<p>How soon before graduation in 2012 should we book a hotel? Any suggestions for a hotel the proud parents can stay at during this celebration? (Downtown)</p>
<p>BOOK SOON. My parents booked for my graduation in June of this year; since many Chicago schools graduate on the same weekend (Northwester, DePaul, and Chicago) hotels downtown jack up the prices significantly on that weekend.</p>
<p>Surprisingly the most affordable for my family option was staying at the Union League Club; if you are a member of a health club or country club in your area, and there is a reciprocal partnership with this club or other clubs in Chicago, they offer amazing rates on rooms that don’t get wildly inflated for events ($120ish per night for two queens). I don’t know if you can get this rate without membership, though. It’s an option most people don’t consider because the clubs in Chicago are rather snooty, but if you do wind up having a reciprocal membership in a hometown club it is a very affordable stay. This worked nicely for my parents; a hotel my father usually stays in for business, the Hyatt Regency, (that we have also booked at $60/night on the off season) was charging upwards of $450 a night for a comparable room during grad weekend, and some other hotels were similar.</p>
<p>Other than that, I’d suggest you shop around for the best deal, wherever that happens to be. I’ve heard that people have found good deals staying in hotels that are not quite on Michigan Avenue-- close, but not on the street, often results in hundreds of dollars price difference on a room per night, especially over that weekend.</p>
<p>Gracello - are you saying that you are graduating this June (2011) and that your parents booked a hotel reservation last June (2010)?</p>
<p>Yes, that’s the case.</p>
<p>Yeah, we made our reservations last June, too. With Kid #1, we probably didn’t make the reservations until about now, but we paid a lot more, and had more trouble finding a place. Do it soon.</p>
<p>I haven’t booked yet, and am finding the hotels we like to have their usual prices. Chicago is a big city, and there are lots of options downtown. That being said, if you like a particular hotel and want to stay there, book as early as you can.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone. Gracello, so your graduating - like Unalove before you, you’ll be missed. Come back and drop us a line or two sometime. Any suggestions for how many days I should book? Are there pre-convocation events, etc?</p>
<p>Graduating seniors have exams one week early, so the week leading up to graduation (which is finals week for everyone else) is “senior week”, with lots of events. Here’s last year’s schedule (likely not the same year to year as for what dates have what events, but the events themselves are likely to happen year after year): <a href=“Class of 2023 | The College | The University of Chicago | The University of Chicago”>Class of 2023 | The College | The University of Chicago | The University of Chicago;
<p>There are some things that parents are encouraged to attend, so it might be useful to come a few days early. Mine are coming the whole week beforehand, mainly to help me move out of my dorm and get everything sent where it needs to go, and also as a little family vacation–but I know people who come just for convocation and the next day, or those who are planning on staying two or three days before.</p>
<p>Aha, so there is more to pay for…a senior week pass and guest tickets.</p>
<p>Sorry, Cottonwood, forgot about Senior Week! It’s paid directly by the student though, no bills!</p>
<p>I had no idea there were things for parents for days before convocation. No one told me! (I wonder why . . . not really.)</p>
<p>I did go to some Class Day thingy. It was educational – a little exposure to an alternate-universe University of Chicago I had never encountered, one full of awkward frat bros and sorority sisters giggling over pictures of themselves drunk at parties in ugly formal wear. My kid left after ten minutes – “I’ve spent four years ignoring these people, and I’m not stopping now. This isn’t a tribute to MY University of Chicago experience.” I stayed, but the entertainment value wore thin pretty quickly.</p>
<p>Me neither! I think we’ll head out Thursday afternoon and head home Sunday, unless a truck needs to be packed to move home. She hopes to sell all large items to the next resident of her apartment, and I hope she gets a job. That will impact what is moving where in June!</p>
<p>Ugh! I hadn’t thought, until now, how easy we had it with #1. (A) That was our organized child. (B) Her sib was taking over the apartment, so there was no problem leaving things. (C) She wasn’t actually moving out for a few more days. (And (D) she knew what she was doing, and it started the next week.)</p>
<p>Lord knows what the situation is going to be like for #2. At the moment, no idea what he will be doing or where he will be living. I do NOT want to move him out of his apartment. My parents never did that for me, and I sure don’t see why I should have to do it for him.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone - and the best of luck to you and yours this year at convocation. One more year left for me!</p>
<p>My kid is organized but I can’t imagine her thinking we should spend a week celebrating her college graduation. We’ll go on Friday and come back on Sunday. How and when she moves out of her apartment and where she goes from there is up to her. </p>
<p>Over the year’s we’ve stayed everywhere–downtown, near Midway, and as close to campus as we can get–which has included the rented rooms at Shoreland when that was an option, Stony Island (you’d probably have to book years ahead for Convocation), and International House (I-House). For Convocation, we’ll be at I-House, choosing closeness over comfort. I think I booked in January.</p>