Hey, all you already-admitted/eagerly-awaiting-decisions children. You get TWO posts today...what more could possibly ask for?!
I know, I know...but I don't know when they're being sent out. And even if I did, I couldn't tell you. Sorry!
But I do have some things to share with you that could brighten your day/evening/twilight/early afternoon/morning, depending on which timezone you hail from.
The first thing I'd like to tell you about [and I am very very excited about this, hence its high priority] is my Spring Quarter schedule. I know it's sorta like teasing you, but I thought it would be a really good way to give you guys insight on what classes the University has to offer. Because yes, you will eventually have to travel outside the Core.
Some of the classes that I landed myself with are just that--well outside the Core and they sound fabulous. The other two are Core requirements, but they're still pretty fantastic.
My earliest class will be at a luxurious and beautifully sun-dappled 10:30 AM, meeting Monday, Wednesday, & Friday, and it sees me at the Biological Sciences Learning Center [BSLC] for the probably grim topic of Biological Poisons & Toxins. This is a biology "topics" course, which is 1/2 of the Core requirement [the other course required is called "Biological Issues and Paradigms" and it is offered in 5 variations...we can talk about this later, yeah?]. A cool aside--get a 4 or 5 on the AP Biology exam [6 or 7 for IB] and you can bypass "Biological Issues and Paradigms" and head straight for a topics course. It frees up a quarter for a really fun elective like...
...Virginia Woolf! That's right, an entire quarter devoted to the woman, the wonder, the legend herself. I've actually never read any of her work, but I've always wanted to. Plus, the professor is supposed to be amazing. Her name is Lisa Ruddick, for future reference. Jon Ryan Quinn, one of the admissions counselors here in the 'Wald, actually recommended this to me. Can't wait! Oh yeah, and this class meets at 3:00 PM on just Monday & Wednesday, which is nice because [duhh!] it leaves my Friday with just 2 classes, that bio course and...
...Russian 103! Maybe a lot of you aren't as excited about this as I am, but that's cool. There are a lot of languages here, so just choose whichever one suits you. Why I'm extra-excited for this course is really simple. I switched sections [nothing against you, Eric!] into a class taught by a native speaker! She's supposed to be awesome, and again, I can't wait. Also, I'll have my favorite [also nothing against you, Katie!] drill instructor again [her name is Demelza, and she's soooo cool]!!! This meets at 11:30 on Monday, Wednesday, & Friday, with drill sessions on Tuesday & Thursday at whatever times work best. That's right...Russian meets in one way or another five times a week. But that's like...five times the fun. Fo' realz.
Last, but definitely not least, is a Human Rights course called War & Displacement in 20th Century Europe. I don't really know what to say about this, other than it should be pretty mind-blowing. This is the one class that I'll probably feel really out of my league in, but what's life without a risk? This class meets on Tuesday & Thursday at 1:30 PM.
So that's my schedule! Sorry I didn't get into the meat-and-potatoes of each course...but you have the College Course Catalog at your disposal.
My other two distractions require no introductions...instead, I'm gonna let you discover how awesome they are:
1. Stuff White People Like
2. Garfield Minus Garfield
So there you have it!
By now you should be so occupied that you'll stop wondering when those damn decisions will be coming out...right, Nick? And any other person who's contacted me?
You're all awesome, and I hope I can see you all on the Quads come Autumn Quarter!
And with that, it's time for a no-doubt-delicious Bartlett dinner. Mmmmmm.
--zach
Monday, March 17, 2008
Baseball team's trip to Japan
There was a pretty cool article in the Chicago Tribune the other day about our baseball team's spring break trip to Japan. In turns out that they're revisiting a rivalry started back in 1910. I hope they do OK!
Friday, March 14, 2008
day in the life
hey guys.
pretty soon the days in my life will become much less regimented, and thus, more difficult to write about. our last day of classes was Wednesday, and yesterday all that I "did" was shadowing a tour (I will soon be a tour guide!) and went to the de Wit Lab to participate in a paid research study. I have three more sessions to go and I get paid 250 dollas!! Oh the joys of attending a research university with an attached nationally-recognized hospital.
alright, on with the show.
Actually...Tuesday never ended. I really intended on going to bed by 4...but that just never worked out. I had a presentation to give in Spanish, and I don't settle for mediocrity, so I had the opportunity to take this lovely photo, which pales in comparison to the real thing, of course. (the immensity of the sky, the hundreds of colors, the blueness and coldness of the lake, etc) But how does one see the sunrise like this, you ask? You live in the Shoreland. I have a whole facebook album dedicated to "Sunrises and Sunsets at the Sho". the Shoreland is the best.
So Wednesday started at midnight with me working on my presentation (about Federico Garcia Lorca and his book Poeta en Nueva York, you should check him out if you can read Spanish, he's pretty amazing.) I shuffle back into my room at around 8am to wake up my roommates and print out the handouts. my friend Justin and I haphazardly get ready for what we admit will be the worst day of our lives. We go outside (it is a glorious, splendid day) and wait for the Charter bus, which is an adorable little white steed of love which takes a different direction to campus than the CTA route 171. We get off at 57th street and Stony Island to get some delicious coffee at Istria Cafe and then head on to our classes. My class is Spanish 204 Curso de Redaccion Academica. After you take the 100s and the 200s sequences, there are a whole range of electives for you to take. If you take Spanish/French in high school you will probably place into 202 and then take 203, and then you can take any class in that language, all of which are pretty advanced, some more than others. I requested to place into 203 because 202 was boring, so I'm a little ahead of most of my peers. Next quarter I'm taking Spanish 208 Textos Hispanicos Contemporaneos which I am very excited for! Okay, I'm going to be less wordy from now on. I'm sorry.
my class is 8 girls/women/mujeres, (2 first years, 2 second years, 4 third years) taught by a Colombian grad student in his 4th year, Carlos. Our class is in Harper, which has gorgeous classrooms, I wish I had a picture. We sit around this ancient big hard wooden table and talk about Lorca's issues with New York and listen to a flamenco singer, Paco Ibanez, sing one of his poems. We decide to meet in front of the Reg tonight at 6:30 to go out for a celebratory dinner.
then I meet up with Justin and head to BJ. we leave at around 11:30 and he walks me to the Biological Sciences Learning Center where I will take my dreaded bio midterm (we have three midterms, no final). I haven't studied or made a cheat sheet because all last night I worked on Spanish. I'm screwed. I study for an hour, write some stuff down that I know will be on the test on a piece of paper, and hope for the best. It wasn't so bad. Thank goodness half of the grade of Core Bio is lab, because I am doing awesomely in lab. Speaking of which, after my bio final, I have to go write my final essay, a "Letter to the Editor" about a controversial issue in biology, which is due at 5pm. I go to Crerar, where I never go. I actually never go to any of the libraries to study, but going home was just impractical. First, I head downstairs to find my dad's dissertation. On the way, I get distracted by a shelf of these:
French recipe books????? In micro-form?? Those boxes are four inches wide...sorry for not providing scale in the photo. Crazy Crerar.
anyway, I find the thing, "Kinetic Spectroscopy in Supersonic Free Jets," and read the acknowledgments, because that's the only part I can understand.
Why am I still writing so much? ugh. Sorry. I'll try again to cut down.
So I write the thing, (about the existence of a gene for male homosexuality) turn it in, and go on a quest for a croissant with Justin. We run into a friend John near the Div School Coffee Shop (which was closed), who gives us delicious deep dish pizza from Giordano's instead.
We see our other roommate on the quads, she's heading off to Hutch Commons in the Reynold's Club to eat with her friends from Sosc class, which she does every Monday and Wednesday after that class. We try to convince her to get us food 'cause we are po'...but no dice.
Justin heads off to work at Ratner (he swipes your card as you enter), and I head home to compose myself with a lil nappy nap. After an hour of glorious oblique sunlight on my face in my warm cozy nest, I head to the Reg with my friend from Spanish, Talia.
We meet up there with Carlos, Amanda, and Kelin, walk to his car, and drive to Pilsen. We go to la Cocina Mundial, which is RIGHT near the pink line stop at 18th street...you should go. It's delicious. We are there for three hours, talking in Spanglish about everything.
He drops me and Talia off back at the Shoreland. There, I go to a house meeting and announce to Michelson that we will be hosting PROSPIES!! on Monday April 7th, Thursday the 10th, and Thursday the 17th. I'm Michelson house's PSAC Representative, so I organize the overnight stays of prospies in our house. If you come on the 7th, which you should, you will be hosted by Michelson. Those other two days are the HUGE MASSIVE April program days where EVERY house hosts and the campus is swarming with high schoolers.
After the house meeting there is Study Break, which during reading period and finals week, is a free snack provided by your Resident Heads at 10pm every night. On normal weeks, the RH study break in Thursday (in Michelson), the RAs study break is Sunday, and a student study break is Wednesday after house meetings. Every house is different.
After study break, there is a showing of The Man Who Fell to Earth, with David Bowie and a glorious soundtrack. A good part of the house shows up for that; some of my other friends go to a frat party; Justin and I pass out and sleep for a glorious 10 hours.
alright I really gotta run,
catching a train in half an hour to go down south to go ride with Caroline and Justin! (I'm from around here, I have a horse, and I haven't seen her since January, so I am very excite. This quarter did not allow me time to go riding!)
Good luck you guys, in hearing back.
I hope you all get what you want.
and if you don't, don't fret. College is freaking awesome at other places too.
-eliza.
pretty soon the days in my life will become much less regimented, and thus, more difficult to write about. our last day of classes was Wednesday, and yesterday all that I "did" was shadowing a tour (I will soon be a tour guide!) and went to the de Wit Lab to participate in a paid research study. I have three more sessions to go and I get paid 250 dollas!! Oh the joys of attending a research university with an attached nationally-recognized hospital.
alright, on with the show.
Actually...Tuesday never ended. I really intended on going to bed by 4...but that just never worked out. I had a presentation to give in Spanish, and I don't settle for mediocrity, so I had the opportunity to take this lovely photo, which pales in comparison to the real thing, of course. (the immensity of the sky, the hundreds of colors, the blueness and coldness of the lake, etc) But how does one see the sunrise like this, you ask? You live in the Shoreland. I have a whole facebook album dedicated to "Sunrises and Sunsets at the Sho". the Shoreland is the best.So Wednesday started at midnight with me working on my presentation (about Federico Garcia Lorca and his book Poeta en Nueva York, you should check him out if you can read Spanish, he's pretty amazing.) I shuffle back into my room at around 8am to wake up my roommates and print out the handouts. my friend Justin and I haphazardly get ready for what we admit will be the worst day of our lives. We go outside (it is a glorious, splendid day) and wait for the Charter bus, which is an adorable little white steed of love which takes a different direction to campus than the CTA route 171. We get off at 57th street and Stony Island to get some delicious coffee at Istria Cafe and then head on to our classes. My class is Spanish 204 Curso de Redaccion Academica. After you take the 100s and the 200s sequences, there are a whole range of electives for you to take. If you take Spanish/French in high school you will probably place into 202 and then take 203, and then you can take any class in that language, all of which are pretty advanced, some more than others. I requested to place into 203 because 202 was boring, so I'm a little ahead of most of my peers. Next quarter I'm taking Spanish 208 Textos Hispanicos Contemporaneos which I am very excited for! Okay, I'm going to be less wordy from now on. I'm sorry.
my class is 8 girls/women/mujeres, (2 first years, 2 second years, 4 third years) taught by a Colombian grad student in his 4th year, Carlos. Our class is in Harper, which has gorgeous classrooms, I wish I had a picture. We sit around this ancient big hard wooden table and talk about Lorca's issues with New York and listen to a flamenco singer, Paco Ibanez, sing one of his poems. We decide to meet in front of the Reg tonight at 6:30 to go out for a celebratory dinner.
then I meet up with Justin and head to BJ. we leave at around 11:30 and he walks me to the Biological Sciences Learning Center where I will take my dreaded bio midterm (we have three midterms, no final). I haven't studied or made a cheat sheet because all last night I worked on Spanish. I'm screwed. I study for an hour, write some stuff down that I know will be on the test on a piece of paper, and hope for the best. It wasn't so bad. Thank goodness half of the grade of Core Bio is lab, because I am doing awesomely in lab. Speaking of which, after my bio final, I have to go write my final essay, a "Letter to the Editor" about a controversial issue in biology, which is due at 5pm. I go to Crerar, where I never go. I actually never go to any of the libraries to study, but going home was just impractical. First, I head downstairs to find my dad's dissertation. On the way, I get distracted by a shelf of these:
French recipe books????? In micro-form?? Those boxes are four inches wide...sorry for not providing scale in the photo. Crazy Crerar.anyway, I find the thing, "Kinetic Spectroscopy in Supersonic Free Jets," and read the acknowledgments, because that's the only part I can understand.
Why am I still writing so much? ugh. Sorry. I'll try again to cut down.
So I write the thing, (about the existence of a gene for male homosexuality) turn it in, and go on a quest for a croissant with Justin. We run into a friend John near the Div School Coffee Shop (which was closed), who gives us delicious deep dish pizza from Giordano's instead.
We see our other roommate on the quads, she's heading off to Hutch Commons in the Reynold's Club to eat with her friends from Sosc class, which she does every Monday and Wednesday after that class. We try to convince her to get us food 'cause we are po'...but no dice.
Justin heads off to work at Ratner (he swipes your card as you enter), and I head home to compose myself with a lil nappy nap. After an hour of glorious oblique sunlight on my face in my warm cozy nest, I head to the Reg with my friend from Spanish, Talia.
We meet up there with Carlos, Amanda, and Kelin, walk to his car, and drive to Pilsen. We go to la Cocina Mundial, which is RIGHT near the pink line stop at 18th street...you should go. It's delicious. We are there for three hours, talking in Spanglish about everything.
He drops me and Talia off back at the Shoreland. There, I go to a house meeting and announce to Michelson that we will be hosting PROSPIES!! on Monday April 7th, Thursday the 10th, and Thursday the 17th. I'm Michelson house's PSAC Representative, so I organize the overnight stays of prospies in our house. If you come on the 7th, which you should, you will be hosted by Michelson. Those other two days are the HUGE MASSIVE April program days where EVERY house hosts and the campus is swarming with high schoolers.
After the house meeting there is Study Break, which during reading period and finals week, is a free snack provided by your Resident Heads at 10pm every night. On normal weeks, the RH study break in Thursday (in Michelson), the RAs study break is Sunday, and a student study break is Wednesday after house meetings. Every house is different.
After study break, there is a showing of The Man Who Fell to Earth, with David Bowie and a glorious soundtrack. A good part of the house shows up for that; some of my other friends go to a frat party; Justin and I pass out and sleep for a glorious 10 hours.
alright I really gotta run,
catching a train in half an hour to go down south to go ride with Caroline and Justin! (I'm from around here, I have a horse, and I haven't seen her since January, so I am very excite. This quarter did not allow me time to go riding!)
Good luck you guys, in hearing back.
I hope you all get what you want.
and if you don't, don't fret. College is freaking awesome at other places too.
-eliza.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
a day in the life [of zach!]...
...which may or may not be as fabulous as that exclamation point implies. i leave you to judge.
Mondays & Wednesdays & Fridays go a li'l somethin' like this.
8:00 AM--cell phone alarm goes off. This is when I hobble out of bed and snooze the damn thing.
8:05 AM--it goes off again. Who invented the 5-minute snooze?
8:10 AM--repeat.
8:15 AM--finally haul my butt out of bed and dress myself somewhat sloppily for my horribly scheduled 8:30 AM chemistry lecture in Kent 107.
8:27 AM--actually leave Max West and head down Ellis Ave. towards Kent. little known fact--i move really slow in the mornings. So I'm usually late to chemistry. So it goes.
8:34 AM--when you get bored while walking, you time how long it takes you to get from A to B. Even though I know the walk takes 7 minutes, i still take my sweet time in the mornings. Well, now i'm here...i take my customary seat in the back half of the room, settle in, and listen to Norbert lecture on reaction rates and the like.
9:22 AM--i snapped out of my dozing [it's easier to daydream at college, for some reason] just in time to realize that chem lecture is over. i button up my black wool coat, sling my timbuk2 on my shoulders, and leave Kent. Now i have a choice: straight home, or a detour for breakfast? My stomach steers me towards the latter, which i buy from Einstein in the Reynolds Club. Seriously, the best breakfast is Naked's "Red Machine" smoothie and an everything bagel with garden veggie cream cheese [or "schmear"...i don't judge]. Delightfully delectable.
10: 25 AM--After breakfast, i'm heading towards Cobb for my Russian class, which is one of the highlights of my day. again, i'm late.
11:23 AM--Now i have to quickly cross campus [from Cobb to Pick, if you kids have a map of campus with you] to make it to my calculus class. which is even more unbearable than my early-bird chem lecture. sooo glad that this is MATH 153 so it can be DONE.
12:22 PM--Lunch time! In Bartlett! This is really nice, because i'm usually hungry again. And Bartlett has tasties for my tummy. For some reason i'm really good at budgeting my meal points, so i have a large amount [read: at least 250] of meal points at my disposal. i pick what i want [usually pasta and salad] and go sit at the Wallace house table.
1:30 PM--I stroll into Rosenwald [the Admissions Office, if you wanna be wordy] for my 3-hour shift. This is my time to open mail, drink hot chocolate, chitchat with counselors and elizaaaa...and blog! it's usually a fun time, but it gets boring/tedious reallllly fast. turn on my iPod, tune out my surroundings, and open mail like a banshee. Will do, captain my captain.
4:35 PM--Finally leave Rosenwald and head back towards Max West for homework. On a good day, i'll only have to read for Readings in World Lit. tomorrow. On a bad day, i have chemistry, russian and reading to do. Oh, well. Hi ho, ho hum: homework tedious and homework glum.
5:30 PM until ?? PM/AM--This is generally when i start doing whatever homework i have. No matter how much i have, though, i always get it done before going to bed. Which can lead to some pretty late nights. Once it's done, though, i get to go to bed. The bright side of M/W/F is that i have class the next day at 11 AM, which means awesome sleeptime for me.
Tuesdays & Thursdays switch it up a bit.
9:45 AM--I wake up. i generally like to wake up a li'l early on these days so that i'm awake and alert for the first class of the day, russian drill. this is different than russian discussion [WOAH look at the rhyming there] because we focus more on conversational skills than verbs or whatever. it's funnnn...i love languages so bad.
11:03 AM--No matter how early i wake up, i'm late. But it's cool, the people here are chill. I say my Russian equivalent of "excuse me" and "sorry" upon entering and take my usual seat and gab gab gab in the language that i love.
11:53 AM--Now it's time for my favorite class of these two days: Readings in World Literature. And i only say it because i looooooooooove my prof. She's Polish and beautiful, and her name is Marta Napiorkowska. She knows her stuff...so if you have a chance to be in her class, leap at the opportunity! You won't regret it. Talk to me if you wanna know about the Winter Quarter syllabus.
This is where my Tuesdays & Thursdays differ.
1:30 PM [Tuesday]--I make it ON TIME to chemistry discussion, where we generally goof off and discuss what we're doing with our lab time on Thursday. My TA is hilarious and knows his stuff at the same time, so he makes this class period fly by. LOVE. This class ends at 2:30, and then i go home [note that it's almost impossible for me to eat lunch on these 2 days...I snack a lot in class].
1:30 PM [Thursday]--I make it to chemistry lab, where we're doing a gruesome titration circuit. I mean, seriously. Is there any real reason to be doing upwards of 4 titrations? That takes literally 4 hours, true story. But it's fun and it's interesting, especially when you realize just how accurate your results are. Life's just better when your error is below 10%. Science nerds know what i'm talking about. Lab's supposed to end at 5:20, but sometimes we stay a li'l later in case lab runs a tad too late.
After both of those, it's back to Max West for homework, house activities [which get a bit confusing so i omitted them here...i can go into them later if you want!], and eventually sleeeeeeep.
Then the whole thing repeats.
So, that's my week. Keep the questions coming [save me from opening mail]!
zach
Mondays & Wednesdays & Fridays go a li'l somethin' like this.
8:00 AM--cell phone alarm goes off. This is when I hobble out of bed and snooze the damn thing.
8:05 AM--it goes off again. Who invented the 5-minute snooze?
8:10 AM--repeat.
8:15 AM--finally haul my butt out of bed and dress myself somewhat sloppily for my horribly scheduled 8:30 AM chemistry lecture in Kent 107.
8:27 AM--actually leave Max West and head down Ellis Ave. towards Kent. little known fact--i move really slow in the mornings. So I'm usually late to chemistry. So it goes.
8:34 AM--when you get bored while walking, you time how long it takes you to get from A to B. Even though I know the walk takes 7 minutes, i still take my sweet time in the mornings. Well, now i'm here...i take my customary seat in the back half of the room, settle in, and listen to Norbert lecture on reaction rates and the like.
9:22 AM--i snapped out of my dozing [it's easier to daydream at college, for some reason] just in time to realize that chem lecture is over. i button up my black wool coat, sling my timbuk2 on my shoulders, and leave Kent. Now i have a choice: straight home, or a detour for breakfast? My stomach steers me towards the latter, which i buy from Einstein in the Reynolds Club. Seriously, the best breakfast is Naked's "Red Machine" smoothie and an everything bagel with garden veggie cream cheese [or "schmear"...i don't judge]. Delightfully delectable.
10: 25 AM--After breakfast, i'm heading towards Cobb for my Russian class, which is one of the highlights of my day. again, i'm late.
11:23 AM--Now i have to quickly cross campus [from Cobb to Pick, if you kids have a map of campus with you] to make it to my calculus class. which is even more unbearable than my early-bird chem lecture. sooo glad that this is MATH 153 so it can be DONE.
12:22 PM--Lunch time! In Bartlett! This is really nice, because i'm usually hungry again. And Bartlett has tasties for my tummy. For some reason i'm really good at budgeting my meal points, so i have a large amount [read: at least 250] of meal points at my disposal. i pick what i want [usually pasta and salad] and go sit at the Wallace house table.
1:30 PM--I stroll into Rosenwald [the Admissions Office, if you wanna be wordy] for my 3-hour shift. This is my time to open mail, drink hot chocolate, chitchat with counselors and elizaaaa...and blog! it's usually a fun time, but it gets boring/tedious reallllly fast. turn on my iPod, tune out my surroundings, and open mail like a banshee. Will do, captain my captain.
4:35 PM--Finally leave Rosenwald and head back towards Max West for homework. On a good day, i'll only have to read for Readings in World Lit. tomorrow. On a bad day, i have chemistry, russian and reading to do. Oh, well. Hi ho, ho hum: homework tedious and homework glum.
5:30 PM until ?? PM/AM--This is generally when i start doing whatever homework i have. No matter how much i have, though, i always get it done before going to bed. Which can lead to some pretty late nights. Once it's done, though, i get to go to bed. The bright side of M/W/F is that i have class the next day at 11 AM, which means awesome sleeptime for me.
Tuesdays & Thursdays switch it up a bit.
9:45 AM--I wake up. i generally like to wake up a li'l early on these days so that i'm awake and alert for the first class of the day, russian drill. this is different than russian discussion [WOAH look at the rhyming there] because we focus more on conversational skills than verbs or whatever. it's funnnn...i love languages so bad.
11:03 AM--No matter how early i wake up, i'm late. But it's cool, the people here are chill. I say my Russian equivalent of "excuse me" and "sorry" upon entering and take my usual seat and gab gab gab in the language that i love.
11:53 AM--Now it's time for my favorite class of these two days: Readings in World Literature. And i only say it because i looooooooooove my prof. She's Polish and beautiful, and her name is Marta Napiorkowska. She knows her stuff...so if you have a chance to be in her class, leap at the opportunity! You won't regret it. Talk to me if you wanna know about the Winter Quarter syllabus.
This is where my Tuesdays & Thursdays differ.
1:30 PM [Tuesday]--I make it ON TIME to chemistry discussion, where we generally goof off and discuss what we're doing with our lab time on Thursday. My TA is hilarious and knows his stuff at the same time, so he makes this class period fly by. LOVE. This class ends at 2:30, and then i go home [note that it's almost impossible for me to eat lunch on these 2 days...I snack a lot in class].
1:30 PM [Thursday]--I make it to chemistry lab, where we're doing a gruesome titration circuit. I mean, seriously. Is there any real reason to be doing upwards of 4 titrations? That takes literally 4 hours, true story. But it's fun and it's interesting, especially when you realize just how accurate your results are. Life's just better when your error is below 10%. Science nerds know what i'm talking about. Lab's supposed to end at 5:20, but sometimes we stay a li'l later in case lab runs a tad too late.
After both of those, it's back to Max West for homework, house activities [which get a bit confusing so i omitted them here...i can go into them later if you want!], and eventually sleeeeeeep.
Then the whole thing repeats.
So, that's my week. Keep the questions coming [save me from opening mail]!
zach
A levels
International students who have their A levels can fax the results to us at 773-702-4704. There's no need to send a copy by mail or to have the copy certified.
Monday, March 10, 2008
some answers to selected questions, part I
Hey. We're back.
You guys are freaking crazy. Thank you for all your questions; we're gonna try to answer the most common and most interesting.
We're not going to address questions regarding decisions-- that is not our area of expertise. What is, however, is waiting for decisions. I advise that you do so without worrying about when. It will get there. You will make a decision. You will go to college. Chill.
What classes did zach take that led to his finals & paper?
Well...it's not like my classes are anything out of the ordinary. With that in mind, expect that sort of thing towards the end of any quarter. The classes I took specifically were Honors Gen. Chem, 1st-year Russian, Calculus 153 [look this up for a description, if you're really that interested], and Readings in World Literature.
back to eliza: Though you didn't ask, I'm taking Language and the Human as my hum core class. I wouldn't recommend it. I'm also in Spanish 204, Curso de Redaccion Academica. also the Foundations of Modern Physics for my phy-sci core, and Core Bio.
I want to know what you're planning on doing in Spain, Eliza, and I want to know how the quarter system works - it's still slightly confusing to me.
I'm going to Spain with my sister on 5 years of frequent flyer (flier?) miles, woo! We're going to Madrid, Cordoba, Sevilla, y Cadiz, each for about 2 days. I've never done anything like this before-- I'm pumped.
The quarter system is not confusing. Let me lay it on the line: 10 weeks of class. 1 week of finals. Repeat.
Repeat.
The exact dates of this year were: 9/15-9/23: First Year Orientation Week. 9/24-12/7: Autumn Quarter. 12/8-1/7: Winter Interim. 1/8-3/21: Winter Quarter. 3/22-3/30: Spring Interim. 4/1-6/14: Spring Quarter. 6/15-9/29: Summer Interim. (You guys get here the 20th for OWeek)
Regarding the capitalization: I do it because I think Eliza is ugly and imposing. eliza is not. Simple as that. I do not have an inferiority complex, I do not think I am cooler-than-thou-lowly-capitalizers. I just like it better that way. zach doesn't have a policy-- he just doesn't care.
Food
[zach] H'okay, so. Food. It's sorta an important thing, metabolism and all that jazz. I hail from Max P and therefore eat at Bartlett, which is widely regarded as the best dining hall. I feel like "best" implies that its crazy delicious versus barfy...don't take this like that. Keep in mind that Bartlett still serves "college" fare, just like Pierce and BJ do. You're just paying more for it, har har. Oh, yeah. And it gets crazy monotonous, crazy fast.
As far as starving goes, it's practically impossible. There's [hopefully] gonna be something slightly tastebud-tempting on the menu, so jump at the opportunity. I don't really know what else to say about this...food's food, mayne. And college food at that.
eliza: I live in the Shoreland. floors 2-8 eat at BJ, 9-12 at Pierce. I go to BJ by default, 'cause my house table is there, but I frequent Pierce and occasionally Bartlett. BJ and Pierce are all-you-can-eat; Bartlett is a la carte (ie you pay for each item with prepaid dining points). I prefer BJ and Pierce because I don't like waiting in lines which are unavoidable at Barlett, and I don't like being served; I like making my own food and my own portions. I think the food is equally as "good" at all the dining halls. There are nuanced differences between BJ and Pierce which you just have to feel out. I'm moving out of housing next year, and a large part of the reason for me doing that is so I can go GROCERY SHOPPING again, and eat REAL food. mmm.
Will you guys host us? How long can we stay? Will we get to visit classes?
Zach and I will not host you unless that's the way the cookie crumbles. You can come and spend the night here every Thursday and Friday all year round, and any day in the spring (don't quote me on this). Yes you get to visit classes, do a tour, info session, hang out with KOOL KOLLEGE KIDS like us, etc. call 773 702 8650 to arrange a visit.
I want to know which Houses you guys are reppin'
[zach] As I said before, I'm from Max P. BUT what some may not know is that there are three [3!!] Max P buildings [you could just as easily call them wings, or something like that]: east, central, & west. Color-coordinated to your eyes' disgust as purple [imagine this with orange brick...narsty], yellow [two "warm" colors mixed? not fierce.], and pink [the least disgusting, but still garish], respectively.
I live in Max West, aka Barbie [think pink], in Wallace house. It's the smallest of the Maxi houses, and I love it: 3 lounges, a language commons, 2 kitchens...yadda yadda yeahh I love it. Will probably stay there for next year. It's nice.
eliza: I rep Michelson house, the sixth floor of the Glorious Shoreland Hotel.
As much as I LOVE learning... sigh... I fear that I will be in a constant state of stress. And that I will feel like the least intelligent person there.
[zach] I can really relate to whoever wrote this, because I totally felt the same way. Here I was, a scrawny, bespectacled boy with braces [at 18...yes, I know] who was leaving the rural Rockton, IL [I think it has a wikipedia page, but do I feel like giving it that honor? NO.] for the big city, where if I lived in a movie my morality would be threatened and I'd emerge the victor.
But in the end it was just a lot of asserting [to myself, really] that I was ready for college and [actually] learning something. Don't feel inferior; feel proud. If you make it here, you make it here for a reason. Don't fret...that's just too much stress where/when stress isn't needed at all.
How does one become a contributor to the blog?
We asked Libby. She asked Ted. He said yes. Thus, we contribute. QED.
What would you say was the most memorable experience at UChicago so far?
There are a lot of ways to answer this, really. I'll choose being what I consider corny. Part of my job at the admissions office is doing deliveries across campus. Part of the fun is leaving the monotony of mail-opening, and the other part is just taking a completely different route to wherever that envelope in my hand has to go and seeing/discovering something about campus that I haven't seen before. I feel very [I hate this metaphor...] Harry Potter-esque in my American Hogwarts of a school, but there you go.
eliza: creating a friendship the likes of which took me four years in high school, and only four months here.
I'd like to hear about Study Abroad (how easy is it do it / do you get full funding?) and undergraduate research opportunities (specifically in Political Science or International Relations).
Study Abroad is something everyone should do. Everyone. You pay regular UChicago tuition (financial aid works out the same). LOADS of people go abroad. UChicago has its own programs in several cities, but you are welcome to take programs sponsored by consortiums of which UChicago is a member. Additionally, ANY PROGRAM YOU FIND ANYWHERE (this is to you Korea-inquisitor), you can apply to get a Foreign Language Acquisition Grant (FLAG) for $2,500 to go towards the costs. You must also arrange with the head of whatever division it falls under to assure that you will get UC credits. You may not. This is more nuance than necessary to answer this question; I'm sorry. For details: http://study-abroad.uchicago.edu/ is pretty comprehensive.
I have not heard of many undergrads doing research in those fields...the sciences are more popular. Though the most important thing I've learned here is something my hum prof told me: if anything looks like a rule or a barrier at UChicago, you can tap it on the shoulder, say "excuse me," and it will usually move out of your way. You can do what you want here.
What I'd like to know is, is there some sort of therapy for poor high school seniors who are under overwhelming and intense anxiety about college selection? If so, is it free? it should be.
Yes: http://counseling.uchicago.edu/
Do the two of you get to read people's applications?
Nope!
But I was wondering how active the gay community is at UChicago or how gay friendly Chicago itself is.
[zach] Being gay, I'm pretty qualified to answer this. Uhhhh...campus is accepting. Very. There's more I can say about this, but all of that deviates from the general direction your question is pointing. So my answer is this: no gay bashing here.
eliza: there's Queers and Associates (Q&A), which is kinda cool. Here are the official resources: http://lgbtq.uchicago.edu/
But other than the official, University-sponsored RSO-type things: the queer women's community here is pretty tight. in the colloquial sense and in the close-knit sense. there are a lot of different levels of involvement, which is nice.
In general, it is not a terribly active community. We're workin' on it though. Q&A is planning this massive Pride week in the spring with a bazillion events and stuff to increase visibility.
does the university of chicago have a cultural night?
LOADS OF THEM. winter quarter there's a cultural show every weekend. every ethnic student organization has one and they are pretty awesome.
sorry guys. it's 4:37. Time to go. We'll continue more later.
There will be a separate post for Big Questions like how is the social life, was it different than you expected, how is it different from high school, and campus/city safety.
"Day in the Life"s will be posted too.
*phew*
-eliza and zach out.
P.S. You can friend Zachary James DeVoe on facebook if you like; he will welcome your questions and enthusiasm.
P.P.S. If you have any more questions, please comment on the original post so they're all in one spot when we go back to answer more. thanks!
You guys are freaking crazy. Thank you for all your questions; we're gonna try to answer the most common and most interesting.
We're not going to address questions regarding decisions-- that is not our area of expertise. What is, however, is waiting for decisions. I advise that you do so without worrying about when. It will get there. You will make a decision. You will go to college. Chill.
What classes did zach take that led to his finals & paper?
Well...it's not like my classes are anything out of the ordinary. With that in mind, expect that sort of thing towards the end of any quarter. The classes I took specifically were Honors Gen. Chem, 1st-year Russian, Calculus 153 [look this up for a description, if you're really that interested], and Readings in World Literature.
back to eliza: Though you didn't ask, I'm taking Language and the Human as my hum core class. I wouldn't recommend it. I'm also in Spanish 204, Curso de Redaccion Academica. also the Foundations of Modern Physics for my phy-sci core, and Core Bio.
I want to know what you're planning on doing in Spain, Eliza, and I want to know how the quarter system works - it's still slightly confusing to me.
I'm going to Spain with my sister on 5 years of frequent flyer (flier?) miles, woo! We're going to Madrid, Cordoba, Sevilla, y Cadiz, each for about 2 days. I've never done anything like this before-- I'm pumped.
The quarter system is not confusing. Let me lay it on the line: 10 weeks of class. 1 week of finals. Repeat.
Repeat.
The exact dates of this year were: 9/15-9/23: First Year Orientation Week. 9/24-12/7: Autumn Quarter. 12/8-1/7: Winter Interim. 1/8-3/21: Winter Quarter. 3/22-3/30: Spring Interim. 4/1-6/14: Spring Quarter. 6/15-9/29: Summer Interim. (You guys get here the 20th for OWeek)
Regarding the capitalization: I do it because I think Eliza is ugly and imposing. eliza is not. Simple as that. I do not have an inferiority complex, I do not think I am cooler-than-thou-lowly-capitalizers. I just like it better that way. zach doesn't have a policy-- he just doesn't care.
Food
[zach] H'okay, so. Food. It's sorta an important thing, metabolism and all that jazz. I hail from Max P and therefore eat at Bartlett, which is widely regarded as the best dining hall. I feel like "best" implies that its crazy delicious versus barfy...don't take this like that. Keep in mind that Bartlett still serves "college" fare, just like Pierce and BJ do. You're just paying more for it, har har. Oh, yeah. And it gets crazy monotonous, crazy fast.
As far as starving goes, it's practically impossible. There's [hopefully] gonna be something slightly tastebud-tempting on the menu, so jump at the opportunity. I don't really know what else to say about this...food's food, mayne. And college food at that.
eliza: I live in the Shoreland. floors 2-8 eat at BJ, 9-12 at Pierce. I go to BJ by default, 'cause my house table is there, but I frequent Pierce and occasionally Bartlett. BJ and Pierce are all-you-can-eat; Bartlett is a la carte (ie you pay for each item with prepaid dining points). I prefer BJ and Pierce because I don't like waiting in lines which are unavoidable at Barlett, and I don't like being served; I like making my own food and my own portions. I think the food is equally as "good" at all the dining halls. There are nuanced differences between BJ and Pierce which you just have to feel out. I'm moving out of housing next year, and a large part of the reason for me doing that is so I can go GROCERY SHOPPING again, and eat REAL food. mmm.
Will you guys host us? How long can we stay? Will we get to visit classes?
Zach and I will not host you unless that's the way the cookie crumbles. You can come and spend the night here every Thursday and Friday all year round, and any day in the spring (don't quote me on this). Yes you get to visit classes, do a tour, info session, hang out with KOOL KOLLEGE KIDS like us, etc. call 773 702 8650 to arrange a visit.
I want to know which Houses you guys are reppin'
[zach] As I said before, I'm from Max P. BUT what some may not know is that there are three [3!!] Max P buildings [you could just as easily call them wings, or something like that]: east, central, & west. Color-coordinated to your eyes' disgust as purple [imagine this with orange brick...narsty], yellow [two "warm" colors mixed? not fierce.], and pink [the least disgusting, but still garish], respectively.
I live in Max West, aka Barbie [think pink], in Wallace house. It's the smallest of the Maxi houses, and I love it: 3 lounges, a language commons, 2 kitchens...yadda yadda yeahh I love it. Will probably stay there for next year. It's nice.
eliza: I rep Michelson house, the sixth floor of the Glorious Shoreland Hotel.
As much as I LOVE learning... sigh... I fear that I will be in a constant state of stress. And that I will feel like the least intelligent person there.
[zach] I can really relate to whoever wrote this, because I totally felt the same way. Here I was, a scrawny, bespectacled boy with braces [at 18...yes, I know] who was leaving the rural Rockton, IL [I think it has a wikipedia page, but do I feel like giving it that honor? NO.] for the big city, where if I lived in a movie my morality would be threatened and I'd emerge the victor.
But in the end it was just a lot of asserting [to myself, really] that I was ready for college and [actually] learning something. Don't feel inferior; feel proud. If you make it here, you make it here for a reason. Don't fret...that's just too much stress where/when stress isn't needed at all.
How does one become a contributor to the blog?
We asked Libby. She asked Ted. He said yes. Thus, we contribute. QED.
What would you say was the most memorable experience at UChicago so far?
There are a lot of ways to answer this, really. I'll choose being what I consider corny. Part of my job at the admissions office is doing deliveries across campus. Part of the fun is leaving the monotony of mail-opening, and the other part is just taking a completely different route to wherever that envelope in my hand has to go and seeing/discovering something about campus that I haven't seen before. I feel very [I hate this metaphor...] Harry Potter-esque in my American Hogwarts of a school, but there you go.
eliza: creating a friendship the likes of which took me four years in high school, and only four months here.
I'd like to hear about Study Abroad (how easy is it do it / do you get full funding?) and undergraduate research opportunities (specifically in Political Science or International Relations).
Study Abroad is something everyone should do. Everyone. You pay regular UChicago tuition (financial aid works out the same). LOADS of people go abroad. UChicago has its own programs in several cities, but you are welcome to take programs sponsored by consortiums of which UChicago is a member. Additionally, ANY PROGRAM YOU FIND ANYWHERE (this is to you Korea-inquisitor), you can apply to get a Foreign Language Acquisition Grant (FLAG) for $2,500 to go towards the costs. You must also arrange with the head of whatever division it falls under to assure that you will get UC credits. You may not. This is more nuance than necessary to answer this question; I'm sorry. For details: http://study-abroad.uchicago.edu/ is pretty comprehensive.
I have not heard of many undergrads doing research in those fields...the sciences are more popular. Though the most important thing I've learned here is something my hum prof told me: if anything looks like a rule or a barrier at UChicago, you can tap it on the shoulder, say "excuse me," and it will usually move out of your way. You can do what you want here.
What I'd like to know is, is there some sort of therapy for poor high school seniors who are under overwhelming and intense anxiety about college selection? If so, is it free? it should be.
Yes: http://counseling.uchicago.edu/
Do the two of you get to read people's applications?
Nope!
But I was wondering how active the gay community is at UChicago or how gay friendly Chicago itself is.
[zach] Being gay, I'm pretty qualified to answer this. Uhhhh...campus is accepting. Very. There's more I can say about this, but all of that deviates from the general direction your question is pointing. So my answer is this: no gay bashing here.
eliza: there's Queers and Associates (Q&A), which is kinda cool. Here are the official resources: http://lgbtq.uchicago.edu/
But other than the official, University-sponsored RSO-type things: the queer women's community here is pretty tight. in the colloquial sense and in the close-knit sense. there are a lot of different levels of involvement, which is nice.
In general, it is not a terribly active community. We're workin' on it though. Q&A is planning this massive Pride week in the spring with a bazillion events and stuff to increase visibility.
does the university of chicago have a cultural night?
LOADS OF THEM. winter quarter there's a cultural show every weekend. every ethnic student organization has one and they are pretty awesome.
sorry guys. it's 4:37. Time to go. We'll continue more later.
There will be a separate post for Big Questions like how is the social life, was it different than you expected, how is it different from high school, and campus/city safety.
"Day in the Life"s will be posted too.
*phew*
-eliza and zach out.
P.S. You can friend Zachary James DeVoe on facebook if you like; he will welcome your questions and enthusiasm.
P.P.S. If you have any more questions, please comment on the original post so they're all in one spot when we go back to answer more. thanks!
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
new faces!
Hey guys,
We're zach and eliza. I'm eliza, writing. We're first years. We work here at the Office of Admissions mostly opening mail, and sometimes completing other odd tasks. We were granted blog privileges a while ago but have been too skittish to post on here yet, which is odd and dumb on our parts; we revered this blog when we were EA applicants last November while eagerly awaiting decisions.
So I'm writing to ask you guys not the catch-all "Do you have any questions for us?!!?!!" because I know when I hear that, all nascent questions immediately get terrified out of existence. So instead I pose this: what do you want to read about? What do you want to see pictures of? What still confuses you/intrigues you about living in the intermediary bubble between the sheltered (high school) life and real life? Do you want to know about our daily lives or is that boring? We're all ears. Or eyes, really.
What zach and I have been talking a lot about today is SPRING QUARTER and its imminence. Winter quarter is almost over...it's ninth week, and tenth week we only have three days of class, and then reading period (when we're supposed to be studying for finals, which are week 11). And if you're lucky like me, you only have one final during finals week (note that zach has 3 finals and 1 paper...he's the unlucky sort), so basically...the best week ever. And then Spring Break! I'm going to Spain; zach is goin' home to Rockton, IL. Free at last! And then we come back, rejuvenated and salacious for our delicious courses awaiting us: succulently ripe and ready to be digested.
So yeah. Tell us what you want. What you really really want.
-eliza and zach.
We're zach and eliza. I'm eliza, writing. We're first years. We work here at the Office of Admissions mostly opening mail, and sometimes completing other odd tasks. We were granted blog privileges a while ago but have been too skittish to post on here yet, which is odd and dumb on our parts; we revered this blog when we were EA applicants last November while eagerly awaiting decisions.
So I'm writing to ask you guys not the catch-all "Do you have any questions for us?!!?!!" because I know when I hear that, all nascent questions immediately get terrified out of existence. So instead I pose this: what do you want to read about? What do you want to see pictures of? What still confuses you/intrigues you about living in the intermediary bubble between the sheltered (high school) life and real life? Do you want to know about our daily lives or is that boring? We're all ears. Or eyes, really.
What zach and I have been talking a lot about today is SPRING QUARTER and its imminence. Winter quarter is almost over...it's ninth week, and tenth week we only have three days of class, and then reading period (when we're supposed to be studying for finals, which are week 11). And if you're lucky like me, you only have one final during finals week (note that zach has 3 finals and 1 paper...he's the unlucky sort), so basically...the best week ever. And then Spring Break! I'm going to Spain; zach is goin' home to Rockton, IL. Free at last! And then we come back, rejuvenated and salacious for our delicious courses awaiting us: succulently ripe and ready to be digested.
So yeah. Tell us what you want. What you really really want.
-eliza and zach.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
New photos on the photo pool
I want to draw your attention to the flickr photo pool - I've added pictures from first-year Grace Chapin and pictures of the opening gala for our new diversity center at 5710 South University. It was a really fun event, with lots of cake and foods of all kinds. The stuff in the glasses we're toasting with is sparkling apple juice, folks.
Grace's photos include pictures of dorms, classes, dining halls, and some outings into the city - things you've been requesting. Hope you enjoy!
If you have photos to add, make sure to request to join the UChicago photo group so we can see them.
Grace's photos include pictures of dorms, classes, dining halls, and some outings into the city - things you've been requesting. Hope you enjoy!
If you have photos to add, make sure to request to join the UChicago photo group so we can see them.
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Why I am exactly like you
I am applying to grad school this year.
Waiting for decisions is slowly killing me.
My roommates are already talking about what they are going to do with my room when I leave and who among their friends is going to replace me (at least your parents aren't going to replace you with another kid).
I filled out the FAFSA. It actually wasn't that hard, but at least I didn't have to do the CSS PROFILE.
I applied to a lot of ridiculous scholarships. One of the scholarship questions I had to answer was "Do you believe in a Supreme Being, our constitutional government, and the separation of church and state? If yes, please explain." Shouldn't it be, if no, please explain?
Waiting for decisions is slowly killing me.
My roommates are already talking about what they are going to do with my room when I leave and who among their friends is going to replace me (at least your parents aren't going to replace you with another kid).
I filled out the FAFSA. It actually wasn't that hard, but at least I didn't have to do the CSS PROFILE.
I applied to a lot of ridiculous scholarships. One of the scholarship questions I had to answer was "Do you believe in a Supreme Being, our constitutional government, and the separation of church and state? If yes, please explain." Shouldn't it be, if no, please explain?
Friday, February 29, 2008
Bye bye, credentials
Credentials are now gone for good. As we prepare to work with the last incomplete applications, we've taken them down. Credentials, we loved and knew ye well.
If you have any more questions about your application credentials, you can call the office or email me at questions@phoenix.uchicago.edu. I know a lot of people were planning to resend supplemental materials that we did not get the first go around. If you haven't done it already, at this point it's a little too late to add anything except the really important stuff, like loss of limbs, or that your cat was born with two heads.
If you recently found out that you were a National Merit Finalist, you can go ahead and email me. But you must rank us as your first choice with the College Board in order to get any money from us. We give $1000 to students without need, and $2000 to students with need. It's a one-time award.
Also, your interviews will not show up in credentials checking. We figure that that's one thing you know we have, since you were there and everything.
If you have any more questions about your application credentials, you can call the office or email me at questions@phoenix.uchicago.edu. I know a lot of people were planning to resend supplemental materials that we did not get the first go around. If you haven't done it already, at this point it's a little too late to add anything except the really important stuff, like loss of limbs, or that your cat was born with two heads.
If you recently found out that you were a National Merit Finalist, you can go ahead and email me. But you must rank us as your first choice with the College Board in order to get any money from us. We give $1000 to students without need, and $2000 to students with need. It's a one-time award.
Also, your interviews will not show up in credentials checking. We figure that that's one thing you know we have, since you were there and everything.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Start panicking!
We sent two emails last night designed to instill fear in your hearts and make you act!
Midyear Email
This is pretty self-explanatory. If you got this email, this means that we have not received your midyear report, on paper or online. Even if you believe you have a midyear report on its way to the office, you should log into the online application and fill out the online midyear report, so that we can have your grades faster. Everyone needs to do this!
Here is the text of the email.
Credentials Email
This one is a little more complicated. Log into your credentials to see what's missing, because if you got this email, something is missing that is preventing us reading your application. Find out what it is, and send it. Here is how to send things:
Documents that can be emailed or faxed (due February 25)Here is the email.
- Essays
- Secondary School Report (Form 2)
- SAT or ACT test scores as reported to your high school
- Teacher recommendations (Forms 3A or 3B)
Domestic Fax: 773-702-8599
International Fax: 773-702-4704
Email: recommendations@phoenix.uchicago.edu
Documents that must be mailed (due in the office February 27)Mailing address:
- High school transcripts
- Application fees
The University of Chicago
Office of College Admissions
1101 E 58th Street, Suite 105
Chicago, IL 60637Documents that must be submitted online (due February 25)
- Midyear report
If you did not get the credentials email, but still see missing credentials
Students who are only missing one teacher recommendation did not receive the credentials email. This is because we can read your application and render a decision with only one recommendation. If you still want to send in your missing recommendation, you can, using the methods above. I myself was admitted with only one teacher recommendation, back in the days before credentials checking. It can happen to you!
If you see that supplemental materials are missing, you are welcome to send them in as well.
Why are we being so cruel?!
We are now confident that we have processed most of the credentials in the office. The deadlines have been set where they are to encourage you to act. We anticipate that most students will get on this right away to the extent that they are able. If your school is on break this week or next week, or your credential is late, do not worry too much. Just send in your things as soon as possible.
However, some students will lallygag on purpose, email me asking if they really need to do what we asked, or ask why their credential is missing. Act! The Tao is over! The simple fact is that we are missing things that we need to read your application.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
New university website!
The University of Chicago website has a new look! Web developers all over the university have been working for about a year to turn this thing out. For a university this complicated and decentralized, or for any website launch, that's a pretty quick turnaround! We're very proud of what we've accomplished.
Yours truly worked on the admissions page with Dena, who also develops our admitted student website and takes care of the main college admissions site with me. Erik, who manages the online application and makes it so darn pretty and functional, was the main designer. You'll notice that he took a lot of colors and layout tips from our own view book, the Life of the Mind. We've never been so proud of our hometown talent and our little publication that could.
Since applicants are one of our most valued constituent groups on the web (and usually the most web savvy!), we definitely want your feedback on the beta site.
Yours truly worked on the admissions page with Dena, who also develops our admitted student website and takes care of the main college admissions site with me. Erik, who manages the online application and makes it so darn pretty and functional, was the main designer. You'll notice that he took a lot of colors and layout tips from our own view book, the Life of the Mind. We've never been so proud of our hometown talent and our little publication that could.
Since applicants are one of our most valued constituent groups on the web (and usually the most web savvy!), we definitely want your feedback on the beta site.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
The Tao approach to credentials and the midyear
The admissions office heartily recommends the Tao approach to all things admissions.
As such, we believe in the practice of "wu wei," or non-doing. Think of the paradox "wei wu wei," or "action without action."
This universal mystery is easily seen in the practice of credentials processing. For example, a student who is not familiar with the Tao notices his or her credential is missing, and emails the office (despite a note on the credentials checking site that says not to), and resends his or her missing document. In the meantime, the missing document shows up on its own accord. Then the admissions office gets another envelope, must open that, and process that as well. Now there are two credentials.
Meanwhile, a second student, who happens to be a student of the Tao, sees that his or her credential is missing and does nothing. The credential shows up on its own a few days later. The student is pleased.
Here is a second example: the midyear report.
Midyear reports, like anything wishing to reach enlightenment, should be kept in a state of p'u, simplicity, or "uncarved block," for as long as possible. The uncarved midyear is free from the complexities and travails of mortal life. It is in a state of passive receptivity.
Let's say that a student unversed in the ways of the Tao submits his or her midyear report without his or her grades, because he or she wants to make the deadline. The midyear is no longer in a state of p'u, and when the student's grades actually come, and he or she wants to submit them, there is no way to do so.
The student familiar with the Tao waits until his or her grades actually come in.
If you need your midyear unlocked, please email questions@phoenix.uchicago.edu and I will be happy to unlock it.
As such, we believe in the practice of "wu wei," or non-doing. Think of the paradox "wei wu wei," or "action without action."
This universal mystery is easily seen in the practice of credentials processing. For example, a student who is not familiar with the Tao notices his or her credential is missing, and emails the office (despite a note on the credentials checking site that says not to), and resends his or her missing document. In the meantime, the missing document shows up on its own accord. Then the admissions office gets another envelope, must open that, and process that as well. Now there are two credentials.
Meanwhile, a second student, who happens to be a student of the Tao, sees that his or her credential is missing and does nothing. The credential shows up on its own a few days later. The student is pleased.
Here is a second example: the midyear report.
Midyear reports, like anything wishing to reach enlightenment, should be kept in a state of p'u, simplicity, or "uncarved block," for as long as possible. The uncarved midyear is free from the complexities and travails of mortal life. It is in a state of passive receptivity.
Let's say that a student unversed in the ways of the Tao submits his or her midyear report without his or her grades, because he or she wants to make the deadline. The midyear is no longer in a state of p'u, and when the student's grades actually come, and he or she wants to submit them, there is no way to do so.
The student familiar with the Tao waits until his or her grades actually come in.
If you need your midyear unlocked, please email questions@phoenix.uchicago.edu and I will be happy to unlock it.
Monday, February 04, 2008
But what if I don't know my grades?
There is a lot of snow on the ground, which is still, after almost a decade, confusing for this Florida boy.
We've gotten a number of emails and phone calls over the past couple of days about the midyear report, which is supposed to be submitted today. As Libby has written in previous posts, if your grades ARE NOT available at this time, you can submit the report online when they become available later this month. The site will remain open until March 1. You do NOT need to have your school send us a report card or updated transcript. And every applicant is required to fill out the mid-year.
We hope you're all surviving winter. Application reading continues!
We've gotten a number of emails and phone calls over the past couple of days about the midyear report, which is supposed to be submitted today. As Libby has written in previous posts, if your grades ARE NOT available at this time, you can submit the report online when they become available later this month. The site will remain open until March 1. You do NOT need to have your school send us a report card or updated transcript. And every applicant is required to fill out the mid-year.
We hope you're all surviving winter. Application reading continues!
Friday, January 25, 2008
Aaaaaand the midyear
Here is the email.
Please look at the form or at least take the tour before you email or call with questions or protests. No matter who you are, you will find that there are questions on the midyear report that pertain to you.
It is due February 4, but will remain live until March 1 for students who get their grades or exam results after February 4.
Here is the previous post on the midyear report.
Please look at the form or at least take the tour before you email or call with questions or protests. No matter who you are, you will find that there are questions on the midyear report that pertain to you.
It is due February 4, but will remain live until March 1 for students who get their grades or exam results after February 4.
Here is the previous post on the midyear report.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Credentials are open
We've opened credentials for regular notification candidates, even though we aren't quite done opening mail and processing documents. In fact, most applications remain incomplete at this point. Also, credentials are not yet open for early action applicants--we are working on getting them up this week.
So, to head off calls and emails (both of which are unwarranted at this time!) we are sending this email this afternoon:
So, to head off calls and emails (both of which are unwarranted at this time!) we are sending this email this afternoon:
This message is to let you know that the credentials checking feature of the online application is available once again.
To check your credentials, log into the online application and click "Check Credentials." What you see listed is what we have received and processed in support of your application, and the date on which we processed it. (Please note that this does not reflect the date on which you submitted it.) If we have not received a required credential, it will say "Not received."
At this time, we do not want you to re-send any credentials. If your application remains incomplete well into the admissions cycle, we will send you an email and give you plenty of time to re-send whatever is missing.
Thank you for your patience while we opened your mail and processed your credentials this winter. If you have any information to add to your application, an appropriate place to do that is on our Midyear Report, which will be available on the online application in a few days. Admissions decisions will be mailed in late March; scholarship winners will also be notified when the admissions decisions are released.
Good luck,
Office of College Admissions
We also say:
Supplemental MaterialsSo, there you have it. No emails! No calls! Here is what the email looks like.
Supplemental materials—such as supplemental recommendations, artwork, music, or writing—will be listed on the credentials checking site if we have received and processed them. Please note that supplemental materials will be processed after we have taken care of everyone's required application materials.
International Applicants
Unfortunately international applicants will not be able to view SAT or ACT scores on the credentials checking feature. If you have sent SAT or ACT scores to the office and want to know if we have received them, you can reply to this email and we will get back to you.
International applicants who took the TOEFL (students whose primary language of instruction is not English) should note that TOEFL scores are sent to the Office of International Affairs, not the Office of College Admissions, so we may only get access to your TOEFL scores later. Please be patient and do not worry if you see that your TOEFL score has not been received.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Notes on the midyear report
Everyone must fill out the midyear report, even if they've been admitted, even if they graduated from high school eight years ago, even if they have already enrolled, and even if they live in Singapore. No one is safe.
Our midyear report is to be filled out online by you the student. You should have your report card or transcript handy, and your counselor's name, email address, and phone number. We only want final grades for your first term, not provisional grades, not exam grades, not advisory grades.
If your school has already sent your transcript or report card, that is fine - you do not need to fill out the midyear report. However, the midyear report is a great way to tell us a funny joke you've learned since we last corresponded. If you were deferred, it's a perfect place to express interest, or tell us about something you learned about the university that is appealing to you.
We did make a boo-boo on January 10 and make the midyear report available for a few hours, until we noticed the mistake. Then we closed it. If you filled out your midyear report on January 10 (about 90 do-gooders did this), you do not need to do it again. In fact, you cannot do it again.
If you were one of those 90 do-gooders, or you're any kind of do-gooder, and you want your midyear report unlocked because you made a mistake, email me at questions@phoenix.uchicago.edu with your full name.
This midyear report will be available on January 24. It will be due on February 4. If you do not have midyear grades by then, it will be available until March 1.
If you do not get grades because you go to moon school, or you are in Singapore and are taking A-levels, still log into the midyear report and answer as many questions as you can. You are not only reporting your midyear grades, you are also telling us you haven't gotten arrested in the last few months.
Students who are taking A-levels get their results around late February, and the midyear report is a great way to report your A-level results to us without having to mail them all the way over here.
We do not require an official transcript at this time - all students will be required to submit a final transcript by July 1.
Our midyear report is to be filled out online by you the student. You should have your report card or transcript handy, and your counselor's name, email address, and phone number. We only want final grades for your first term, not provisional grades, not exam grades, not advisory grades.
If your school has already sent your transcript or report card, that is fine - you do not need to fill out the midyear report. However, the midyear report is a great way to tell us a funny joke you've learned since we last corresponded. If you were deferred, it's a perfect place to express interest, or tell us about something you learned about the university that is appealing to you.
We did make a boo-boo on January 10 and make the midyear report available for a few hours, until we noticed the mistake. Then we closed it. If you filled out your midyear report on January 10 (about 90 do-gooders did this), you do not need to do it again. In fact, you cannot do it again.
If you were one of those 90 do-gooders, or you're any kind of do-gooder, and you want your midyear report unlocked because you made a mistake, email me at questions@phoenix.uchicago.edu with your full name.
This midyear report will be available on January 24. It will be due on February 4. If you do not have midyear grades by then, it will be available until March 1.
If you do not get grades because you go to moon school, or you are in Singapore and are taking A-levels, still log into the midyear report and answer as many questions as you can. You are not only reporting your midyear grades, you are also telling us you haven't gotten arrested in the last few months.
Students who are taking A-levels get their results around late February, and the midyear report is a great way to report your A-level results to us without having to mail them all the way over here.
We do not require an official transcript at this time - all students will be required to submit a final transcript by July 1.
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
News from the office
Right now we are opening mail. Lots and lots of mail. We are opening so much mail that I don't even have time to take a picture of the mail.
So, here are pictures of last year's mail, which looks a lot like this year's mail. That post includes the famous Envelope Monster that everyone keeps referencing.
Yesterday a first-year student who was one of my favorite applicants from last year came into the office to do some volunteer work, and said "Wow, I had no idea you had so much mail. Now I feel bad for sending you 14 extra things." And she had seen the envelope monster!
Right now the question that is taking up most of my time in emails and on the blog is "Can I send this" and "When is it due." The answers are "Yes" and "Never." We wouldn't be much of an admissions office if we told you there was something you couldn't send us, and that we would not accept whatever you were willing to send us. We are making decisions up until we send them in late March. If you have relevant new information, you should absolutely show it to us.
A great place to give us updates is the Midyear Report, which will be available later this month.
Instead of asking if you can send something, you should just send it. It takes up a lot of time to answer all those emails with a "Yes." In admissions, it is easier and better to beg forgiveness than to ask permission. Maybe also in life.
How often do I read the comments?
I'm emailed every new comment, so I check them every day and tag the ones I want to address in the next post.
Plagiarism
Typically if we find that two essays are suspiciously similar, we will call the involved parties and hear out their versions of the situation. We try to only punish those who took others' original work, but of course, it is never a good idea to show an admissions essay to an unknown public.
Were you supposed to be witty in the Baker Island email?
Yes, and you made me sad by not being so.
So, here are pictures of last year's mail, which looks a lot like this year's mail. That post includes the famous Envelope Monster that everyone keeps referencing.
Yesterday a first-year student who was one of my favorite applicants from last year came into the office to do some volunteer work, and said "Wow, I had no idea you had so much mail. Now I feel bad for sending you 14 extra things." And she had seen the envelope monster!
Right now the question that is taking up most of my time in emails and on the blog is "Can I send this" and "When is it due." The answers are "Yes" and "Never." We wouldn't be much of an admissions office if we told you there was something you couldn't send us, and that we would not accept whatever you were willing to send us. We are making decisions up until we send them in late March. If you have relevant new information, you should absolutely show it to us.
A great place to give us updates is the Midyear Report, which will be available later this month.
Instead of asking if you can send something, you should just send it. It takes up a lot of time to answer all those emails with a "Yes." In admissions, it is easier and better to beg forgiveness than to ask permission. Maybe also in life.
How often do I read the comments?
I'm emailed every new comment, so I check them every day and tag the ones I want to address in the next post.
Plagiarism
Typically if we find that two essays are suspiciously similar, we will call the involved parties and hear out their versions of the situation. We try to only punish those who took others' original work, but of course, it is never a good idea to show an admissions essay to an unknown public.
Were you supposed to be witty in the Baker Island email?
Yes, and you made me sad by not being so.
Friday, January 04, 2008
What's next - credentials and midyear report
Credential checking
Credential checking will open in late January, like maybe January 22, but maybe not.
Midyear report
The midyear report will open in late January (later than previously thought), like maybe January 24, but maybe not. It will maybe be due on February 4, but maybe not. But it will remain open until March 1 for students whose grades come in later.
More lolcats
Aashirwad of Chennai, India noticed that we didn't have any lolcats of essay option 4, so he made a few. He was admitted early and has already enrolled. Our students are nothing if not thorough.
Credential checking will open in late January, like maybe January 22, but maybe not.
Midyear report
The midyear report will open in late January (later than previously thought), like maybe January 24, but maybe not. It will maybe be due on February 4, but maybe not. But it will remain open until March 1 for students whose grades come in later.
More lolcats
Aashirwad of Chennai, India noticed that we didn't have any lolcats of essay option 4, so he made a few. He was admitted early and has already enrolled. Our students are nothing if not thorough.
Thursday, January 03, 2008
It's January 3!
Before we get into the great time zone emails I received last night, here are a few notes.
If your application says it was submitted on January 3
Even though the due date was on Baker Island time, obviously our application servers are not on Baker Island. So, your application might say that you submitted it on January 3. This is true -- you technically did. But we don't mind.
Why not? Well, let's have a test. If you were an admissions counselor, which of the following would be your line of thinking?
Or:
Sending credentials via email
I've been receiving tons of things at questions@phoenix.uchicago.edu -- resumes, supplemental materials, essays, even recommendations from your teachers. Keep 'em coming. You are welcome to send anything you want to add to your application.
If you log in and, gasp, you forgot to actually submit your application after paying your fee
So far, I can see 406 people who accidentally did this. Later, we will send these 406 people, and anyone else we identify, an email. But I'd recommend that, if you think you recently submitted your application, but did not get a confirmation email about it, you log back into your application. If you still see the link that says "Submit application," that means you did not successfully submit it. Click that link and submit it! Quick, before someone notices! (Someone who is not all-knowing and all-seeing like me.)
If you're wondering if we've received your credentials
Online credential checking will be available in late January, and I mean late. We opened mail for four hours yesterday, and will probably be opening more today. There is a lot of mail. We suspect that we will be done opening it and sorting everything in late January. Until then, no need to ask if we've received your documents. Because we will not know. We'll just look at the pile of mail and roll our eyes.
And now, here is a sampling of the emails I got last night.
Also, Sebastian of Upper Nyack, NY, supplied me with the following lolcats, based on the essay questions. Enjoy!
If your application says it was submitted on January 3
Even though the due date was on Baker Island time, obviously our application servers are not on Baker Island. So, your application might say that you submitted it on January 3. This is true -- you technically did. But we don't mind.
Why not? Well, let's have a test. If you were an admissions counselor, which of the following would be your line of thinking?
a. I want to read thousands of awesome applications, so I'm going to be lenient about when people can send things in.I wonder which one it is.
b. I detest students and I want to make their lives hard, so I'm going to insist they send things in at a specific date and time, with no do-overs.
Or:
a. I love answering hundreds of emails and calls asking me if we will take a student's entire application to the Social Sciences quad and burn it in a huge fire, just because one piece of it is two seconds late, with a resounding "Yes!"The one thing we are not lenient about is actually getting the application, the part with your personal information and essays. That should have been submitted last night. Or, you should have made your best effort to submit it (see below.)
b. I love answering hundreds of emails and calls asking me if we will take a student's entire application to the Social Sciences quad and burn it in a huge fire, just because one piece of it is two seconds late, with a resounding "No!"
c. I just don't want to get hundreds of emails or calls, so I am doing a blog post about how lenient we are.
Sending credentials via email
I've been receiving tons of things at questions@phoenix.uchicago.edu -- resumes, supplemental materials, essays, even recommendations from your teachers. Keep 'em coming. You are welcome to send anything you want to add to your application.
If you log in and, gasp, you forgot to actually submit your application after paying your fee
So far, I can see 406 people who accidentally did this. Later, we will send these 406 people, and anyone else we identify, an email. But I'd recommend that, if you think you recently submitted your application, but did not get a confirmation email about it, you log back into your application. If you still see the link that says "Submit application," that means you did not successfully submit it. Click that link and submit it! Quick, before someone notices! (Someone who is not all-knowing and all-seeing like me.)
If you're wondering if we've received your credentials
Online credential checking will be available in late January, and I mean late. We opened mail for four hours yesterday, and will probably be opening more today. There is a lot of mail. We suspect that we will be done opening it and sorting everything in late January. Until then, no need to ask if we've received your documents. Because we will not know. We'll just look at the pile of mail and roll our eyes.
And now, here is a sampling of the emails I got last night.
I just finished scuba diving off the coast of Baker Island and submitted my application to the U of C at 12:14 PM January 2nd. I swear the volcanic eruption that just took place a mile away from Baker Island had increased the total radius of Earth just enough to extend the length of this glorious day, January 2nd by an additional 14 minutes and 22 milliseconds. It's true!And some pictures
Kevin from Taipei, Taiwan
Please consider my application under Baker Island time, GMC/UTC -12. I started submitting my application at 11:59 p.m. on January 2nd, and finished submitting it at 12:01 a.m. on January 3rd, but I'm sure you can imagine how slow the internet connection is all the way out here in the middle of the Pacific. :( Please give me a break; I will mail you a cool Baker Island turtle.
Cheers,
Joanna
Well, it's been a pretty frightening journey.
After having finished my application three weeks before it was available to even send in, I took a break. Much to my dismay, my computer crashed, the economy of my small home nation-state collapsed, a right-wing militant group took control, and I fled as a refugee to Baker Island, from which I am applying now. It's a chilly night, 11:45 PM, here. Unfortunately, the airstrip has not been maintained very well -- I believe it was last used in the forties -- and my small aircraft has been seriously damaged. My satellite up link is providing me with this internet connection. Don't fret, though; I'll be rescued in time to attend Chicago, should I be admitted.
Andrew from Modesto, CA (which, last I checked, was not its own nation-state)
Please note that my application was sent under the time zone UTC-12 (home of Baker Island and Bikini Atoll), where it was still around 11:30PM on January 2, 2008 when I submitted it. I hope you are understanding in my tardiness as here in Florida we are currently in a state of emergency due to our sub-freezing temperatures of 31F (okay, despite my attempted humor it is really cold here, I swear it was like 80F yesterday).
Jacklyn
My name is Sophia. I have just submitted my application and it is after midnight in my local time. I am applying under the Pacific Standard Time. However, if by doing that, my application will be late, then I choose to be applying on Pago Pago's time, which is one of the last places on earth to be January 2nd.
I know my mailing address says Noida, India but I happen to be submitting my application while vacationing and am currently in Baker Island (GMT - 11 hours) so I will be submitting under that time.
Disha
Unfortunately, it seems that villagers in Apia, Samoa kidnapped me. But, remembering my James Bond tricks, I was able to free myself from them and submit it by 11:23 P.M. Samoan time. Hooray for Samoa!
Christopher from San Francisco, CA
I turned my application on Honolulu time
My computer just seems to be in California for some odd reason, so its on-time right....?
Marcos
Just wanted to let you know that I am submitting my application around Wednesday, January 2nd, 11:06 PM (local time in Gambier Islands of France). I was also wondering what time zone Baker Island is. On Wikipedia it said it was currently not decided on, and so they left it at 12 hours behind GMT? Its funny because UChicago is mentioned in the article...
"The University of Chicago requires that freshman applications be submitted before 12:00 AM January 3rd Baker Island Time."
Its okay if you don't end up responding to my question, I'm sure you guys are receiving tons of e-mails about these applications!
Take Care,
Mohit
I THINK I MIGHT HAVE A HEART ATTACK. I AM APPLYING UNDER BAKER ISLAND TIME ZONE.
I SUBMITTED MY APP ON JANUARY 2, 2008 6:07 PM BAKER WILL IT BE ACCEPTED!!!!!!???
APPLICANT NAME: TEDMAN
OMG!!! (That was my favorite one, as I think it accurately depicts what we all are feeling.)
Having been told I'd submitted my application at 11:16 PM, I set out to find a fitting location under which to apply. I considered Acapulco, Aguascalientes, and Chihuahua, but no cool Mexican name could outweigh the appropriateness of my eventual choice.
However shameful, I don't hesitate to admit that I'm a bit of a government geek and news junkie. I confess I took more than a few breaks this evening as I was putting the finishing touches on my application to check out new posts on the NY Times' "The Caucus" blog.
I read about the candidates' gaffes caused by sleep deprivation as I was wasting time at the expense of my own rest. And, yes, I will probably be up even later tomorrow night watching returns.
I am submitting my application [in spirit] from Des Moines, Iowa.
Zina
Despite living in Niskayuna, New York, I am choosing to submit my application under Itascatown, Howland Island time, since Howland Island is actually even farther to the west than Baker Island (but within the same time zone), and I love the U.S. Minor Outlying islands.
Thank you for your understanding,
Jonathan
Also, Sebastian of Upper Nyack, NY, supplied me with the following lolcats, based on the essay questions. Enjoy!
I'm not sure why we didn't have these pictures on the application, instead of writing out the prompts. And...
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