I have grown up in Chicago, went to undergrad at DePaul and will be going to UIC for graduate school. So, I'm a bit biased. I love my city! Regarding events for international students, you can find almost every ethnic and national group in Chicago. I'm not sure where you are from, but I'm sure you can find events, restaurants, cultural organizations, etc. from your culture here in Chicago. Evanston is separate from the city of Chicago, but its easy to get to Chicago using public transportation. The summers are amazing here (a festival every week) and the winters make you appreciate them even more! (Nice spin =D). Chicago is one of my more segregated cities in the country, if not the world. The up side to this is the presence of many ethnic enclaves that are rich in culture.