UChicago Class of 2013 Forum

[ranovr32]

Exactly lol, its always cool when you live in Manhattan, but for us less then 7 figure income peons its pretty much impossible. I have to say the food is incredible, if you have a decent budget. Chicago isn't NY but its damn near as close as yoru gonna get except LA with the amenities including food.

[gahthelaw]

Exactly lol, its always cool when you live in Manhattan, but for us less then 7 figure income peons its pretty much impossible. I have to say the food is incredible, if you have a decent budget. Chicago isn't NY but its damn near as close as yoru gonna get except LA with the amenities including food.

chicago food is good. i had the best breakfast of my life in greektown. it's over a year later and my SO and i still talk about it

[ranovr32]

When we are at U of Chicago, you have to take me there to celebrate our acceptance to Law Review lol Or maybe just making it through the first week hahaha

[gahthelaw]

When we are at U of Chicago, you have to take me there to celebrate our acceptance to Law Review lol Or maybe just making it through the first week hahaha

can we just go there every single day for absolutely no reason? honestly, i would live in greektown and commute down to Chi just to be closer to this place.

[freeflowfox]

so no one's got their finaid info yet? I'm sitting on needles here.

Also, i just got back from china for the Chinese New Year, and had some great wall red wine there, don't know why people are hating on it, cuz it's not bad at all. Not some fine vintage, but not bad.

[ranovr32]

so no one's got their finaid info yet? I'm sitting on needles here.

Also, i just got back from china for the Chinese New Year, and had some great wall red wine there, don't know why people are hating on it, cuz it's not bad at all. Not some fine vintage, but not bad.

I've heard absolutely nothing from Chicago as far as Fin Aid is concerned! I have three patches of hair left on my head in case you were wondering too.

[johnstuartmill]

That chat with Lior Strahilevitz today was a hoot:

Prospective Student asks:

Hi Professor, could you please comment on your relationships with students? In my past experience, relationships between faculty and students have been initiated by the students, which makes it slightly intimidating. How would say that Chicago differs?

(which is a totally legit question, btw)

Strahilevitz responds:

There are lots of opportunities to interact with profs here informally. It starts during Admitted Students Week, continues through orientation, and lasts for 3 years at Chicago. Student organizations organize dinner with faculty, and any student who wants to sign up gets the dinner invite. Some of our faculty are great about inviting their entire seminars over for dinner, or regularly taking students out to lunch in groups of one or two. It will always be easiest to get to know a professor if you are willing to say hi to us in the halls, or swing by our office with a question, or talk to me after class. I am not going to show up unannounced at your apartment and ask you to play Wii with me.

That is a great image.

[ranovr32]

That chat with Lior Strahilevitz today was a hoot:

Prospective Student asks:

Hi Professor, could you please comment on your relationships with students? In my past experience, relationships between faculty and students have been initiated by the students, which makes it slightly intimidating. How would say that Chicago differs?

(which is a totally legit question, btw)

Strahilevitz responds:

There are lots of opportunities to interact with profs here informally. It starts during Admitted Students Week, continues through orientation, and lasts for 3 years at Chicago. Student organizations organize dinner with faculty, and any student who wants to sign up gets the dinner invite. Some of our faculty are great about inviting their entire seminars over for dinner, or regularly taking students out to lunch in groups of one or two. It will always be easiest to get to know a professor if you are willing to say hi to us in the halls, or swing by our office with a question, or talk to me after class. I am not going to show up unannounced at your apartment and ask you to play Wii with me.

That is a great image.

This is GREAT!

[thorntll]

Just bought Cardinals @ Cubs tickets for the weekend after we start school! The BF is a huge Cardinals fan, so we'll see how this goes...

[ranovr32]

Its to bad your going to be living on the South Side you traitor!

[thorntll]

Its to bad your going to be living on the South Side you traitor!

Nope, I'm going to live up north. Lincoln Park, Lakeview, or Wrigleyville.

[ranovr32]

Its to bad your going to be living on the South Side you traitor!

Nope, I'm going to live up north. Lincoln Park, Lakeview, or Wrigleyville.

We can't be friends now.........

Lol just kidding I don't like baseball anyway. Plus I don't blame you I think its a better idea to live outside of the immediate area if there is an option.

[gotmilk?]

screw my financial aid. hi debt, nice to meet you.

[freeflowfox]

I'm very unhappy with this financial aid thing, I sent them several e-mails indicating how pressed I am financially and that I'm not an american citizen, therefore ineligible for ANY federal loans. They send me an e-mail, of course a carbon copy of a bunch of other ones, telling me that "we cannot provide merit or grant aid right now, but we can offer you a financial aid package that covers your entire cost of attendence through federal loans." Then proceeds to list the 3 federal loans i can take and how the money from there covers exactly the 60,000 dollars per year of costs.

Great... right after i repeatedly tell you i am INELIGIBLE for federal loans! I know they must be busy... but comon!

[Kretzy]

I'm very unhappy with this financial aid thing, I sent them several e-mails indicating how pressed I am financially and that I'm not an american citizen, therefore ineligible for ANY federal loans. They send me an e-mail, of course a carbon copy of a bunch of other ones, telling me that "we cannot provide merit or grant aid right now, but we can offer you a financial aid package that covers your entire cost of attendence through federal loans." Then proceeds to list the 3 federal loans i can take and how the money from there covers exactly the 60,000 dollars per year of costs.

Great... right after i repeatedly tell you i am INELIGIBLE for federal loans! I know they must be busy... but comon!

Your complaint is completely understandable. It seems they're offering $0 (total) in need-based grants this year. I hope things work out with your international loan situation, and I hope that the financial aid office works with you to make it feasible.

[freeflowfox]

By the grace of sol invectus, my lord, I hope so too.

[johnstuartmill]

I'm very unhappy with this financial aid thing, I sent them several e-mails indicating how pressed I am financially and that I'm not an american citizen, therefore ineligible for ANY federal loans. They send me an e-mail, of course a carbon copy of a bunch of other ones, telling me that "we cannot provide merit or grant aid right now, but we can offer you a financial aid package that covers your entire cost of attendence through federal loans." Then proceeds to list the 3 federal loans i can take and how the money from there covers exactly the 60,000 dollars per year of costs.

Great... right after i repeatedly tell you i am INELIGIBLE for federal loans! I know they must be busy... but comon!

Your complaint is completely understandable. It seems they're offering $0 (total) in need-based grants this year. I hope things work out with your international loan situation, and I hope that the financial aid office works with you to make it feasible.

I would not have applied ED to Chicago if I knew they'd be giving out no need-based aid. But I did, and now I have no other options. I feel pretty fucking betrayed.

[parker09]

I would not have applied ED to Chicago if I knew they'd be giving out no need-based aid. But I did, and now I have no other options. I feel pretty fucking betrayed.

That sucks, dude.

If it helps at all (and it may not)-- there will definitely be plenty of RD people who will still end up going even if it means paying full sticker.

[monique522]

i thought it was pretty clear that only HYS offer true need-based aid. it's just laziness on your part to complain about ED-ing to a school that, obviously, has no incentive to give you any money, since you can't make a decision that will affect their yield.

[johnstuartmill]

i thought it was pretty clear that only HYS offer true need-based aid. it's just laziness on your part to complain about ED-ing to a school that, obviously, has no incentive to give you any money, since you can't make a decision that will affect their yield.

Sorry, I guess I missed the rule stating that only HYS offer true need-based aid. And can you forgive me, when UChicago's own website says stuff like this?

Applicants who would like their financial need to be taken into account for scholarships must complete the Need Access candidate and parent questionnaire (and if applicable the spouse questionnaire). The Need Access form should be completed at the Need Access Website and is due February 1. Students must complete the parental questionnaire even if your parents will not be contributing financially to your law school education. Need Access reports received after February 1 will be considered for need-based scholarship aid only if funds remain available.

Determination of Need: Financial need is determined on the basis of data provided by the Need Access Form. Scholarship awards are made after separately evaluating the Need Access data and the candidate application. The Need Access formula assumes that certain levels of income and assets are required to provide for a family's economic needs and that a portion of income above those levels is available to meet educational costs. Factors such as income, home equity, assets, family size, and number of family members in college are used in making this determination.

I'm going to stay upset with my situation -- if that's alright with you, of course.

[sundevil77]

i thought it was pretty clear that only HYS offer true need-based aid. it's just laziness on your part to complain about ED-ing to a school that, obviously, has no incentive to give you any money, since you can't make a decision that will affect their yield.

Sorry, I guess I missed the rule stating that only HYS offer true need-based aid. And can you forgive me, when UChicago's own website says stuff like this?

Applicants who would like their financial need to be taken into account for scholarships must complete the Need Access candidate and parent questionnaire (and if applicable the spouse questionnaire). The Need Access form should be completed at the Need Access Website and is due February 1. Students must complete the parental questionnaire even if your parents will not be contributing financially to your law school education. Need Access reports received after February 1 will be considered for need-based scholarship aid only if funds remain available.

Determination of Need: Financial need is determined on the basis of data provided by the Need Access Form. Scholarship awards are made after separately evaluating the Need Access data and the candidate application. The Need Access formula assumes that certain levels of income and assets are required to provide for a family's economic needs and that a portion of income above those levels is available to meet educational costs. Factors such as income, home equity, assets, family size, and number of family members in college are used in making this determination.

I'm going to stay upset with my situation -- if that's alright with you, of course.

Man, JSM, I was pretty pissed about receiving zero merit aid, but I would be really pissed if I was in your position! Have you called KVargas yet to discuss your app? She said she'd discuss it within anyone wanting to call. I would be borderline pushy if I were you. The worst they can do is still give you nothing, or they could let you out of your binding decision.

[0L Hoping for 1]

After the Financial Aid came through, it looks like Chicago is at the top of my list!! Thinking about living away from the school and commuting in.. Anyone know how good/bad public transportation is?

[ranovr32]

After the Financial Aid came through, it looks like Chicago is at the top of my list!! Thinking about living away from the school and commuting in.. Anyone know how good/bad public transportation is?

I heard transportation isn't that bad if your on their train line or whatever that thing is called in Chicago. I don't know about the buses...

I didn't receive much in the way of scholarships 21k, I am happy I even got anything. I am really wondering if trying to negotiate with them will work out at all, but we will see. I should expect a long delay on that (as should everyone else) because hundreds of people are going to be arguing*begging* for more money.........

[skynet]

as of 8 years ago, you could not realistically take PT from the north side to hyde park. live near the school or bring a car were the best options back then.

[Drea1919]

After the Financial Aid came through, it looks like Chicago is at the top of my list!! Thinking about living away from the school and commuting in.. Anyone know how good/bad public transportation is?

I heard transportation isn't that bad if your on their train line or whatever that thing is called in Chicago. I don't know about the buses.....

transitchicago.com is a great website that let's you input your starting location and the end location. I lived in Hyde Park for a summer when I spent a summer at U of C as an underground and the "El" (the subway) is kind of a pain. You'd have to take a bus to the red line through a not very nice area. But the Hyde Park #2 is an express that runs from the loop during busier times. I believe the other bus that goes directly to the law school is the #6. To get to either of those, you can probably take the El (Brown or Red line) when you're north (LP, Lakeview, Old town, etc) and then transfer. I'm planning on living in South Loop where #2 picks up but that could change to further north.

The CTA (chicago transit authority) just had major budget cuts and changed a lot of routes, so I'd definitely look at this before leasing. Hope that helps and I'm excited to meet everyone who's making it to ASW!