My daughter and I just went to the open house for UChicago, and we thought it would be good to make a post explaining the highlights of the visit for anyone who couldn’t make it/wanted someone else’s perspective. For context, she was accepted into eight top schools in total (three Ivy Leagues) and she is practically 100% sure she wants to go to UChicago.
First, the campus is unbelievably beautiful. Nothing can really compare to it. During these past few years, we’ve had the opportunity to visit many others (my daughter spent summers in/visited Columbia, Harvard, Brown, Princeton, and Duke). What distinguishes UChicago in terms of its campus is its ideal layout and location. The campus feels pretty compact, you totally feel the university vibe, but at the same time, its location in Hyde Park provides students with opportunities to explore beyond campus and potentially get involved with projects involving the surrounding areas, which is particularly beneficial for those interested in community service and public policy. Its proximity to the city of Chicago itself is very valuable as well; students are able to intern at a company or organization in the city and accumulate work experience as current students, which I think gives them a clear competitive edge later on when they apply for jobs. Chicago is an amazing city as well. The culture and movement are unparalleled; it is beautiful and clean; it’s much less hectic and overwhelming than New York, but it still provides the benefits that city life typically entails.
The first program we went to focused on the career advancement office at UChicago. From the first week that they are on campus, students meet with an advisor from the office and discuss what they might be interested in doing professionally. During the four years and beyond, students are able to take advantage of internship and externship opportunities at leading organizations and companies nationwide, network with influential industry leaders, and gain invaluable skills that can only be learned through experience. The office really seems dedicated to providing students with the best opportunities to accumulate technical experience that seems to be increasingly attractive to employers. Even if a student doesn’t really have a clear idea of what they might want to do, they can benefit greatly from the different networking opportunities and experiences that the office offers, and potentially discard certain potential career interests to eventually find one they are passionate about. It is also worthwhile to mention that students maintain this relationship with the career advancement office even after they graduate, as they are still able to take advantage of employment offers, networking, and advice that the office can provide.
During the visit, we attended many programs with panels of current students who talked about their experiences at UChicago- all of them so smart, nice, down-to-earth, and with an extraordinary sense of humor, totally unpretentious. They all seem really passionate about whatever they are pursuing (academically, extracurricular-wise, professionally, etc.) as well as intellectually curious and driven. Contrary to the “nerdy” stereotype that UChicago hasn’t quite yet shaken off, all of the students seemed really balanced. Even though they are no doubt juggling a difficult workload, extracurriculars, and other activities, all of them had stories to tell about some memorable experience they had with their fellow house members as a first year, or the amazing concert they went to with their friends, or the countless late nights they spent doing everything from discussing the work of Kant and Nietzsche to watching really bad movies with their house to discussing the physics behind Super Smash Bros. Despite the “where fun goes to die” tagline, it’s pretty safe to say that whatever your idea of fun is, you’ll definitely find it at UChicago.
The sense of community really seemed extremely solid overall among the student body, something that’s likely helped by the housing system of the college, which provides a primary support group for students entering the college. Each house is made up of the students, resident assistants (older students that serve as the older brother/sister of the group), resident heads (an adult who lives in the dorms with the students, oftentimes with their partner, kids, and/or pets), and resident masters (often-renowned faculty members that live with the students as well). This really creates a “home away from home” feeling that helps students with that daunting transition into college by providing a kind of second family/support system. Besides that of Yale, this system is pretty much unparalleled.
I think something that is also worthwhile to note, which might be a little more obvious, is the incredible resources that the university has. Being a liberal arts college inside a larger research university, undergrads have access to extraordinary professors, facilities, and opportunities that you can’t really find at most liberal arts colleges of its size. As a mores specific example, while at the open house, my daughter got to meet Steven Levitt, author of the New York Times bestseller Freakonomics. He currently teaches some economics classes at the college, specifically targetted to undergraduate students. The fact that professors and faculty members like him are so dedicated to the undergraduate students at the college is something that is often overlooked but really has a huge difference in the academic experience that a student may have in college. It’s too often that at universities as prestigious as UChicago, many classes are taught by teacher assistants rather than professors. However, because of this dedication to undergrads, students have access to pioneers in the fields they’re interested in way before they graduate, and the kind of attention that they can have has countless benefits (including better letters of recommendation for jobs).
I could really go on and on about UChicago- after the visit, we were officially 1000% sure that this was the right place. Best of luck to anyone trying to make a decision! 
Congrats! and I was there with my D too. Its actually called the “accepted student overnight”. We had already committed (and I say we because its a big commitment $ on my part). I will say there was a couple of students that seemed to like the sound of their own voice, but I am sure that was due to being part of a student panel. Anyway a nice day and you can tell Dean Nondorf really loves his job which is probably why he is very good at it. Still quirky though as my daughter went to a biology class and the prof asked her and a couple of other prospies to go into the back room where we had them put there hands in a tank so the shrimp inside could eat the dead skin off there hands. 
I also ran into another young prospie that committed to UChicago over MIT, very pleasant young man as my wife and I ate lunch with him since his parents were unable to come (I believe UChicago flew him out on a “destinations” program).
Another clear advantage for undergrads likely heading either to law or business is that the chicago law schooll and Booth Business school clearly love and seek out the undergrads. There are only three universities with both top four law and business schools. Harvard, Stanford and Chicago. Heaving an extra toehold at chicago is a big plus.
Thanks for the info. Did they provide any details on admission stats?
These are some of the main reasons I chose UChicago (I was specifically interested in learning about the colorful political scene and various policy issues, out in the “real world”), so I agree these are largely good things, but I do want to provide some context.
- Most of the community service/public policy opportunities are outside Hyde Park. Woodlawn, Washington Park, and (further afield) South Shore are the hubs of service/policy work - because that's where most of the needs are.* If your daughter expects to spend a lot of time in these communities, South/BJ (across the Midway, and technically in Woodlawn - though the retailers are calling this area "Hyde Park South") might be good housing choices. North has a 55 stop right next door, which provides easy access to Washington Park, and could be a decent choice. In my experience, Woodlawn is the more active neighborhood; the area has a long tradition of advocacy - Saul Alinsky once played a major role - and more community organizations than I can count.
*I don’t know enough about Jackson Park, a more remote neighborhood adjoining Hyde Park and some outlying university buildings, to comment. Kenwood (northern neighbor) is very middle-class; the median income is twice as close to Hyde Park’s as it is to Woodlawn’s.
- Summer internship opportunities aren't necessarily linked to Chicago. Lots of students from other schools will intern here, and many UChicago students intern elsewhere (NY, SF, LA, DC, etc). During the academic year, a substantial outside internship (vs. a part-time commitment with an on-campus organization) is a significant time demand. This usually isn't compatible with UChicago coursework, other extracurricular commitments, and downtime. Extracurriculars are flexible, and can take a back seat for a quarter so your D doesn't have to pass on her dream internship; downtime is not - mental health is a real issue for even the most capable students, and taking time to relax is just as necessary as eating or sleeping.
- That said, the university's career advancement office is wonderful, and the Metcalf program places about 1/3 of students in internships each summer (in addition to summer plans students make on their own initiative).
My kid was on one of those panels, so I’m especially happy to hear that review, LOL!
Re admissions stats. No sort said was most selective ever. 8 percent (which was sane as last year so not sure how it’s most selective.) yield up substantially. Highest test scores ever 1499 sat average.
Except median SAT (CR+M) was supposedly 1515 a couple years back. http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/1789717-ranking-by-selectivity-for-help-picking-reaches-matches-safeties-p1.html. And they don’t know who will matriculate yet. And new test. So take it all – except improved yield (inevitable when you add ED and admit substantial number of applicants that way) – with a grain of salt.
I pretty sure Nondorf was talking about all admitted students as he made a joke about admitting one more 1600 score so the average would be 1500.
Yes. I was there.
Before everyone gets carried away from the U of C adoration (and I am an alumnus and a huge fan), bear in mind sometime in next January it will be brutally cold and the daylight hours are dismally short. When you have 2 mid term, 2 papers due and 3 problem sets on one day, life may not be as rosy as a gorgeous sunny spring day like today.
@85bears46 Don’t be a party pooper. :-*
Besides, we live at 7400’ in Colorado, winter is enjoyable change of seasons, depressing to me is Seattle weather.
I think it is easier to work indoors during that winter than having to stay inside with a perfect sunny day 
Exactly.^^^^
It’s ok to be a little giddy in the springtime, when everyone comes out of hibernation and enjoys the sunshine. That’s how it is in the Midwest, at any rate. We don’t take our nice days for granted.
My D17 would LOVE a stretch of crappy weather if she had 2 midterms, 2 papers and 3 PS due.
@CU123 Sorry. I just want to remind everyone of the realities of living through a harsh Chicago winter, especially when the Bears are losing year after year :(.
At least it has Cubs now. Bulls are doing OK so far.
People say the cold weather helps thinking. Chicago has many spacious and beautiful reading rooms on campus. A student may explore some hidden treasures in the hash winter times.
There is a reason why there is only one elite school in sunny weather …
@85bears46 Sorry we shipped you Cutler, literally destroying the Bears for many years to come. Go Broncos!
@85bears46 has a point - our first winter in Chicago the Bears won the Super Bowl so we have no perspective . . .
Thankfully, there are always parties to attend. We always heard stories about how it was so cold one year, the wine froze in the bottle while walking to a party . . That never happened to us, tbh.
Beware the mosquitos, btw. Living in Mosquito-Sota we certainly have our share. But we are much better prepared for them here. They tend not to mention mosquitos in IL but I recall getting bitten quite a bit - including in Hyde Park on a nice spring night - so it’s an issue.