there are quite a few sites that you can search that will likely show you great hotels at the best prices available. check out the website BookMe and you will be able to compare prices on all the reputable travel sites in just a couple minutes. it s very convenient and will save you a bunch of time and money. Also, make sure you buy them online... otherwise they charge much higher fees for phone orders. good luck.
I would try the local Craigslist for furnished rooms for rent:http://chicago.craigslist.org/roo/You can also try through the school since they might assume students will be coming in from out of the area and need places to stay. They might provide screened, approved places to stay.Hello from CA, I have some relatives in Oshkosh.