My Kind of Town

Chicago is a world-class city full of culture, history, and excitement. Avery Peck says studying in Chicago added to her student experience while enrolled at Illinois Institute of Technology.

“I love Chicago and want to stay here for many years,” she says. “All the neighborhoods have their own attractions, food, and culture. I love the lake, the river, and the parks.”

Student housing at Illinois Tech is located just steps away from Chicago Transit Authority’s “L” train Green Line, which gets to the city’s downtown in minutes and provides access to the rest of Chicago. It’s a convenient way to explore the city, Peck says.

“I have fond memories of taking the Green Line downtown with my architecture major friends my first year, and just walking around looking at buildings,” she says. “We also always made sure to get food somewhere exciting.”

Chicago also is a hub of finance, business, and industry, and is emerging as a tech hotbed with a number of companies, ranging from those on the Fortune 500 to startups, moving into the city. This provides avenues to get a career started, to build networks, and to gain internship experience.

“The position of Illinois Tech in Chicago gives it an edge that not many other colleges in the country have,” Peck says. “There are so many programs that integrate students’ experiences into the surrounding city. The school culture encourages students to get nearby internships early and start on their career paths while still in college. Every summer between semesters I had internships that challenged me, and they were often acquired through faculty connections or student organizations.”