<p>hyeonjlee - no, absolutely not. If a student feels Chicago is a good fit, and wants the broad, liberal arts education and the intellectual rigor that are the trademarks of a U of C education, he will be in no way hindered by Chicago’s lesser brand recognition in comparison to Harvard or Wharton. </p>
<p>In my previous posts, I was talking about the student that JUST wanted a finance job, and saw schooling as a rudimentary vehicle to achieve this goal (many of my former students at Penn fit this mold). If your son wants perhaps the premier educational experience available, coupled with extremely good options for finance, then Chicago is a great fit. Chicago, however, will force students to think, to accept challenges and rigorous academic assignments, and to deal with pressure to some extent (the shorter academic trimester system lends itself to this). I know a lot of Penn students who would hate this environment - they want to party and breeze through college for four years, and then get a good job on wall street after graduation.</p>
<p>At Chicago, you WILL feel the education. A Chicago grad’s job options will be just as good as the kid from the College at Penn or Brown or Duke, but the Chicago grad’s experience in college will be different.</p>
<p>Of course, if your kid really buys what Chicago is selling, and does very well, then this conversation is pretty much moot. He’ll be as highly recruited as top kids from Princeton or Wharton. </p>
<p>To summarize, if your son is really interested in the environment Chicago offers, he will in no way be hindered in his opportunities afterwards. I just caution the students who really like the atmosphere of Penn or Duke and are considering Chicago. They just won’t be as happy, and Chicago just won’t fit their goals.</p>