The University of Chicago is a private urban research university that has driven new ways of thinking since 1890. It utilizes a quarter-based academic calendar, which runs from late September until early June. The University of Chicago is located in the historic, residential neighborhood of Hyde Park, just 20 minutes south of downtown Chicago. Our 217 acre campus offers a rich student life experience in a big-city setting. The main campus is also a certified botanic garden. The University of Chicago comprises of the undergraduate College, four graduate divisions, and professional schools including the highly ranked Booth School of Business, Pritzker School of Medicine, Harris School of Public Policy Studies, Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, Graham School of Continuing Liberal and Professional Studies, Law School, School of Social Service Administration, and Divinity School, as well as a top graduate program in the Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics. The University is recognized for its devotion to open and rigorous inquiry. UChicago prides itself on the strength of its intellectual traditions, including a dedication to intense critical analysis and lively debate, all of which result in creative solutions to complex problems. The University has been home to 92 Nobel Prize winners, over 260 Guggenheim fellows, over 50 Macarthur "genius" fellows, and 25 Pulitzer Prize-winners. Famous alumni include former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, Nobel Laureate Milton Friedman, former Senior Advisor to President Obama David Axelrod, former U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, and author Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Academic Experience: UChicago is renowned for the unparalleled resources it provides its undergraduate students. The University maintains a student-faculty ratio of 5:1, ensuring that every undergraduate classroom experience exemplifies our commitment to close interactions between students and faculty in small, discussion-style seminars. Our famous Core curriculum—courses in eight subject areas that all students, regardless of their major, are required to take—provides students with a common vocabulary and a well-balanced academic experience, while allowing them the flexibility to explore their own particular interests. Students and professors are encouraged to engage in substantive debates and conversations, which promotes a culture of intellectual discourse. The College offers over 50 majors of programmatic study in well-defined fields such as anthropology and mathematics, to interdisciplinary programs, like biological chemistry and comparative literature, as well as pre-professional courses of study. Beyond the classroom, students enjoy a vibrant and diverse environment with over 400 registered student organizations and dozens of intramural, recreational, or varsity sports programs. The UChicago Maroons have 19 NCAA Division III teams, which compete in the University Athletic Association. First- and second-year undergraduates are required to live on campus, while others live in off-campus apartments. Students are placed in "houses" within their residence hall, which serve as tight-knit communities and provide academic and social support. Students also enjoy forty student theatrical productions a year, a rich music and arts scene, and celebrations of different cultures and communities. Career Services: The Office of Career Advancement empowers undergraduates of all interests and backgrounds to apply their world-class education to a fulfilling career through individual meetings with personalized support. Over 3,000 Metcalf internships—fully funded opportunities across a range of industries — are available for UChicago students each year in cities across nearly 50 countries. Financial Aid: The University’s Financial Aid program No Barriers is a comprehensive plan created to increase access to college, support students as they receive an empowering education, and prepare them for lifelong professional success. Families who apply for financial aid do not have to pay a college application fee to UChicago. UChicago’s need-based financial aid involves no loans and is awarded as grants, which do not need to be repaid. Study Abroad: UChicago Study Abroad encourages students to expand their education through diverse intellectual perspectives, active participation in a new culture, and first-hand engagement with local and global challenges. UChicago's distinctive range of faculty-led programming blends the spirit of intellectual curiosity that is central to the College curriculum with the University's wide-reaching international mission. The University also has a strong global presence with its own facilities in Beijing, Delhi, Hong Kong, London, and Paris and active educational programs in locations throughout the world. Through quarter-long, academic year and summer programs, UChicago students gain cultural fluency and hone language skills while either studying a civilization at its center or focusing on a particular academic theme. Faculty-designed excursions promote dynamic engagement beyond the classroom as the city and surroundings become the unofficial “second classroom” of each sequence. Participants remain registered in the College -- receiving academic credit and retaining financial aid eligibility -- making Study Abroad a fully integrated component of UChicago’s undergraduate education. Research: Research is an integral part of the study-curriculum at the University of Chicago. The University is a global leader in scientific advancement and plays a pivotal role as a central hub for innovation in quantum science and engineering. The University operates two major national laboratories, an internationally renowned medical center, and the nation’s largest academic press. Our campus contains six libraries with over 11 million print volumes and over 160 research centers and institutes. Notable research breakthroughs achieved by students and staff at the University of Chicago include:  James Watson, the UChicago alumnus who shared the 1962 Nobel Prize for discovering the structure of DNA, launched the Human Genome Project in 1990. Today, University of Chicago scientists are building on Watson’s achievements, and reshaping our understanding of gene function and the role genes play in disease causation.  Paleontologist Paul Sereno has discovered many previously unknown species of dinosaurs.  Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, who first proposed the existence of “black holes” in the universe, won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1983 “for his theoretical studies of the physical processes of importance to the structure and evolution of the stars.”  Bruce Lahn and Wen-Hsiung Li explored differences in DNA sequence and gene expression between organisms to identify genes or gene regulatory elements that distinguish humans from lower primates or that correlate with specific behaviors, traits, or biological mechanisms.