ICO interview advice

[powerpuff]

Hey Just wondering if it's wise to travel to ICO by yourself? Do most ppl bring guests??

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[blazenmadison]

Hey Just wondering if it's wise to travel to ICO by yourself? Do most ppl bring guests??

Yup. Yup.
I took a taxi from the airport ($50+tips) to ICO. I stayed at the Hyatt as recommended by ICO. I didn't bring any guests, but the other interviewees had guests with them and got free lunch (a box sandwich).

 

[powerpuff]

Yup. Yup.
I took a taxi from the airport ($50+tips) to ICO. I stayed at the Hyatt as recommended by ICO. I didn't bring any guests, but the other interviewees had guests with them and got free lunch (a box sandwich).

Oh did u just stay one day? I am contemplating whether i should stay and "explore" chicago a bit since I am already paying so much for airfare (i'm out of country) but then i don't think it's wise to do that by yourself?

 

[prettygreeneyes]

Oh did u just stay one day? I am contemplating whether i should stay and "explore" chicago a bit since I am already paying so much for airfare (i'm out of country) but then i don't think it's wise to do that by yourself?

Hey powerpuff,

I flew in to Chicago on a Saturday morning, had my interview on a Monday (Halloween and right after the Sox victory... fun stuff!), and flew out on Tuesday morning. We stayed at the Hyatt McCormick Place which was nice but not very close to anything of interest. (We meaning my husband and I!) We went to the Sears Tower, Field Museum, Art Institute of Chicago, Museum of Science and Industry, wandered around downtown after dark (interesting), ate at one of the neat restaurants in the Italian Village, and looked over the downtown skyline after dark from our hotel room. I would look into staying an extra day or so, just to see the sights. Obviously, without a travel companion you'll want to be cautious, but I wouldn't let that stop you from enjoying yourself! Even if you just stay for an extra day and wander around a few different places (Art Institute is my number one choice - you can spend HOURS there and not see everything) you'll get a better feel for the city then fly in... interview... fly out. Good luck!!!

PGE

 

[pre_opt_sku]

Hey Just wondering if it's wise to travel to ICO by yourself? Do most ppl bring guests??

Hey! Good luck on your interview fellow canuck! My interview trip was very quick, I flew to Chicago on a Sunday had my interview on Monday and then my flight left on Monday at 5:15. It wasn't rushed, I actually had time to spare getting to the airport. I stayed at the RC (free is always good) and then I took the Omega Shuttle both ways (which I think was $30/way). I'm used to traveling by myself and this trip was no exception,; I did it solo! I needed to make this trip the cheapest possible and miss the least ammount of work possible... I had been to Chicago before, so I didn't care to stay longer and explore.

 

[powerpuff]

Hey! Good luck on your interview fellow canuck! My interview trip was very quick, I flew to Chicago on a Sunday had my interview on Monday and then my flight left on Monday at 5:15. It wasn't rushed, I actually had time to spare getting to the airport. I stayed at the RC (free is always good) and then I took the Omega Shuttle both ways (which I think was $30/way). I'm used to traveling by myself and this trip was no exception,; I did it solo! I needed to make this trip the cheapest possible and miss the least ammount of work possible... I had been to Chicago before, so I didn't care to stay longer and explore.

Hi! thanks for the replies I wanted to stay at the RC complex -- but the church behind the building burnt down!?!! hahah that's what the lady said! I guess I do want to go exploring in Chicago(never been before, figure i should see what i am getting mysef into!) my only concern was whether it was "safe" to do so by myself!

pre-opt-sku: which airport you fly into? o'hare?

 

[powerpuff]

Preetygreeneyes: Thanks for the places - all those sites sound so interesting!! Will definately figure out how to go to some of these places. Just wondering, did you taxi it everywhere then? Or was it okay to walk to most of these places?

 

[IceNine]

I was a bit hesitant at first, since I've NEVER travelled outside of Canada on my own, or have taken a plane on my own. But it was fine, and I would definitely recommend travelling on your own. The cab fare was $50 + tax, and I stayed at the rez for free. The airport the O'Hare is HUGE but you won't get lost its easy to find your way around. And it helps too, to go to their website in advance, so you get an idea of where the taxis are. And if your interview is on a Monday, they tell you that you'll have to get your food elsewhere, since their cafe is closed on saturday and sunday. So the smartest thing to do would be to just buy food at the airport and take it to the school. Anyways, you'll love it there! What parts of Canada are you from?

 

[pre_opt_sku]

Hi! thanks for the replies I wanted to stay at the RC complex -- but the church behind the building burnt down!?!! hahah that's what the lady said! I guess I do want to go exploring in Chicago(never been before, figure i should see what i am getting mysef into!) my only concern was whether it was "safe" to do so by myself!

pre-opt-sku: which airport you fly into? o'hare?

Yeah, I flew in through O'Hare. Have a fun trip and don't stress about the interview; it is really laid back.

 

[prettygreeneyes]

Preetygreeneyes: Thanks for the places - all those sites sound so interesting!! Will definately figure out how to go to some of these places. Just wondering, did you taxi it everywhere then? Or was it okay to walk to most of these places?

I wouldn't walk to most places... only because they are pretty far away from each other. I also flew into O'Hare and took a shuttle service from the airport to the Hyatt McCormick Place which was $68 total for both my husband and I round trip, so you can expect half that I imagine. There are taxis lined up at the hotel to take you anywhere, and I think the cab fare from the hotel to Sears Tower and hotel to Art Insitute of Chicago were both around 10-15 plus tip. All of the big tourist places will have taxis waiting to pick you up when you walk out the door, so I think that if you just taxied your way around the city to the couple destinations you really want to see, you should be very safe. There will be tons of people at each of these locations, so you'll always be in a crowd (safety in numbers!). You can take the "El" (elevated train) around as well (I chose not to because with my luck I would get on the wrong train!). The taxis fares will add up, but I think it is worth it! Good luck!

My one word of advice... If you stay at the Hyatt McCormick Place, make sure that you tell any drivers Hyatt MCCORMICK PLACE!!! Our shuttle driver dropped us off at the wrong Hyatt (the downtown one) and we had to wait for another one to come pick us up (they didn't charge of course!). And, we specifically told one cab driver MCCORMICK PLACE, and he still took us to the wrong one. (When we figured it out, we said something, and he took some of our fare off because of his mistake!)

 

[sethuel1]

I would suggest going to the top of the Hancock Tower instead of the Sears Tower. The Hancock Tower has a much prettier view of the lake, is nearby the Art Institute so you don't have to arrange for transportation, and it's free to go up to the observation deck as long as you order a drink in the bar that's up there (which, admittedly, isn't cheap, but you still get to go up for free).

Also, the Hancock Tower is that the north end of the Mag Mile, so it's near where you'll be shopping, if you want to go shopping, that is.

 

[powerpuff]

I was a bit hesitant at first, since I've NEVER travelled outside of Canada on my own, or have taken a plane on my own. But it was fine, and I would definitely recommend travelling on your own. The cab fare was $50 + tax, and I stayed at the rez for free. The airport the O'Hare is HUGE but you won't get lost its easy to find your way around. And it helps too, to go to their website in advance, so you get an idea of where the taxis are. And if your interview is on a Monday, they tell you that you'll have to get your food elsewhere, since their cafe is closed on saturday and sunday. So the smartest thing to do would be to just buy food at the airport and take it to the school. Anyways, you'll love it there! What parts of Canada are you from?

icenine: i'm from alberta and i've never travelled by myself or really been on my own either! my original plan was to stay at RC, but the lady said i couldn't because the church behind the RC burnt down!! So now I am out of luck trying to figure out where to stay where it's relatively cheap..the Hyatt indeed looks like a nice place to stay - i'm planning to stay 2-3 days so I am trying to find another place where it won't cost a fortune for me since I am paying my own way.

Does anyone have any other suggestions as to hotels?

 

[swiftiii]

icenine: i'm from alberta and i've never travelled by myself or really been on my own either! my original plan was to stay at RC, but the lady said i couldn't because the church behind the RC burnt down!! So now I am out of luck trying to figure out where to stay where it's relatively cheap..the Hyatt indeed looks like a nice place to stay - i'm planning to stay 2-3 days so I am trying to find another place where it won't cost a fortune for me since I am paying my own way.

Does anyone have any other suggestions as to hotels?

Stay at a hostel! They're inexpensive, and you can meet people there travelling like yourself. I've been travelling abroad solo since I was 19, and everytime is a new experience. I actually stayed at one on my interview at Nova...only a 1 min walk from the beach! Lol, you won't find that in Chicago, but there are two hostels near the ICO campus (4.6 and 8 mil respectively). Check out hostelworld.com; it'll give you ratings from others who have stayed there (I recommend HI Chicago; $30/nt can't be beat).

One other suggestion I have, though it is kind of late for you... When I interviewed at NECO, in an effort to keep costs down, I asked the school if there were students willing to let me stay with them (I actually inquired if they had a program for this; not sure where I got the idea from.) They didn't have a program, but they asked one of the classes, and I ended up staying with two girls in the program. It was so much fun. They showed me around Boston (and graciously took me out ) and taught me much more about the program than you would learn in a typical visit.

Anyway, I know this isn't for everyone, but I personally found it to be an excellent option for accomodations in this type of situation.

BTW I grew up 3 hrs away from Chicago. It isn't all dangerous

Good luck

 

[gochi]

Hey,

Is it possible to request an over-the-phone interview ? Or a chat, where they can see your face ?

thanks

 

[SearchSquad]

First of all, I stayed at the RC and it was so convenient! You just cross the street and no worries about cabs, shuttles, trains, etc

I took the train ("El") everywhere and made sure to return before it got dark. During the day its a quick walk between the train station and ICO, but it's probably best to play it safe at night. Personally, I loved taking the train...even though I did get on the wrong one..ahaha...but, it was because I was stupid and didn't see the clear orange signs when i needed to get on the green line. It wasn't a big deal though, I just got off when I realized it and switched trains.

There's a lot to see downtown, but just wandering around the millenium park area and magnifiscent mile is pretty awesome. Do it!