The University of Chicago

Date: May 04 2010
Major: Math (This Major's Salary over time)
Coming into this school, I expected to get my intellectual ass kicked up and down. And indeed, I did, and after two years of education here, despite the ass-kicking, I have grown beyond expectations: intellectually, emotionally, mentally and socially. Despite how people may view the school, no one can disagree about its academics; no doubt the education here is stellar, especially if you took advantage of the rigorous classes (which are the most enriching, although the most notorious for, to use a hyperbole, "crushing your soul"). Professors are amazing, highly approachable, attentive to undergraduates, and the best in their fields. I met worldwide scholars for the first time here. The social and academic environment is on the whole very NONcompetitive, and highly collaborative. Everyone is very friendly here. I have made dozens of friends here very easily, as opposed to the number and quality of friends I've had in my high school. My social life has become so much more dynamic since coming here.

The campus has been many times beautified over the years, and it is complete with Neo-gothic architecture, many obscurely located gargoyles, climbing ivy, very fat and cute squirrels, plenty of open grass and benches, trees, flowers, etc. Even after two years here I still awe at how beautiful campus is from season to season.

The city and this neighborhood are amazing playgrounds as well. Such good food, such good entertainment! It's true that most of my time is spent on campus, but every once in a while I venture to the downtown areas and other neighborhoods of Chicago and realize that this campus is situated in such a large, dynamic environment. So if you get bored, it's your own fault, really, because there are so many opportunities to have fun here. Sure, we like to self-deprecate ourselves and say that this is the place where fun comes to die, but it really isn't true. It's just a funny enough motto that Tufts House can use in order to sell on t-shirts and make lots of money from.

However, while I had a great time here, you may not if:

1) you're looking to make big $$$ because the school will look good on your resume. That includes all you prospective UC econ majors and more. Econ here is very theoretical, conservatively taught (it's highly neo-classical, Milton Friedman style), and very quantitative here, so if you're someone who's looking to use econ to signal to employers that you're interested in finance (two totally different fields, people!), you're going to feel very, very jaded here. I've met many an upset frat brother econ majors here who huddle together and drink away in order to try and escape the notion that they feel very misplaced at this school. Pre-professionals, look elsewhere. This school's curriculum is too theoretical to prepare people for their future professional trades, anyways.

2) you want to party often, get laid often, and/or burn out from having worked so hard in high school. This isn't a place to let loose and burn out after high school, and/or attempt to have a smooth ride in a high-ranked university in order to land a high paying job easy-style (go to Dartmouth instead, lol). This is a place where you've worked hard in high school but will work many times harder here.

3) You were a wrestling/soccer recruit and came here for the sports and the prestige of the university. These people are what some call "bros", and they hate this school. Sports, prestige? Duke sounds like a better place for you.

There are exceptions to every rule, of course, but these are the three types of people whom I encounter in the university that seem to dislike this school the most. The school is just not the right fit for these type of people, in my opinion.