<p>Second to UChicago herself, the city of Chicago really, and i mean really, simplified my decission.</p>
<p>I love the passion for learning!! Plus, the buildings are really beautiful.</p>
<p>I love to think, and to do so without any reins attached as often as possible. Chicago is the only university of which I know that not only allows for this, but envigorates it and proudly heralds it as the life of the mind.</p>
<p>good answer, sodfather</p>
<p>Well, I was looking for a university in a major city (not named Cleveland or Los Angeles)...and I was just in Chicago for the first time last summer--I thought it was a great place. Before that, I was kind of wary of Chicago (the city) for some reason; I had no idea it was so nice. I pictured a duller place, like Houston or Atlanta (no offense). So that put it on my list.</p>
<p>Then I was looking for universities with a great econ program--Chicago definitely has that.</p>
<p>Then I had to be realistic, given my current grades (which are definitely going way up this year--I'm in CEGEP in Quebec, so while it's technically grade 12, there's still one more year here before college, so I have another chance to apply next year) where I could get in. Chicago seems like a great place, and while I'm wary about the geekiness (as much as I love learning, I'm still able to squeeze a real social life in there--bars, restaurants, baseball games, etc...), I'm sure they'll be enough people like me.</p>
<p>The life of a mind. Enough said.</p>
<p>i think im totally rejected.....because of my essay :(</p>
<p>i chose option #5 and designed a question about the sociological term "role confusion" --- now that i look at it again, its not nearly as interesting as there options, and they will likely reject me for thinking it was an ivy essay reworked for chicago...even though its not!</p>
<p>ilcapo235, there are many who chose option, including me. To tell you the truth, the prompts for this year were very dull compared to previous years. </p>
<p>If everything else is set, you should not have a problem.</p>
<p>i just emailed my regional adcom to tell her that my essay was not intended to go around the essay prompts, and that i was not re-wording another essay...basically telling her that i love chicago, and my essay was designed to discuss a certain aspect of my character.</p>
<p>i don't know, it was a cute little letter lol</p>
<p>I applied to U of C because it is a good school in chicago. But to be honest I really do not want to go. U of C is one of the least diverse schools out there, and the people can sometimes be elitists...</p>
<p>Least diverse? What do you mean by that? What is the main core of people? Elaborate.</p>
<p>After spending 3 summers at nerd camp (CTY 2 years and then math camp), I realized that I really enjoyed that environment and wanted a college like that where people just really liked to learn. My friends and I are always making jokes based on stuff we learned in like math/physics/comp sci that day and we just have a lot of fun with it. Chicago not just accepts but embraces, even praises, nerdiness. I think that's pretty cool. They are also VERY strong in math, especially theoretical math, and since I want to be a math major... yeah. I could get really involved with research and study abroad, both of which are important to me. I also like how many classes you can take. It will be SO hard for me to choose what classes I want to take because I just love everything, and Chicago gives me more opportunities to study topics both within and outside of my major. </p>
<p>Also, are all the college officers from Chicago really awesome? Andre is the southern CA rep and he really impressed me. I was like, I have a friend who's going to Chicago from [my school] named [friend's name]. And he was like oh, yeah I remember her! He knew her last name (which is not common.... at all) that she loved math, and even remembered the info session that she attended. I'm still in awe of that man. Just... wow. Amazing memory. And he seemed to really care too, which was very cool. He's hands down the best admissions officer I've encountered thus far.</p>
<p>I mean that there is not a lot of racial diversity of campus. There also can be a lack of idealogical diversity. The math department is fantastic (dr. paul sally is great), but overall the university seems to be full of these sheltered white kids who feel self-important. Although i must say that this is true of the freshman class, there are exceptions and usually as the kids spend more time there they get better.</p>
<p>I just noticed today...I posted this post on my birthday...</p>
<p>Because it's "uncommon"! And intellectual and fun...all those Nobel Laureates don't hurt either. The communist statue caught my fancy too.</p>
<p>the gargoyles and the library sold me</p>
<p>Four words: Best economics program ever. And yeah, Dialogo turns me on. I'm still really scared about the political leanings of the econ department, though... I don't want to spend four years looking at busts of Reagan while I learn about the glories of supply-side, trickle-down economics.</p>
<p>seems pretty diverse to me, last time I checked it was something like 25% asian, maybe even more now</p>
<p>"I'm still really scared about the political leanings of the econ department, though... I don't want to spend four years looking at busts of Reagan while I learn about the glories of supply-side, trickle-down economics." </p>
<p>Meeee too. That statue in front of it, though...</p>
<p>Mainly I want to go for the city and the international affairs, Latin American studies, and economics programs.</p>
<p>I think you might be confusing conservative economics with social conservatism. Hayek and Milton Friedmen may have brought about such strong conservative economics but they were economists, they werent dealing with party lines, they were dealing with what they thought was most beneficial to everyone. The current administration may look to Hayek as a guide, but Clinton was also heavily influenced by Hayeks theories. </p>
<p>And I am pretty sure that they understand that noone was right. Not Hayek. Not Keynes. Not Marx. An econ class is not going to be lecture after lecture of "Dont let the government touch the economy." They realize that things go awry if the government completely steps aside and they know that things crash when the government steps too far in. They are there to educate you on economics and not indoctrinate you with the one "true" way. Be prepared for some bias, but you can get a balanced and VERY good education in econ at chicago.</p>