<p>DGDzDad: Son is in I-House. All rooms as far as I know are singles. I-House is a 10-15 minute walk from the center of campus and the large cafeterias, so its not usually the first choice of entering students. In fact, it was pressed into use when the new dorm construction got underway and Pierce Hall was closed / razed. There are other singles in other dorms, but I’ll bet they’re hard to get. My son got a bike which he used a lot in good weather. Now with snow and cold it’s stored in the basement of I-House. I should add that I-House has a good “house” system with substantial support from RA’s and Assistant RA’s.</p>
<p>If you come in Jan or Feb you’ll surely find out about the cold weather!</p>
<p>Can’t answer the third question authoritatively, but some sort of insulated hiking shoe or boot would suffice, I’d think. Sidewalks are ubiquitous and they are all cleared at all times.</p>
<p>@kaukauna - Thx for the info. I know D would prefer to be closer in. A bike is not an option. D may be brilliant, but she can’t ride a bike. We had to rule out UC Davis early on in the college search. She has not got her driver’s license yet either. Operating machinery of any kind, especially vehicles of both the motorized and non-motorized variety, is not her strong suit. This is why she needs to live in a big city where there is good public transportation.</p>
<p>I told D that if she wants any shot at a single, she’ll need to commit early. This is another reason we are visiting soon rather than waiting for an accepted student’s day in April.</p>
<p>DGDzDad,
I’m not sure that dropping a CA girl in Chicago in Feb is a good test of how she will do in the winter. Having the right shoes and clothing makes a huge difference, and she probably won’t be nearly as well-equipped on a short visit as she would be if she were really living there. </p>
<p>FWIW, my S (4th year) also grew up in a warm place and adapted just fine. He also received a lot of hats, scarves, and gloves for Christmas from relatives who were happy to be able to buy him something they knew he could use.</p>
<p>Congrats to your daughter. </p>
<p>I think BJ also has a lot of singles. But if I recall correctly, the housing forms allow students to prioritize what they want in a dorm (single room, close to dining, etc.) Putting a single room as higher priority than a particular dorm would give her an excellent chance of getting one somewhere, I think. Especially if you go ahead and pay the deposit now–that would probably allow her to get both the single and the preferred dorm. I don’t remember how much it is, but it might be worth paying it for insurance if there is a good chance she will attend.</p>
<p>How does that work? Can you pay a housing deposit without committing to attend? I think there is a very good chance she’ll be attending. The only other two schools she would even consider now are H and Y, and she doesn’t have a snowball’s chance of getting into either – although that’s what we thought about Chicago too. Nor do I think either would be as good a fit for her, but she “needs to know.” I’d be thrilled if upon visiting she decides Chicago is the place for her and forgets about H and Y.</p>
<p>DGDzDad: The deposit being discussed is the deposit to attend. It is not specifically a housing deposit. If your daughter decides not to go to UChicago, the deposit is forfeited. But it gets you in the housing choice queue early in any event.</p>
<p>Funny story about your daughter and machines. </p>
<p>Apologies to the current student whose thread us old folks have hijacked somewhat.</p>
<p>DGDzDad - Hi there, happy to help. Congratulations to your daughter! There are a lot of chances for first years to get singles, especially those admitted EA as long as they send in their deposit soon enough. Your best bet for a single is either BJ (basically all singles) or Snell-Hitchcock (Snell house is all singles bar one room and Hitchcock house is a mix). I know plenty of people who were admitted EA and managed to get singles in BJ. They’re also much closer to campus than the other dorms such as I-House where singles are available. </p>
<p>Jan/Feb is a good time to visit campus as it will let you see how cold it can get! As long as your have a decent coat you should be fine! There’ll still be tours on and there will definitely be students about to answer questions!</p>
<p>Unfortunately, as a guy, I’m not overly suited to answering your third question. One thing I know that is VERY popular amongst girls is a pair of Hunter boots. These are basically very good rain-boots (Wellington Boots) that can be lined with fleece as well. Other footwear probably included leather boots and other kinds of boots! Anyone else able to chip in with some advice on this? </p>
<p>tcmps1996 - Hey, I’m an Econ major and plan to go into finance so I am able to talk a little about this. The econ program here is one of, if not the best in the world. I’d say it’s more academic than practical but it still gives you an incredible backing to go into finance.</p>
<p>There are also so many clubs and societies on campus that can support you towards a career in finance. I’m a analyst in the International Leadership Council:Markets Division which is a fantastic program which teachers you practical knowledge of the financial markets and trading. Other clubs like this include BlueChips and Maroon Capital. There are also programs run by Career Advancement called UChicago Careers in Business (UCIB) and UChicago Careers in Business:Financial Markets (UCIB:FM) which support you heavily into a career in finance. UCIB:FM is more quantitive and suited to Math or Computer Science majors. Most firms will recruit on campus but the firms than have a strong connection with UChicago include JP Morgan and Credit Suisse. These firms will often come to campus to do networking events and presentations.</p>
<p>tcmps1996 - Hey, I’m an Econ major and plan to go into finance so I am able to talk a little about this. The econ program here is one of, if not the best in the world. I’d say it’s more academic than practical but it still gives you an incredible backing to go into finance.</p>
<p>There are also so many clubs and societies on campus that can support you towards a career in finance. I’m a analyst in the International Leadership Council:Markets Division which is a fantastic program which teachers you practical knowledge of the financial markets and trading. Other clubs like this include BlueChips and Maroon Capital. There are also programs run by Career Advancement called UChicago Careers in Business (UCIB) and UChicago Careers in Business:Financial Markets (UCIB:FM) which support you heavily into a career in finance. UCIB:FM is more quantitive and suited to Math or Computer Science majors. Most firms will recruit on campus but the firms than have a strong connection with UChicago include JP Morgan and Credit Suisse. These firms will often come to campus to do networking events and presentations.</p>
<p>@DGDzDad about single rooms - this year, I think BJ singles filled up towards the very end of March. Snell singles may have filled up in December. I-House singles were available until and beyond the very end - I know of people who requested an extension on the deposit, deposited after the deadline, and ended up with a single in I-House.</p>
<p>@harps - thanks! that’s very helpful. Snell and BJ are her her first choices, I think. We’re going to visit in a few weeks to get the lay of the land.</p>
<p>What is the time commitment/general experience associated with taking a language? I want to study a less taught language that few schools beside Chicago offer, but I am curious what the overall feel is with languages, the general rate of progress, while keeping in mind that it likely differs across languages.
Thanks and Merry Christmas!</p>
<p>I know this question has been asked in the past, but still…is premed at uchicago still a good idea? i might want to major in molecular engineering (or chem), and maybe do premed!</p>
<p>Ok. Booked trip to Chicago for D and me. Flying into Midway on a Thu and staying downtown at the Hilton as recommended by the UChicago website. There is supposed to be a shuttle from the Hilton to UChicago. Any experience with that? Also, it looks like the Metra electric line runs between a station near our hotel and the UChicago station a few blocks from campus. According to Metra website, it’s only a 12-15 min. ride. Is this line safe to ride at night? D is doing an overnight dorm stay on Fri night. Any restaurant recommendations in Hyde Park for Thu night? We’re flying out Sat aft. Thanks!</p>
<p>@DGDzDad…I’m not a current student, but I was just admitted EA, and I’ve been onto campus many times before. A good restaurant in Hyde Park that is very well-known to the UChicago community is Medici! Make sure to visit if you have time! :D</p>
<p>Make sure to take a tour around campus…because it really is an amazing campus! And I would assume the easiest way to get to the airport would be by a cab, but I’m sure there are bus options as well…they would be much more cheaper than a cab though!</p>
<p>Apologies for the delay in responses, I’m back home for break and the connection to CC has been a bit strange. </p>
<p>ewigewig - The language programs here are amazing. There is such an abundance of languages available and some that are rarely accessible at other institutions. I, personally, am about to finish the first year French sequence. It involves four, 50 minute, classes a week and there is homework due and a small grammar test for each class. That so, it is fairly easy so doesn’t take up a lot of time. Other languages, such as Chinese and Arabic, are significantly more work and often meet 5 times a week. You said it yourself though, it depends on the language!! I love my experience of language classes here!</p>
<p>kennedyiceit - here is a great place to premed as it has a lot of respect from universities across the US. I have plenty of friends who are premed so I wouldn’t worry about it!</p>
<p>DGDzDad - I’ve no experience of the shuttles you mention and have a feeling that they only run during move in period in September. However, the Metra Electric runs from Millennium Park to a stop on 57th St called 55/56/57th St. and is a 5 minute walk from the center of campus. It is personally my favorite way to get downtown. Metra is perfectly safe at night as well but make sure to check timetables when traveling at night as it runs less frequently. Other options include the 6 bus which runs up Michigan avenue and all the way up to campus, or a cab which shouldn’t cost more than $25 including tip.</p>
<p>In terms of restaurants, you should try Medici as mentioned by kennedyiceit. It is the quintessential campus restaurant as it is two blocks from the main quads on 57th St and is very reasonably priced. Other university favorites include Snail Thai, Thai 55 as well as a vast array of different kinds of restaurants on 53rd St. If you wanted a quick lunch while on campus I would recommend any of our campus coffee shops as well as Hutchinson Commons in the Reynolds Club which has a wide selection of different foods such as Subway, Qdoba, Indian, Thai and Papa Johns. </p>
<p>Best way to get from airport to campus would definitely be a cab, especially if traveling with suitcases. You can also get the 55 bus from Midway but for your first time I would recommend a cab! </p>
<p>^^^ @peter1412 - thanks for tips. I’ve been on the Metra website and downloaded their schedules. Looks like trains run quite frequently during morning and evening rush hour then about hourly at off times such as late evening. Looks like that’s our best bet for going back and forth between campus and our hotel near Grant Park. My D is hoping it snows while we’re there since she’s never seen snow fall live and in person. While D is doing her dorm overnight, I’ll be attending blues guitarist Buddy Guy’s Fri night show at his Legends club. This should be a great trip!</p>