Is there anything truly sucky/awful about going to UChicago? I might be going there next year for biochem or molecular engineering but I want to be fully prepared before I commit.
Things like coursework, flexibility, atmosphere, campus vibe, greek life, food, cows, competition, financial aid, or any other thoughts, pls shoot.
Thanks!
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What's not so great about UChicago
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Minimum TOEFL requirement
Hi, does anyone know whether the TOEFL requirement (100 points) for undergraduate admmissions is a cutoff score? Will my application be turned down if I apply with a score 6 points below that requirement?
Thanks in advance.
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When does UChicago rescind?
I know U of C has a relatively lenient rescind policy and I don't plan on testing their limits but I am genuinely curious for some actual evidence pointing to when exactly they tend to threaten to rescind/rescind applicants.
Would getting mostly B's and a C or 2 threaten rescission? Assuming that I used to get mostly A's with a few exceptions.
I've heard that getting a D is what usually prompts rescission, is that true? Well that and felonies, I suppose but I'm not planning on doing either this semester...What about misdemeanors? How do colleges even find out about these things?
(Again, not planning on it, just curious)
Again, I'm not planning on testing their patience but I am genuinely curious and not at all planning on being lazy, rather I just have other very productive things I would like to focus on.
Other threads on this subject have provided conflicting information. Any anecdotal evidence from people would be helpful, as would statements from the admissions office:
When does UChicago rescind?
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WL Admitted with Gap Year
I just heard about wait-listed applicants being admitted to UChicago class of 2021, e.g. with a gap year. Any one know why UChicago would do this? How common is this among (top) universities?
I've heard of Harvard's Z-list, but understand that this mainly serves legacy applicants - different purpose/objective than UChicago I imagine.
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Questions Regarding Math/Calculus Placement and Accreditation Examination Credit
Hi everyone! I have a question regarding the math and calculus placement examinations. So I took Calculus AB this year, and did well, but I kind of blanked on the AP exam, and I'm not sure whether I'll get a 5. Regardless, I would ideally really like to place out of Calculus BC (the Math 151 and 152 levels specifically), through both the math and calculus accreditation exams by reviewing the AB material and self-studying the BC curriculum over the summer. I have a few questions about it though before I commit to any studying.
If my high school record does not include any mention of having taken Calculus BC, will Chicago automatically not consider conferring credit for me if I self-study the BC curriculum over the summer? I know that on their website, the explicitly say that results of the placement tests are used in conjunction with your high school record. In other words, will they they still give me credit for placing out of BC calculus (by achieving the equivalent score on their placement/accreditation exams) if I do that through self-study over the summer, or would they only give me credit if I had taken Calculus BC? Is it possible that I would have achieve more on these examinations to get the same result as someone who took BC?
Does placing into Math 153 mean that you will automatically receive credit for both Math 151 and 152? I do not wish to actually take Math 153 (I really dislike math and I would like to avoid it if at all possible, and this summer study seems like the easiest way of doing that as well as the least stressful), but want to place out of the Core Math requirement by way of receiving credit for both Math 151 and 152. If I placed into Math 153, would I be required to take it in order to receive credit for Math 151 and 152?
I already know someone is going to comment that I should just take Calculus and get it over with because it's important and all. My answer is that you're probably right, but I really dislike it, so I don't want to take it.
Sorry in advance that these are really specific questions, but this is really important to me and will likely impact how I spend some of my time this summer. Thanks!
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What is a typical night's work at UChicago?
Title basically says it all. I've been hearing different things about the rigor from different people. I kind of wanted to just have someone set it straight for me. I've heard it can be 2-3 hours of work per hour in the class. How accurate is that? And also, I'm particularly curious about the humanities and social science class rigor and hw. What can someone reasonably expect to have to do on the average night? 20-30 pages of reading and 1-2 page responses? Am I in the ballpark?
Also, would anyone have any class recommendations for someone who is going to need to complete science requirements, but absolutely dislikes science classes and labs in particular?
Thanks.
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UChicago is "Hard"?
People keep saying that UChicago students have hard workloads, that they're stressed, etc, y'know. What exactly does this mean? Are there a lot of time-consuming assignments? Are classes graded more rigorously than one would expect? Or is it just that there's a lot of studying necessary to learn?
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Capital Campaign and Endowment Question
I know that the University is in the middle of a capital campaign and has raised $3 Billion of the targeted $4.5 Billion. I also know that the University Endowment is around $7.5 Billion.
Does anybody know how these two numbers relate to each other? Will the amount raised in the capital campaign increase the endowment by the same amount? If so is the capital campaign amount added to the endowmnet after the whole amount has been raised, or are they already counting some portion of the current capital campaign number in the Endowment as well as displaying it as part of the Capital Campaign number? or are these numbers totally different?
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Core/Placing Out? Is UChicago a good fit?
I'm very interested in UChicago from what I've heard of it, but I'm confused about the Core curriculum. I've taken many APs and local college courses, so I don't know whether it'd be a good fit for me. For example, I'll be taking Linear Algebra my senior year... UChicago wouldn't make me repeat that, would they? What are your experiences with transferring credit?
Or would it be better for me to go somewhere like Brown, where there's the open curriculum? (I know the two schools are very different.)
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What does it take to get into Uchicago?
Hi everyone, I'm an international student joining a US university for the class of 2020. I intern for an NGO that offers advisory services to students applying to universities in the US.
As the question states, I would like to get insight from you guys about what it takes to get into Uchicago.
From the data I collected, it seems to be the most elusive university I know of..(7 of my friends got into Stanford, 6 others got into Harvard, and many others I know got into top schools like MIT, Columbia, 10 got into UC Berkeley on a very competitive scholarship, 10 others into Cornell, Upenn, Georgetown, etc.. )But only 1 got into Uchicago, and many of these friends I'm talking about were rejected(I included. lol)
Which led me to wonder, what do admission officers in Uchicago look for? Do applicants have to write VERY unique essays(as I've seen with most people who have been accepted) or do they have to be uniquely talented?
Simply what does it take?
For the international Uchicago alums reading this, or students who are currently there, what do you think got you in?
I know it's very competitive for international students to get into US universities, but any insights would be highly appreciated.
Thank you
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Placing Out of the Foreign Language Requirement
My S has been taking a non AP Language since elementary school and all through high school. He has spent about a year in the country (not enrolled in school) but on programs and volunteering. He is American and English is his first language.
When he originally applied he had incorrectly assumed he could take a placement test before he got to UChicago and place out of the first year and the requirement. Based on looking at the very confusing Course Catalogue, he would be placed into the second year and then if he still wanted to be done he would take a comprehension test in the winter. This is less than ideal because after so many years of the language he is done and was hoping to have more room in schedule.
Neither of us understand the method for placing out. Is it possible to do really well on the placement test and place out and be done? What if you get close to a perfect score?
If you place out of the first year, do they put you in the second year and you then have to take a year of that?
In order to take the comprehension test why do you have to wait until winter quarter?
What is the comprehension test, is it oral, written, online?
What happens if you place into the 3rd quarter of the first year? Do you just take one quarter and are done? Or do you take a year from that point?
I assume the language that you take does not need to be related to the civilization you end up learning about for the Core requirements? For example, you can speak an Asian language and explore African civilization?
If you have managed to read this far, Thank you!
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Chemistry at UChicago vs UCLA
I want to study chemistry at one of those two schools. Which is a better idea? Which is more likely to give AP credit for chem, which has better teaching/research opportunities for underclassmen, etc. Thanks in advance!
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****Official University of Chicago Fall 2016 Transfer Thread
Don't know if this is too early not but thought I'd start it.
Post your stats, or don't, or whatever's on your mind if you're considering a fall transfer. Good luck to all of you!
HS: 3.2 GPA, 2180 SAT
Excellent EC's: leadership spots, "real world" experience: general field being social studies/civics.
College: B1G 4.0 current / assume best and 4.0 next semester; projected 38 credit hours by the end of the year.
EC's are pretty strong in the same fields, and other campus-wide activity involvement. Can get 2 good faculty recs.
My concern is just high school grades since I am applying as a rising sophomore.
Chance me (or don't), post your thoughts.
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U. of C. president, wife buy $3.25 million Near North Side condo
Good to see where the tuition money is going to.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/realestate/elitestreet/ct-elite-street-university-president-north-side-condo-0526-biz-2-20160524-column.html
University of Chicago President Robert J. Zimmer and his wife, U. of C. classics professor Shadi Bartsch-Zimmer, last month paid $3.25 million for a four-bedroom, 4,350-square-foot duplex condominium unit on the 37th floor of a tower on Chicago's Near North Side.
Zimmer, 68, has been the U. of C.'s president since 2006. And with the purchase of his new condo, he appears to be looking toward life after his time as president comes to an end.
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Chicago's Class of 2020 Admit Stats: 7.9% Accept Rate, 66% Yield
http://chicagomaroon.com/2016/05/31/university-admits-record-low-7-9-percent-to-class-of-2020/
I frankly don't know how Chicago is getting 30k+ applications and generating a 66% yield.
I'm sure that Admissions Dean Jim Nondorf's raises and bonuses (rumored to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars) will only increase, of course. They seem to have worked out a very good formula on predicting who to accept and who will attend.
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New House Names Announced
This has been on overheard for a while and I'm surprised no one posted it here: https://news.uchicago.edu/article/2016/06/01/university-announces-names-eight-new-college-houses
The mapping is:
Broadview -
Palmer -> Dougan-Niklason
Talbot -> Boyer
Wick -> Yuen
New Grad -
Tufts -> Thangaraj
Henderson -> Rogers
Midway -> Trott
Maclean -
Maclean -> Strongin
Blackstone -
Blackstone -> Behar
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U of C Braces for MORE Layoffs
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20160601/NEWS13/160609982/u-of-c-braces-for-more-layoffs-budget-cuts
Chicago's big bet of expanding during the recession (and incurring lots of debt) has clear casualties, as seen in the above.
I will say this, Zimmer et. al. are absolutely tenacious about staying as close to the "first rank" of universities as possible. Other schools have not been nearly as aggressive BUT, notably, have also not seen the same level of upheaval and uncertainty. (I can't remember the last time a top U had a mass round of layoffs - maybe in 2008?)
Interestingly, layoffs are expected to hit about 100 people. Assuming salary/benefits for each person comes to about $100k/person, if President Zimmer and the rest of the senior leadership accepted 50% pay cuts, most of those jobs could be paid.
Either way, if belt-tightening is necessary at Chicago, senior leadership should be tightening their own belts. This is, of course, not happening. Zimmer et al. tend to present as cold when it comes to this.
Here's hoping for a more humane and human next U of C president!
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Undergrads being a TA?
Can undergrads work as teaching assistants at UChicago? Particularly in one of the science divisions?
Also do students get paid or earn credit for being TAs?
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Grad People Housing/ Housing In General
It's my understanding there's a huge waitlist for the on campus graduate housing.
What are some good places near main campus?
I've heard of a few in east hyde that are real nice, but are a 25-30 minute walk. How often do the campus buses make their routes? Are there any heavily grad student populated buildings that aren't on the uchicago on campus list?
Thanks.
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Student body president faces disciplinary action for abetting protest
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/09/us/university-of-chicago-protests-tyler-kissinger.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur
A group of students has made various demands, ranging from moderate steps (more public access to university police records) to some that go further ($15/hour wage for university employees, disinvestment from fossil fuels). Kissinger allowed student protesters into the admin building, and now faces disciplinary action.
I would include excerpts, but the formatting doesn't seem to work when copy-pasting from the NY Times.
Kissinger's justification seems to be that an administration should be more open to its students. It's hard to disagree with that contention, and the university seems to have taken a hard line by threatening arrests and expulsion to clear the building. On the other hand, that openness needs to be balanced against the need for administrators to work without student protesters interrupting them on a whim. Expulsion seems unlikely in this case except as a verbal club, used by the administration to intimidate and by students to invoke righteous indignation.
The distinction could hinge on whether the university is punishing Mr. Kissinger for allowing students into the admin building, and not for the views he expressed.
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