Why Loyola?

Why Loyola?

Around this time of year, in 2015, I impatiently waited everyday to check the mailbox, to see if there were any college decision letters inside. Each day was full of anxiety and antici…pation. Naturally, the question that crosses a nervous senior’s mind is whether they will get into a college at all. This, I learned, is a very natural response, being a high stress situation. Rest assured, you will get into a college. For me, I felt like a guinea pig, the whole process was new to both me and my family. Being the first in my immediate family to go to college in the United States was foreign for my family. Relying on older cousins and family friends who went to college in the states, my family was still in the dark with many of the terms, lingo, and terminology when it came to schooling. Regardless, even with these setbacks, I was able to get into 8 of the 10 schools I applied to. But, here is why I picked Loyola (with the help of the Five A’s) compared to the other schools that I got accepted into:

  1. Academics: Many of the schools I applied to were Jesuit schools. Even though I went to public school my academic career from preschool-senior year, I have been drawn to the Jesuit style of ‘educating the entire person’ by having a holistic curriculum. Likewise, Loyola was a reputable university for my major, Communications, and had a rigorous Honors Program. Having an interdisciplinary major and interdisciplinary minors, International Studies and International Business, I was able to take a blend of courses that offered different perspectives of thinking e.g. Anthropology, Spanish Poetry and Literature, and Southeast Asian Ethnography, Film, and Literature; just to name a few.
  2. Accessibility: Chicago is a city full of opportunities. Being a Communications major, internships from renowned companies and news agencies are made available. Additionally, Chicago is a city full of diverse and unique neighborhoods with great tasting restaurants waiting to be explored. Historically, Chicago is a city with world recognized museums, parks, and architecture. From the Art Institute of Chicago to Millennium/Maggie Daley Park to the Shedd Aquarium. Being a Loyola student you also get a Ventra card, that comes with your tuition, that allows you to access all these places by hoping on the El (subway/train service) or the bus system.
  3. Affordability: Loyola was one of the schools that offered me one of the best scholarships, helping me pay down my college debts. Likewise, living an hour and a half away from campus, I was able to commute to campus. This was going to help paying for expensive room and board on campus. Having federal work study, allowed me to work on campus and also make extra money on the side. Thus, I have two jobs on campus, as a Peer Advisor for the First and Second Year Advising and a Social Media specialist and a blogger for the Undergraduate Admissions office.
  4. Atmosphere: When going to the Northern suburbs or going to visit my cousin, my family and I would always pass by Loyola’s Lakeshore Campus. We never really stopped to have a look until it was coming to looking at colleges for me to apply for. After stepping on Loyola campus, I felt very comfortable with the accommodating nature of the school. The student body was welcoming and had a calming nature. Loyola also provided two different types of environment, with a traditional college setting in the Rogers Park neighborhood, and a more urban and a busy setting in the Water Tower campus.
  5. Acceptance: Compared to the high school I went to or the other colleges I applied to, Loyola felt more accepting and appreciative of different cultures. Being a person who is multiracially diverse, I felt comforted to know that Loyola had groups like Kapwa (Filipino Student Organization) that I knew I could be a part of. Even as my job as a Peer Advisor, I felt appreciated, accepted, and welcomed that encouraged diversity (with differences in religion, race, economic status, and so much more). Even though I am a minority, I feel as if I become more of an empowered and well rounded individual who happens to be a minority.

Regardless of where you decide to go to college, I hope you find a school that you can call your own. I hope you find a school that you fit in academically; find accessible; affordable; has a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere; and accepts you and your identities. Good luck with your senior year and I hope you consider Loyola University Chicago! Go Ramblers!

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