Congrats to your daughter! As a current student, and one who worked as part of the Orientation team last year, I can answer some of your questions.
- Yes, definitely, multiple times. There are safety-specific mandatory info sessions, as well as general guidance from RA's, RH's, and older students in the house. There are also info sessions on navigating hyde park and the other Chicago neighborhoods—which provide information about cool places to visit as well as how to get there safely. The houses take several trips into different parts of the city during O-week, in large, organized groups, with the RA's/RH's making sure no one gets lost. There continue to be house trips during the rest of the year, and usually students take CTA in groups for long enough to get used to the system and how to navigate it safely. You definitely pick these things up pretty quickly. Campus is very safe, with the uchicago-specific police force and the more general chicago police force, the police-escort system, the shuttles, and the blue safety light/buttons on every block. All of these resources are explained in detail. I moved off campus this year (52nd street) and feel fully equipped to live safely in Hyde Park. You really don't need to worry! If you have specific follow-up questions, feel free to ask.
- Last year, North filled up/was in high demand because of how new it is. MaxP and Snell/Hitchcock are also desirable because of their central location, and Snell/Hitchcock especially is hard to get into because it's small. South and BJ are middle-ground, and I-house is easier to get into, because it's further away (though I lived there—having a guaranteed single has its perks).
- I don't know the numbers, and can't speak from direct experience. I think it depends a lot on the student—most of the international students I know really love uchicago, but of course do experience culture shock and a different type of homesickness. One thing I do know is that prior to O-week there's the international pre-orientation program—which helps international students get adjusted to Chicago earlier, and gives them friends who share their experiences.
- It is definitely a hard transition for some. In my personal opinion, though, everyone should have this type of experience eventually—it helps you mature as a person as well as a student. It forces you to realize that there's more to your worth as a human being than your academic achievements, to learn how to deal with the occasional inevitable failure, and to prioritize health and live in a more balanced way. There are also a lot of resources available if students do become overwhelmed. As the previous post mentioned, starting out with three classes can be a way to alleviate some of the stress. I'd also say that the benefits to being in a community like this are great—with so many smart and diverse peers, you're learning new things all the time, even outside the classroom, and making awesome like-minded friends.
- Mine took a while to get to me; I'd say don't worry. If it takes more than a month definitely reach out. Otherwise, since you're EA it isn't extremely urgent.