UChicago vs UPenn CAS

StanfordGSB00
Mon, 22 Apr 2019 04:09:09 +0000

@slashermaster1920 - I think you should go ask 10 random people in your community what is better, UPenn or UChicago. The vast majority are going to ask if you got in-state tuition at UChicago and a good number are going to ask about the football team at Penn State. In all seriousness, you can’t go wrong here but Penn has a “better” brand / higher prestige on the coasts (West and East), especially in business / finance circles and medicine / sciences. Rankings shift up and down but Penn is an ivy league school that will always be in demand. UChicago was a “safety” school for all of the ivy league schools (minus Cornell) about 10 years ago, when its acceptance rate was north of 40%. At that time, its yield was less than 40%, freshman retention rate was less than 94% and its ranking was around 14-15. To say it was a back-up option for the tippy top schools would be an understatement. While most employers will think highly of UChicago, most employers will be 10-20 years older than you and will still have their dated opinion of UChicago. If you are after prestige and the best “exit” opportunities for business (finance, consulting, etc.), Penn is a safer choice. Just look at the career services reports for results for CAS and Wharton and you’ll see that CAS grads do exceptionally well. If you are looking to be in a PhD program down the road, UChicago may be the better option. But, going to Penn will not close any doors for you. I also think Penn will provide a more “balanced” undergraduate experience.