So I was checking out the UChicago website and found that there are two almost back to back events planned for students and their families in Sep and Oct.
There is the actual O-week where Parents participate Sep 17th and Sept 18th and then leave while students go thru Orientation rest of the week. There is also the Family weekend Oct 14th thru 16th.
Since we will have to take a 2+ hour flight to get to Chicago, I had the following question I was hoping other experienced parents and students here could help me with
What really happens during both. What are the most memorable parts of either from a parent/sibling perspective that makes it worthwhile to attend for each event. The website is pretty sketchy right now.
If we had to choose one or the other, which would be better for us as the family, specially given that we have another child in high school and we would like that child to experience UChicago in all its glory as well
Would you suggest we attend both?
Any tips on which hotels from the accommodations provided makes sense if we don’t plan on renting a car? and is there an advantage to arriving into one or the other Chicago airports?
Will the weather in Chicago during either September or Oct permit us to experience the city outdoors for a few days before or after dropping off our son? Or does it start getting quite chilly by then, preventing any significant outdoor experiences? We are from a very warm place
Regarding the airports,there really isn’t an advantage between flying into either Midway or O’Hare. Typically O’Hare has far more flights flying into the airport, however it is a little farther from campus. Midway on the other hand is only around 8 miles away from the campus, thus you’d probably have a slightly cheaper cab fare (if they’re charging based on distance).
Definitely! Now although Chicago’s weather is renowned for being very unpredictable, September/October shouldn’t be bad at all. For September expect anywhere from roughly 55-75 depending on the day. October will be a bit chillier but I highly doubt it will go below 40-50 at the absolute coldest (again pretty rare). I would, however, highly recommend that you bring a light jacket as the weather can be a little random. Although it isn’t likely to be extremely warm in October, you can expect it to be tolerable on most days.
I’d say both, at least the first year. If I had to pick one it would be O-week. Because that would include move-in which is very important, speeches by Pres. Zimmer, Dean Boyer in Rockefeller which is pretty cool. Then you have the very emotional Cobb Gate send-off. Parents weekend is also good. Let me expand a little point by point.
O-week is move-in, the emotional good bye. Parents weekend is re-uniting with your student which can be very pleasant assuming he / she is enjoying him / her self which is likely. Parents weekend is also attending model classes with some pretty impressive profs which we enjoyed. We've been to two of these; we did not go the third year.
As I said above, if you had to pick one, it would be O-week, certainly for the parent and the student. Move-in is not that glamorous but it might be exciting for the sib to be around the new students. One thing that still stands out about our O-week experience was talking with other students, including the upper class helpers who are around. I was amazed by how smart and well-read they all were, and that the upper classmen actually listened to what you said. That meant you had to make sure what you said was semi-worthwhile, haha.
For the first year, I'd recommend both.
Hotels are tough. It's hard, but not impossible, to not rent a car. I personally think it is an investment worth making because in relation to your plane tickets and hotel, the cost is small. Midway is closest, by far. If you arrive at O'Hare you have to go completely across town. If you land at Midway, you can actually take 55th from the airport straight into the campus. It's a drive I'd recommend making, at least once. It takes you through some interesting neighborhoods to the west of campus but it's very exciting to come upon the park and then into the campus. I have no particular recommendation on hotels; we've stayed at the airport, downtown, and with friends in the 8 or so times we've travelled to the campus.
Weather at the time of O-week and parents weekend will be beautiful, most likely. O-week will be no-jacket required and Parents weekend may be light jacket weather. The weather will allow you to walk around Hyde Park, enjoy the lakeside, and tour things downtown.
Move-in is really about moving in. There are various activities for parents, which are mainly designed to keep parents out of their children's hair while the kids complete paperwork, etc. The main thing parents do during these days is to help kids move into the dorms, and then get schmoozed by university administrators. But the Convocation ceremony on the second day (it used to be a one-day affair, and that was better) is very, very moving. There's a formal ceremony with highfalutin' speeches in the beautiful Rockefeller Chapel -- go early, so you can get seats inside and not have to watch on CCTV -- at the end of which there is a procession led by a kilted bagpipe corps from the chapel to one of the formal gates to the Quad, about 3-blocks. Families walk together from the chapel to the gate, but at the gate parents (and siblings) peel aside, and the entering first-years pass through the gates to be welcomed by a small throng of cheering upperclass students on the other side. There are many, many tears. I am crying now remembering it. Then there's a lovely reception for family members with the President and Dean of the College, where everyone is too depressed to speak, even.
I really liked parents’ weekend. There were mock classes to go to that were really interesting, and some sort of humanities festival with poetry readings and the like. Also a picnic and a football game I never went to. In my kids’ day, I doubt more than 25% of parents came for that. It was sort of awkward, as parents’ days have been since the dawn of time. But a nice opportunity to meet your kid’s roommate and to take everyone out for a nice meal. If you don’t come, someone else’s parents will probably invite your kid.
Many more parents/families go to move-in than to parents' weekend. Stretching it over two days is very much in the spirit of Chicago's O-Week, which crams about three days' worth of activity into nine days. If your child has normal 18-year-old competence, the presence of parents and siblings that first weekend is completely unnecessary, but hardly anyone, kids or parents, wants to acknowledge that, so you will find plenty to do. You can also do tourist stuff around Hyde Park and downtown. And Convocation really is moving.
When we took our older child to move in, our then-16 year-old high school junior came with us, and he had an absolute blast, far more fun than anyone else. No one could tell the difference between him and a new first-year, and everywhere he went some smart, attractive young woman started to chat him up. He was wearing a Tintin t-shirt, something he considered cultish and obscure at the time (it was years before the movie), and he had never dreamed there were so many smart, attractive young women in the world who knew about Tintin and wanted to talk to him about it. He definitely experienced Chicago in all its glory. He decided it was more or less Paradise on Earth, and he resolved to come back in two years. Which he did.
He would have loved parents’ weekend too, if he had come. The sample classes would have really interested him. When I came to parents’ weekend his first year, he came with me to the classes, and one of them actually changed his life and led to an ongoing relationship with the professor.
You are going to choose coming to move-in day, so it's not really worth debating.
There are a bunch of hotels in the South Loop, near where the 6 bus goes over to Lake Shore Drive for its express run to Hyde Park. They usually have deals for the Chicago move-in weekend. You don't need a car if you stay there. You can get there easily on the Orange Line from Midway. (You can also get to the Chicago campus easily from Midway on the 55 or 57 bus. Don't fly to O'Hare unless you have to.) The CTA has a great three-day pass you can buy only at the airport or a train station. Do that.
It is often very hot for move-in. One of the things you may do is go to Walgreens or Office Max to buy a small fan for your kid's room. It will be used twice. A few weeks later, the weather will still be nice, but you may want a light jacket or sweater.
Chicago is not the North Pole. It’s perfectly lovely in September and October.
Hahaha. My wife is a crazy fan. She could go on and on about Tintin. Some of the strongest memories of her childhood seem to be wrapped up around reading those comics. Just a few years ago, she purchased a whole bunch of those comics and immersed herself into the characters all over again!! I myself liked Asterix and Obelix better, but am careful never to “dis” Tintin or Snowy in front of her, otherwise there is hell to pay
So looks like it is best to get there Friday night on the 16th and leave Monday afternoon the 19th? I heard there is something on Monday as well for the Parents?
Just a note, this past fall no parents were allowed in the chapel for the Opening Convocation. We all sat in the courtyard and watched it on TV. Still beautiful though. We had a fabulous time at the parent’s reception–even our 13 year old son enjoyed himself with all the cupcakes. It was so fun to talk to other parents from all over the world. Some people were teary-eyed, but overall, it was a very happy group, but maybe that was just the wine!
this is my first experience in all this process. I need a piece of advice for the O-week. In your opinion, what would be the best way (and the less expensive) to move from Atlanta. I am not sure that packing the car and driving more than 11 hours all the way to Uchicago would be better than flying and sending all the stuff through a carrier. I do not mind driving but the road from Atlanta to Nashville is pretty stressful for the number of trucks in transit. Thank you in advance for your time.
cltika: We drive from the south as well, but not as far (we are 8.5 -9 hours). I know the route you will take exactly because one of my children went to school in Atlanta. We drive to UChicago most of the time, especially when we have to carry stuff. If your stuff will fit in a van, I say drive. But that’s me. Driving on Interstates just about anywhere these days is stressful. I75 North to Chattanooga is not that bad once you get above 575. I24 to Nashville is not that bad either. Again though, time it so that you don’t hit Nashville during rush hour. After Nashville, your major worries are the construction around Louisville and Indianapolis. Once you’re past those two cities you’re home free (except for the construction on I-65 N haha). If you do drive, arrange it so that you arrive and leave Chicago off peak, otherwise you will be stuck in horrendous traffic around the city, especially if you go anywhere near the Loop. But if you approach from the South on I90 you should be okay.
I’ve never tried to ship anything but that could be a good option. If money is not an object I think it could be better. Good luck to you.
When DS went cross country for college, we (parents and student) flew. Between the 4 suitcases we checked (one was sporting equipment for his varsity sport), plus the carryons, we did not need to ship anything. Honestly, it was basically clothes, few books and some linens. In the end, there was space left in the suitcases so I started throwing in soap bars, toothpaste etc until I was made to stop. We picked up some stuff at Target after we got there and that was that.
Now I understand daughters may be different so we will see this fall. However, my inclination is to put same limit on her that DS had.
You will be moving/putting your stuff in storage come next June and likely multiple times thereafter. It really is easier to keep material possessions down as much as you can, and not taking much is a good place to start.
We also flew and took DS’s stuff in checked bags. Fortunately, both parents had elite status on the airline and could check bags for free. Be careful not to let the weight of any one bag go over the limit. DS had to rearrange a couple of bags at the airport. We rented a car on that trip, although we usually don’t. It was handy for a trip to target and a few other places. Dad and grandmother went to parents weekend. One thing they did was go shopping and bought DS a warm jacket and shoes so he was ready when it started getting cold.
