<p>So i like u of c a lot. I like u rochester reasonably well. I think that i'd get a better education at u of c and like the people better... they are a little weirder and more nerdy than at rochester. i also prefer the big-cityness of chicago to the small city in upstate new yorkness of rochester. i have a scholarship to rochester though, so it'd be about 10k less per year. my parents are willing (to some extent) to pay for either. the question: is it worth having $40,000 upon graduation for a car/down payment on a condo or something or should i go with u of c?</p>
<p>U of Chicago</p>
<p>I'd recommend the University of Chicago as well. According to the Princeton Review, the University of Chicago offers the best undergraduate experience. However, I'll admit that Chicago isn't the best "fit" for all students; Chicago is unique and different in its respective aspects. In addition, the academics offered by Chicago are excellent. It seems like you have a preference for Chicago as well; go for it.</p>
<p>but then sometimes i get a little scared of u of c and think rochester might be better... it's closer to home (6 hr drive instead of needing to go by plane) and people don't feel the need to warn me about how hard it is</p>
<p>Chicago is tough...but Rochester is not exactly a walk in the park! Go for Chicago...you will not regret it.</p>
<p>She might regret it... if she is interested in a career in Optics.</p>
<p>I chose Rochester over Chicago .. I don't think I would like such a competitive atmosphere, especially since I am premed and GPA is so important.</p>
<p>Chicago has more prestige but overall Rochester was a better fit for me.</p>
<p>I also loved the campus of Rochester. Chicago doesn't have a campus feel, and the area around it is not the best. Chicago as a city, however, is awesome, so it's a trade-off.</p>
<p>Did you visit Rochester and/or Chicago yet?</p>
<p>PM me if u have any questions..</p>
<p>By the way.. are those your top 2, or are there other schools that you are considering?</p>
<p>they are my top 2 (before i was also considering vassar and mcgill)</p>
<p>i visited both. i only had a chance to stay over night at chicago. i really liked it a lot, the people i met, the campus and stuff. rochester had a pretty campus, a boring dean of admissions talk, and ... i dunno... i didn't get to learn as much about it.</p>
<p>how do you like the people at rochester? half from ny is a lot. how is the diversity? also they are not well-known for being nerdy/dorky/intelligent/pretentions like chicago students are.</p>
<p>Well I did not have the opportunity to stay overnight at Chicago, however, I will agree with you in regard to the students at CHicago. Very smart, quirky, and SMART. I did, however, speak to many students, alumni, faculty, etc. and the conclusion I formed was that although these students were brilliant, they were looking out for themselves and only themselves for the most part (please no flames.. This is what most students, etc. said about the overall atmosphere). There were rare circumstances in which one student helped out another with a math problem, or helped them study, etc.</p>
<p>In addition to this fact, the quarter system made it seem as if you were always studying for a midterm or a final. Another thing that 'scared' me away was the high suicide rate at Chicago, related (presumably) to the cutthroat atmosphere and the difficulty of the curriculum.</p>
<p>Now, please understand that I assume that you know all fo the benefits of CHicago and I am not going to go over those. Chicago is a great place for some, but it is clearly not for everyone.</p>
<p>Rochester, on the other hand, attracted me for several reasons (besides the scholarship $$). The lack of core curriculum and the cluster system was really ideal. I thought the whole concept was fantastic. </p>
<p>Also, I did an overnight stay at Rochester recently, and that really sealed the deal for me. The social life, the academics, the weather (I LOVE the cold) was perfect. The only two things that I saw as lacking at Rochester was a big city (although Buffalo is an hour away, Toronto 3 hour, NYC 5 hours, etc.). The second thing was the lack of prestige. This is not such a big deal, since the lack of prestige does not apply to the academic sector, in that med schools, grad schools, etc. all recognize Rochester as a great institution, however the general public has not heard of ROchester.</p>
<p>This second thing will (hopefully) change with the new presidenet coming in (from WashU). He did wonders for WashU (In terms of a huge boost in USNews ranking), and hopefully he will do the same for Rochester.</p>
<p>Anyway, I recommend ROchester, obviously, but it depends on what you want. If you are a premed, then I would absolutely recommend Rochester if only for the reason that attending Chicago (might) be significantly detrimental to your GPA, unless, of course, you are one of the best of the best academically.</p>
<p>I suggest you make contact with several students at UR (in whatever field you are interested in) and just talk to them about the social life, academics, etc Go to facebook and just pick at random. From my experience, everyone at UR is more than willing to help.</p>
<p>Anyway... hope I didn't rant or blabber too much..PM me if u have any questions..</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>I also recommend Rochester as a school with smart kids
(although not snobbily so) and good academics. It also has a pretty good social life. It seems a lot more laid back than U of C.</p>
<p>Rabo, I had that same thought. Both schools/schools in that tier are filled with smart, intelligent kids, but growing up in an ivy school atmosphere I was kind of fed up with the snobby "i'm smarter than you and this is how i'm going to prove it" social life. I visited Rochester, went to many small and big social gatherings and felt right at home in that sector. The kids were smart, witty, and had a sense of community in that they didnt care to compete with each other or feel smarter than the other, they just ..were normal :) </p>
<p>U chicago has better prestige in the sector of academia, with UR right behind the tail, but I think both schools outside of academia do not have much going for them. Like maybe U chicago because it says like "chicago" in its name and you will immediately thing oh yeah chicago..ok..versus Rochester being a less known city. Its basically where you feel at home, you will get a good education in both the schools and if you work hard will come out in the top of whatever field you choose. Rochester itself is a big city with an Intl Airport and the whole nine yards, a lot of stuff to do, and Toronto is a like 1 hour away , with a lot of transportation methods such as ferry (Rochester spent a pretty penny making a ferry with stuff like a movie theater, mini golf, etc in it) </p>
<p>If it were my opinion, I'd choose Rochester 100%, but that is my opinion so you should also form yours :) If you have any questions dont hesitate to IM me or something, i'm UR 09</p>
<p>^ That post is way longer than i intended it to be :)</p>
<p>I'd also go for rochester. I love UChi, but I agree Rochester is so much more laid back. I know a few people who recognize UChi, but I doubt this has much to do with academic prestige as proximity to NU and the city itself. I'd also go Rochester 100%.</p>
<p>Chicago takes a lot of transfers. Since you have a better scholarship at Rochester, it might make sense to take it, and then transfer if you still want to in a year or two.</p>
<p>if you really love u of c more than rochester and your parents are willing to pay for it, then definitely go to chicago! i know rochester is a fine school, but don't let yourself regret not going to chicago right off the bat if you think that is the best fit for you.</p>
<p>So veronique.. what did you decide to do?</p>