University of Chicago
Reviews

Getting Better

I think the university is trying to sever its image of a purely nerd school with kids who have poor hygiene. The girls are noticeably more attractive, transitioning to a Zoey Deschanel-like class.

AMAZING

University of Chicago is an academic experience like no other. I give it an A+, although we do not give A+s here(just As, and those are difficult to come by). If you have a passion for knowledge, this is the place for you. The professors are well-known in their fields, and research opportunities abound.

Cultural Oasis

Hyde Park offers a lot to students, from shopping and sight-seeing, outdoor recreation on Lake Michigan to plays, concerts and art exhibitions. Almost every weekend, there is something to do, although many students are too busy studying to take advantage of all of it. We are also trying to become more aware of the disadvantage of many areas that surround us in South Chicago, and many community outreach programs work on the South side.

Great

Great when you need them, which is more or less always. Nice Windows quad, Mac Quad, and a variety of Debian machines to SSH into if you need to do so.

Well, Chicago

Hyde Park is a nice place, as are the surrounding neighborhoods. There are a few places to eat at and it's nice to walk around...oh, and there's Chicago..

Strong Environmental Program in an Urban Context

I'm an Environmental Studies major, and I have been extremely impressed with the program at UChicago. I wouldn't have expected a school in a city like Chicago to have an excellent program oriented toward the environment, but it turns out that our urban location is in many ways a strength, and sets our program apart from that of other schools. Our Environmental Studies major has a strong focus on policy, and the faculty and staff do an incredible job of keeping students in the loop with regards to professional opportunities in Chicago.

Psychology

The psychology program here is very research based. If you wish, there are many opportunities to get involved in as many psychology labs as you would like. Most classes are taught by professors, or people who run their own labs. There is a SOSC class called "mind" that many psychology faculty members co-teach, and is a great opportunity to get an idea of who you might want to take classes with. All of the professors within the psychology department want to see you succeed, and will do pretty much anything to help you. Additionally, if you enjoy psychology but you are not interested in research, there is a joint degree program with the school of social work, where you can get a jump start on your clinical studies.

Food on Campus

The variety of options for dining on campus is great. In addition to the unlimited dining plan at the three dining halls, you are able to use flex dollars/maroon dollars at many of the coffee shops around campus. This year the school also added a Red Mango, Jamba Juice and an additional Subway!

I Love This Place

It's pretty great school not just for the academics, but because of the people you meet here.

Best of All Possible Worlds

Here at U of C we get a combination of things that not a lot of other schools can offer: unbelievable academics that'll change the way you think, a great city with countless opportunities, a small college-town with everything that goes into that, and, contrary to popular belief, tons of fun (yes, normal, actual college fun).

Very Available

Most 3rd and 4th years live off-campus (~75%). And by off-campus I mean literally across the street. This means that there are a lot of apartments available- its very easy to find anything from a studio to a 5 bedroom. Rent isn't bad at all, and is actually a little cheaper than the cost of on-campus housing, so that's a plus. U of C police department patrols area and there are lots of blue lights and such around, so safety isn't really an issue.

Best of Both Worlds

We get the best of both worlds here at U of C. We in the shadow of downtown and all that it has to offer (which is a LOT), but Hyde Park is just far enough away to truly be a small, residential college town. The University is an important part of the community, with most of our professors living in Hyde Park, and the community is excited to have us. Lots of good restaurants, coffee shops, bookstores, etc. (and more coming soon!) And Chicago? Pound for pound one of the best cities in the world I think- so much to do, so easy to do it, and the school has hooked us up with lots of exclusive, unbelievable discounts.

Tons of Diversity

There are people of all walks of life on campus. We have a substantial international population and students from almost every state. The Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA) and 5710 provide resources and opportunities for discussion for all students.

Wifi Is Reliable and Everywhere

The entire campus (even outside and the gyms) are wireless, which means you can really work anywhere. The Computers in the Computer Labs have pretty much any program you might need for a class (like Econ or Stats) so you don't have to buy the program if you don't have it.

Libraries

Several libraries on campus are great when you need a quiet place to study

Ambitious

Students at UChicago are usually dedicated to one thing: getting to where they want to go. This is pretty attractive, and most students find themselves linking up with someone who has the same ambitions as they do.

Safe but Not Strict

Especially in the dorms, RAs are out to make sure you are having a safe and responsible time, but there isn't a strict process of getting "written up" for anything. They treat you like adults and expect you to behave appropriately; they'll come tell you to quiet down if you're partying after (generous) quiet hours, but they're not out to be the bad guy.

Urban Safety

Campus police and security guards are all over the place; I've never felt unsafe on campus and while you have to be aware of your surroundings anywhere in Chicago I feel as safe on campus as I would downtown or in another neighborhood.

Loopholes

If you consider the various subdivisions of "White" and "Asian" as contributors to diversity, then I suppose one could argue that UChicago is in fact diverse. That having been said, diversity in a more practical and perhaps broader sense is somewhat lacking. Blacks and Hispanics, for example, are few in number relative to the two other aforementioned races. Culturally speaking, a lot of minorities at the U of C are a little on the whitewashed/hipster side and either bury their ethnicity or flaunt it feebly as if they have something to prove.

A Sanctuary for Nerds

If you are passionate about learning and intense about academics, you will find no better school. It is a close community of creative and passionate people.

Popular, but Not Over-Bearing

The Greek life is present on campus, often hosting parties on the weekends, but not that many people are involved in the actual frats. It is not at all a big deal if you are not in a frat, and there are many options besides going to frat parties

Flexible Apartment Environment

AAA

Apartments in Hyde Park typically come in two types: huge and spacious but run-down or clean, modern, and trendy but small studio style. It is really a matter of personal preference. The huge apartments make for excellent social/party spaces, if you are into that, and the modern apartments offer a cleaner more sophisticated life for those seeking that. Pricing is about in line with what one would expect from an urban area, but luckily Chicago is significantly cheaper than cramped cities like New York or LA. Apartment arrangements are also incredibly flexible due to the sheer volume of students constantly moving in and out. If you only want to stay for a month or so, or if you need to find roommates to split the tab, that will not be a problem at all. Virtually everywhere is connected by University Transportation, or you can walk if you don't mind the Winter.

Most Popular Major: Economics

The University of Chicago has one of the most prestigious econ programs in the world, and everyone is always fairly impressed by it.

Tough, but Doable

If you're used to getting straight A's and being the "smart kid" in all of your classes, this school can be an incredibly jarring experience - because EVERYONE was that kid! But while the school is tough (and sometimes, it seems, unreasonably so), it's very doable. The Computer Science department is very hit-or-miss teacher-wise, but you can definitely craft a curriculum with tons of hands on experience, and all of the professors I've had are, if not the best teachers, very excited to assist students. One thing you'll hear about the Computer Science department at this school is that you will only get theoretical experience...but this is folly. I've crafted Operating Systems, networking applications, video games and more - the education you'll get here is perfectly fine. (You will have to get some alternate programming language experience outside of the classroom, however).

Rigorous but Worth It

The U of C is tough, there's no getting around it. There are times when you are buried in work with no way out. However, you learn in a way that is really unique and actually makes you smart. You don't really have to learn useless facts here.