<p>UChicago is my #1 choice right now [in the middle of my Junior year] and my parents are pushing for me to visit and want to know the best time/protocol.</p>
<p>My question: is visiting really worth it? I mean, I've been to Chicago before - in late December, if it matters - and I liked the city.</p>
<p>Yes.
I went to an open house in May of my junior year and I was sold.</p>
<p>I would say that visiting is DEFINITELY worth it. Chicago has a very distinctive on-campus vibe that really must be experienced personally, I think, to get a good measure of it. Also, you will want to check out the neighborhood some as well, particularly if you have not been to the south side/Hyde Park; it is great to visit Chicago downtown, but as that is NOT where the campus is, you'll want to make sure you explore the neighborhoods where UChicago actually is to see if you like its surrounding area.</p>
<p>As for timing of visits, I think they recommend going when school is actually in session if at all possible, since the campus over a vacation or during the summer is quite different from the campus "in-season," so to speak. I visited my junior year the Monday (I think) after Thanksgiving, and while school was definitely in session, in hindsight, I think this was not the best use of a visit, since I think the school was still subdued from Thanksgiving break. I did eat lunch in Bartlett, though, after my tour and meeting with an admissions officer, which was an interesting and very useful experiment and something that I would recommend if you are serious about Chicago. When I went, I knew almost nothing about the school beyond some preliminary research I had done, but the tour, eating lunch there, etc. really allowed me to experience Chicago, and the in-depth research I did after that pushed the school right to the top of my list, enough so that I applied EA there (and was accepted, and received a good FA package, and will be attending next fall). :>)</p>
<p>If you have visited Chicago the city, but not Chicago the university, it makes sense to do the latter. Hyde Park is a fair distance from the Loop, the Magnificent Mile, and the kinds of places on the Northside that people tend to visit, and it has a very different feel to it. All those places are accessible from Hyde Park by public transportation, of course, but if you were expecting Bright Lights, Big City you could find yourself asking, "What am I doing in this sleepy neighborhood with five used book stores and no place to buy clothes?" Of course, M&E's reasons to visit are good ones, too, and also the fact that most people have no idea how pretty the university is until they actually set foot on the campus. </p>
<p>You don't absolutely, positively have to experience a university's prettiness or student vibe first hand to decide to go there, but it helps. With one of my kids, his choice ultimately came down to two colleges, one of which he had never been able to visit. Although he knew intellectually that he would be fine there, it was emotionally almost impossible to choose something unknown over something known (and liked).</p>
<p>Visits are very important, especially to a school such as The University of Chicago which is known for its distinctive atmosphere & unusual culture. On the other hand, visits are far less important, in my opinion, to large state universities where almost everyone can find his or her comfort zone.</p>
<p>YES! Enough said.</p>
<p>Yes, for sure!! I visited it over the summer and LOVED it! </p>
<p>I had been to Chicago a few times before my visit, but believe me, it's worth going just to see the college.</p>
<p>Yes, you should really visit. The tour at Chicago will be one of the most unique tours you take - our tour guides are really interesting and are given a lot of freedom to talk about what they want (so you get a lot of passion and character, not a scripted spiel), and you'll be able to experience firsthand the "feel" of the school.</p>
<p>What I'd REALLY recommend is scheduling an overnight visit. You'll still get the tour and everything, but you'll get to stay in one of the houses, and I 100% believe it's the best way to experience the University. I had an amazing overnight experience and it confirmed all my positive inklings and cleared up all my questions. Contact the admissions office to schedule one.</p>
<p>Well, I'm sold on visiting.</p>
<p>Do you recommend visiting over the summer or spring break?</p>
<p>I was considered that summer would be a somewhat unrealistic portrayal of the campus/campus life but wasn't sure if visiting during the school year was a good idea either.</p>
<p>If you have the chance, go during spring break. I'm sure it'd be better then, although the summer isn't all that bad either.</p>
<p>My S would tell you to go while classes are in session and sit in on a couple. Go eat at BJ or Bartlett. Stay over in a dorm. See how all kinds of people coexist quite happily. His first visit was during a January snowstorm junior year, and he called me from the Quad and said, "I can see myself spending four years here." </p>
<p>I didn't visit campus until O-Week, and then it became pelucidly clear to me why he chose Chicago. It all made perfect sense.</p>
<p>Stay on a Thursday night while school's in session, and do an official house system overnight (scheduled with the admissions office). Thursday is perfect because you'll see a little glimpse of weekend relaxation/TGIF attitude but you'll also see what a more typical weeknight is like. </p>
<p>Coming during summer or a break is okay, but you won't get a feel for the students as well as if you came during the school year. And I seriously can't stress the overnight enough - do it!!</p>
<p>Is staying overnight with/without parents?</p>
<p>WITHOUT. S and his housemates are happy to have prospies visit, too. S did one official visit, but every time he stayed on campus, he made his own sleeping arrangements, staying w/friends or friends-of-friends. He didn't overnight in the dorm he was assigned, but that was fine -- he loves the place and has decided he's going to remain there next year rather than transferring to another dorm.</p>
<p>Anyone else have an experience to recount regarding an overnight visit in a dorm?</p>
<p>Seems to be a pretty positive thing so far.</p>
<p>YES. Definitely. It's nice to read about the intellectual life and the city and everything, but there's nothing better than experiencing it firsthand. In addition to what everyone else has said, you'll get to see all of the quirky things on campus (and I think that's true for any university). You can really get a feel for the atmosphere of the place, and for me that helps a lot in deciding whether or not I would really like living there - after all, college is about more than the academics and extracurrics and everything the website can show you.</p>
<p>Besides, why not visit? If your parents are willing to take you, even if you hate the school (which you probably won't!), you can still have a nice vacation in Chicago. What do you have to lose? :)</p>
<p>In the meantime you can go to Google maps and do Street View of the area. You can "drive" up and down the streets. Not realtime, but pretty good.</p>
<p>While I totally concur with the opinions that a visit to U of Chicago is totally worthwhile and can give you a true idea of whether or not you may be a fit for the school, I have heard many conflicting stories about spending an overnight at a dorm with a host. My daughter, who is now a third year, spent an overnight with a student assigned by the school. The student spent no time with her, explaining that she was simply too busy with other activities and my child was left to roam on her own (Although she was not too upset with that ). I have heard of many other stories similar to that. But, I have heard of some very successful pairings where the host really took a prospective student around, introduced him or her to activities, students, etc. So, I think the overnight part is a crapshoot. I also think an interview on campus can be quite valuable, so that is another reason for visiting the school.</p>
<p>Definately visit ... not to visit Chicago the city but to visit UofC. We visited this fall and I believe it has a very distinct feel to it ... and that the student population is pretty unique also. I think most people who visit will have a strong reaction ... and love it ... or not like it. Personally I loved it!</p>
<p>S1 never did the Official Sleepover thing where his host was pre-arranged. He contacted friends who had friends...you get the idea. He would sometimes officially sign in with the Admissions Office (not just at Chicago, but other schools as well) so he could get meal vouchers, have an interview, etc. He contacted profs directly for the classes he wanted to visit. Noone ever turned him down.</p>
<p>S's house is happy to host prospies, and even happier when the prospies don't flee in search of the nearest party. His house has a huge kitchen and I understand they know how to use it...</p>