Why have so many Chicagoans never heard of The University of Chicago? (Harvard: public schools, universities)

[ajolotl]

I just had probably my ten thousandth conversation with a Chicago resident who has never heard of the University of Chicago. Many take it a step further and try to convince me that by University of Chicago I really mean UIC. I've been trapped in Hyde Park too long to have any perspective on this matter. Maybe others can help -- how can a city have such a well respected institution and yet so many of its residents have no clue? I feel like the school is even better known overseas than within the city limits. Is this just a by product of north siders rarely going south of McCormick Place?

[j33]

I've known about UC my whole life. It was a sad day when I realized I didn't have a shot at getting in (I was a mediocre High School student). I love the campus and have had a few drinks in their student union pub (as I've known more than one person who attended there).

[MannheimMadman]

Don't they have spectacular medical programs (as in, top 10 in the country?) I was hoping to maybe do my masters or even Phd, but I'm far too dumb.

[nJohn]

Here are a few reasons:

1. U of C lacks a D1 athletic program. Also, they field no football team which does not help since the city of Chicago is sport fanatic.
2. Unlike other well respected universities in the state, U of C concentration is on its academics. It does not care, to an extent, the publicity sports brings. The institution prides itself on it's academic merits and one can't blame them -- they're good, heck, they're great. U of C is well known in the academia world. This is the type of recognition the institution wants.
3. Usually very strong students apply to U of C, are admitted. . .and graduate. The saying at U of C, "Where fun goes to die.", has some truth to it which can intimidate prospective students.
4. Huge public high schools don't send 50 or how many kids to U of C unlike public schools.
5. Those who know about U of C either heard by ear from current students, alumni, or those associated with the institution. Or they could have driven through Hyde Park one day.

I don't think it's the lack of north siders knowing U of C. You can bet there are U of C alumni in the north side and in the sate of Illinois; they just don't wear U of C screened t-shirts like most college graduates. I think it's good that an institution like U of C is below the radar, in a sense, to Illinois residents since it can concentrate on what's important. Those who care will come.

[NearWestSider]

I don't think I've ever heard of the University of Chicago referred to as "UC", but I've rarely heard the University of Illinois at Chicago referred to by anything but "UIC", so maybe the problem is your choice of acronyms.

Beyond that, the only thing I can think of is the ratio of Chicagoans who attend UIC to the number who attend U of C has got to be at least twenty to one, so while U of C is IN Chicago, it might as well be in Boston as far as the average Joe is concerned. That plus the fact that they don't have sports teams, and considering where the school is located... I dunno.

Maybe the real question is why SHOULD the U of C be on the average person's radar screen?

[Manigault]

Money won't get you into the U of C. And no, it is not part of the Univ of IL system! I'm always getting asked that.

[thePR]

This doesn't really have anything to do with the topic but the University of Chicago has the highest suicide rate of any college because of the pressure.

[60-minutes-II]

Originally Posted by ajolotl

They have no chemical engineering (or any engineering) majors at UC. Math, Physics, and Chemistry are all top ten departments. Admission is supposedly need-blind, though I can't vouch for the reality. I have no reason to doubt it though.

than i might have been thinking about the other uofc

[ajolotl]

Originally Posted by NearWestSider

Maybe the real question is why SHOULD the U of C be on the average person's radar screen?

I wouldn't say that it SHOULD be on anyone's radar screen, just that it's very unusual that it isn't. I was curious why. Look at the other U.S. News and World Report top ten Universities:

1. Princeton
2. Harvard
3. Yale
4. Stanford
5. Penn
6. Cal Tech
7. MIT
8. Duke
9. Columbia
10. University of Chicago

I can understand perhaps if nationally or internationally it was less well known (even that would be odd) but _locally_ it seems less well known than everyone else I go. I was curious as to other people's perceptions as to why this was. Some interesting responses so far. Many thanks.

[coldwine]

...
Wow.

I attended University of Chicago and I'm surprised at this sort of attitude. Where fun goes to die? Highest suicide rate because of pressure?

This is drastically different from the kind of environment I remember. Classes were small and yes, tuition was high but I financed it completely on my own. At 17, and then in my very early twenties.

I suppose pressure is high only because unlike any other university in the United States (especially Ivy League schools, which should be bombed into smoking ruins in my earnest opinion) the entire undergraduate program is taught, directed and managed by graduate professors who care as much about their undergrads as they do their grads. This is radically different from, say, Harvard... Where the entire undergrad program is a sad joke meant only to fund the grad programs. Unlike Harvard, Yale or Princeton, there is no "pay for A" program at UoC.

I remember having the best days of my life at University of Chicago. My undergraduate years were the best experience I've ever had, and I doubt I'll ever have that much fun again. I consorted regularly with the best in every profession, from the economics professors who knew me by my first name and were personally responsible for changing the modern world of finance and economics to the English professors renowned for their prowess. These people whose every public statement was recorded in a newspaper addressed me like an equal, met me at all hours to ensure my success, and were (and still are!) interested in making the best of my chosen career.

All this, and all the University asked for was an open-ended essay. That was the price of my admission.