<p>I'm choosing between Chicago and a nice potential spot off the waitlist at my top choice.</p>
<p>I'm going with the former for now.</p>
<p>The math/physics/CS folks we know who are considering/have chosen Chicago want a more well-rounded experience than an engineering school. </p>
<p>My S also would add Paul Sally and Laslo Babai to the list of reasons, however.</p>
<p>I am trying to decide between NYU and U of Chicago...I got into GSP in NYU...they gave me 25k ...bt I know that U of Chicago has a far better ranking, yet I love Manhattan..I want to study PoliSci..help!!</p>
<p>Advcomp, you identify linguistics as one of your areas of interest. To my knowledge, Amherst doesn't offer linguistics (although UMass, where you can attend classes through the Five College Consortium, has an exceptional department). This may or may not affect your decision, but it's another factor for you to consider.</p>
<p>Right now I'm picking between Chicago and UC Berkeley. Right now I love Chicago and think it is the perfect school for me, but it would cost $50k/yr whereas Berkeley would cost $25k/yr. :(</p>
<p>I am aware that Amherst doesn't have linguistics, but they have a great creative writing program, and hopefully I could create my own interdisciplinary major. I'd probably lean towards Chicago, but I'm hesitant to do so without aid packages to compare.</p>
<p>It's between UChicago and Princeton for me. I was also accepted to Cornell and UF, but those are pretty much nonfactors at this point. I received practically 100% at both schools for financial aid, so thankfully money won't be a factor.</p>
<p>I have yet to visit either school (though I'm visiting Princeton this week and Chicago next week), but right now my heart definitely lies with Chicago. I am overall much more excited for Chicago's undergraduate program and the student body; however, Princeton wins with extracurriculars (I play trumpet, if you couldn't tell) and the physics department, and as a prospective physics major (by no means a certain one, however) I'm weighing that as significant. I really hope Chicago's undergraduate research in physics and whole treatment of undergraduate physics impresses me enough to finally relieve all of my worries, but even so, I feel like Chicago's physics is strong enough and that everything else (other than music :( so sad) is better enough at Chicago that I will end up there. I love the school, and I hope my visits expand my love for it!</p>
<p>Well, these are rankings of graduate programs from about 15 years ago by the NRC, possibly the most respected rankings by the academic world from what I hear. Chicago is second only to Harvard, so what is it that makes you believe otherwise.</p>
<p>JoeTrumpet:</p>
<p>I believe that you will find Chicago and Princeton to be about equal in terms of undergraduate physics and physics research. I know quite a few second-years doing research at Argonne this summer.</p>
<p>...
Today I decided that uchicago is where I want to be and told my parents but my feeling of excitement didn't last very long. I feel as though I'm going to regret my decision and I don't know why. I am seriously doubting my decisive skills...Is it normal to really doubt your decision or is my "gut" wrong...</p>
<p>Many feel a twinge of "buyer's remorse." Fortunately, it doesn't last long and the excitement again returns.</p>
<p>I've never once regretted my decision to come here, and like you, I went with my gut. I didn't let name brandness distract me, and I looked at schools head-on and asked, "Which school will give me the opportunities I want in so that I don't have to worry about looking for them?" The answer, every single time, to every single quality, was Chicago.</p>
<p>well, looking back at your last few posts, I am was in your same position between duke and chicago. Frankly, its been back and forth. One day I'm like yes I want to go to duke. Others, I am thinking for sure chicago. But I basically made a list of all the pros/cons. I kinda realized subconsciously that my clinging to duke is partly because it simply sounds cool, and is well known. the pros/cons list really helped me see what I truly want. I am still not sure but I am visiting chicago this weekend and that will surely help more</p>
<p>New NRC rankings are coming out this fall but they are the most respected even as dated as they are. US News is somewhat of a joke.</p>
<p>By the way thanks to everyone who responded to this thread (although it seemed to veer off topic at times haha) I suspected Chicago was on par with the Ivies and the other top institutions in the minds of students.</p>
<p>I'm having trouble deciding between UChicago and Reed College. They both seem to be serious about academics and have that rare intellectual atmosphere, but I can't choose. Reed is cheaper by about 3,000, which is very significant for my family. Both are possible financially... one's just easier than the other. Any advice?</p>
<p>@ Beefs: I believe I've seen recent rankings that place Princeton higher in more recent publications, though I could very well be wrong. I think they're close enough in ranking regardless that it's a nonfactor anyway. Now, considering Princeton is more undergraduate focused and Chicago has such a large graduate school, it seems like undergraduates may have a stronger opportunity for great research opportunities, and that's part of what makes me wonder. What really got me was the Princeton physics site: the student:teacher ratio in that department, the fact that "we have more research opportunities than we have physics students," the fact that practically all students will work one-on-one with a professor to engage in research. It was all very tantalizing, really, and the Chicago site simply had a lot less to say on the topic, and most of what they did have to say had to do with a couple of decades ago. I'm not saying that Chicago's is worse: I'm saying that Princeton's is amazing and Chicago has yet to really show me how theirs is amazing.</p>
<p>@ Phuriku: That's actually very cool, and very nice to hear! I really hope I hear enough stuff so my heart truly feels that Chicago's undergraduate physics will provide me with just as many opportunities as Princeton's.</p>
<p>@genius: I know what you mean about, as idad stated, "buyer's remorse." When I got my Princeton acceptance I barely cared: it was like a pat on the back that I wasn't looking for, but appreciated. I decided the day after that that I would formally accept my offer of admission to Chicago, because the huge difference in my reactions to the Chicago acceptance and the Princeton acceptance pretty much showed where I truly, deeply felt I belonged. I'm still visiting both schools to be absolutely 100% positive, of course, but it's just... seriously, it's Chicago!</p>
<p>Plus, the University of Chicago after admitting me sent me a book about math and music. They obviously know me from my application, and I love that personal feeling. The letter of acceptance warmed my heart, too. It's overall such a personal experience, just as my actual application was, that I love the school even more. I'm glad they do their process of admissions the way they do, as it really does make the school what it is. But I digress into sappiness :)</p>
<p>@ Odin: Have you visited the schools? I hear that often can make people drastically rethink what they want out of college. Reed and UChicago are very similar academically and intellectually (where it counts), so I guess what's left is to see what sort of environment you feel better at: liberal arts college, or the liberal arts college equivalent in a research university. Perhaps what you want to study may influence your decision, or some extracurriculars you want to do. Big school vs. small school, very urban vs. wherever Reed is located :). I hope you can visit! I'll be at the 17-18 April overnight, so maybe I'll see you there!</p>
<p>Joe--</p>
<p>Private message user "Cosmos"-- a music major at the U of C.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice JoeTrumpet</p>
<p>
Haha alright Beefs, no beef between us.</p>
<p>Don't get me wrong - I love UChicago and think it's a wonderful university, but peanuts or not, $32K in exchange for grade deflation and lame weather isn't worth it to me.
</p>
<p>Actually, according to Newsweek, UChicago has massive grade inflation:</p>
<p>"A 2003 Princeton study found that marks of A and A-minus accounted for 44 to 55 percent of grades at the Ivy League colleges, MIT, Stanford and the University of Chicago."</p>
<p>GRADE</a> DEFLATION | Newsweek Education | Newsweek.com</p>