College Choices

[Caesar the Great]

I've narrowed my college search down to 2 schools, Tufts and University of Chicago. Pretty different schools I know, but I'm having a hard time deciding which I like better...

I've only been to Chicago once so I'm not too familiar with it, but I've been to Boston half a dozen times at least so right now I'm a little biased towards Boston.

Has anyone had any experiences (good or bad) with either of these colleges or even just the areas around them?

Any help is greatly appreciated

Thanks

[Tuberski]

Well, Ming and rah live in Chicago.

Take that any way you want.

ACK!

[GePap]

Were to start?

I went to UofC (that is what the locals call it) and I also visited Tuft's several times....

I will start with questions:

What do you plan to study? Do you have a plan already or are you waiting?

What kind of social life are you looking for?

How important is cost?

[monolith94]

Boston is about ten times greater than Chicago.

[Caesar the Great]

study plans.... something with math almost definitely, i applied undecided

social life, not terribly important - i can adapt to most situations

cost is of some concern but chicago's already offered me a 15k grant for next year

[Lawrence of Arabia]

You got into U Chicago? @!#&(!@*$&#@()$&@#)$(!&@#)(!@&$@#(*$&@#()$*&@#()$. Its my first choice and I got waitlisted.

[GePap]

If chicago offered you 15k then they must want you, cause they are cheap-asses.

OK. When it comes to theoretical mathematics Chicago is top notch. It is also excellent for the physical sciences like Physics and Chemistry,.especially since they have connections at Fermi and so forth. And the economics and sociology department are very good, and in Chicaog they like to use math in Social sciences. But the fact is that you will have to take the core, which means your first year a lot of your classes will have nothing to do with Math. The things about the core is that it allows you to explore more what it is you really want to do, since it forces you to study some areas you otherwise would have ignored.
I never looked at tufts math department, so lets hope some tuft graduate is here.

Chicago has a reputation for burning people out: the quarter system means that you have 11 weeks to learn a class which menas an accelerated pace. I know Tufts uses the more common semester system.

As for social life: Chicago has a reputation for terrible social life. It hasd been changing a lot lately since the University has taken steps to fix it, but it is still nothing close to a party shool. Now, they do treat people like adults: that means that you get a lot of freedom about you social activities, but also that if you need help, you have to go out and get it cause they will not help you otherwise. chicago is a good city, but it is very spread out, so you would have to communte to the more "fun" neighborhoods of the city, and it would certainly take more time than in Boston, specially since Boston has so many universities and colleges there while Chicago is in no way a college city.

Now, my guess is that chicaog offers better campus dorms than Tufts. I do know that Chicaog has smoe very roomy dorms and some very nromal sized dorms. But living in housing can be costly cuase they make you have board with a room. now, the arae around has lots of places ot live poast freshman year, and I would say 1200 a month for an appartment, usuallty paid by several people (4) is common if you want to live out of dorms. I am not sure about similar living expenses in Boston. you could always join a frat at eihtr place. I nevr even went to a frat party, so i am not the person to ask.

as for Other facilities: chicago Libraries are some of the best in the country in tersm of what they have, but they are underfunded so books move slowly in the system (I should know, i worked there). They are building new Gym facilities which look great. The campus is pretty in summer and spring and not too spread out. Tufts also has a nice campus, a bit more spread out than Chicago's. tufts is sort of on the edges of the city (last stop on the red line) so the immidate arae around is not much, but it does not take too much time to get to downtown and Cambridge. I don;t hink their libraries are as good, and I did not see their gym facilities.

as for costs: chicago is more expensive than Tufts, though the city of chicago is about as expensive as Boston. As I said, a 15k grant is very nice for them: chicaog ussually helps people pay with loans. I can say that it is likely that the grant size will go down in the coming years, with more of the burden been shifted to loans.

[GePap]

Originally posted by Lawrence of Arabia
You got into U Chicago? @!#&(!@*$&#@()$&@#)$(!&@#)(!@&$@#(*$&@#()$*&@#()$. Its my first choice and I got waitlisted.

Since when is Chicago so popular?

Well, given the number of people for whom chicago is a second choice, perhaps you will get in before you have to chose.

[Lawrence of Arabia]

I want to study economics, and I have been talking to their soccer coach - sending tapes of me playing soccer etc. Thats why its so popular.

I did get into ERC at UCSD, the new dorm facility opening this year, but Im not sure I want to go to SD.

[Lawrence of Arabia]

CHicago is also one of the blues capitals of the world, and I like blues/rock. A good place to continue learning guitar.

[vovan]

Originally posted by Lawrence of Arabia
Im not sure I want to go to SD.

Oh, common, everyone wants to live in San Diego! (If only for four years.)

[Lawrence of Arabia]

The dude 'tude may be too much to handle.

[Bosh]

Why Tufts? Its not Chicago's academic caliber, if you got into Chicago you should have a better second choice than Tufts...

[Caesar the Great]

I love theoretical math/physics, physical sciences I like somewhat - but I like ideas more than something that actually does something. A lot of my teachers have told me that Chicago would be good for me, especially since I've been a very math oriented person.

Party school isn't really for me, but I have been concerned with the trimester system - especially since I'm not known for my work ethic. I have no problem working/studying for hours if I'm interested in something, but I have no tolerance for what I think is busy work.

I think the biggest appeal of Tufts is that its in a suburban environment, I've lived half my life in the middle of a big city and the other half in the suburbs - so I've gotten quite used to suburban life and it might be easier than having to readjust to the city. And boston just seems like a great place to go to college, but that might just be b/c there are so many of them there.

by the way gepap what did you major in? and what do you do now?

many thanks for your help

[Caesar the Great]

Originally posted by Boshko
Why Tufts? Its not Chicago's academic caliber, if you got into Chicago you should have a better second choice than Tufts...

well I got rejected from dartmouf and wait listed at wash u

the biggest reason i'd want to go to tufts is so that i'd have to do less