<p>Menloparkmom, you state: “But that requires a real change in the mindset of the profs., as well as the administration.” </p>
<p>I don’t know if the core is really the issue. Columbia, for example, has an even more traditional core than Chicago, and Columbia’s faculty has pretty much the same training and merits of the Chicago faculty. Nevertheless, Columbia’s students generally pursue broader paths than their Chicago counterparts. Of course, being right in NYC, with all the options of the city, probably has something to do with it.</p>
<p>While I don’t want Chicago to be as pre-professional as Columbia, I think the school can do a better job of facilitating options for Chicago students. I think it’s started down this path, with events like “Taking the Next Step” for third years, and the new “Chicago GPS” center. </p>
<p>Coming back around to my initial point, though, I do wish Chicago would present opportunities in the city a bit more aggressively. To use the Columbia example, I feel like Columbia students are well connected with opportunities present in NYC. From finance to marketing to the publishing world, Columbia students go off and use their education in myriad fields. I think the U of C under-utilizes the City of Chicago, and there is a lot of promise for a more cooperative partnership between the University and the City.</p>