University of Chicago

While the University of Chicago's official motto is "crescat scientia; vita excolatur," which translates to "let knowledge grow from more to more; and so be human life enriched," some students refer to the school as the place "where fun comes to die." That may be a bit of an exaggeration, but it gets to the heart of UChicago's reputation for academic intensity. The independent student newspaper, The Chicago Maroon, recently reported that the acceptance rate for the class of 2023 was 5.9% -- a record low. All 6,300 or so undergraduates must complete a rigorous liberal arts core curriculum, where A's are much harder to come by than at other schools. Even the academic calendar year, divided into quarters instead of semesters, tends to intensify the atmosphere on campus. The student body is intellectual and prides itself on being so: Many credit the school with teaching them to think critically. Partying happens, but students generally have to search it out. Downtown Chicago, a few miles to the north of the school's Hyde Park campus, is an important part of university life, providing job, internship, and volunteer opportunities to students, as well as athletic and cultural activities. The university's graduation rate of 93% is high, though it's slightly less than would be expected for students with similar test scores and economic backgrounds.