<p>Chicago has one of the most rigorous undergraduate programs around. I’m an alum of the college and in my job, I regularly interview recent Ph.D.'s from Chicago. To a person, they all comment on the “intensity” of the undergraduate program. While Chicago is trying hard to shed it’s “where fun goes to die” reputation, it didn’t get that reputation because it admitted classes of complete nerds, but rather because the curriculum was so tough that most people didn’t have time for a lot of partying. I’m not sure where your cousin got this information, but it sounds way off.</p>