<p>I spent 10 years at UChicago, and had a ball. Though I was in the sciences, those classics people knew how to party.</p>
<p>you must have been the exception to the case. What slipper said is for the most part true.</p>
<p>There is no arguing that MIT is just as much of a party school as Dartmouth or UCLA. Some schools simply have a reputation for being NERDY. UChicago is one of those schools. Although it is your precious alma mater, Uchic. is not very chic in terms of cool points. Sorry.</p>
<p>I just took a quick look at the studentsreview site. Not scientific, but interesting. I compared Chicago, Dartmouth, Harvard, & Duke. The social life rating was Chicago C+, Dartmouth A-, Harvard C+, Duke B. What was even more interesting, to the question would you do it again, a little over 10% of UChicago would not, but over 30% of Dartmouth would not, about the same would not for Harvard, and over 20% at Duke would not go again. I guess the social life at Dartmouth can't make up for whatever else is missing so that nearly a third of respondents wouldn't return, and the "lack of social life" at Chicago obviously doesn't detract much from the nearly 90% who would do it all over again. Harvard is about as bad off as Dartmouth for returning students with the social life of Chicago, Duke has a little better social life B vs. C+, and almost 80% would return.</p>
<p>Studentsreview is not a random sample of students. It usually attracts unhappy kids looking for a place to vent their frustrations.</p>
<p>Why are the Chicago people so defensive? I see my favorite schools and my friends' and parents' alma matters discussed negatively all the time here and I don't go crazy trying to convince everyone otherwise. Choosing a college is a very personal thing--that's why there's so many options. There's something for everyone. The problem I personally have with Chicago is the way it touts itself as being so "intellectual" (as thought intellectualism and fun were somehow mutually exclusive) when in fact the same calibre of students can be found in any of the top 30 schools, and even some below that, and those students wouldn't pride themselves on being social misfits. </p>
<p>That's just not my cup of tea. If it's yours, fine. A ton of people come on asking about Chicago, wanting to apply to Chicago, etc. And about an equal number are just not interested. PLENTY of people aren't interested in my favorite schools, Vanderbilt, Dartmouth, and UVA. Everyone's got different tastes.</p>
<p>I truly wish Chicago were a socially active school. I have no reason to dislike it. I just know many of my friends who went there didn't have the social experience I had, and many of them wish they did. You only get to go to college once. I wouldn't make my worst enemy go to Chicago.</p>
<p>I think the issue is more pronounced because of the extant of the "unsocial" myth that surrounds the campus. The literally hundreds of alumni & friends I know are quite perplexed at this characterization. I also don't think anyone assumes the people going into Chicago are that different form people going into any of the top schools. It is what happens intellectually while one attends that some believe is the primary difference. Having years of experience (not as an undergrad) in associating with students from many universities, I can say that Chicago does produce a unique student with unique experience that most I believe come to value as one of the most important events in their lives. I guess it can be summed best by a very successful friend who graduated from a top Ivy who recently said to me, "I usually think I am well educated and had a great college experience, that is, until I run into someone from Chicago, then I feel I must have missed out on something very important."</p>
<p>As for studentsreview, it was suggested as a source from which one could judge college experience, of course it is not scientific. If it is a place for disgruntled students, I think it is interesting that even Chicago's disgruntled would return to do it again in such high numbers. Must be something about that place.</p>
<p>I think you find that most Chicago students go there because of the amazing intellectual and academic difference between it an other institutions, and they often get what they were looking for. The same self-selection arguement that leads to a higher acceptance rate also holds when discussing the Chicago student body. Many don't mind trading some of the social scene of a Princeton for the academic and intellectual environment Chicago offers.</p>
<p>what non-nerd would be on CC? Face it, the fact your own this website posting messages shows that you're a nerd to some degree. Nerds are inherently attracted to learning, because from a psycological standpoint they know they'd never make it as a star athlete or a socialite. Of course i'm purely stereotyping...there are socialites and athletes that are also nerds. Was the first thing you noticed in my last sentence the fact I started it with "of" and thought how poor my sentence structure was, you probably fit in my stereotype! Just kidding..or am I... Wow sorry, i've been studying all night my brain is fried!</p>
<p>ummm.... im a star athlete</p>
<p>I start on my varsity field hockey team...</p>
<p>What's CC?</p>
<p>College Confidential. The name of this site. ((Blonde moment, Im sure. I have them all of the time))</p>
<p>
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<p>Hhhmmmmm.....I'm thinking Money.</p>
<p>...I think ppl want to go to a nerd school so they have a better chance of making more money...
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....just a suggestion...</p>
<p>damn...sr6622 beat me 2 that statement :(</p>
<p>this thread is driving me nuts.</p>
<p>SOME of us choose a school based on feeling like it's a good match for our personalities/learning styles. wth is a nerd school anyway? an ivy league? a school where people actually have an ambition other than to get wasted every weekend? </p>
<p>there is definitly no "good" or "bad" in terms of choosing a state school, medium or large university, or a small LAC. you might be smart and love drinking and partying, or you can be smart and enjoy small gatherings and intellectual conversations for fun (yes believe it or not... i am one of those people. it's not impossible, or an attempt to sound like a better person). </p>
<p>and of course, if you don't listen to prevalent stereotypes of a school you're doing yourself a major disservice, since the stereotypes fuel the self-selection that makes them true.</p>
<p>as for those of you who anywhere for the 'prestige' and the 'future $$', grow up already.</p>