thatboyz, I went to U of C for undergrad and I go the business school at Rice right now. I can't really advise you one way or the other because I don't know you. I will say that U of C has a very particular culture. If it is the kind of thing you're looking for, you'll love it (while claiming to hate it), and if it is not, well, you'll end up transferring. I graduated in 1997 in a period when many changes were being made to the undergraduate program. So, my information might be out of date. It is a school that prides itself on being esoterically intellectual. Besides the professional graduate schools (which are excellent), they don't do anything practical or vocational. About the closest thing you'll get is economics or a hard science. They are built to prepare students to become graduate students. The student body likes to brag about never having fun, being ugly and unfashionable, being unknown in the wide world, and studying all the time. We may exxagerate some, but that is essentially the truth of the place. But, secretly, the students love that persona. Mostly, it is just a very academic place where you get to flex some intellectual muscle. They also like to be different from other schools and out-Harvard Harvard. They do a quarter system instead of a semester system. The count classes instead of credits. They have concentrations instead of majors. And, 21 of your 42 classes were in the common core -- so everyone had two quarters of calculus, 4 quarters of a science, 3 quarters of english, and so on. They required more of a broad base than most colleges now. Back in the 70s, it was actually a very wild party place. But, because it was in the ghetto (they told you about that, right?), the school was concerned about their environment and shut down a lot of bars in the neighborhood, as well as some of the student activities, like the Lascivious Ball (an annual party with a lot of naked people). In 1994, they tried to transform their identity again to become a little more mainstream. They doubled the size of the undergraduate program and increased their recruiting (because they have more grad students than undergrad and needed a larger college to help pay for the grads). They built a lot of new buildings. Right after I left, they cut the common core requirements. I wonder if perhaps some of the U of C identity was lost in the process. They also relaxed on the neighborhood and the Lascivious Ball and some bars returned. You saw the application. It reflects the personality of the school. If you are serious about going to graduate school (and not a professional school), I'd say that is where you need to be. U of C was also unusually good about having their big-shot professors teach undergraduates and not just hole up with their grad students. If you're hoping to drink and get laid, you can do that there too. But, maybe you could do it better at a place like Rice. Anyway, I loved my experience there. It was a great place for me, but I know it is not for everyone. I knew quite a few people who transferred out because that couldn't identify with the culture. Any questions on the place, I'll answer here or you can email me through the board. Other things that were funny in this thread: *the business school might be a neocon haven, but the rest of it is pretty leftist (though not activist, not while I was there). * Where fun goes to die -- my wife (whom I met there) had a U of C t-shirt with that slogan. * Northwestern sucks. Northwestern seems to have some sort of brotherly (and condescending) affection for U of C, like it is the other school with smart kids, but they aren't good at football. U of C, on the other hand, hates Northwestern, resents that Northwestern thinks they are as smart as U of C, and finds it laughable that they'd consider football something to brag about. * Frats are practically nonexistent at the school. Frat parties suck there. * The campus is beautiful in a neo-gothic way (though their new building depart from that theme). In the winter though, everything is gray. There are some pretty shabby building interiors in the main quads and the admin building is an eyesore, but otherwise, I'd say the campus looks great. It has a grittiness to it though -- it's not the vacuous suburban idyll secluded from the harsh realities of life that Rice or Northwestern are. * There was a men's magazine that came out with a list of most fun colleges (my first year there). U of C was #300 out of 300, behind BYU, Bob Jones, and others. * Name recognition for the school is low in the population. I had an IB grader ask me highschool if I was going to the Circle Campus. I found out later he was referring to UIC. It won't help for random jobs down in Texas. But, it is very well regarded by people who know it and especially in academic circles. It would be very good to have on a grad school application.
There was an article somewhere that I can't find again that explained why UChicago jumped so many places this year. Something about how they were counting something for the first time that they hadn't been counting before. I know that detailed explanation is probably enough to satisfy your curiousity, but if not, someone with the wherewithall to do a search can probably find the article. In regard to the original list, I didn't know Washington University in St. Louis was so well respected.
mateo.. only one spot behind Rice. Many of the "experts" have Rice and Vandy both in the College World Series next year.. so we'll have a little competition between the two there (hopefully )
Ah, I see. If you got into Chicago and Hopkins, you probably could have tried your hand at some of the ivies, especially the non-Yale, Harvard, Princeton ivies. Just to let you know, transfer admissions are very difficult. You'll need a 4.0 just to get your foot in the door at any of the ivies. And if you like Chicago at all, you won't want to do it anyway...too hard to leave something after a year of getting used to it. I was considering re-applying to Yale and Harvard this year, but I don't have a 4.0, and I just can't see myself leaving UT after a year.
Rankings are interesting and all but don't put too much weight on them. I've found the people out there who only care about the rankings and how their college is percieved, don't get too far in the workplace. It's basically branding and in many cases it's people buying a more expensive black and decker screwdriver because of the brand even though any other screwdriver could do the same job or better. When people don't want to put too much thought in their choices, they go for the brand names, but in the end: do you really want to be working and learning from people who make their decisions this way? College is a pretty fun experience if you choose the right place for you, I hope the rank of the school doesn't define that for anybody.
nyquil82.. true. Going to a top school gives you advantages and a great education, but you do still have to work hard and prove yourself in the workplace. I was lucky enough to go to a highly ranked school that I also loved. If one school is ranked 11th or something and you can't stand it, but you love a place ranked 12th... I wouldn't follow the rankings to the point that you are passing up a school that you love for one that you can't stand.. but is ranked one spot higher.
Well, if I have time to fill out the apps I'll give it a shot. And I'll definitely apply to Rice again so I can live at home. Question, if I apply to Rice as a transfer from Chicago does that mean I have to pay out-of-state tuition even though my parents live here?
I think you'd stay a Texas resident anyways.... since you were just in Chicago for school and parents probably still claim you on taxes... As far as I know, peope normally stay residents of their home state even if in school out of state during the school year. At least I don't know of too many people at Vanderbilt that became Tennessee citizens while I was there.... most still voted in their home state and all....
The Brits have UT at 26th in the World, down from 15th last year. http://www.alnaja7.org/success/Education/times_world_ranking_2005.pdf
