professional applicants.</p>

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<p>I really appreciate all the help you guys have given me as well as the insightful comments. I was hesitant to post because I’ve seen some rude people on topics like this however you guys are great!</p>

<p>Someone asked where my standing was with other UM “acceptees”. I was the only applicant, of five, to be accepted EA to Chicago from my high school. The four others were all deferred. As far as entering Michigan, I was invited to apply to honors and also received the Reagent’s scholarship (signing bonus basically). I know people who are doing extremely well there and I am confident I will be able to excel very competitively. At UChicago I don’t know as many people who go there however two girls that I know I am about equal with currently have 4.0’s in their first semester. They are both majoring in humanities however their first semester was taken up by the core.</p>

<p>I think the whole social life thing might have been a mistake, on my part, to mention. I am confident I will love the social life at both schools. The whole party thing was supposed to say that I don’t really care about partying 24/7. To be honest, I’m much more focused on my grades/academics than partying. </p>

<p>So it seems to me like going to UChicago would sort of be a bet. It seems the school has a history of comparatively low grading and poor comparative med placement however this is increasing to some degree??? I guess the question is how fast haha…</p>

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<p>Franstar: It’s up to you to figure out how fast the school’s pre-med environment is changing. I think it’s beyond doubt that the climate is indeed changing - there’s a new (quite accomplished) pre-med adviser, and a larger advising office generally. Students are savvier and more accomplished too. </p>

<p>Email the adviser and do some research. Talk to current students. See what sort of facts you can dig up. My only word of advice is this: don’t make a decision yet. It looks like there is a lot more homework you still need to do.</p>

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<p>Haha absolutely. I don’t plan on sending in my “yes” until I have to. I’m going to visit Chicago again with my family as well as later on by myself for an overnight trip. I might even try going again and rooming with a friend I know who goes there. I’m going to ask a ton of questions and shadow as many classes as I can. Haha trust me I’m not the kind of person who makes decisions like this lightly, or when I feel uninformed. I just wanted to pose the situation to CC to see what you guys think as I believed, and was right, that there are many who know more than I do!</p>

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<p>As a parent of a son who plans to be premed and was just accepted to Amherst by ED–and as a physician myself–I’d highly encourage you to go to the college where you feel that you will learn the most and be most intellectually stimulated. If you are stimulated, you will do well, even if it is a very “tough” college. Haven’t you found this even in HS? For example, my son has found that he works much harder and is more gung ho in the hardest of AP classes, those with the really tough teachers who push but really challenge you to think. It is much more tempting to slack off when a teacher is boring. If you go to the college that stimulates you to work hard and surround yourself with bright peers, you will work hard and do well. I have taught med students for over 20 years, and the grade-grubber types are never the best ones. Truly visit both schools, as has been suggested above, and choose the one that you feel will stimulate you more. My best guess would be U of Chicago over Michigan, but that may be reflecting my bias towards smaller schools. Go with your gut after your visit and do the research.</p>

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<p>At Michigan, the North Campus dorms seem to be new and decent. The Central Campus dorms seem to be quite shabby. Much of the off-campus housing in Ann Arbor seems to be pretty shabby too (mostly older houses), though I’d guess there are some newer apts. to be had for the right price. </p>

<p>From what I’ve seen, Chicago seems to maintain its older dorms pretty well.</p>

<p>With all the comparisons of the schools’ academics, don’t underestimate the effect that the quality of your dorm/apartment and their distance from your classroom buildings will have on your morale, time, and ability to concentrate.</p>

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<p>From what I have seen, Chicago wins in that regard. From what I’ve seen from Max P (the dorm I would request), it is literally right next to the library, dining hall, and super close to the gym and main classes. The dining food I had at both was… comparable haha</p>

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<p>“With all the comparisons of the schools’ academics, don’t underestimate the effect that the quality of your dorm/apartment and their distance from your classroom buildings will have on your morale, time, and ability to concentrate…”</p>

<p>…especially when you are sourrounded by ghetto…</p>

29

<p>“At Michigan, the North Campus dorms seem to be new and decent. The Central Campus dorms seem to be quite shabby. Much of the off-campus housing in Ann Arbor seems to be pretty shabby too (mostly older houses), though I’d guess there are some newer apts. to be had for the right price.”</p>

<p>Wrong…</p>

<p>There hasn’t been a new dorm or major renovation on North Campus in over 40 years. Central Campus has a brand new North Quadrangle and has renovated/is renovating two dorms currently. Almost all of the Hill dorms (adjacent to CC have been renovated over the past few years. Multiple and new student apartment buildings have been and are being built adjacent to central campus.</p>

<p>Once again, too much uninformed opinion here.</p>

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<p>Michigan’s campus is nowhere near as pretty as UC’s. The gargoyles towering the library in Hyde Park are pretty cool.:)</p>

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<p>The University of Chicago isn’t surrounded by ghetto. You’ve got Lake Michigan on one side :)</p>

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<p>Fortunately, the quality of dorms and other facilities can be observed on your campus visits.<br>
It won’t be as easy to cut through conflicting information about grading, pre-med “weed out”, med school placement, and so forth. You can look for objective information about average GPAs, admission rates, or representation at various med schools. However, I think you’ll find much of it is incomplete, out of date, or irrelevant to this specific comparison.</p>

<p>In the end this choice will involve some personal judgement calls. Welcome to the real world of adult decision-making.</p>

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<p>To my knowledge North Campus hasn’t had any renovations in a long time; though frankly it’s a great place for freshman getting a taste of living away from home. With the work done on Mo-Jo and the new North Quad, portions of main campus housing border on the palatial.</p>

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<p>“The University of Chicago isn’t surrounded by ghetto. You’ve got Lake Michigan on one side”</p>

<p>San Francisco Bay sourrounded Alacatraz. ;-)</p>

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<p>“Michigan’s campus is nowhere near as pretty as UC’s”</p>

<p>Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. UC has beautiful buildings to be sure. There is however more to a campus than just nice looking structures, though Michigan has plenty of those too. Chicago is an island, with reality on three sides (yes the lake is to the east).</p>

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<p>Well, it helps that our island is one short bus ride away from one of the most awesome cities in the US…it’s really not difficult at all to escape downtown.</p>

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<p>Escape is the operative word. :wink: Just kidding. I love Chicago and UC is a fantastic school.</p>

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<p>Hyde Park doesn’t bother me. I’ve been there, I’ve been to UChicago, it’s not a big deal haha I’m used to being in Detroit a lot.</p>