phamos

hi rachel! yes, i went to the u of c, and i managed to have a pretty great social life. i lived in the shoreland, though, which was a really social dorm. there were hundreds of people living in the same place, in luxurious rooms, with pretty much a new party every night. but the shoreland isn't a dorm anymore, so i can't attest to what the social life is like in other places. a lot of it really depends on where you live. from what i hear, living in the palevsky commons is really the thing to do if you want to be social. or pierce, if you're more into fratty stuff, but that's really not the main social focus of the student body. the schoolwork is rigorous, certainly, but my friends and i always had time to hang out and have fun. but a social life is not going to fall into your lap like it might at other schools -- you have to work for it a little bit.

good luck with your school-choosing! i absolutely loved chicago, and would recommend it to people who don't necessarily want the stereotypical college experience. do go visit and see if it's what you're looking for.