New Website Keeps Students in the Loop

By Kalyn Belsha in Miscellaneous on Feb 22, 2009 9:45PM

In an attempt to cater to more than just tourists and business types, a new web-based initiative called Loop U Chicago launched Thursday. The site links up 35 businesses - ranging from Old Navy to the Art Institute - with 16 campuses and an estimated 60,000 Loop students. It offers users access to coupons, exclusive discounts, scholarships, job and internship offerings and news and event listings.

Students, businesses, educators and employers can create their own profiles to network with one another. The Website also features competitions and contests, open forum discussions, career resources for job-hunting students and information for prospective freshmen interested in Loop area schools. Retailers see this as a chance to connect with a key demographic in tough economic times, and creators hope it will help new and future students navigate through everything downtown Chicago has to offer.

"The reality of the college experience in the Loop is that it's a little isolated," Ty Tabing, executive director of the Chicago Loop Alliance, told Crain's Chicago Business. "We're hoping we can create a little more of a shared experience."