<p>So, UChicago is one of my two dream schools. I feel that I stand a reasonably decent chance of getting in too. However, the thing I'm most worried about is the weather. How cold is it?</p>
<p>I live in New Orleans, where it's pretty darn hot and humid most of the year. However, now it's cold. New Orleans cold being like 40 F. I wake up and freeze my hands on the steering wheel when driving to school, and I'm talking a 5 minute drive here.</p>
<p>I could live like this, but I'd be a bit miserable. I'd also like to see some snow in exchange, haha. I'm wiry (that being my euphemism for skinny bonerack), and the place where I've felt most at home was Southern California.</p>
<p>Will I be able to survive in Chicago with my kind of climate need? Will I just need a new wardrobe, or should I just scratch UChicago off my list?</p>
<p>Haha man you shouldn’t scratch off UChicago just because of the weather! I’ve lived in the Chicago area all my life, and it’s never that bad to the point where you’re miserable even with the right clothes. It’s usually only cold from November to March, getting down to the single-digits (WORST-CASE!) around mid-January. Just have a big winter coat, gloves, a hat, and you’ll be fine!</p>
<p>Well, when it comes to cold, I am a complete wimp. I can go running or play soccer in 100 degree weather, but when it goes under 50 (or maybe 60 with a breeze), I start to shiver. I’m worried if UChicago is so cold (I mean, Chicago is the windy city, right?) that I’d end up being kind of miserable there. I’d like to spend college at least partly outdoors, and without a stuffy nose. :P</p>
<p>Chicago suburb kid. You get used to the weather. It’s usually tolerable with the right clothes, but it will drop below 0 some nights. You will be forced to stay inside when you don’t want to. Hopefully the weather won’t scare you away!</p>
<p>It is currently 28 degrees Fahrenheit in Chicago, and I think there’s close to a foot of snow on the ground, heh. Honestly, I haven’t found the weather to be that much of a problem, and I’m also from the South. Sure, you get battered a bit by sub-zero wind chill and occasional hail… but you’ll get through it - and you DEFINITELY shouldn’t take UChicago off your list because of the weather If you’re worried, pick a dorm that’s in the center of campus (Max P, Snitchcock, Pierce etc.) - it’ll take five minutes to get to most of your classes and your dining halls are spitting distance away.</p>
<p>as someone wholl probably attend uchicago and as someone whos also lived in hyde park already…let me tell u the weather is horrible. true windy city is named for chicago’s politics, but that doesnt mean its not true of actual weather conditions. the wind chill sucks. if u ever see anyone walking backwards through town, thatd be me. the cold is miserable, and i havent gotten used to it tho ive lied here for a while. i cant see any way to escape it short of covering everything, which makes u look rather foolish. (yea and walking backwards doesnt…/?) that being said, uchicago is a great school, and im sure no one hates the weather more than me, so u shouldnt be deterred from uc becuase of it either.</p>
<p>Well, I feel okay now. I’ve had quite a few people tell me that UChicago might be a bad choice of the weather-- like I said, I’m a twig. I also had childhood asthma (it was pretty bad), so my lungs are a bit weak though I do my best to run and exercise a bit.</p>
<p>Its been cold in New Orleans the last few days-- about the 28 that catherineee said. I made it through alright, though I didn’t spend much time outside. :P</p>
<p>In the case that I am accepted, I guess I’ll have to actually visit-- test the weather a bit. If its not too bad, I’ll stick through and choose UChicago (unless Stanford takes me) and meet all you people :)</p>
<p>I had a meeting with my guidance counselor the other day and I mentioned I really wanted to go to UChicago … and all she could tell me was “it’s pretty cold there.” I was like, really, now?! That’s all you have to say?! But seriously, don’t let the weather affect your college decision-making process much, unless you’re thinking about a school in Canada. :)</p>
<p>^ Get used to that. That’s the face-saving answer of someone who doesn’t know what else to say (= who doesn’t know the U of C’s reputation). You will hear it a lot.</p>
<p>Consider going to school is like going for a job. Think about if you had an offer that is too good to refuse in ND and you may have to stay there for rest of your life.</p>
<p>Talking about weather, another question about the Chicago area:</p>
<p>I’ve never visited UChicago, yet it’s very very high on my list of colleges. But I was talking to my friend’s mom who went to visit UChicago during Thanksgiving break, and she said she was astonished at the lack of urban areas immediately around UChicago. She basically said: “it’s beautiful once you walk into University of Chicago, but there are no restaurants, college town, whatsoever around it. It’s basically this beautiful school surrounded by projects.” Well if that’s true, my college list is about to experience a turnover. I go to a boarding school situated like that, and it’s no fun. Somebody please comment on this.</p>
<p>It’s true that if you walk for a while south or west of UChicago you’ll find some pretty run-down neighborhoods, but Hyde Park, which really peaks North and East of campus proper, is a very cute little neighborhood with shops, restaurants, and very nice houses. Some of the real estate in Hyde Park and neighboring Kenwood is, in fact, VERY expensive-- it’s the kind of neighborhood with a mixture of gorgeous old Victorian-esque houses and brownstones where professors and others live, with cheaper student apartment buildings thrown in as well. True, it’s not as exciting as some of the neighborhoods on the North side of Chicago, but there is plenty to find here. It’s a very walkable neighborhood, and there’s also pretty great access to public transit for getting downtown or to the North side of Chicago for a more exciting night out or bigger shopping opportunities. But, I wouldn’t discount it based on your friend’s mom’s assessment-- it seems like she has a pretty limited view of this neighborhood.</p>
<p>The “surrounded by projects” line is silly. But it’s true that the area around Chicago is somewhat lacking in urban excitement – shops, clubs, cheap restaurants. They’re there, but fewer and at a lower energy level than you would find around other urban campuses like Penn, NYU, Columbia, Harvard, Georgetown, even Brown. Hyde Park is basically a residential neighborhood. What it does have is a lot of great bookstores. And non-chain coffee is not in short supply.</p>
<p>Look, you’re not “surrounded by projects.” I mean, Obama’s house is in Hyde Park. The man does not live in the projects, I can assure you.</p>
<p>Besides all the restaurants, a spattering of cafes and grocery stores, and GREAT bookstores (:D), don’t forget that the Museum of Science and Industry is right there. And the rest of Chicago is definitely within reach.</p>
<p>Thanks for the input. I also emailed PSAC and got a similar answer. What I want in my college town is basically a lot of restaurants/cafes, shops, and a great music scene (important!) in reach. I am personally a little intimidated by Columbia and NYU but definitely would be bored at Princeton and Yale. Georgetown and other DC colleges scare me somehow. My favorite college towns that I’ve visited are the Harvard/MIT neighborhood and Emory. UGA is also awesome (I live in Georgia, so I go to a lot of concerts in Athens). I don’t mind taking the bus but prefer walking distance. Any comparisons?</p>
If you’re worried, pick a dorm that’s in the center of campus (Max P, Snitchcock, Pierce etc.) - it’ll take five minutes to get to most of your classes and your dining halls are spitting distance away.</p>