UChicago OCI 2014 Forum

[Anonymous User]

3L Here

Had lunch at the Palm, ordered $15 dollars of soft-pretzels at the airport, ordered salmon for breakfast via room service.

It doesn't matter what you get or how ridiculous it is as long as you stay under budget.

I think some firms give you numbers to demonstrate an example of what's reasonable. I forgot what it was--if someone has it, it'd probably help to share.

Generally--expense everything.

I took CTA to and from the interview--NALP form for the $5?!

lol not if it's in chicago. but if travelling you take the train to get to your interview from your hotel, sure. (i'd cab it)

[Anonymous User]

in all honesty, i'm really grateful firms are paying for callbacks. i just looked at the invoice of one round-trip tickets + hotel, and it's already close to $1600. no way i can afford that even with reimbursement

[beepboopbeep]

in all honesty, i'm really grateful firms are paying for callbacks. i just looked at the invoice of one round-trip tickets + hotel, and it's already close to $1600. no way i can afford that even with reimbursement

You'd also probably pick different places if you had to front it. And tbh I'd rather have free breakfast and wifi than a super fancy place "in the heart of" whatever (that inevitably charges for one or both). Might start scheduling my own hotels for that reason. I know it's all comped but still.

[gchatbrah]

in all honesty, i'm really grateful firms are paying for callbacks. i just looked at the invoice of one round-trip tickets + hotel, and it's already close to $1600. no way i can afford that even with reimbursement

You'd also probably pick different places if you had to front it. And tbh I'd rather have free breakfast and wifi than a super fancy place "in the heart of" whatever (that inevitably charges for one or both). Might start scheduling my own hotels for that reason. I know it's all comped but still.

I'll take comped stays at the Kimberly or Waldorf Astoria over comped amenities any day of the week. Enjoy callback season for what it is -- vacation time with 3 hours of work per day thrown in.

[JuniperCreekEsq]

in all honesty, i'm really grateful firms are paying for callbacks. i just looked at the invoice of one round-trip tickets + hotel, and it's already close to $1600. no way i can afford that even with reimbursement

You'd also probably pick different places if you had to front it. And tbh I'd rather have free breakfast and wifi than a super fancy place "in the heart of" whatever (that inevitably charges for one or both). Might start scheduling my own hotels for that reason. I know it's all comped but still.

I'll take comped stays at the Kimberly or Waldorf Astoria over comped amenities any day of the week. Enjoy callback season for what it is -- vacation time with 3 hours of work per day thrown in.

"Work"

[beepboopbeep]

in all honesty, i'm really grateful firms are paying for callbacks. i just looked at the invoice of one round-trip tickets + hotel, and it's already close to $1600. no way i can afford that even with reimbursement

You'd also probably pick different places if you had to front it. And tbh I'd rather have free breakfast and wifi than a super fancy place "in the heart of" whatever (that inevitably charges for one or both). Might start scheduling my own hotels for that reason. I know it's all comped but still.

I'll take comped stays at the Kimberly or Waldorf Astoria over comped amenities any day of the week. Enjoy callback season for what it is -- vacation time with 3 hours of work per day thrown in.

I'm just being a curmudgeon because like the anon above, I've looked at these bills, and I don't understand why a hotel upwards of $300-$400 a night would nickel-and-dime you on internet and breakfast. Like maybe I am not used to rich people world, but those are standard-ass features at shitty hotels. I don't get why they become less free the more you pay for a room.

I get the larger point, though, and have definitely been treating these like vacation to greatest degree possible.

[2014]

I was impressed with how unimpressive some of the $400/night rooms were too. In Chi that gets you a suite most places.

That being said, I would so much rather stay in a hotel in a convenient location but I also embrace the expense everything mentality that a lot of neurotic people don't so I just eat that the nickle and diming breakfast places and don't pay for it anyway.

[Big Dog]

I'm just being a curmudgeon because like the anon above, I've looked at these bills, and I don't understand why a hotel upwards of $300-$400 a night would nickel-and-dime you on internet and breakfast.

Perhaps not a curmudgeon, just naive (and not an econ major). Top hotels charge for internet because they can, just like airlines charge big bucks for First Class, or more for EconoPlus/Advantage Seating. Most of their customers are on expense account, and are immune from pricing. OTOH, more economical hotels chains just build the price of internet into their daily rate, and then offer it 'free' to budget-minded customers/families -- none of whom could afford a top hotel even with 'free' internet.

[Mal Reynolds]

I'm just being a curmudgeon because like the anon above, I've looked at these bills, and I don't understand why a hotel upwards of $300-$400 a night would nickel-and-dime you on internet and breakfast.

Perhaps not a curmudgeon, just naive (and not an econ major). Top hotels charge for internet because they can, just like airlines charge big bucks for First Class, or more for EconoPlus/Advantage Seating. Most of their customers are on expense account, and are immune from pricing. OTOH, more economical hotels chains just build the price of internet into their daily rate, and then offer it 'free' to budget-minded customers/families -- none of whom could afford a top hotel even with 'free' internet.

Thanks for this enlightening post. Now can you leave since it doesn't seem like you're a UChicago student.

[Neal Patrick Harris]

I'm just being a curmudgeon because like the anon above, I've looked at these bills, and I don't understand why a hotel upwards of $300-$400 a night would nickel-and-dime you on internet and breakfast.

Perhaps not a curmudgeon, just naive (and not an econ major). Top hotels charge for internet because they can, just like airlines charge big bucks for First Class, or more for EconoPlus/Advantage Seating. Most of their customers are on expense account, and are immune from pricing. OTOH, more economical hotels chains just build the price of internet into their daily rate, and then offer it 'free' to budget-minded customers/families -- none of whom could afford a top hotel even with 'free' internet.

Thanks for this enlightening post. Now can you leave since it doesn't seem like you're a UChicago student.

Lol agreed.

-3L who shouldn't be here either

[Mal Reynolds]

No 3Ls pls stay and provide wisdom.

[20141023]

.

[skers]

Yeah, like 2014 said it doesn't really make sense to bitch about the lack of cardboardy, shitty waffles when you can just expense a better breakfast anyway.

[Anonymous User]

Dpw tomorrow but still no confirmation email or schedule...

[Anonymous User]

Dpw tomorrow but still no confirmation email or schedule...

There won't be one. It's a surprise!

[Anonymous User]

for those now in the phase of choosing between offers: are you doing the woo-ing dinners? is it awkward? The wine and dining process doesn't seem like a great way to actually differentiate between firms, but then again, I'm not sure if there is a better way! I'd love to hear people's input on this.

[Anonymous User]

Of course it's not a useful way to differentiate firms… but… free. And unless you're attending one of those firm-wide receptions for "X city candidates" and you've been dealing with multiple offices of the same firm, why would it be awkward?

[Anonymous User]

What is the dress code for Offer Dinners? Do I need to wear a suit or is business casual fine? Invite doesn't specify so tia

[20141023]

.

[Anonymous User]

for those now in the phase of choosing between offers: are you doing the woo-ing dinners? is it awkward? The wine and dining process doesn't seem like a great way to actually differentiate between firms, but then again, I'm not sure if there is a better way! I'd love to hear people's input on this.

Went to every offer dinner I could last year and regretted those I couldn't make it. NYC firms are especially generous (outrageous?) with their spending, and lawyers seemed to feel like they were on pseudo-vacation. Lots of drinking, etc. I'll be at my summer firm's offer dinner this year and expect to get hammered with you guys.

Is it a good way to distinguish between firms? eh, probably not....

[Anonymous User]

Of course it's not a useful way to differentiate firms… but… free. And unless you're attending one of those firm-wide receptions for "X city candidates" and you've been dealing with multiple offices of the same firm, why would it be awkward?

lol the second-look trips are only "free" in terms of money, though. It still takes a shit-ton of time to travel back to firms just so that you can get a free meal (unless they're here in town). And I suppose you're lucky if you haven't had any meals with awkward people thus far. I mean those events are what you make of them, but some people are just not the kind of people you want to spend a couple hours at lunch with.

Exactly! Not that the people aren't nice--if anything, I'm just awkward, and I'm very aware the whole thing is designed to get me to work there, which makes me uncomfortable. What I really want is a magic wizard that will tell me what the best place for me to work is, so I can stop agonizing over this decision. Ultimately, the firms I'm choosing between are two major Chicago firms and probably there isn't a huge difference. But it's still confusing.

[Big Dog]

I am not sure if the recruiting people you talk to understand that you're actually saving them money by cancelling

You should have nicely and firmly pointed that out: 'again, I am honored for the offer to visit, but at this point I know that I will accept at another firm so it would be unprofessional and unethical for me to waste any more of your firm's time and money.'

[Mal Reynolds]

I am not sure if the recruiting people you talk to understand that you're actually saving them money by cancelling

You should have nicely and firmly pointed that out: 'again, I am honored for the offer to visit, but at this point I know that I will accept at another firm so it would be unprofessional and unethical for me to waste any more of your firm's time and money.'

GET THE FUCK OUT YOU ASSHOLE

[DontStopBeliebin]

So I know they can't / won't really force me to pay anything, but a firm just made me feel pretty bad about cancelling. The lady I talked to was like, "You know those are nonrefundable tickets, and that we are going to have to eat the cost? Did you not see in the confirmation email we sent you before you finalized your accommodations that the tickets were nonrefundable?" I apologized and thanked them for their consideration, but the lady once again was like, "It's okay, we're just going to waste some of our money because you're backing out on us." I am not sure if the recruiting people you talk to understand that you're actually saving them money by cancelling.

Stop feeling bad, you at most cost them $150

[Anonymous User]

Mayer Chi offer. CB was lateish last week