Brett Slosarek
Mrs. Malloy
Honors English 10
10 September 2014
I grew up always unsure of what I wanted to be when I was an adult. I felt as if this was a bad thing, but my parents always told me I would figure it out soon. Well, now I’m a year away from visiting colleges. I’ve come to realize that it’s not as important to pick a specific type of career as it is to attend a great college that will help me succeed in life and lead me to being satisfied when I die, regardless of what kind of occupation I have. A college that can do this is one that will transition me from a high school student living with my parents into an independent adult. It’s also important for me to receive a high level of education to help me down the road while at the same time enjoying my present stage of life. Therefore, although their tuition is expensive, The University of Chicago is the best college for me because of its outstanding academics and atmosphere.
The University of Chicago, founded in 1890, is a private university located in Hyde Park (University of Chicago). The 5,569 enrolled students are the fortunate 8.8 percent who are admitted out of all applicants. These scholars pay a tuition of $48,253 along with a $14,205 fee for room and board. However, almost half of enrolled students receive some sort of financial aid. Some of the college’s most popular majors are social sciences, biological and biomedical sciences, and mathematics. Around 53 percent of students live on campus; freshman are required to do so. The majority of the student body is from out of state, as well as consisting of 8 percent international students (Indiana). The school has a staggering 400 clubs with open membership. The University of Chicago also consists of a number of graduate and professional schools, including the Booth School of Business and Harris School of Public Policy Studies (University of Chicago). The university is part of the NCAA Division III Athletic Conference.
There’s no denying it: college is extremely expensive. That’s why so many people strive for scholarships, grants, and financial aid. The average cost for an undergraduate student before any financial aid is $63,860 (Indiana). This amount is drastically greater than the national average for four-year, non-profit schools of $23,698. The expense of college is always going up, so I’m worried about how I will pay such a large amount of money, especially at one of the most expensive universities.
Despite its expense issues, I think attending The University of Chicago will pay off in the long run by receiving an outstanding education to help me later in life. The professors are plenty in number, with 1,934 of them on campus, making for a very pleasant 7:1 student faculty ratio (Indiana). I value knowing my teachers personally. If I were thrown into a lecture hall filled with hundreds upon hundreds of people, I wouldn’t be able to learn very well. There are many advantages to having less students per teacher. First, I could ask questions on a more regular basis and have them answered well and thoroughly. I fear having a clueless teacher aid answering my questions. Next, I would be more likely to connect and make friends with the people in my class since we would all have to work together. It’s extremely important to me to build relationships over the course of life. I want to have those college buddies that I still keep in touch with when I’m old. A small class size will give me a better chance to get to know maybe not more people, but more people with a stronger friendship because of the personal class size. Lastly, the small student to teacher ratio is great to me because I would have a chance to really get to talk to and know my teachers. In a huge lecture hall, the professor knows hardly anyone’s name in the audience. On the other hand, in a small classroom, the teacher will find it easy to remember seven names. You can also talk to your teacher about more than just school. Most teachers