CMC VS U of Chicago VS Carleton

uchicagoalum
Wed, 23 Apr 2008 12:07:54 +0000

I think your post is fair, and further that the OP should choose CMC. Does prestige matter for career placement? Absolutely. Yet, strong performance is primary and CMC is certainly solid enough. If you don’t like UChicago’s environment, it really will be hard to do well there.

Nevertheless, UChicago does have some of the smallest classes around (going neck and neck with the best LAC’s) as well as one of the strongest student-to-faculty ratios. Consequently, there is no shortage of research positions for undergraduates, and you can fairly easily get to know your much bigger name professors if you make a reasonable effort. In short, the standard selective LAC over elite research university argument tends not to hold up, and it’s why I would discourage more self-avowed, intellectually aggressive students to pass on the big four LAC’s in favor of UChicago (unless there is money involved).