We came here as part of a new 'preview' play by Goodman Theatre, called 'Hummingbird'. We are not…read morealums or students, and we don't get to this area very much. This was the building with the Electronic Visualization Lab. The check in procedure was fine, and they walked us to the lab. The play involved virtual reality and questionnaires. It was an immersive and interesting experience (we were observers so we didn't wear the VR headgear). We were only in one building but it was a pretty nice one.

Weird trip thru time for me. I graduated from here in '94. I…read morejust stopped in the bookstore to purchase a pennant flag. My daughter is graduating from college on Monday and she will be the 3rd generation in my family. My auntie-mom, me, and my daughter will take a picture with flags from our respective schools. The student center is 100% different but they have the same old lecture halls lol. There was also waaaay more cement (walkways, etc) when I was here. A lot of it has been torn down for green space. The university is constantly growing and I've watched it from afar as I've driven past over the years (I don't live far away, actually, and possibly drive past several times a week). Looks like they are building shiny new dorms. I'm happy to see their growth because that means they're doing it right. Thanks UIC for the great education. I'm not doing bad at all, if I do say so myself!

What a wonderful organization and creative community! I…read morediscovered this organization at the Printer's Row Lit Fest, and a friend recommended it too, and I am thrilled to know about this place! I attended an information session today and everyone was so kind and welcoming. They also provided an incredible food spread. The space is very warm and inviting. Really positive atmosphere. It was a lovely two hour event, which included socializing, an ice breaker, a writing exercise, and a Q&A. They offer a wide variety of classes, workshops, fellowships, and free events too. Lots of ways to become involved and find your writing community. I look forward to participating more in the future.

As a new author eager to grow within Chicago's literary community, I volunteered with StoryStudio…read morein December to give back to a space I truly admired and to earn class credit through their Work/Study program. I believed I was joining a reputable, nurturing organization for writers. Unfortunately, what began as an act of goodwill became one of the most disappointing experiences I've had with any arts organization. Despite showing up, completing my shift, and following up multiple times in good faith, my volunteer credit was never honored until I had to chase it down months later. Worse, after being told I'd be contacted for future opportunities, I was met with total silence--no returned calls, no responses to emails. Then, seeing new volunteer positions advertised publicly while I was still waiting for even a basic reply was frankly demoralizing. To make matters worse, when I finally did receive a response, it included vague recollections and misplaced blame about my punctuality--something that had already been cleared and verified by their own staff as a harmless scheduling miscommunication caused by conflicting information from the studio itself. Instead of accountability or an apology, I received an impersonal brush-off and a polite "we're all staffed up." As a writer and volunteer who genuinely believed in StoryStudio's mission, I expected better--basic professionalism, follow-through, and respect for the people who donate their time to keep the organization running. What I encountered instead was disorganization, poor communication, and a disappointing disregard for volunteers who aren't part of the inner circle. For new writers looking for a supportive creative home, I'd urge caution. Writers deserve better than to be ghosted by the very spaces that claim to nurture them.

I began studying with Deborah last winter when I decided, on a whim, to audition for The Phantom of…read morethe Opera on Broadway. I am a professional ballet dancer, and after dancing with the Lyric Opera of Chicago I was inspired to branch out and begin auditioning for some musical theater jobs. As someone who had literally never sung before (aside from the occasional rendition of Happy Birthday), I came in incredibly nervous and intimidated. However, Deborah's patient manner, expertise, and ability to explain exactly how to produce various sounds allowed me to relax, enjoy myself, and ultimately gain confidence in my singing. Thanks to her, I have been complimented on my singing at several musical theater auditions and definitely plan to continue pursuing musical theater in addition to classical ballet. Deborah is also a very considerate person--she calls to check in with me if she hasn't heard from me in a while and I keep her up to date with my auditions. Her prices are also very affordable, especially considering her level of instruction. If I weren't moving to the east coast I would definitely keep coming to Deborah for lessons!

I have studied voice with Deborah for the past 7 years, and if she doesn't get sick of me, I'll…read morekeep it up forever! My voice has grown so much over the years I've studied with her. When I started studying I struggled to hit high Gs and now I'm singing high Es and even Fs! Deborah has been able to identify and work on improvement areas specific to my voice that I wasn't even aware of before. Most importantly, Deborah is an utter delight to be around, and her love for music and for helping people find their voices always shines through. She's an amazing teacher and I couldn't recommend her more highly.

I cannot rate the actual school. I've already completed undergrad and attended grad school at other…read moreuniversities. My rating is solely because I've been on a bunch of campuses for book signings, and it's ALWAYS super complicated to figure out how to get from Point A to Point B (including my own alma maters). I went to this location solely for a Red Cross blood donation drive. I love how their campus is set up. Not only did they have signs on the doors and a cone out front to figure out which building to get into, but as soon as I opened my mouth to ask a student where the building was, I turned and saw a clear map to find it on my own. (I was super close so she pointed me the rest of the way. Friendly young lady.) Since I can no longer find this location in upcoming blood drives, I'm assuming that Red Cross may not be there permanently. But the campus is clean. The front desk people (for the school) were professional. The two students (workers?) who were on the Red Cross side were organized and professional. And the attendees behind the tent were great too. I hope Loyola Rogers Park makes this a permanent thing. Although I walked, it's very convenient that it's accessible by the el. And it was nothing at all like all the complications I experienced at another facility trying to donate plasma. It took me longer to walk to the school than it did for the actual six-minute donation. Kudos to them for allowing Red Cross onto their campus.

This place is OFF THE CHARTS LIBERAL. We did a tour and left, thoroughly disappointed and…read moredisheartened - especially given the Catholic and Jesuit heritage they try to keep pointing to. It was quite clear to us that the "core" curriculum you would be required to take is a deep indoctrination into extreme leftist, elitist ideology, regardless of your choice of major or current political and/or religious beliefs. Online reviews and discussions also point to evidence of efforts to silence or villify any dissenting, conservative voewpoints. And all for the "affordable" estimated price of over $300k to obtain a Bachelor's degree. Good luck paying that off after you graduate. No thank you.

I have taken improv classes, both in-person and virtually, at several places locally in Arizona,…read morebut had no idea that The Second City offered virtual classes! Wow!! What an opportunity! We have students from all corners of the US and Canada. The teachers are amazing and the atmosphere is extremely supportive. Highly recommend.

Just get off your ass and so it. I wanted to jump into a class and kept putting it off for years,…read morehad a good friend enroll me in a class and have had an absolute blast, now I'm signing up for several more. The instructors are true professionals that take the time to build week to week. The classmates I've had run the gamut on age, background and professions - all have been amazing. If you've ever thought about learning at one of the best comedy schools ever - sign up and you will not regret it!

I've been going to school here for a year and so far, so good... Except that I no longer have…read morefriends. I have to think that this is the typical experience for anyone getting their masters degree from NU and working full-time. I'll probably update this after I graduate because then I'll be able to make a more accurate assessment of the quality of instruction, etc. I do have to say that the professors ask A LOT of you, even for the less labor-intensive classes and it can be overwhelming at times.

Going into my GMAT preparation, I thought doing countless practice problems would suffice in order…read moreto master the test. After taking a few practice tests and not seeing any change in my score, I realized I needed to take a different approach. Hoping to take the GMAT by October, I signed up for the Full Online Live Course starting August 21st through September 28th. The classes are 3 hours long with an 8-minute break to help simulate what the GMAT breaks will feel like (so helpful day of). The first class serves as an introduction to what the GMAT is and the classes progress in difficulty as the lessons go on. For each class, you do skill-builders to prepare for the upcoming lessons - these really help prepare you to test out new strategies discussed that day. In terms of the class, we would go through various strategies for problem types and then do a lot of practice problems. What's great about the course structure is that it's live! This means that you can ask questions in real time and get answers straight from the teacher. In addition, the platform has multiple choice options so that you can not only submit your answer, but also see the percentage break down of what other people answered. The absolute highlight of the course was my teacher, Ethan Todras-Whitehill. From day one, his energy and passion for the GMAT made the 3-hour class fly by. He's incredibly smart and qualified, but very down-to-earth at the same time. He'd get to know each of his students and strove to help everyone understand the subject matter. In addition, he's hilarious, so even if you're learning Data Sufficiency, you will end up leaving class with a smile on your face. Once in a while, he'd check up on me to see how the course was going. Even after the course, he emailed to see how studying was coming along. Knowing that someone else was rooting for me really helped motivate me on test day. By far and away, the Veritas course is worth every penny. My GMAT score jumped 120 points and I gained important logical reasoning skills along the way. Learning how to think like the test maker made all the difference. Thanks Veritas! And most importantly, thanks Ethan!

I highly recommend the Veritas Prep course. I took their online course back in February, and was…read moreable to raise my GMAT score 100 points in a little over a month. The Veritas Prep materials gave me the tools I needed to achieve the type of score necessary to attend a top 10 business school, and I am happy to say that I begin my studies at a top ten business school this fall. All of this is thanks to hard work and the Veritas Prep program and instructors. The materials are very thorough and informative, and they make sure you learn every piece of information necessary to succeed on the GMAT. The customer service is top notch. I took other review courses, and often felt like they left out important material, and summarized issues that needed to be covered more thoroughly. This is not the case with Veritas. They provide you with in-depth instruction, and an endless supply of practice questions, and practice tests. They provide you with access to approximately 10 practice tests, which is a huge bonus. In addition to the exceptional study materials, the customer service was some of the best I have experienced. Every question I submitted was answered satisfactorily within 24 hours, often the response time was much less than that. When talking with the Veritas staff, you can tell that they truly care about your performance on the exam, and want to ensure you understand the answers to any question you have submitted. This truly is a program that goes above and beyond, and it is well worth the investment.

I started working with Literacy Chicago by participating in its intensive and excellent training…read moreprogram. We learned the best way to work with adults, who want to learn to read. (Note: I do not work with ESL students, so I don't know those resources). Somehow our school system has SO failed these motivated adults. Volunteers, like myself, are encouraged to develop our own lesson plans based on the level of the students and often addressing their specific deficiencies. I am completely puzzled by the negative reviews here. Curriculum? After the training, the volunteers have a lot of freedom to develop their own lesson plans. Each adult comes in at a different level, so it's not like a grade school or high school that has a specific curriculum, and that's good -- because these adult students each bring different needs to the class. There are many materials available to teachers at Literacy Chicago to choose from. Volunteers are expected to develop their own lesson plans, as I do. I looked up "Oxford University Textbooks" that Melissa (1-star reviewer) used; they are cute -- for little children, but, based on my Google search, look totally inappropriate for the adults who come to Literacy Chicago. They have pictures meant to appeal to little children. If Melissa wanted support, all she had to do was ask. I find the staff supportive and the students determined -- coming multiple days a week to learn to read. It's a wonderful experience for both volunteers and students. Please ignore these negative reviews.

I've been volunteering as a teacher at Literacy Chicago since 2018, helping adults to improve their…read morereading skills. Many of these adults are only reading at the second or third grade level. After attending a training program, it is our job as teachers to meet these students where they are and through hard work, lots of repetition and tremendous dedication, try to take them as far as their capacity to learn will take them. It is incredibly fulfilling to be a part of this organization because the students are motivated and appreciative, the leadership is incredibly supportive, and the other teachers and tutors I've met here are outstanding.