<p>So I was at my grandma’s place yesterday and she had a friend over. My grandma introduced me to her friend who asked what I was studying. My grandma said that I wasn’t studying at the moment but would be going to the US for college this Sept. My grandma’s friend promptly responded that her granddaughter was also going to the US for college and was quick to add that she was going to attend the 9th best University in the country (Although she could not remember the name of the college).</p>
<p>I thought for a few seconds then said: Really? Well, the University I’m attending is the BEST University in the US. She really didn’t know how to respond! She was like, oh, what university is that? Then of course I told her that I would be attending the University of Chicago!!!</p>
<p>Hahaha. My (American) grandfather was unimpressed with my decision to go to Chicago-- partially because it’s in the Midwest, and from a New Yorker’s point of view Chicago might as well be Neptune, partially because he thought it was a public school because of the “University of” (never mind that he sent one child to Penn and the other to Michigan!), and partially because he despised the only graduate of the school that he knew.</p>
<p>However, he somehow got ahold of the Princeton Review’s rankings, and saw that Chicago was ranked #1 in Overall Academic Experience. He became a huge fan.</p>
<p>Actually, I bet your grandma’s friend’s granddaughter is attending UChicago - ranked 9th best in the nation by US News, yet lacking the name recognition or “My granddaughter’s going to the IVY LEAGUE!” connotations of Dartmouth and Columbia!</p>
<p>But yea, no one ever talks about Columbia or Dartmouth being the best university in the US. Thanks, Princeton Review/biased school pride!</p>
<p>No, thats not it. We live in India, she just doesn’t know about schools in the United States; she wouldn’t even have known if it was Yale her granddaughter was going to.</p>
<p>“Best University” is relative to who you are, bearcats. Clearly if you want to be an engineer UofC is not the best for you, likewise if you want name recognition.</p>
<p>I recently was talking to this one guy and he asked what university I went to. I told I was going to The University of Chicago, he was like “not University of Illinois in CHicago right?” I was like nope. Then he did something I found hilarious. He said “U of C doesn’t have the same reputation as UIC, UIC is more well known and you’ll get a job much easier if you graduated from UIC”…I was in shock and was like “uhh…you can’t even compare the two colleges, U of C is ranked #1 in the world for econ and that’s what I’m doing” He still truly believed that UIC was better than U of C… haha. Then he added that you can’t get a good job doing that. WOW…I was stupified for him. But I amused him anyways lol</p>
Well, there is some truth in what he says. In the city of Chicago, UIC is more well known. A great majority of people in the city attended UIC, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to me if they give some favor to students from their alma mater. In the academic world, the University of Chicago obviously has a better reputation. In terms of people on the streets of Chicago, a huge number of people went to UIC so place it very highly in their minds.</p>
<p>How many UChicago graduates go on to work in the city of Chicago, though? I wouldn’t think too many, just as many graduates from, say, Harvard, don’t work in Boston after they graduate. So is it really relevant that UIC is more well known in Chicago?</p>
<p>It’s a little unfair to try and characterize U of C as being “well-known” or “not well-known” without taking into account the sample population. Yes, the average person on the street more likely than not won’t have heard of it, but the average person on the street is also more likely to have voted on American Idol than in the last presidential election. Many people with masters or doctorates should have at least heard of the school - and certainly anybody in acadamia or the highest levels of the business world. </p>
<p>Still, it’s a little disappointing that while a name like “Yale” or “Princeton” makes the hoi polloi wet their pants, they think UChicago is a state school. If you really wanted to be an ass, you could do what I always wanted to try: tell people that you’re going to Columbia, bask in the adulation, and then be like “Actually it’s UofC, which is ranked just as high on the Princeton Review, but you haven’t heard of it.” Of course, that’s really obnoxious and unnecessary, so don’t do it!</p>
<p>It is actually 1 in 10. The 1 in 6 number is the number of doctors in the Chicago area who graduated from UIC. UIC is the largest university in the Chicago area.</p>
<p>this is true. UIC in the future will have the most highly regarded degree in the city. UIC students are very likely to get accepted for jobs because it is so well known as a good school.</p>