homestyle28 wrote:I'm curious about those who already live in Chicago or are already set on NW...what kind of rent do you expect to pay? How far from the campus do you plan to live? I'll potentially have a wife and kid in tow and will need space which = $$$, so this is a pretty big concern for me.
I can say that their projected $12,000 / yr in room and board expenses (for financial aid purposes) is a joke. To get your rent + utilities under 1k a month you'd be living in a crappy neighborhood in the south side, near UChicago or something.
That said, you don't HAVE to live in Streeterville and pay $1,600/month, although that's what I plan to do. I simply don't want the headache of dealing with Chicagoland traffic every day, and am not cold-tolerant enough to sit outside waiting for a train every morning. I'd expect rent+utilities could go as low as 1,200-1,300 / month for a two bedroom apt (in a safe area) if you're careful, but that would definitely be far enough from Northwestern that you'll be taking the El or Metra.