UChi Students & Alumni Taking Questions Forum

[notorious_mig]

Post deleted

[charmonster]

HI thank you guys so much for taking all of our questions!

I have a couple more:

1) I've heard that the majority (or maybe just plurality idk ~who's to say~) of 1Ls live in Regents, like to the extent that basically all Social Gatherings happen there. Is this true or not so much? Is Shoreland/Vue53 a better bet in terms of overall value (like cost for a 1BR, distance from campus, etc)? In an ideal world I'd like to live in a 1BR with in-unit washer/dryer at a reasonable distance from campus (I'm cool with walking like 20 min or so) (like even in the winter that's fine, I grew up in a town that's p close to Chicago aka I won't bitch about the winter) (jk I will still bitch about the winter but we all will). It would be rad as hell if I was also near-ish (read: 5-10 min walk from) the L because I'd rather pay the stupid $100/month for Ventra and use the L/buses than $200/month for the Metra. BUT being in an apartment building with lots of other 1Ls is also important to me because my mom wants me to "make friends" and "stop having conversations with myself" or whatever ugh

Anyways so like given my very specific interests what would u suggest~~~

2) Can someone who can throw some knowledge at me about the Hormel pls PM me

Thanks again franz

Current 1Ls probably can answer this better than me, but personally I don't think Regents is as much of a thing anymore. People definitely still live there but I don't think it's particularly important to do it just for the social scene. That being said, the area near Regents (say, from 51st to the lake to 55th to the metra tracks) is where a ton of people live. You could definitely live anywhere else in Hyde Park, including closer to the law school or the green line, but it will be less concentrated with law students. For that reason I'm not sure I'd prioritize being a 20-minute walk to school (you can just take the bus). At least, there will be a tradeoff between the distance from school and the number of people that you live near (also, your access to grocery stores).

But idk, dude, a class year at UChicago is only like 180 or 200 people. You are not going to have trouble getting to know people. You might have trouble turning acquaintances into friends, but that will be because of social skills and luck, not address.

As for transit, the 6 bus from the east side of Hyde Park is a faster way to get downtown than the Green Line would be even if you literally lived on top of the Garfield stop (which I do not recommend). I think it is probably worthwhile to either live close to the 6 or to the green line, though, rather than in the middle. A 15 minute walk to the bus/el is pretty annoying in the cold or with luggage from O'Hare. And the metra is a bit pricey but pretty sweet when 10 million teenagers descend on Lollapalooza.

[notorious_mig]

HI thank you guys so much for taking all of our questions!

I have a couple more:

1) I've heard that the majority (or maybe just plurality idk ~who's to say~) of 1Ls live in Regents, like to the extent that basically all Social Gatherings happen there. Is this true or not so much? Is Shoreland/Vue53 a better bet in terms of overall value (like cost for a 1BR, distance from campus, etc)? In an ideal world I'd like to live in a 1BR with in-unit washer/dryer at a reasonable distance from campus (I'm cool with walking like 20 min or so) (like even in the winter that's fine, I grew up in a town that's p close to Chicago aka I won't bitch about the winter) (jk I will still bitch about the winter but we all will). It would be rad as hell if I was also near-ish (read: 5-10 min walk from) the L because I'd rather pay the stupid $100/month for Ventra and use the L/buses than $200/month for the Metra. BUT being in an apartment building with lots of other 1Ls is also important to me because my mom wants me to "make friends" and "stop having conversations with myself" or whatever ugh

Anyways so like given my very specific interests what would u suggest~~~

2) Can someone who can throw some knowledge at me about the Hormel pls PM me

Thanks again franz

Current 1Ls probably can answer this better than me, but personally I don't think Regents is as much of a thing anymore. People definitely still live there but I don't think it's particularly important to do it just for the social scene. That being said, the area near Regents (say, from 51st to the lake to 55th to the metra tracks) is where a ton of people live. You could definitely live anywhere else in Hyde Park, including closer to the law school or the green line, but it will be less concentrated with law students. For that reason I'm not sure I'd prioritize being a 20-minute walk to school (you can just take the bus). At least, there will be a tradeoff between the distance from school and the number of people that you live near (also, your access to grocery stores).

But idk, dude, a class year at UChicago is only like 180 or 200 people. You are not going to have trouble getting to know people. You might have trouble turning acquaintances into friends, but that will be because of social skills and luck, not address.

As for transit, the 6 bus from the east side of Hyde Park is a faster way to get downtown than the Green Line would be even if you literally lived on top of the Garfield stop (which I do not recommend). I think it is probably worthwhile to either live close to the 6 or to the green line, though, rather than in the middle. A 15 minute walk to the bus/el is pretty annoying in the cold or with luggage from O'Hare. And the metra is a bit pricey but pretty sweet when 10 million teenagers descend on Lollapalooza.

This is super helpful, thank you so much! One of my friends is a current 1L who lives in Regents and she said it's THE social hub and she's so glad she lives there because it's super convenient for every aspect of social life. I'm now torn between Shoreland and Regents...like I really like the amenities of Shoreland but don't want to not be out of the loop by not living in Regents. Ugh I don't LIKE DECISIONS

But yeah I decided I'm just gonna get like 10-ride passes on an as-needed basis for the Metra since I know you were waiting with bated breath to hear what I was going to do re: transportation

Anyways thank you SO MUCH and if you (or anyone reading this~~~) have any tips specifically on Regents v Shoreland I'd be eternally grateful

[KMart]

HI thank you guys so much for taking all of our questions!

I have a couple more:

1) I've heard that the majority (or maybe just plurality idk ~who's to say~) of 1Ls live in Regents, like to the extent that basically all Social Gatherings happen there. Is this true or not so much? Is Shoreland/Vue53 a better bet in terms of overall value (like cost for a 1BR, distance from campus, etc)? In an ideal world I'd like to live in a 1BR with in-unit washer/dryer at a reasonable distance from campus (I'm cool with walking like 20 min or so) (like even in the winter that's fine, I grew up in a town that's p close to Chicago aka I won't bitch about the winter) (jk I will still bitch about the winter but we all will). It would be rad as hell if I was also near-ish (read: 5-10 min walk from) the L because I'd rather pay the stupid $100/month for Ventra and use the L/buses than $200/month for the Metra. BUT being in an apartment building with lots of other 1Ls is also important to me because my mom wants me to "make friends" and "stop having conversations with myself" or whatever ugh

Anyways so like given my very specific interests what would u suggest~~~

2) Can someone who can throw some knowledge at me about the Hormel pls PM me

Thanks again franz

Current 1Ls probably can answer this better than me, but personally I don't think Regents is as much of a thing anymore. People definitely still live there but I don't think it's particularly important to do it just for the social scene. That being said, the area near Regents (say, from 51st to the lake to 55th to the metra tracks) is where a ton of people live. You could definitely live anywhere else in Hyde Park, including closer to the law school or the green line, but it will be less concentrated with law students. For that reason I'm not sure I'd prioritize being a 20-minute walk to school (you can just take the bus). At least, there will be a tradeoff between the distance from school and the number of people that you live near (also, your access to grocery stores).

But idk, dude, a class year at UChicago is only like 180 or 200 people. You are not going to have trouble getting to know people. You might have trouble turning acquaintances into friends, but that will be because of social skills and luck, not address.

As for transit, the 6 bus from the east side of Hyde Park is a faster way to get downtown than the Green Line would be even if you literally lived on top of the Garfield stop (which I do not recommend). I think it is probably worthwhile to either live close to the 6 or to the green line, though, rather than in the middle. A 15 minute walk to the bus/el is pretty annoying in the cold or with luggage from O'Hare. And the metra is a bit pricey but pretty sweet when 10 million teenagers descend on Lollapalooza.

This is super helpful, thank you so much! One of my friends is a current 1L who lives in Regents and she said it's THE social hub and she's so glad she lives there because it's super convenient for every aspect of social life. I'm now torn between Shoreland and Regents...like I really like the amenities of Shoreland but don't want to not be out of the loop by not living in Regents. Ugh I don't LIKE DECISIONS

But yeah I decided I'm just gonna get like 10-ride passes on an as-needed basis for the Metra since I know you were waiting with bated breath to hear what I was going to do re: transportation

Anyways thank you SO MUCH and if you (or anyone reading this~~~) have any tips specifically on Regents v Shoreland I'd be eternally grateful

I know I PMed you a reply, but after reading your general concerns: choose Shoreland.

[archipm]

If you live anywhere near Regents you can easily get to Regents to socialize with people, and lots of people live in other buildings. Having been to several units in Regents and a couple units in Shoreland, I think Shoreland is nicer, but I live in a walk-up in the same general vicinity, pay way less, have in-unit laundry/central air, etc., so I can't really comment on those two buildings more than that. The walk to the law school isn't bad but there are also multiple shuttle lines and two CTA bus lines that are free for students and very convenient to catch from around here so if you end up complaining about the weather or the giant, heavy books you'll be carrying, you have lots of free options to get to campus without walking.

There is no reason to try to live near the el. The main reason people go north is to go out and in that event people typically just share ubers. If you don't like uber/lyft or have no one to split a ride with/pool is expensive for whatever reason, the 6 bus is very convenient and goes directly into the loop. Metra costs marginally more but I think you may be overestimating how often you are going to be taking public transit north, at least during 1L.

[notorious_mig]

HI thank you guys so much for taking all of our questions!

I have a couple more:

1) I've heard that the majority (or maybe just plurality idk ~who's to say~) of 1Ls live in Regents, like to the extent that basically all Social Gatherings happen there. Is this true or not so much? Is Shoreland/Vue53 a better bet in terms of overall value (like cost for a 1BR, distance from campus, etc)? In an ideal world I'd like to live in a 1BR with in-unit washer/dryer at a reasonable distance from campus (I'm cool with walking like 20 min or so) (like even in the winter that's fine, I grew up in a town that's p close to Chicago aka I won't bitch about the winter) (jk I will still bitch about the winter but we all will). It would be rad as hell if I was also near-ish (read: 5-10 min walk from) the L because I'd rather pay the stupid $100/month for Ventra and use the L/buses than $200/month for the Metra. BUT being in an apartment building with lots of other 1Ls is also important to me because my mom wants me to "make friends" and "stop having conversations with myself" or whatever ugh

Anyways so like given my very specific interests what would u suggest~~~

2) Can someone who can throw some knowledge at me about the Hormel pls PM me

Thanks again franz

Current 1Ls probably can answer this better than me, but personally I don't think Regents is as much of a thing anymore. People definitely still live there but I don't think it's particularly important to do it just for the social scene. That being said, the area near Regents (say, from 51st to the lake to 55th to the metra tracks) is where a ton of people live. You could definitely live anywhere else in Hyde Park, including closer to the law school or the green line, but it will be less concentrated with law students. For that reason I'm not sure I'd prioritize being a 20-minute walk to school (you can just take the bus). At least, there will be a tradeoff between the distance from school and the number of people that you live near (also, your access to grocery stores).

But idk, dude, a class year at UChicago is only like 180 or 200 people. You are not going to have trouble getting to know people. You might have trouble turning acquaintances into friends, but that will be because of social skills and luck, not address.

As for transit, the 6 bus from the east side of Hyde Park is a faster way to get downtown than the Green Line would be even if you literally lived on top of the Garfield stop (which I do not recommend). I think it is probably worthwhile to either live close to the 6 or to the green line, though, rather than in the middle. A 15 minute walk to the bus/el is pretty annoying in the cold or with luggage from O'Hare. And the metra is a bit pricey but pretty sweet when 10 million teenagers descend on Lollapalooza.

This is super helpful, thank you so much! One of my friends is a current 1L who lives in Regents and she said it's THE social hub and she's so glad she lives there because it's super convenient for every aspect of social life. I'm now torn between Shoreland and Regents...like I really like the amenities of Shoreland but don't want to not be out of the loop by not living in Regents. Ugh I don't LIKE DECISIONS

But yeah I decided I'm just gonna get like 10-ride passes on an as-needed basis for the Metra since I know you were waiting with bated breath to hear what I was going to do re: transportation

Anyways thank you SO MUCH and if you (or anyone reading this~~~) have any tips specifically on Regents v Shoreland I'd be eternally grateful

I know I PMed you a reply, but after reading your general concerns: choose Shoreland.

Well this spot-on answers the question I just PMed you back haha. Thank you so much!

[notorious_mig]

If you live anywhere near Regents you can easily get to Regents to socialize with people, and lots of people live in other buildings. Having been to several units in Regents and a couple units in Shoreland, I think Shoreland is nicer, but I live in a walk-up in the same general vicinity, pay way less, have in-unit laundry/central air, etc., so I can't really comment on those two buildings more than that. The walk to the law school isn't bad but there are also multiple shuttle lines and two CTA bus lines that are free for students and very convenient to catch from around here so if you end up complaining about the weather or the giant, heavy books you'll be carrying, you have lots of free options to get to campus without walking.

There is no reason to try to live near the el. The main reason people go north is to go out and in that event people typically just share ubers. If you don't like uber/lyft or have no one to split a ride with/pool is expensive for whatever reason, the 6 bus is very convenient and goes directly into the loop. Metra costs marginally more but I think you may be overestimating how often you are going to be taking public transit north, at least during 1L.

This is tremendously helpful. Thank you so much for your insight!!!

[trramic]

I would echo everyone and say you definitely don't need to worry about the el or about being in any particular building. Also just lol at any residential building being *the* social hub. Really really do not worry about this; you'll make friends regardless of address.

[3pianists]

Current 1L; Regents is definitely still a thing. I live in Algonquin, the cheaper cousin of Regents just across the street, and really love it. It's nice to be near everything but not in the overpriced hive that is Regents Park.

Edit to add that Algonquin is right on the 172/6 stop (I wait for the bus inside my lobby); the Metra is a block away, and Whole Foods is just on the other side of the Metra tracks. Can't beat it for convenience.

[notorious_mig]

I would echo everyone and say you definitely don't need to worry about the el or about being in any particular building. Also just lol at any residential building being *the* social hub. Really really do not worry about this; you'll make friends regardless of address.

Wow shit I suck sorry for the lag in response. This is really excellent to know and makes me feel a lot better about opting for Shoreland. Thank you so much!!!

[notorious_mig]

Current 1L; Regents is definitely still a thing. I live in Algonquin, the cheaper cousin of Regents just across the street, and really love it. It's nice to be near everything but not in the overpriced hive that is Regents Park.

Edit to add that Algonquin is right on the 172/6 stop (I wait for the bus inside my lobby); the Metra is a block away, and Whole Foods is just on the other side of the Metra tracks. Can't beat it for convenience.

That sounds awesome. Is the Regents/Algonquin area walkable from Shoreland?

[elterrible78]

Current 1L; Regents is definitely still a thing. I live in Algonquin, the cheaper cousin of Regents just across the street, and really love it. It's nice to be near everything but not in the overpriced hive that is Regents Park.

Edit to add that Algonquin is right on the 172/6 stop (I wait for the bus inside my lobby); the Metra is a block away, and Whole Foods is just on the other side of the Metra tracks. Can't beat it for convenience.

That sounds awesome. Is the Regents/Algonquin area walkable from Shoreland?

Like a ten minute walk.

[notorious_mig]

Current 1L; Regents is definitely still a thing. I live in Algonquin, the cheaper cousin of Regents just across the street, and really love it. It's nice to be near everything but not in the overpriced hive that is Regents Park.

Edit to add that Algonquin is right on the 172/6 stop (I wait for the bus inside my lobby); the Metra is a block away, and Whole Foods is just on the other side of the Metra tracks. Can't beat it for convenience.

That sounds awesome. Is the Regents/Algonquin area walkable from Shoreland?

Like a ten minute walk.

Oh that's perfect! Thank you kindly!

[call-me-bubbles]

.

[neptunian]

one question: Is LRW really that bad? Heard some horror stories about it and I really don't know what to think of it. Thanks for doing the thread!

[elterrible78]

one question: Is LRW really that bad? Heard some horror stories about it and I really don't know what to think of it. Thanks for doing the thread!

I'll be upfront: I hate legal research. I just don't enjoy it. But it's important to know how to do it, and it's important to know how to write properly. For me, LRW wasn't that bad if only because I generally enjoy learning new things and I had a Bigelow who was was legendary for being a great guy. And while the memos and briefs felt like a slog and I was so happy when they were over, now that I look back on 1L, doing them was one of the more interesting and engaging things about the entire year (and the year is full of engaging things).

Some people may have hated it, but it was fine with me.

[archipm]

one question: Is LRW really that bad? Heard some horror stories about it and I really don't know what to think of it. Thanks for doing the thread!

I don't understand what would be "that bad" about it. Maybe if you share the gist of the horror stories we can comment. I think it's a pretty straightforward class.

[chicago-gunner123]

one question: Is LRW really that bad? Heard some horror stories about it and I really don't know what to think of it. Thanks for doing the thread!

Yeah, I haven't heard any horror stories about it either. I remember when I was looking at law schools people on tls made it seem like the fact that UofC has a graded LRW class is a huge negative. If it makes you feel better, the curved median is higher than other 1L classes and LRW professors do not go very low on the curve from what I've heard. It really isn't a class that can kill your 1L GPA -- only help it.

[WheninLaw]

one question: Is LRW really that bad? Heard some horror stories about it and I really don't know what to think of it. Thanks for doing the thread!

It's added stress, but not that bad. Two assignments is not a huge deal. As others have said, the higher median helps GPA's, and the writing awards are a huge boost for clerkship stuff.

[LSRAT]

Odd question that I didn't see an answer for within the thread or UChi's financial aid section.

Does anyone know how Chicago calculates contributions from step parents when determining need-baesd aid? After looking through Harvard's financial aid policies, it states, "For the purposes of assessing parental resources, the step-parent’s income (while required to be submitted) will generally not be factored in" though assets will. Does anyone know if Chicago holds the same policy? Though I'm assuming if I received more need-based aid from H I could use it to negotiate at Chi?

[poptart123]

I'm considering attending Chi and have some questions regarding the academic calendar. I see classes don't end until the end of May with OCI beginning in early August. This doesn't seem to leave very much time for a summer position after 1L (about 9 weeks sandwiched in between). Has this been a problem for any of you when trying to split summers or just in general?

[KMart]

I'm considering attending Chi and have some questions regarding the academic calendar. I see classes don't end until the end of May with OCI beginning in early August. This doesn't seem to leave very much time for a summer position after 1L (about 9 weeks sandwiched in between). Has this been a problem for any of you when trying to split summers or just in general?

no. the schedule is actually pretty wonderful (albeit a bit tiring for the first year). the way it's set up is so OCI begins and ends all prior to classes. that's really amazing when you're flying city to city and juggling offers and interviews and stressed and tired. there's no classes or readings you're missing.

for the second summer, it's something like 16 weeks. that's plenty of time to split. or, if you dont want to work like an animal, to take 2 months to vacation. it's UChicago. i hate to boost my own ego and all, but employers know the schedule and will accommodate accordingly.

[notorious_mig]

does anyone know any current students or recent grads who were awarded the Hormel?

(read: would anyone like to put me in touch with someone who was awarded the Hormel?)

[alpinespring]

Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions.

Just out of curiosity: How would you describe the people who rank in the top 30% / 10% at Chicago?

When academic superstars from all across America (and the world) gather in one place, I wonder who makes it to the top. When ~200 summa / magna cum laudes compete.... most with similar cognitive horsepower (as measured by LSAT)... what's the distinguishing factor?

Is it the gifted/savant types? Photographic memory? Feel like there's a clear limit to how much effort and discipline can make a difference? Do you need to be born with a certain talent (reading for 10 hours straight, etc) to do well at Chicago?

Thank you in advance.

[xn3345]

What should a dude wear to an admitted students reception at a fancy firm in NY?