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<p>And for anybody interested in understanding U of C’s reputation throughout history, the gradual increase in the size of the College is <em>crucial.</em> </p>
<p>In other words, Chicago garnered its “where fun comes to die” reputation at a time when College enrollment was at a low compared to the graduate student population and when the size of the College was low compared to peer institutions. Why is this relevant? </p>
<p>Because almost all undergraduates at almost all institutions in the United States are having a more fun time with their educational experiences than almost all graduate students at almost all institutions in the United States. Undergraduates are able to bask in the rhetoric of “finding themselves” and “work hard, party hard” while graduate students are burdened with the expectations of outcomes, whether those outcomes be BigLaw or research funding. Being a graduate student at Yale, Stanford, Duke, or Michigan is not the same as being an undergrad there… believe me. </p>
<p>So, in other words, I’m arriving at the opinion that the increase in College enrollment could be one of the larger if not the largest contributing factor to the change in the institution’s feel.</p>