<p>Also not feeling the “chaotic” remark. Agree with JHS that, if anything, Penn’s size, and the presence of major traffic thoroughfares directly adjacent to campus make it the more chaotic place. Chicago, by contrast, is moe like an academic oasis. The chaotic comment might, however, reflect a general impression regarding the student body that may have some validity. Penn, where I have spent a fair amount of time, always struck me as a more focused, pre-professional sort of place. At Chicago, there’s more of an “anything goes” mentality, where students question everything, including themselves (I am not aware of any other place where self-mockery is practiced with such vigor and wit). If one is hyper-focused on science strictly as a gateway to medical school, then Penn is probably the place to go. It has better hospitals, but more importantly, a student with a very narrow focus might not thrive at Chicago. Almost like taking a vow, Chicago works best for open-minded students who are comfortable with the proposition that their college education will change them. Penn is great, but if one is willing to embrace reforming one’s critical thinking through vigorous engagement with fundamental texts, caring professors, and a student cohort of fellow travelers, then Chicago is about the best place I can think of. Yale might be the only other place that combines resources, talent, and deep intellectual pursuit in roughly the same way.</p>