<p>So, of principal note, I think it’s important to note that, for a long, long time, UChicago was not a college for everyone (or for the bulk of high achieving students). It was a very specific, inward-facing kind of a place. For some, especially those concerned with academic pursuits, it was paradise. For those intent on going to professional school, engaging outward, etc., there were probably better places out there. I think it’s hard, then, to argue that it had broad appeal up until very recently.</p>
<p>Currently, the school is enjoying a boom in interest and in administrative ambition. Through this, there are open questions about whether the school can indeed meet the interest and aspirations of a more broadly-minded applicant pool and (ostensibly) student body. Some questions are:</p>
<p>1.) What is UChicago’s success rate with professional school placement? What’re some detailed statistics for recent classes on this front, for med school, law school, etc.? Other schools provide this information publicly. UChicago should do the same.</p>
<p>2.) How is Hyde Park changing? UChicago, in the past, felt like a bit of an island. Students looking for basic retail amenities had a hard time (it could take 30-45 minutes, say, to get a pair of flip flops), and getting downtown could take some time. Now, being on an island can be good - especially if you’re surrounded by some of the best bookstores in America (which is the case in Hyde Park). Again, though, such a set up isn’t for everyone. Has this changed? If a student on campus wants to get a burger at 5 guys, or pancakes at a diner late at night, how long would such a trip take? My suspicion is that Hyde Park still feels much sleepier than the typical college town/neighborhood, especially in comparison to many of UChicago’s urban peers.</p>
<p>3.) There are rumors of both grade inflation and grade deflation. Can the university release statistics (as seen at other schools such as Princeton, Brown, and Yale) on average GPA, either by major, or generally? How does this compare with peer schools?</p>
<p>4.) Why does UChicago struggle with fundraising? While this doesn’t have an immediate impact for college students, recent figures indicate that UChicago lags behind many of its peers in terms of general fundraising. Long-term flagging in this area could adversely impact the level of research done on campus. </p>
<p>5.) Can UChicago’s career office provide detail statistics (like other schools provide, such as Penn) on immediate outcomes for UChicago graduates? Where do the graduates go? Where do they go based on type of major? What employers are the most popular?</p>
<p>6.) Why is the College still seeking large classes (1400+) when a dorm (Pierce) is closing? </p>
<p>Overall, I think UChicago is a wonderful school, but, at least outwardly, it’s changing (or, at least, boasting of changing) quite significantly. Such change, then, deserves careful scrutiny. For a long time, the goal of the College was to train scholars. That was it. It was a wonderful place to study if the goal was to be a scholar, and perhaps as a first step toward a PhD. The College seems to be broadening its goals, and it’s success on the ground with such efforts is still very much open to questions.</p>