jlaws1 1 / - Nov 6, 2010 #1I first came to be aware of the impact that the university has had on the landscape of world economics when I picked up the book "Capitalism and freedom" by Milton Friedman, it was my first foray into the literature of economics beyond the Financial Times, and the "About the Author" section gave me my first experience with the proud history of economics at the university. The desire to attend the university of Chicago originated from the desire to study at the highest possible level of institution available and upon further review it was the University of Chicago that offered the world class institution that could provide the best possible platform for future success. I have chosen to pursue a degree at Chicago as opposed to a UK university because I believe that the opportunities and the liberal methods of learning at Chicago are far better suited to my personal traits. Not only will I be able to pursue my passion in the field of economics with world class proven talent manning the Professor's positions but I will also be able to further myself in all aspects of learning, including human rights and the study of Mandarin, via the electives system that the University runs that is simply not a system that the UK universities have decided to operate.The type of community that is present at the university is the best of both worlds, not only is there the large campus whereby there is a sense of being in a calm and collected place of learning but there is also the significant added of advantage of being within an easy commute of the international financial power house that is the City of Chicago and the experiences of future city life this the location of the university offers. It is this type of educational environment, a fusion of both campus and city life, that I feel will best suit my personal learning traits as I try to develop my skills for success. However it is not merely the location of the campus that appeals to me, it is also the mixture of old Gothic style architecture such as the Ratner Building and the modern art nouveau approach such as the Pavlesky Building, this mixture also serves as a metaphor to the way in which the university approaches its academics in that its emphasis is on old proven research coupled with new enlightened thinking from its students and professors.However it is the skill set and the mind set of the past alumni of the school as well as the current faculty members and their various papers and books that most interest me. The book written by professor Stephen D Levitt "Freakonomics", albeit a book written for the average citizen as opposed to a scholar, is the book that has interested me the greatest in the last three years and in particular his views on the reduction in crime rates in the mid ninety's. It is this type of analysis of statistics to attack views and reasons that have been long standing that greatly interests me. Not only was Professor Levitt accurate in his data and gave fantastic reasons both for his conclusion and against previous conclusions, the nature of his conclusion and its controversial status that made me feel like there are finally people willing to carry through with the conviction of their beliefs without the paranoia of public attack that derives from a point of view that differentiates from the status quo. From watching the Milton Friedman television series "Free to choose" I have seen that the school has also fostered those who are willing to act upon the conviction of their opinions based upon their own research and not be afraid to face criticism and it is this long line of proud past and present and alumni that I would feel honored to be allowed to join so that I could carry on the proud tradition of enlightened thinkers.
