<p>“Please show examples where it isn’t.”</p>
<p>Was I the one who made the original statement? It’s up to you to prove your contentions. When one makes a mark in the superlative, one should be subjected to scrutiny.</p>
<p>When one asks somebody to prove a negative, it’s perfectly valid to ask the reverse question.</p>
<p>And USNWR rankings prove nothing - they are just one man’s opinion, based on mostly irrelevant criteria.</p>
<p>[U.S</a>. News college rankings are denounced but not ignored - The Washington Post](<a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/us-news-college-rankings-are-denounced-but-not-ignored/2011/09/02/gIQAn6BzzJ_story.html?hpid=z2]U.S”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/us-news-college-rankings-are-denounced-but-not-ignored/2011/09/02/gIQAn6BzzJ_story.html?hpid=z2)</p>
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<p>Before this thread goes the way of nearly every CC thread…</p>
<p>WUSTL has developed a reputation for gaming the system in recent years to climb a few rankings. It’s a very good school, but in the end UChicago remains notably better - especially in the area in which you’re interested. I don’t think you can go wrong with a degree from UChicago.</p>
<p>Also, why do you think St. Louis is a better city than Chicago? I’ve never heard anyone say that. St. Louis has its assets for sure, but studying art history in a global city like Chicago is going to give you significantly more exposure and connections coming out the other end. Perhaps if St. Louis had a strong underground arts scene like, for example, Detroit has developed it might give you pause to consider it for a different angle. I, personally, haven’t heard of such a scene in St. Louis.</p>
<p>Plus, you won’t need to deal with the hassle of a car in Chicago if you don’t want to (or leave it parked / do a carshare program), which is a huge benefit.</p>
<p>Regarding the weather, one of the biggest mistakes people make is “I’m used to X weather, so I don’t want to experience something else.” College is a time to broaden your horizons and break down biases, such as assuming the weather will be “awful”. I know a lot of people who grew up in warm climates and went to school in 4 season climates and they were perfectly happy. It’s nothing to base a college decision on. I’ve said it before, but seasons have a way of creating great memories - summers on the Lake Michigan beaches, walks through a park amidst the fall colors and crisp air, snowball fights or snow football games, the first days of spring when everybody’s outside basking in the sun… </p>
<p>Living in air conditioning most of the year in a landlocked city has significant drawbacks.</p>
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The St. Louis Art Museum is one of the best in the country. It’s not the Met, but most would place in the top 10.</p>
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Looking through the OP’s past posts, Columbia would be a high reach at the moment. Columbia would normally be an excellent suggestion and is one of the 6 schools, along with Berkeley, Harvard, NYU (graduate-level only), Princeton, and Yale, that I would place in the top tier of art history programs that distinctly dominate in museum and university placement. Chicago is quite good with particular strengths in Asian and Islamic art, but I would place it in the next tier with Michigan, Northwestern, Penn, etc. </p>
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I don’t think the OP said any such thing. She even noted in her original post that Chicago has more art opportunities.</p>
<p>What the OP said was that she liked the atmosphere of St. Louis better. What’s wrong with that? It’s one of my favorite cities too. In fact, I think it’s a much nicer place to live than my current city (Los Angeles). I seem to recall you promoting Ithaca over several much larger cities, so surely you of all people can understand the importance of personal preference! :rolleyes:</p>
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Getting a decently paying (not necessarily well-paying) job in art history these days requires at least a MA. WUStL has a very good undergraduate program, and the superb St. Louis Art Museum is only about a 20 minute walk from campus. It should be fine for your purposes.</p>
<p>Chicago does indeed have the better program, and it is one of my personal favorites. That said, it is not a school for everyone. I agree with those who recommend applying RD and seeing where you get in. </p>
<p>As I noted earlier, your stats are a bit low for top schools, and both schools are definitely reaches with your current stats. Even if you applied to WUStL ED in the hopes of acquiring an advantage, I would wager that you’d be deferred. What are the other schools you’re considering?</p>
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<p>On the contrary, the OP did say such a thing:</p>
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<p>So, the context moves beyond the realm of personal preference.</p>
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Apologies! In that case, I agree; it does seem an odd claim to make. Chicago is an excellent and very livable city.</p>
<p>St. Louis a better city than Chicago? in what universe?</p>
<p>Cost of living?</p>
<p>Lower cost of living (even if true) as a definition of “better” is pretty thin gruel. Newark isn’t better than NYC because it’s cheaper to live there.</p>