<p>I agree with hyeonjlee. It is a burden, but what can you do?</p>
<p>Yes, it does seem unfair. However, it’s necessary to think about the imposition made on current students to this end- the host your child will be staying with is a college student, some with small rooms, all with work to do. Student hosts are not paid or compensated in any way for hosting a prospective student. With programs like these, we wind up having prospective students in every single house on campus, oftentimes with a majority of students in some houses hosting students, and it is a pretty big time commitment to take to show your student around, make sure they are in the right place at the right time, help answer their questions, AND try to do all of your normal student activities at the same time. While students are for the most part quite willing to host a prospective student for one night, it would be unfair and imposing for us to ask for more. To respect the obvious time and space commitment it takes to host a prospective student, we therefore are only willing to and ever going to ask current students to host someone for one night.
This does make it difficult for people who are traveling to make it to the program by 8am, or to find accommodations for the night before. Keep in mind that, while you will miss out on a few things, it is perfectly acceptable to show up anytime before noon- the definite deadline for showing up is when student hosts pick up their prospective students for the evening. Starting the program at 8am is the best way to fit as much in to the program as we can by making sure that everyone who attends has the ability to attend classes, go to presentations about Chicago, learn more about programs of study, and talk to students outside of their host- by starting the program later in the day, students would miss most (if not all) of these opportunities, especially the ability to attend class. While schedules may conflict, PSAC and the admissions office tries to make a schedule with as many activities and possibilities as possible to show the breadth and depth of opportunities here, and allow you to schedule as best you can to maximize your ability to see and hear what you need to see.</p>
<p>PSAC,</p>
<p>it still does not make sense. I understand your point about not imposing too much on the current students. But, the schedule indicates that the event is over in early afternoon the second day. You could easily shift the schedule in such a way that it starts later the first day and ends later the second day. There are plenty of flights out of Chicago area in the afternoon/evening to take the kids back to where they came from. That way, students can fly in in the morning of the first day.</p>
<p>My son is going by himself. Though he is an experience traveler, I would have liked it better if he does not have to stay in a hotel by himself. It also imposes additional cost of hotel stay. Already, Chicalgo’s fin aid is generally known to be sub par and tuition one of the highest in the nation, and this kind of gratuitous imposition of additional, avoidable expense on the students seems highly inconsiderate. Maybe it’s not convenient for the school or staff to have a different schedule/itinery. If that’s the reason, it really makes me wonder if this kind of priority setting that puts the students interest at a level lower than other factors is an indication of the general attitudes and philosophy of the school administration. If the school is not bending backward to accommodate and woo the admitted students who have a choice to go to different places, what will it be like once they become birds in hand?</p>
<p>Overall, the current plan seems rather ill thought out. Honestly, as a parent, I am really miffed.</p>
<p>I can put you in contact with an admissions officer if you would like to discuss this further; I don’t have anything else of merit to say on this matter, as I am only a volunteer PSAC board member, not a paid staff member in the admissions office. I apologize for any inconvenience that scheduling may have caused you or your son, but as it stands, this is how the program is organized.</p>
<p>PSAC,</p>
<p>this is not a personal attack directed to you, and I do apologize if that’s how I came across.</p>
<p>that said, I believe I am raising a very valid point that many other students and parents resonate with. Can you please convey this feedback to the administration? Perhaps you can cut and paste my writing. I think they need to hear this perspective so that next year they will be more mindful about how best to accommodate the admitted students’ needs. After all, what I am talking about is a change that does NOT cost the university more, nor imposes more on the current students, but makes a huge difference for the prospective students in terms of ease with which the visit can be planned while lowering the expense.</p>
<p>I am sure they understand that once the admission is given, the table is completely turned around: it’s the University that needs to sell itself to the students now. The prospective students are buyers. The onus is on the seller to come up with a way to “delight” the customers. Gratuitous imposition of unnecessary inconvenience and additional, avoidable cost on the customers is not a good way to impress upon them for the kind of “future” services they will receive once the contract is signed. It spooks the prospective customers. I am saying this as a professional who has been making a living doing sales & marketing related work. </p>
<p>If necessary, PM me, and I will come forward and identify myself to the administration if that helps.</p>
<p>No no, I didn’t take it as an attack at all- just wanted to make sure you knew that, really, there’s not much more I can say on the matter, and that I’m happy to put you in touch with someone in admissions if need be.
I spoke to an admissions counselor today about this, who echoed my earlier sentiments; while it is inconvenient for some to start so early in the day, the schedule has worked for most people for quite a while and optimizes the opportunity for everyone to do as many activities as possible, and that finding hosts for two nights would be too difficult and imposing. She did stress the ability to come later in the day if necessary to accommodate travel plans.</p>
<p>PSAC,</p>
<p>I reiterate that I am not trying to have the University impose on the current students for two nights. I was proposing a change that would have the event start mid day the first day and end at the end of a business day the second day, instead of 1 PM the second day.</p>
<p>This day, it’s much easier for the admitted students who have to make long distance arrangements while not sacrificing the amount of the time the program entails. I believe this is a win-win solution.</p>
<p>It’s too late for this year. I really hope the administration think about this alternative for next year on.</p>
<p>You know what would be great? Some way to get to Chicago without paying $600+ for flights or driving 15 hours. </p>
<p>Trying to figure out how to get there without breaking the bank is driving me to the verge of tears.</p>
<p>right on. And, I was advocating for a solution that does not add, on top of what you pointed out, the expense of additional night spent at a hotel</p>
<p>My daughter is doing the overnight at UChic April 23 & 24. She would like to stay at one of her preferred dorms (Max P, for example) and sit in classes that she would like to take. Is there any such flexibility? Please let us know. Thanks.</p>
<p>I’d just like to mention how specifically to get from O’Hare to campus; someone mentioned that it took a long time and involved a lot of transferring, but I figured I’d give the exact directions in case someone had to fly into O’Hare.
The blue line El train picks up right at O’Hare-there will be a billion signs for CTA transportation, just follow them and get on the train. Downtown, you will transfer to the red line-I think its the Jackson stop, but all trains have a list of the stops on them, as well as what trains can be transfered to at which stops. The transfer from the blue to red line is free. Get on the red line toward 95/Dan Ryan, then get off at the Garfield stop. Get the 171 or 55 bus to campus. The 55 drops of on 55th, north of Ratner, and the 171 drops off in front of the Reynold’s Club.</p>
<p>With regard to the April overnights you might want to check the schedule again. The events do not begin at 8am only registration begins at 8am.</p>
<p><a href=“https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/pdfs/senior_overnight_april_16-17_2009.pdf[/url]”>https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/pdfs/senior_overnight_april_16-17_2009.pdf</a></p>
<p>The first events begin at 9:30am. Campus tours run every half hour from 8:30am-1:30pm.</p>
<p>RelaxedParent- for the overnight visits, students are placed wherever there are volunteers and space, so there is not an opportunity to request a specific dorm. However, good things: lots of prospective students do wind up staying in Max, as it is the largest dorm complex on campus and traditionally has a lot of volunteers. Also, if she winds up staying somewhere besides Max, all she has to do is ask to see it- most hosts have friends in many dorms, and are quite happy to call those friends up and get prospective students in to see the space. On classes, though- yes, she is definitely welcome to sit in on the classes she is interested in! We encourage students to sit in on at least one, and up to three, classes while they visit. If the class she wants to attend is not offered on a Thursday, or if the professor has specifically requested that prospective students not sit in, we’ll definitely be able to find her a class that is similar to whatever she initially wanted to see.</p>
<p>How will we know what classes are available to visit? Will there be a list provided to us in the morning?</p>
<p>Yes, there will be volunteers and admissions counselors specifically stationed at “Class Visit Registration” tables, where you can sign up to sit in on a class. We’ll know which classes are available, when and where they meet, and how many prospective students the class can accomodate- some, like Physiology, Gen Chem, or Microeconomics, can accomodate a LOT of students because the classes are large enough and meet in large rooms, but some professors request no more than two or three prospective students because the class meets in a small room or has very few students in it to begin with. We have a really broad variety of classes you can sit in on, in all different departments- if you aren’t able to find the class you had your heart set on, chances are it either doesn’t meet on a Thursday, they’re having a test that day, or for some other reason the professor asked not to be included on the list, but we’ll be able to find you something either in the same field or equally interesting.</p>
<p>Of course, one can do the guerilla version of the Overnight Preview…</p>
<p>Come on a different date, do the campus tour, contact profs in advance whose courses you’d like to visit, make an appt with a departmental advisor about potential paths through an intended major, sleep on the floor of a friend (or friend of a friend) who already attends, take a Southwest flight to Midway (there are early AM flights, that, along with the 55 bus, would get you to campus fairly early), and avoid the O’Hare mess altogether…just sayin’! </p>
<p>S1 contacted profs at 7-8 schools and asked to sit in on a class. Noone EVER turned him down. Some sent HW or what the class was reading. If the class was taking a quiz, the prof generally invited him to come by to chat before/after class or during office hours.</p>
<p>S assiduously avoided Official Accepted Student Visits. There are pros and cons, but for him the guerilla approach worked. He still contacted Admissions, so they knew he was there, but he made his own arrangements.</p>
<p>This is definitely an option. You can also arrange to stay with a current student any night of the weekday in April by contacting the admissions office at 773-702-8650, a good option for people who can’t or don’t want to come to the admitted student programs, or don’t have a friend whose floor they can automatically crash on. We also offer tours at 10:30 and 1:30 every weekday.</p>
<p>Any specific suggestions on how to get from Midway to campus? Public transportation vs. taxi, and how to go about doing either of those? Thanks.</p>
<p>If you’re unfamiliar with Chicago public transit and can spare $20, taxi is the way to go. Taxis leave from just outside the baggage claim, and if you tell them to take you to someplace on campus (58th Street and University in Hyde Park is a good option- this will take you directly to the turnabout in the center of campus), you’ll be just fine. There is also an airport shuttle van service called the Omega Shuttle, which costs $15 (I think) and will drop you off outside of the Quad Club on 57th and University Ave, but often takes quite a long time and, honestly, isn’t that great of a savings over a cab. If you want to take public transit, your best option is the #55 and the X55 bus- both travel the same route, but the X55 makes fewer stops, and therefore is faster. Both will stop at 55th Street and Ellis Avenue, which will let you off right next to Ratner gymnasium and about a block north of Max Palevsky dormitory; just walk down (southward- the numbered streets should get higher as you go) to between 57th and 59th streets (58th street does not pass through the quad), enter the quad through the passageways on the opposite side of the street from the bookstore, and you’ll be in the middle of everything.
Ida Noyes hall, where most April Program activity is centered, is on 59th Street between Kimbark and Woodlawn; if you’re arriving specifically for an April program, you may choose to have your cab take you there, or to walk down Ellis 59th Street from 55th if you take the bus and then walk east on 59th until you hit Ida.</p>
<p>Assuming I don’t want to wait for an Omega shuttle, how would I get to U of C from O’Hare using public transportation? I don’t mind having to switch buses for rails.</p>