University of Chicago Admission
University of Chicago Undergraduate Program
University of Chicago Application

The Facts

The University of Chicago is located in Hyde Park, a section of the city of Chicago, Illinois on the south side. It is a medium-sized private institution housing about 4,191 undergraduate students and about double that amount of graduate students, which is rare and is a good example of the emphasis on higher learning at the school. Students say the academics are fiercely competitive, and the classes are generally quite intense. Students do an inordinate amount of studying just to keep up with the constant challenges professors throw at them every weekday.

Admission to the school is quite competitive for a private school of its diminutive stature; last year, about 8,139 students applied and 3,379 were admitted while only 1,114 actually enrolled for the coming fall. The admitted students had an average combined SAT score ranging from 1310 to an impressive 1500 and an average comprehensive ACT score ranging from 28 to 32. Over 94% of admitted students were ranked in the top 25% of their high school graduating class. From these statistics, it is fairly obvious that U Chicago is not a place for slackers to take refuge.

The school has an incredible student to faculty ratio of 4:1, which is practically unheard of at the majority of universities. The academics are quite intense that they really require such small classes in order to be effective. The university boasts one of the top economics programs in the world, and its science (both natural and political) are word-class as well. The school offers a wide variety of undergraduate majors; some of the most popular with students include majors in economics (of course), biological science, English, psychology, and political science. (no underwater basket weaving majors in sight...) The required curriculum at the school is equally as varied and challenging-- the core curriculum is not a free-ride by any means. Another interesting note to keep in mind: the school runs on the notorious “quarter system,” and as a result, one semester is basically condensed into a mere 10 weeks.

The Social Scene

The U Chicago campus is amazing; it is situated right on the shores of Lake Michigan and even includes its own beach and waterfront pathways. The buildings on campus are a great mixture of neo-gothic architecture and modern feats of engineering and design, including a building designed by the acclaimed architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

Students at U Chicago are definitely not known for their love of partying; they are usually too busy with their glasses-adorned noses shoved in thick books to take much interest in the party scene. However, the city of Chicago definitely offers its own cultured perks; the city is home to some of the best performing and fine arts in the world, and offers many fine restaurants, shops and bars for the students’ enjoyment. There are fraternities and sororities at the school, but not many students join or take notice. They do throw the occasional party with hefty quantities of alcohol, however, most students don’t really care.

Fellow geeks unite! The dating scene at U Chicago could be most accurately characterized as a geeky love fest. Hey, sounds good to me!

What's Good

“The academics don’t get any better than this. You feel like you are just learning at 80 times the speed you did in high school. It’s really refreshing.”

“The classes are miniscule and feel more like mini-discussion groups.”

“The dorms are amazing and offer a wide range of sizes and characteristics. Mine is an old luxury hotel with huge rooms that look out onto Lake Michigan. Not too shabby!”

What's Bad

“The school is really cutthroat. There is a sense of urgency when it comes to being the best in every class and nothing is ever good enough.”

“A lot of professors are really stuck-up and too wrapped up in their own academic egos to help anyone else, let alone a lowly student.”

“The neighborhood isn’t really the safest of areas. It’s not a good idea to walk alone at night.”

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