<p>One other note, there has been a lot of direct comparison to Harvard, Yale, etc. on this thread. While Chicago has the tradition and academic clout to compete in the scholarly sphere with these schools, I think it’s unrealistic to compare the U of C to Harvard etc. in terms of practical opportunities, strength of alum network, etc. They are on different planes when it comes to this, for reasons certainly not limited to Harvard’s longer history and connection to the local power elite for centuries. </p>
<p>When assessing practical concerns, I think it makes more sense to compare Chicago to its more immediate brethren in terms of finances, alum network, and the like. Comparing Chicago to Columbia, Duke, Brown, etc. seems like a more realistic comparison to make. On this front I think Chicago does well generally, but improvements could certainly be made - and several of you have recounted some of those improvements in this thread. I also think, that the direct comparisons to Harvard, etc. aren’t particularly useful. Its more productive to compare Chicago to its more immediate peers.</p>