The University of Chicago Law School Class of 2018 Forum

[caito]

I know this is a long shot, but...Any current or past students have some insight into Hyde Park elementary schools, day care, and family-friendly campus housing? I have some serious planning to do for my move and I'm on the west coast, so I won't be able to see the area until ASW.

Not a long shot at all. I (and a few others) are currently raising kids in Hyde Park.

Housing: I cannot recommend grad student housing highly enough. I live there now with my partner and our son. Our building is filled with other grad student families and lots of kids. There's plenty of shared outdoor space, so the building winds up being a great source of community for the kids and parents alike. Plus, I think you get way more for your money than you would elsewhere in the neighborhood.

Daycares: Look up Baby PhD. It's is a great resource for Hyde Park parents (despite the dorky name). Basically it helps match up Hyde Park families with nannies, babysitters, home daycares and institutional daycares. They've already done the screening process for you, so you don't have to worry that you're leaving your kids with somebody totally sketchy.
I have my son in full-time daycare at Little Inspirations, and we love it. I know others connected to the University use Bright Horizons (there are a couple Hyde Park locations--I'm not sure if there's a difference between the two) and have had great experiences there too.

Schools: of the public schools in the area, I think Ray is generally preferred over Kozminski, so that may be a consideration when figuring out where to live. Some of my neighbors send their kids to the Chicago Free School (it's an alternative, play-based school, new to the neighborhood…i think tuition is on a sliding scale), and they like it.
If my kid were school-aged (he's still in daycare) I wouldn't have any reservations about sending him to Ray. It's probably not The Best Public School in the City, but it's perfectly adequate.
I don't know much about the private schools in the area. A lot of the University faculty send their kids to the Lab School and love it--although I think openings there are rare. Some of my neighbors have sent their kids to Akiba Schecter (jewish day school) or Ancona (Montessori preschool through 8th grade) and seem to like it.

I know there are other Hyde Park school/daycare/housing options out there, but those are the ones I have personal experience with.

[caito]

I know this is a long shot, but...Any current or past students have some insight into Hyde Park elementary schools, day care, and family-friendly campus housing? I have some serious planning to do for my move and I'm on the west coast, so I won't be able to see the area until ASW.

Forgot to add--you didn't ask, but here's my health insurance pitch: check out Illinois All Kids. Illinois has offered universal healthcare for all kids (it's not just a clever name) for many years now. All children under 18 are eligible, and cost depends on your income. The healthcare we get through USHIP is crazy expensive once you add on multiple dependents. We've used All Kids for our son since I was pregnant and have had only great experiences.

[skers]

Any books we should read over the summer?

Middlesex by Eugenides and Freedom by Franzen are both pretty rad.

[03282016]

[middlebear]

If we're doing book recs, I just finished Preparation for the Next Life by Atticus Lish and it blew my mind.

[03282016]

[PariSiamo]

Schopenhauer's On the Suffering of the World (or, The World as Will and Representation) and Thomas Ligotti's The Conspiracy Against the Human Race. Embrace the pessimism! http://www.abajournal.com/mobile/articl ... udy_finds/

[03282016]

[PariSiamo]

Schopenhauer's On the Suffering of the World (or, The World as Will and Representation) and Thomas Ligotti's The Conspiracy Against the Human Race. Embrace the pessimism! http://www.abajournal.com/mobile/articl ... udy_finds/

Schopenhauer is credited, read that last spring.

Ligotti is Schopenhauer but with x100 the darkness and despair. To the point of psychosis... which may or may not help for law school?

[Moltenmama]

I know this is a long shot, but...Any current or past students have some insight into Hyde Park elementary schools, day care, and family-friendly campus housing? I have some serious planning to do for my move and I'm on the west coast, so I won't be able to see the area until ASW.

Forgot to add--you didn't ask, but here's my health insurance pitch: check out Illinois All Kids. Illinois has offered universal healthcare for all kids (it's not just a clever name) for many years now. All children under 18 are eligible, and cost depends on your income. The healthcare we get through USHIP is crazy expensive once you add on multiple dependents. We've used All Kids for our son since I was pregnant and have had only great experiences.

Many thanks! The healthcare tip is a bonus. I hadn't even arrived at that thought yet! The admitted students page is a great starting point, but just doesn't offer what a parent's experience can. I'll be making some calls tomorrow because Lab schools' enrollment deadline has passed. I need to figure out zoning for schools like Murray, since it seems to have better scores and a language emphasis. May I ask, did you pay for Baby PhD services? And what housing units you might specifically recommend? I would need a 2-3 bedroom, and they're looking virtually identical at this point in my web searching. Feel free to PM me, if you like.

[caito]

I know this is a long shot, but...Any current or past students have some insight into Hyde Park elementary schools, day care, and family-friendly campus housing? I have some serious planning to do for my move and I'm on the west coast, so I won't be able to see the area until ASW.

Forgot to add--you didn't ask, but here's my health insurance pitch: check out Illinois All Kids. Illinois has offered universal healthcare for all kids (it's not just a clever name) for many years now. All children under 18 are eligible, and cost depends on your income. The healthcare we get through USHIP is crazy expensive once you add on multiple dependents. We've used All Kids for our son since I was pregnant and have had only great experiences.

Many thanks! The healthcare tip is a bonus. I hadn't even arrived at that thought yet! The admitted students page is a great starting point, but just doesn't offer what a parent's experience can. I'll be making some calls tomorrow because Lab schools' enrollment deadline has passed. I need to figure out zoning for schools like Murray, since it seems to have better scores and a language emphasis. May I ask, did you pay for Baby PhD services? And what housing units you might specifically recommend? I would need a 2-3 bedroom, and they're looking virtually identical at this point in my web searching. Feel free to PM me, if you like.

Oh yeah, I forgot about Murray. I believe that it's a magnet school, which works a little differently--as in, you have to apply, and then there's an enrollment lottery. Don't quote me on that, but I *think* that's the case. And that's the big piece of the Chicago Public School system that's still a little mysterious to me. There are regular public schools, that you get to go to just by virtue of living in the district…and then there are magnet schools, some of which you get into via lottery, and others you get into via some sort of standardized test…and that's pretty much the extent of my understanding. I may know someone who works in administration for CPS. If you want, I can shoot him an email and see if he at least knows where you should look to find out more about that process.

I did pay for Baby PhD, and for us it felt worth it. Although, part of what you get when you sign up (and it's an annual fee, I think) is access to the Hyde Park neighborhood club and the classes offered there. When we signed up, my husband was staying home w our kid, so they made use of the neighborhood club pretty regularly. Since you're not in town, that aspect won't be of much value to you. Even so, having an agency take care of the screening and coordinating--especially if you're out of town and/or looking for a nanny or nanny-share--is super helpful.

As for housing, I'm in the building on 53rd and Greenwood, which has 1, 2, and 3 bdrm apartments. I think our building is especially great, so I'd recommend putting it as one of your top choices. Otherwise, any building with 2 and 3 bdrm apartments will have families, as I know the university prioritizes, if not reserves, those units for families w children. And any building with a shared yard or courtyard will tend to foster community.

[03282016]

[Moltenmama]

I know this is a long shot, but...Any current or past students have some insight into Hyde Park elementary schools, day care, and family-friendly campus housing? I have some serious planning to do for my move and I'm on the west coast, so I won't be able to see the area until ASW.

Forgot to add--you didn't ask, but here's my health insurance pitch: check out Illinois All Kids. Illinois has offered universal healthcare for all kids (it's not just a clever name) for many years now. All children under 18 are eligible, and cost depends on your income. The healthcare we get through USHIP is crazy expensive once you add on multiple dependents. We've used All Kids for our son since I was pregnant and have had only great experiences.

Many thanks! The healthcare tip is a bonus. I hadn't even arrived at that thought yet! The admitted students page is a great starting point, but just doesn't offer what a parent's experience can. I'll be making some calls tomorrow because Lab schools' enrollment deadline has passed. I need to figure out zoning for schools like Murray, since it seems to have better scores and a language emphasis. May I ask, did you pay for Baby PhD services? And what housing units you might specifically recommend? I would need a 2-3 bedroom, and they're looking virtually identical at this point in my web searching. Feel free to PM me, if you like.

Oh yeah, I forgot about Murray. I believe that it's a magnet school, which works a little differently--as in, you have to apply, and then there's an enrollment lottery. Don't quote me on that, but I *think* that's the case. And that's the big piece of the Chicago Public School system that's still a little mysterious to me. There are regular public schools, that you get to go to just by virtue of living in the district…and then there are magnet schools, some of which you get into via lottery, and others you get into via some sort of standardized test…and that's pretty much the extent of my understanding. I may know someone who works in administration for CPS. If you want, I can shoot him an email and see if he at least knows where you should look to find out more about that process.

I did pay for Baby PhD, and for us it felt worth it. Although, part of what you get when you sign up (and it's an annual fee, I think) is access to the Hyde Park neighborhood club and the classes offered there. When we signed up, my husband was staying home w our kid, so they made use of the neighborhood club pretty regularly. Since you're not in town, that aspect won't be of much value to you. Even so, having an agency take care of the screening and coordinating--especially if you're out of town and/or looking for a nanny or nanny-share--is super helpful.

As for housing, I'm in the building on 53rd and Greenwood, which has 1, 2, and 3 bdrm apartments. I think our building is especially great, so I'd recommend putting it as one of your top choices. Otherwise, any building with 2 and 3 bdrm apartments will have families, as I know the university prioritizes, if not reserves, those units for families w children. And any building with a shared yard or courtyard will tend to foster community.

Yes. Murray is magnet and I am past that deadline, too. Sigh.
Thanks for sharing your housing info. I promise not to be a creepy neighbor. We are planning to move a quarter prior, so we can settle in and convince the kids that Chicago is awesome-before winter hits.
Any family-friendly/centric clubs, groups, etc. that are especially lgbt/multi-ethnic/not church going? Worth a try, right?

[Moltenmama]

Is the 1L sample schedule anywhere close to the actual hours of a typical 1L day? No outlying evening classes? I need to figure out when I can look at my children.

[nejlas]

We're getting dangerously close to Ruby season - here's to some good news for TLSers.

[AspiringAcademic]

Is the 1L sample schedule anywhere close to the actual hours of a typical 1L day? No outlying evening classes? I need to figure out when I can look at my children.

Yep. You can see this year's schedule here:
http://www.law.uchicago.edu/students/re ... eschedules

Required 1L courses are in dark blue (the key is at the bottom of each sheet). Historically, 1L classes have not met before 830am or after 4pm.

[03282016]

[Mack.Hambleton]

I have a package waiting and don't recall ordering anything...

Nice let us know what the swag is

[03282016]

[Mack.Hambleton]

Wtf is a glass menagerie

[03282016]

[Mack.Hambleton]

Is it made out of glass

[03282016]

[xylocarp]

it's a law school yearbook lol

[03282016]