Academics
The University of Chicago is known among students for its rigorous academics—and well-celebrated for that deep commitment, which is designed to help students not only learn but also to think, challenge, and question. The distinctive core curriculum is a series of sequences (including Humanities, Social Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Civilization) that make up an interdisciplinary framework that is then fleshed out with a vast number of electives, summer sessions, and research and internship opportunities. The academic calendar runs on a quarter system that “allows you to try so much, not just academically but outside of class,” so that students “can be in a play one quarter, work for the newspaper another quarter, [and] work with a professor on research another quarter.” Undergrads devoted to the pursuit of learning find that the hard work required by the school is excellent preparation for the workplace, or as one puts it: “So many recruiters comment that they love UChicago kids because we know how to put in the time.”
Teachers also put in the time to provide what students describe as a “transformative education.” Classes are regularly described as unique, with the note that “it is clear that teachers here are able to create courses that are their most specific passions.” And while those classes come with high expectations, professors are people first, which means that they “uphold the rigorous academic standard while simultaneously being flexible, accommodating, and understanding.”
Student Body
Students at UChicago are both “incredibly diverse” and also consistently “intellectual and quirky,” which speaks to a commonality of differences that hinges on learning: “everyone loves to learn and talk about what each other is learning.” If you’re one of those who is “genuinely driven to learn for the sake of learning, and love being challenged by their classes,” undergrads say it’ll be easy to find like-minded individuals “who are pursuing the most fascinating careers and studying interesting topics.” There’s a reason so many students here like to talk: it’s only by diving deep into conversation with someone that you realize “they’re double majoring astrophysics and English.”
Campus Life
Academic exploration is the reason people come here, and “students work almost twice as hard at their academics than they do on their personal/social life.” Still, “everyone at UChicago has a deep inner life and is doing something interesting with their time,” and there exists “a vibrant community for pretty much any interest you could have in a club,” ranging from “being a part of the emergency medical service to pro-bono consulting groups to doing research with a Nobel Laureate in economics.” There is a constant flow in and out of the libraries, but not many complaints about the workload: “We’re all very busy, but we make it work.”
The school’s residential House system creates small communities with distinct traditions, competitions, and events, both within and between houses, which means that it’s easy to find something to do with one’s downtime: there are “bound to be several people in the house lounge playing video games, board games, just chilling.” For those wanting to get out, it’s notably “pretty easy to navigate Chicago,” and students can often be found “walking to the Point, going to Chinatown, or going to various museums and bookstores downtown.”
Save School
