Girlie AGDee's College Search Thread

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by AGDee

University of Chicago is not a safety school. Their admission criteria is as strict as Northwestern's. The area right around it didn't seem bad. There were a lot of people out and about in the neighborhoods and it seemed like mostly hipster types. That's usually a sign of gentrification, at least in the Detroit area. The lack of activity on campus on a beautiful fall Saturday afternoon was disconcerting to her. Northwestern had students all over the place. I know it's a smaller school but you'd think we'd see more than 20 students on a campus of 6000. Even when we drove by DePaul there were students on blankets all over the lawn. Some were hula-hooping, some were studying, some were just hanging out, but they were outside.

I kind of think finding the right school is like finding your home in a sorority, buying a wedding dress or buying a house. When you walk on the campus, it just feels right, like home. I know it was like that for me. She felt that feeling at Barnard, Columbia, Northwestern and to a slightly lesser extent, Brown. Personally, I was really uncomfortable on the U Chicago campus. I felt really anxious there and I don't know why. It wasn't the neighborhood. There were two weddings going on at the campus with brides taking pictures in the area. There were a variety of elderly people sitting on benches on the campus. But, where were the students???

And yeah, it would be a stretch financially for me to bring her home for things like Thanksgiving if she was in California. That's a really pricey flight. Providence was a really pricey flight too. NYC or Chicago, easy peasy to get home. With Chicago, there's always the train to Detroit (which is how we got there this weekend).

University of Chicago is, in my opinion, the epitome of the ivory tower. The campus is disconnected from the community, and if you look at the academic focus of many departments, they are laden in theory and removed from practical application (for example, they don't even have an engineering program). For years, it had the reputation of being "where fun goes to die", and they actually remade their brochures recently to make sure that they featured more smiling students. It's a great school if you want to live "the life of the mind", but it is its very own world.

[lovespink88]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

University of Chicago is, in my opinion, the epitome of the ivory tower. The campus is disconnected from the community, and if you look at the academic focus of many departments, they are laden in theory and removed from practical application (for example, they don't even have an engineering program). For years, it had the reputation of being "where fun goes to die", and they actually remade their brochures recently to make sure that they featured more smiling students. It's a great school if you want to live "the life of the mind", but it is its very own world.

I worked with a few UChicago students one summer. (They have this entrepreneur program through the business school and my boss was a student who was running a start up company as part of her coursework...or something like that? lol) Our office was in their college of business building, so I'm a little bit familiar with campus. I definitely agree with your bolded statement.

Pesronally, I did like the immediate neighborhood, although I don't think I'd like to live there as a student. I will agree with you, Dee, that you just did not see students out and about like you do at other campuses.

[barbino]

Because I love hanging out on college campuses I have to reply.

UChicago: Ditto on what has already been said. It used to be said that it was a place where the students had to "marry the library for 4 years to get a degree." Maybe that's where they all were. It is for hyperintellectuals. Nice place to visit, but I don't know about going there.

DePaul: Nice campus atmosphere! A few years back it was known to rank #1 in some "student satisfaction" survey. I've never heard anything bad about it, and Greek life is really growing there.

Loyola: I worked here for a few years; and my 3rd brother went here. The Jesuits are educators. I like the idea of a Jesuit education, but personally prefer Marquette (Milwaukee).

Both of the DePaul and Loyola are excellent back-up/safety schools for an intellectual student.

Northwestern: I saved the best for last. My 2nd brother went here. It has a wonderful atmosphere academically and socially. Evanston is a neat town. Sigma Chi, SAE, and APhi all have their national headquarters here. I would feel very safe sending a student here.

One thing I love about Chicago is all the different colleges and universities. We have such a variety. I remember when my 1st brother was going to college and the whole family took a trip to several of the Eastern colleges. We both ended up going somewhere that we had never seen before and took a chance. Going on those pre-college trips is alot of fun but its alot of work, too. Good luck to your daughter.

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by psusue

Dee, has she thought at all about DC area schools or are they out? I just think that they'd be a really great fit for her, considering her criteria.

She is applying to American University. We are just out of time and funds to visit there. If she gets accepted and doesn't get accepted to one she already loves, we'll visit before she commits.

Originally Posted by barbino

Because I love hanging out on college campuses I have to reply.

UChicago: Ditto on what has already been said. It used to be said that it was a place where the students had to "marry the library for 4 years to get a degree." Maybe that's where they all were. It is for hyperintellectuals. Nice place to visit, but I don't know about going there.

DePaul: Nice campus atmosphere! A few years back it was known to rank #1 in some "student satisfaction" survey. I've never heard anything bad about it, and Greek life is really growing there.

Loyola: I worked here for a few years; and my 3rd brother went here. The Jesuits are educators. I like the idea of a Jesuit education, but personally prefer Marquette (Milwaukee).

Both of the DePaul and Loyola are excellent back-up/safety schools for an intellectual student.

Northwestern: I saved the best for last. My 2nd brother went here. It has a wonderful atmosphere academically and socially. Evanston is a neat town. Sigma Chi, SAE, and APhi all have their national headquarters here. I would feel very safe sending a student here.

One thing I love about Chicago is all the different colleges and universities. We have such a variety. I remember when my 1st brother was going to college and the whole family took a trip to several of the Eastern colleges. We both ended up going somewhere that we had never seen before and took a chance. Going on those pre-college trips is alot of fun but its alot of work, too. Good luck to your daughter.

Thank you. We had very similar impressions of all of them, even with quick drive bys with some of them. We did see the SAE headquarters. I wanted to take a picture but you know, I didn't want to embarrass my daughter.

Originally Posted by lovespink88

I worked with a few UChicago students one summer. (They have this entrepreneur program through the business school and my boss was a student who was running a start up company as part of her coursework...or something like that? lol) Our office was in their college of business building, so I'm a little bit familiar with campus. I definitely agree with your bolded statement.

Pesronally, I did like the immediate neighborhood, although I don't think I'd like to live there as a student. I will agree with you, Dee, that you just did not see students out and about like you do at other campuses.

Thanks. That's good feedback too. I don't think that kind of atmosphere is for her.

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

University of Chicago is, in my opinion, the epitome of the ivory tower. The campus is disconnected from the community, and if you look at the academic focus of many departments, they are laden in theory and removed from practical application (for example, they don't even have an engineering program). For years, it had the reputation of being "where fun goes to die", and they actually remade their brochures recently to make sure that they featured more smiling students. It's a great school if you want to live "the life of the mind", but it is its very own world.

While she wants to live the life of the mind, she's also very social so I don't see that working for her.

Thanks to all of you! It really confirmed our own impressions. I'll have her stop by to read these.