The University of Chicago is known among students for its rigorous academics-and wellcelebrated for that deep commitment, which is designed to help students not only learn but also to think, challenge, and question. The distinctive core curriculum is a series of sequences (including Humanities, Social Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Civilization) that make up an interdisciplinary framework that is then fleshed out with a vast number of electives, summer sessions, and research and internship opportunities. The academic calendar runs on a quarter system that "allows you to try so much, not just academically but outside of class," so that students "can be in a play one quarter, work for the newspaper another quarter, [and] work with a professor on research another quarter." Undergrads devoted to the pursuit of learning find that the hard work required by the school is excellent preparation for the workplace, or as one puts it: "So many recruiters comment that they love UChicago kids because we know how to put in the time."
Teachers also put in the time to provide what students describe as a "transformative education." Classes are regularly described as unique, with the note that "it is clear that teachers here are able to create courses that are their most specific passions." And while those classes come with high expectations, professors are people first, which means that they "uphold the rigorous academic standard while simultaneously being flexible, accommodating, and understanding."