<p>JHS:</p>
<p>Thanks for the post and, yes, I completely forgot to mention extracurriculars! I agree very much with what you said re: extracurriculars above, and I’ve mentioned this in past posts. Extracurriculars at UChicago tend to be more muted. This probably reflects the value of the school, where academics tend to be priority #1, and extracurriculars are farther down the priority list. At Harvard or Yale, a major extracurricular (editor of a paper, member of the Whiffenpoofs, etc.) undoubtedly becomes priority #1, with academics placed farther down that list. </p>
<p>So, again, this goes to what a prospective student wants, and the culture the prospective student wants. Academics are still front and center at UChicago, and it’s not necessarily that way for everyone at the other elites or super-elites. I think this fact still distinguishes UChicago from many schools, Wash U probably included. </p>
<p>All of this being said, JHS, I may very well be underestimating the extent the school has changed, especially over the last 5 years or so. At the same time, with all of the continued changes on campus (admissions policy not yet stabilizing, construction for a big new dorm just beginning, considerable turnover/changes in the new “career advancement” office, class sizes still varying, etc.), I still get the feeling that UChicago is very much a school in transition.</p>
<p>The changes may already have seeped into the culture, but I imagine that this will really play out once all the dust finally settles - i.e. in 2016 or 2017. At that point, the admissions policies will have stabilized (I doubt they will drop much below where they are now), the new dorm will be built and the school will probably be able to realize it’s goal of ~70% of students in campus housing, and several Nondorf classes will have gone through and made their mark on campus.</p>
<p>It’s at that point, I think, where we’ll be better able to ascertain what all of this transition means. My gut feeling is that all of this change is overwhelmingly positive, and UChicago in 2017 will be stronger than the UChicago I attended. My skepticism now, however, is whether UChicago is there yet. I still think it’ll be 4-5 more years until they’re the sort of destination they currently purport to be.</p>