<p>Zimmer has made clear that Chicago will not embrace an undergraduate engineering program other than molecular engineering unless it is important to a basic science. Chicago does not have to be all things to all people to be popular or well known. I would also argue that CalTech is no better known. I was talking to a group of high performing kids not long ago and mentioned the school. Only one had heard of it. More were actually aware of Chicago, though knew relatively little about except that “it was the hardest school in America.” It has that reputation, rightly or wrongly, and is likely the single greatest factor limiting admissions growth. A friends’s D is nearing college age and I asked if his daughter and her friends (all ranked in the top 5 at their schools) were considering Chicago, and he reported all said no, “you have to be too smart and work too hard if you go there.” it was not the prestige, they knew it was ranked high and well respected, it was the perceived work once there that was causing them not to apply. My guess is that many kids use the prestige thing as an excuse so as not to admit the work thing is the real reason for not applying. If they apply and Chicago is the only top 10 they get in… Yikes!</p>