<p>Chicago didn’t accept me (wait list). If they did, I would have gone.</p>
<p>I decided to stay here rather than transfer because looking at the situation now, I realize that Reed really will give me a better education. Chicago is a somewhat easier school (or at least can be, if you’re seeking that), and more competition-based (meaning there are curves and the like). I got the impression that at Reed, a professor might give a really hard exam and you’ll get a C. At Chicago, a professor might give an exam, and you’ll get an 85, but after the curve, it will turn into a C (ahem, Gen Chem, cough cough). The schools are difficult differently in that regard. Reed seemed to be more focused on student learning, and Chicago on student evaluation.</p>
<p>Also, the quality of teaching and mentorship from really, really bright minds is unparalleled. I didn’t really factor teaching quality / caring about undergrads into my college search, but now that I’m a student, I realize how important it is. (Think about how your favorite high school classes were influence much more by the teacher than the actual material - now imagine if you could have an awesome teacher in anything you were interested in… Reed). I don’t think I can emphasize this enough, even people who dislike a class will readily admit that the professor teaching it is a baller, just not their style. The teaching really is AWESOME.</p>
<p>Go to Chicago if you’re looking for more to do outside of school (although I still hear that nobody has fun there… not sure how true that is anymore). And if you don’t mind compromising a little (learning from TAs, potentially poor teachers, etc.). If you’re big into research, or want a research U type environment, you might want Chicago.</p>
<p>Go to Reed if what you really, really, really want more than anything else is an unreal undergraduate eduction with a bunch of accepting, slightly strange individuals. There are drawbacks to this choice, but for me, it was worth it.</p>
<p>(And I’ll negate everything I just said by telling you that wherever you end up going you’ll probably like. I spent a lot of time hanging around universities in high school and developed pretty specific interests - I even applied based on the recommendations of my mentors (who were U profs). I applied to Reed two weeks past the deadline on a whim because I heard it was the most intellectual school in the country, which sounded badass. Never prospied. Never visited, ever. Love it.)</p>