The University of Chicago

Date: Jan 13 2006
Major: Astronomy (This Major's Salary over time)
After reflecting on my fellow classmates’ progress and looking into the numbers, the College seems to break down into seven groups of roughly equal proportions. I think a knowledge of each type of student gives you a good sense of what you are getting into as a prospective student. Keep in mind, it’s the median students in each band that is under consideration, not a single, anecdotal individual.

1.Academic Gods - (3.7+ GPA). Work solidly seven days a week either at their own desk or in the library. Extracurricular activities include research for professors and writing papers for essay contests, summer internships and etcetera. Occasionally will be involved in some type of intellectually intensive club, oftentimes related to their major. Headed to the crme-de-la-crme doctoral programs in all fields usually with a year (Yale law, Stanford math). Most aspire to teach at some point in their careers, even if as an adjunct. The faculty dotes on these students.

2.Strong students- (3.5 - 3.7 GPA) The same as above but with less polish. Procrastinate a little more, cut out of the library a half hour before they should, don’t finish all the reading and so on. Still know how to play the academic game well and are amply rewarded. Also headed to a well-known graduate program of with a few years (Harvard Business School, Cornell Engineering).

3.Respectable - (3.25 - 3.5 GPA) Some gunners try to break into the graduate programs that group two gets into despite their softer numbers. Have a wide variety of study habits and intellectual ability. May be involved with a fair number of extracurriculars.

4.Middling - (3.0 - 3.25 GPA) In a different league for graduate school, most of these students will look for jobs in the private sector with success through on campus recruiting or try to gain relevant research / niche work experience to boost their application for further studies. Once again, have a wide variety of study habits and intellectual ability. May be involved with a fair number of extracurriculars.

5.Weak - (2.5 - 3.0 GPA) These students either do not put in the time for various reasons or really are not cut out for the school. As Chicago has gotten quite competitive the past decade, most of these students see their grades and prospects for the future suffer as a result of their own behavior. A fair number of the fraternity crowd fall into this band.

6.Struggling - (2.0 - 2.5 GPA) These students see it through to the end, usually taking a quarter off for a breather to work or study elsewhere. Oftentimes shortcomings in required courses for majors keep them around for an extra year because of a botched sequence or two. Graduate school prospects in the immediate future are nonexistent for this group, as is much success in on campus recruiting. Investment banks and consultancies (the two fields students seem to find palatable) all have listed GPA cutoffs about a 3.0. Eventually stumble into a stereotypical “office space” type job that they could have gotten having gone to any run of the mill school, e.g. Michigan State. Generally fairly bitter about their experience, and remind you of it by their persistent grumblings.

7.Fail out - (Usually below a 3.0 GPA) The U of C - six year mind you - gradation rate is around 87%. Where do the rest go? Either back to their flagship state school if they are luckily, or to an overpriced liberal arts college if their parents can afford it. Most do not drop out due to the social environment alone; almost all cite academic concerns. If you hear U of C horror stories, this is where they come from. Most of these students profoundly disagree with the schools academic policies: the harsh grading system vis—vis other schools, the burden of the general education requirements, and the amount of work assigned.