Would I Fit In?

hyeonjlee
Sun, 05 Dec 2010 20:39:00 +0000

actually I don’t think I exaggerated the rigor of Chicago academic work. Au contraire, it does not seem half way as bad as some would say. I simply thought that if OP’s qualification as a viable U Chicago candidate is predicated on her/him studying 18 hours a day to maintain a certain GPA that is good enough for Chicago, there is a cause for concern, and OP should think about this, because in Chicago, s/he will be among those who are FAR better qualified than her/his HS cohorts and s/he may not have a lot of margin to work with.

That said, there is a good news for OP: if s/he had to work so hard to keep great grades in subjects that s/he is not interested in and talented at, while s/he is a “natural” in areas where s/he will focus on as a college student, then s/he has no worries. I would be more concerned if OP had to work 18 hours to get good grades in ALL subjects. Note that once you are in college, you can minimize your exposure to the subjects that you really don’t like and not good at. Granted, Chicago’s famed core requirement will force you to take some of these, but it’s NOT like in HS where you feel forced to AP Chem and advanced calculus, and math and science courses all four years to produce a strong transcript good enough for a tippy top school.

This is the case with my S2. His SAT critical reading is 800. His math is <650. He has been taking 4 years of math and science anyway, and needless to say, not so stellar grades in these subject matters brought down his GPA. He is currently applying ED to a school that would not have been an academic fit based on the GPA alone, even if the school accepts him. However, I have no doubt that if he is admitted, he will thrive in that environment because now he competes based on what he is good at, not on things he is really challenged. If I had a reason to believe that he will continuously struggle, I would have advised him against that school. A moderate challenge and rigorous expectation are a GOOD thing, but if that causes continuous hardship all throughout 4 years, this is NOT a good fit.

So, based on what the OP clarified further, I feel that U Chicago will be a good school for OP. Don’t worry about the dead social scene. It’s ANYTHING BUT. Of course, if your definition of having fun is partying EVERY NIGHT, that’s different, but id does not sound like that’s you. My S enjoys the company of his thoughtful friends. He says there are plenty of things to do, plenty of interesting kids to talk to, and plenty of thoughtful fun to be had, while if you choose, you can also go wild (that’s what he did for a while, while he was also doing a lot of “life of the mind” things - it’s just that the “ratio” has been reversed lately.)

So, to the OP, I say, go for it.