University of Chicago Top Questions

This may be the only time you get to do this so make the most of your college experiance. Try different classes early on before you have settled on a major because you may be surprised by what excites you. If possible, live on campus for more than just your first year. The dorms are convenient and can introduce you to a lot of friends and study partners. Don't try to graduate early by powering through the mandatory classes for your major in order to start working early--you can work for the rest of your life but you can't always throw in a class on art history or a year of Norweigian language study. Most of all, be serious about your education but don't take your classes too seriously. Nobody tells you that every semester you are also taking a class on how to balance your busy life--4 years of stress is not worth an extra tenth of a point on a GPA.

Finding the right college may seem like a daunting task: it requires choosing the school with the best balance between academics, extracurriculars, location, and whatever other criteria the student thinks are important. But it's not even as simple as just that. Sometimes the student may not have any idea what he or she actually wants, and the schools in question require a deeper inspection in the form of a prospective student visit. When you find the right school, you will know. There may be one that the parents think is best for the student, but in the student's opinion, however unvoiced, there will be one or two schools that just feel "right". It may have been a particular quote in the prospective student mailings that really hit home, or perhaps the student made a personal and intellectual connection to other students during a "prospie" visit. But, in the back of that student's mind, all other schools will be compared to this school, and probably won't measure up in the end. It's important to tune in to that calling desire: many schools are self-selecting, and those students that believe they belong there probably do.

Definitely visit the college--talk to students and sit in on some classes--to see if you feel comfortable in this setting. Place yourself in the physical space. If that's not possible, talk to alum (do those optional interviews) and try to connect with students on campus. Read a campus publication or two. Try to get the real feel of the place and how you relate to it, instead of how the school presents itself. (Usually the two are similar, but they can be different in ways that are important to you). Finally, figure out why you are going to college, and try to mesh this idea with the focus of the univeristy or the university's programs.

Go and talk to the students.

Pay attention to the people who pick the school - those are going to be the people you're surrounded with for four years, so if you get bad vibes from them, then that's probably not a good choice for you. On the other hand, it's not always a make or break deal if you don't mind the vibe you get from the people at that school - that just has to be considered with everything else.

To parents: please let your child choose what's best for him/herself! You are at an important moment in each of your lives - know that whatever decision your child makes, it'll work out for the best. Have hope, and trust in their ability to make wise decisions. Even if they mess up a little at first, it's all part of the learning experience. To students: recognize that the decisions you make now will affect your future. You're out in the real world, trying to deal with so many things it can seem impossible: how do you manage to feed and bathe yourself when you have a 15-page paper to write and a job at the library? (Sometimes it's ok to not bathe and re-wear dirty clothes - hey, it's college.) However, remember to relax. You're not on your own. All your friends are in the same boat, and hopefully your college has a support system to catch you. We're all in this together. Have fun, work hard, love yourself, and call home occasionally.

Students must find a school that will enable them to grow just as much socially as they can academically. Most schools tend to market their class curricula without informing students and their parents of the diversity of social organizations on campus. By social organizations, I do not simply mean clubs, teams, and other RSOs (Registered Student Organizations), but, for example, the presence and intensity of Greek Life, or the availability of special interest dormitories. In addition, applicants need proper samplings of the interests and backgrounds of their classmates. They should know whether a particular school draws generally academic-minded students from upper-middle class backgrounds, or has established a pattern of increasing economic and racial diversity among the student body over recent years. Otherwise, students can feel seriously out of place at an institution they thought would be a perfect fit with their character. In my opinion, the more demographically and culturally diverse a student body is, the greater the number of opportunities for students to experience different social scenes, and perhaps settle on one in particular.

I found that schools suggested by my high school were not necessarily schools that were right for me. Instead, I chose the University of Chicago through my own searching, using books such as The Princeton Review's books on colleges as guides. I read what students wrote about the colleges, as well as the requirements to get admitted, and started to narrow my search. My "top schools" only included ones that I had at least a slim chance to get into, which seemed to offer environments I wanted to live in. Finally, I visited the top schools on my list, and interviewed where I could. From the questions asked in the interviews and the atmosphere on campus, I tried to determine if what I read were accurate descriptions of the colleges and if I would enjoy the atmospheres I observed. Once I found out which colleges I was admitted to, I thought about why I applied to each of the schools and which reasons were the best ones. Finally, on campus in the Fall, I embraced the things that drew me to the U of C from the beginning, experiencing the reasons why it was the right college for me.

The right college is anywhere you choose to go, whether based on money, prestige, or any other reason you choose to go there. College is what you make of it. No matter where you go, you'll have the opportunity to do and seek out whatever you want to do. If the certain thing you are looking for doesn't exist, than create it. Colleges accommodate for most things as the students are what pay the colleges' bills. Be and do whatever you want, college is a time for trial and error.

Leave home. Get as far away from home as possible, either geographically or psychologically/emotionally. Forcibly remove yourself from your comfort zone. Chase down schools that will be most challenging for you where you still have a chance at getting in, and if you get accepted, go there. Remember that this is really the only time in your life when you will be allowed--encouraged, in fact--to try a variety of new things, and you will be protected, in a sense, while doing so. To this end, try out things that interest you, even if they're totally out in left field. Choose classes by professor reputation often. It will help you discover new things to love. Develop one skill or get involved in one new thing that would surprise your friends at home. Remember that in most cases, schoolwork is a matter of prioritization, not total completion. Learn as much as you can about anything and everything. Parents, don't worry or put unnecessary stress on your student; they are expanding their world.

College is often seen as simply the next logical step in one's life after high school. Because of this, too many people (myself included) go to college unprepared for what they are about to experience. I, personally, have struggled with academic performance, motivation, and direction while here, and have seen others do the same who rushed to go to college because it was the "thing to do" after high school. Do NOT make my mistake. If you need or want time to think about where your life is taking you after high school, take it. Know what you want out of college before you apply. Don't go to college because it looks fun on TV and all your friends are doing it. Think carefully about what you want those four or five years to be (and mean) to you. Why are you going to college? Please, know the answer to that before you go. And if the answer is "to have fun," then for heaven's sake don't go to the University of Chicago.

I thin that the University of Chicago is a great place. That being said, there are numerous excellent places out there. Recently, there's been an over-emphasis on finding a "fit" in terms of college. I sincerely believe that there are numerous places that would allow for a fantastic experience, and it's far more important to make the most of the opportunities at each place rather than find the perfect match.

I would strongly advise both parents and students to remain calm; the process is neither as painful nor as difficult as pricey, private counselors and tutors would have you believe. You can find a college that fits you, and if you make a mistake, you can always transfer. Just relax.

Visit the school you want to attend several times on different days and during different seasons so that you get a better feel for what the college is like. When you get to school, really try to emerge yourself - don't think about your family or how much better you liked your friends from home; if you think like that then you are going to be miserable. Even if the school is way out of your budget, go anyway because there's always loans and school loans aren't all that bad; I'm going to be in debt at least $75,000 but I'll figure something out!

Try to visit and stay at the school over night. Sit in on classes and talk to students without mentioning you are not a student...

Go somewhere that has hot girls

Forget all your expectations.

Don't take advice from anyone who tries to tell you what is "best" for you. Decide for yourself what is most important to you: do you want to learn a lot? do you want to make lifelong friendships? do you want to become the best director, architect, or engineer ever? or do you want to just relax, enjoy your youth, and find your path? Schools will try to tell you that they will provide you with opportunities to do all of these things, but the fact is, some schools will definitely do better than others at the things that you care about. After all, every school does have a slightly different environment. Sometimes thoroughly researching the school can tell you something about its environment, but the fact is there is no better way to get a sense of the vibe than visiting a school yourself. So, first of all, decide what you want, and then go look for it. Finally, don't fret! More often than not, people don't end up where they expect for college. At the end of the day, college is what you make of it. Not the school that you went to.

A poll for college applicants: How many times have you said this? a."My grades/SAT score/extracurriculars are no good; I'll never get accepted." b."I MUST get into the University of X, or the world will surely end. " c."Hallelujah, I'm accepted, my problems are over." The mindset is easy to slip into. With so many colleges, how to decide? You're eighteen and you're being thrown at the rest of your life headfirst. No wonder students fixate on test scores and ratings. The college application process really doesn?t make any sense until you're at college, by which point it's too late. But the truth is that, ultimately, your education is subjective . Getting into a top university won't solve your problems. High scores aren't the key to the rest of your life. Don't get so wrapped up that you lose track of the essential thing: at graduation, when you're stepping out with that degree, the name of the school matters less than the personal resources you put into it. Wherever you end up, remember to invest in yourself, your friendships, your experience - and you'll turn out OK.

My only advise would be to find a school that you really enjoy, especially for undergrad. If you enjoy yourself, you'll do better than if you have suffur through the classes and social evirons of the school you picked.