Tag: Admission Counselors
Registering For Classes – What’s that like?

Registering For Classes – What’s that like?

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One of the biggest aspect of colleges is class. Unexpected, right? Not nearly so much as you would think. There are also other essential components to the college experience, but class is pretty high up there on the list, definitely a tie for first with whatever you love. After all, it’s kind of the reason you’re at college – or the reason you get to complete it.

In the movies, there’s barely any representation of classes that you go to, or if there is, they take way less precedence that the drama between characters. Admittedly, a movie about an ordinary college class would not be very exciting. But classes are! Since you have freedom to choose which class you want, you can take anything that you need, love, or want to pursue.

There’s just one catch: you might not get into it on your first try. (It’s not as scary as it seems, I promise you.)

I just want to share with you all about the class registration process, because it can get pretty crazy. I know it always causes me panic, as a very schedule-oriented person, so I fix that by making alternate schedules upon alternate schedules, calculating what to do if I don’t get into this class or that. We have something called the Four-Year Plan, a layout on Excel that provides an easy layout for planning all of your classes, if you’re like me and want to check that out.

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The way our registration works can seem weird, but it makes sense. Depending on your credit hours, you get to have registration priority, or if you are in a program that requires you to take classes in a specific order or amount, such as Honors.

Registration takes place entirely online, unless you need to talk to an advisor about something specifically – they can override things and pretty much have magical schedule powers. Before registration even opens, however, you can put classes into your ‘shopping cart’ after picking out the time, teacher, and class that is offered that best works with you. That way, when you do get to register, you don’t have to waste precious time scanning through the inventory – you can just click ‘enroll’ and you’re set!

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Unless, of course, your class is filled by people with an earlier registration time than you. For freshman classes, that’s very unlikely, but it gets more common the longer you’re here. It’s all dependent on credits – so, credit Seniors get first pick, then Juniors, Sophomores, and so on. It’s pretty neat because many people come into college with transfer credits from AP classes so they could be a credit Sophomore while still being a freshman, allowing for earlier registration. Very cool.

Really, as an incoming freshman, you shouldn’t worry about getting into classes too much. You might hear this piece of advice a lot, but I’ll tell it again: don’t take 8 am classes. Later in your college career the professor becomes more important than the time, but I have seen so many freshmen regret their decision to take an early class. Just trust me.

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Picking a College

Picking a College

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Wow, a hefty topic. Crazy how big the decision is, too.

I don’t mean to scare you. But I do want to remind you that decisions are due May 1, and if you haven’t started thinking about what you want to do, well… Now is the time.

So that’s where I come in! As a student who made her own choice less than a year ago, I can tell you the tips and tricks I used, saw, and have learned about deciding where to go to start the Next Big Adventure!

Let’s get things straight from the get-go: whatever you do, it doesn’t have to be permanent. You can always transfer, or (though I don’t encourage it) drop out. You are not locked into a path that will define you for your whole life after this month ends. I know people who have transferred in their junior year of college, or transferred twice, or even chosen to leave Ivy League schools. Whatever you do, whatever you tell a college, you still have options.

And who knows? The person you are now might fit in perfectly at the school of your choice, but the person you might be in two years might say: this is no longer who I am, nor what I want. And that’s okay.

Now onto the key stuff: choosing a college.

A lot of people will tell you they just ‘clicked’ with a campus when they stepped onto it, and if that’s you, congratulations! Follow your heart.

A lot of people will get excellent scholarships and decide to attend a school solely based on that. Congratulations if that’s you! Very practical.

But sometimes people are strongly torn between two, three, or even four schools where all the factors seem the same.

College Pennants

Consider your life when you’re looking at colleges. Where is the college? How far is it away from home? Will you be okay being so far or so close to places you’re comfortable with? Do you like to explore and see new things in a city atmosphere, or will you just stay on campus or do outdoorsy things on a campus that is farther away from the urban jungle? Will you be able to be smart for the weather?

Would you be better at a large school, a medium, or a small? Are you undecided, or do you know what you want to pursue? I’d advise that either way, you attend a school that offers other things you’re interested in, just in case. Just trust me. Even the most stubborn people I know have gone on to change their major.

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Now, if you’re sure you’ve considered everything, from financial aid to campus aesthetic, but you’re still torn, I’ve got ideas to help you.

  1. Grab your most no-nonsense friend, a friend that’ll tell you the truth even when you don’t want to hear it. Give them a coin. This one’s for if you’re torn between an even number of schools, because, well, coins have two sides. Have your friend assign one school to one side, another to the other. Have them flip it, and tell you the answer. Now, I’m not saying this to have chance decide for you. When they tell you the answer, listen to your heart. Are you sad? Glad? Disappointed? Whatever your initial reaction was, take note of that. Add that in to your considerations. (Any other arbitrary decision-making process can be substituted in, like picking petals or eenie-meenie-miney-mo.)
  2. Tour them like crazy. Even if you’ve been on the same tour five, six, seven times, do it again. Are you bored of the tour? Do you tire of seeing the campus, or would you rather break off and enjoy it on your own time, in your own path? Interact with the school as much as you can – after all, you might end up there for the next four years.
  3. Talk, talk, talk. Contact your admissions adviser. Contact whomever would be your First Year adviser. Leave a comment here and talk to me. Go on Facebook and talk to other potential students from the school. Talk to current students that you meet on your tours. Even if it’s about the weather, interacting with people can tip the scale.
  4. Write it out. Physically grab a piece of paper and divide it in half, or however many sections you need. Then use a pen and write out the pros of the school – and then the cons. If you find it’s very easy or too hard to write them, take note of that. Pay attention to what you’re thinking.

 

I chose Loyola because of a combination of good factors, from scholarship to location, even though I didn’t love it immediately. But now that I’m here, I can’t help but think that I could have avoided a lot of mental agony and decision-making stress by looking into myself and realizing why I kept it on my list of ‘to-consider’ was because it was really great, I was just being stubborn. I may be one of those people who make the most out of everything, but even still, I love Loyola and I’m glad I came here. I hope that, no matter where you end up going, you’ll love yours the same.

(And if you don’t, see above paragraph about how nothing is permanent, everything is permitted.)

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9 Loyola Myths

9 Loyola Myths

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Over the past 3 years in admission, I have noticed there are A LOT of misconceptions about Loyola University Chicago. I am going to use my blog this week to set the record straight. Here are what I consider to be the top 9 Loyola myths:

  1. We are not the same school as Loyola Maryland, Loyola New Orleans or Loyola Marymount. We are all completely separate schools. The only thing we have in common other than our name are our Jesuit background and values. So no, you cannot study at another Loyola in the U.S. However, you can Study Abroad at other universities all over the world or at one of our three campuses in Rome, Beijing or Ho Chi Minh City, which are in fact run by Loyola University Chicago.
  2. You do not have to be Catholic (or even religious) to go to a Jesuit University. About half of our students identify as being Catholic and as a Catholic University, we do offer regular masses, Taize prayer, resources and mentors for our Catholic students. Loyola has the only student-run mosque in Illinois and we have an incredibly strong Hillel Community on campus. We also have several different prayer spaces in our Student Center including a Puja Prayer Room. We are a home to all faiths and encourage interfaith dialogues and for students to lead their own spiritual path with assistance from Campus Ministry which provides resources, services, and mentors on-campus. I also want to throw out that you do not need to be Catholic to attend one of our Retreats at the Loyola University Retreat and Ecology Campus, these retreats are awesome and open to everyone.
  3. We are actually in the city of Chicago (not a suburb) and are right next to Lake Michigan (not a block away, our buildings are a foot or two from the lake).
  4. We are not a commuter school. Yes, in the past, a lot of students did commute to Loyola, but not in recent years. Now all first and second year students are required to live on-campus and while upper-classmen have the option to live on or off-campus, most stay on campus or live within a block or two of campus. However, the students exempt from the housing policy still have a community and home on campus thanks to Off-Campus Student Life.
  5. Housing is not hard to find on or around campus. As mentioned above, we require that 1st and 2nd year students live on-campus and we have several upperclassmen residence halls at both the Lake Shore Campus and the Water Tower Campus. There are also hundreds of non-Loyola owned or operated apartments near campus.
  6. Our acceptance rate is not 92% or 98%. It is closer to 63%. This is one of those cases where you can’t believe everything you read on the internet so if you’re questioning something you read, call or email your admission counselor!
  7. We are not a school that lacks athletic success, spirit, or history. We are a Division One school in the Missouri Valley Conference and last year our Men’s Volleyball Team won the NCAA National Championship on our very own campus. Go Ramblers! We are also the only D1 School in Illinois to ever win a NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship, which we did in 1963, but we are still proud of the win and of our contribution to NCAA history via the Game of Change.
  8. Chicago’s weather isn’t always horrible. Our fall is actually warmer than most of the Midwest thanks to the wind blowing warm air off the lake. Most of the time, we don’t see snow or really cold days until late December when students are already home for Winter Break. Yes the beginning of the spring semester is cold and has some snow, but harsh winters build character and stories you’ll be telling the rest of your life. And don’t forget how much of the year (typically March – November) brings truly amazing weather to Loyola. During these nice months you can find our students hanging out at street festivals, enjoying the great outdoors that you CAN find in the city, and by hanging out at “Loyola Beach” (really called Hartigan Beach).
  9. We are not “the wolves”. We are the Ramblers! However, Lu Wolf is indeed the name of our mascot.

 

30 Reasons Why We LOVE Loyola

30 Reasons Why We LOVE Loyola

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With Valentine’s Day approaching and everyone talking about love, it only seemed appropriate to talk about what Loyola staff and current students have to say about their relationship with Loyola.

Here are 30 reasons staff and students love Loyola:

  1. The ability to go abroad to the Rome center. – Ellen
  2. The incorporation of social justice into academics. – Judy Kyrkos
  3. The small campus feel with access to the city. – Lexy Rux
  4. Being in Chicago. – Maggie
  5. The small class sizes; it really feels like you get one-on-one time with the professors. – Patrick
  6. Being on a beautiful campus with access to downtown. – Adam Buller
  7. Living in Mertz and the chicken tenders from Damen Dining Hall. – Katie
  8. The sense of community. – Ricky Mott
  9. The beautiful campus and social justice focus in all of my classes. – Kara
  10. The small campus feel. – Shaniqua
  11. How the core classes make us a well-rounded person. – Elise
  12. How self-aware the student body is. I’ve never encountered an impolite person on campus. – John
  13. The community feel, size of campus, friendly/welcoming environment, and small class size. – Christy Vargas
  14. How there are Vegan and gluten-free options in the dining halls. – Sarah
  15. Dynamics of taking class on the lake shore campus and downtown. It’s nice to experience the best of both worlds. – Claire
  16. Class sizes, pretty campus, and nice/passionate professors. – Carlee
  17. Diverse community. – Samantha
  18. Friendly environment on campus. – Brittney
  19. Approachable teachers who seem to enjoy their jobs and always want to help you do your best. – Gabby
  20. The view of the lake. – Shannon
  21. I feel safe on campus. – Adrian
  22. Loyola has always given me the opportunity to succeed. – Aaron Brunmeier
  23. The architecture of campus. – Brian
  24. The sense of community. – Aliyah Jervier
  25. I love that Loyola offers something for anyone and everyone who attends so that they can be a part of something and feel included. – Hiba Abbas
  26. I LOVE that every time I step outside and see our beautiful campus I get excited for my day no matter how stressful it is. – Lucy Mooney
  27. I love that Loyola has so many things to offer to their students. Whether it be information on study abroad, fairs talking about feminism, or tutoring for certain classes, Loyola does an amazing job providing us with tools for success. I think that since there are so many resources offered, any type of student can feel like this school is a perfect fit for them. – Katherine Weir
  28. Loyola fosters education both inside and outside the classroom enabling YOU to grow immensely. Upon graduating from Loyola in the spring of 2015, Loyola has taught me that the aim of my education is not the facts, but rather of values. –Joe Sadofsky
  29. How connected students are to the Loyola community. – Callie Short
  30. How Loyola shares the same values as myself. – Alyson Crutchfield

Happy Valentine’s Day from Loyola University Chicago!

The Little Things Add Up.

The Little Things Add Up.

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Here’s a secret – this is really a list of common pet-peeves among admission counselors. Most of us really love our jobs and really love assisting you through your college search/decision process, but those of you who do the following will definitely make us loves our jobs that much more.

  • Research ahead of time. Most of the questions we get are easily answered by spending 30 seconds our our website or Google.
  • Ask the questions that actually matter to you. Don’t ask what the most popular major is at Loyola. Instead ask about experiential learning opportunities or about class offerings for a major (or majors) that you are actually interested in. Ultimately it doesn’t matter if our most popular major is Biology if you are interested in Business or History, those are great majors too. Skip the generic question and ask what you really want to know about.
  • Ask questions yourself instead of having your parents or counselors call or email on your behalf. This is your college search and decision process, not theirs!
  • Learn how to write a professional email. It should have a greeting, a body, and a signature. Your email address should also be appropriate. All text in your email should have proper spelling and grammar (don’t forget your punctuation).
  • Don’t send generic emails to multiple schools at once. This makes us question your interest in our respective schools, so take a few extra minutes to send us individual emails.
  • Spell Check. And double check that you have spelled the school’s name and the counselor’s name correctly.
  • Make appointments with us. Show up on time. Show up prepared. We love meeting with you but if you show up 25 minutes late and don’t have any questions, you won’t get the most out of this appointment and we’ll be scrambling to give you a ton of information in a short amount of time.
  • Remember that we are human beings. If we don’t respond to your email or voicemail within minutes, don’t panic, don’t send us 10 more emails. We’re busy trying to make sure we provide you all with the best support but that takes time, so be patient.

Even if you have already made some of these mistakes, it’s not too late to change! We’re quick to forgive and we’ll be pleasantly surprised by seeing any one of these changes made in your communications with us.

 

Only 13 Days Left!

Only 13 Days Left!

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13 days or 312 hours or 18,720 minutes or 1,123,200 seconds… until our priority deadline: December 1st!

That means you better request your transcripts, test scores (ACT or SAT), and letters of recommendation right away so schools, counselors, teachers, and testing agencies have time to send it all over to Loyola before our postmark deadline. Also make sure you submit your application, your essay, and your optional resume. Meeting this deadline will allow you to be automatically considered for all of Loyola’s merit-based scholarships, which are based on high school GPA, test score, and class rank (if available).

Please be patient if you have requested materials be sent to Loyola in the past 3 weeks and they are still not showing up as received in your status page. It typically takes 3 weeks or so for us to upload or process a document and update your status page.

If you have already submitted all of your materials, be sure to check your applicant status page regularly for a decision! Click here for tips on what to do while waiting for a decision. 

Don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns!

Writing Your Resume

Writing Your Resume

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While resumes are NOT required as part of the Undergraduate Admission application process at Loyola University Chicago, I highly encourage that you submit one anyway. Resumes are a great way to show your Admission Counselor who you are outside of the classroom. Not to mention, they can also potentially help with scholarship opportunities. As many high school seniors do not have a resume of their own, here are a few suggestions for creating one:

  • Research. If you have never seen a resume yet, you can see tons of samples online or by asking your family members to share theirs. While your resume is not expected to be at the same level as your parents’, having seen a few resumes will help you to understand the purpose of creating one.
  • Don’t Forget Anything. Start working on your resume now. Just keep a running list of everything you’ve been involved with (e.g. sports, clubs, organizations, part-time jobs, volunteer work, leadership positions, internships, research, service, ministry, productions, music, art, dance, hobbies, achievements, awards, etc.) You likely will have quite a list and it can be difficult to recall it all while under the stress of filling out applications and scholarship applications, so starting now will insure you don’t miss out on anything important.
  • Be Concise! Your resume should NEVER exceed one page. While I completely understand the challenge of limiting your academic, professional, service, and extra-curricular experiences, but professionals with forty years of experience can do it, so you can, too! In order to keep it short and sweet, don’t include any experience or involvement before high school. If your resume is still too long, eliminate the experiences that are of the least importance to you or that occurred the longest ago.
  • Spell Check. Like your essay and every other aspect of your application, you will want to be sure that all spelling and grammar are exemplary.
  • Make Your Name Stand Out. Literally, make sure your name is on your resume! If you send in a resume without your name, it will be challenging for us to match it to your application. Including other items like your email or birth date can also be helpful.
  • Show off Your Style. Your resume is meant to represent YOU, so don’t be afraid to add some style or formatting to represent yourself (especially if you are interested in design or art!) However, a plain and simple bullet-ed list will perfectly suffice for your college application, as we’ll mostly be focusing on content.

Reminder: You can always email your resume to admissionforms@luc.edu or to your Admission Counselor and they can add it to your file if you’ve already submitted your application.

 

 

Advice from Current Ramblers

Advice from Current Ramblers

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The start of the Fall semester is always my favorite time of year – the campus is buzzing with energy as we welcome the students back after a quiet summer. This year the student workers of the Undergraduate Admission Office decided to share their application and college selection advice for prospective students:

Aly Crutchfield
Aly Crutchfield

“Always keep an open mind. Going to college is not only about figuring out what you want to do with your life, but also to discover new passions, friendships, and values.” – Aly Crutchfield, Freshman

Daeja Marzette
Daeja Marzette, Left.

“Be yourself on your application. Focus on representing yourself honestly and highlighting your unique qualities rather than trying to show the admission counselors a “perfect” applicant.” – Daeja Marzette, Sophomore

Morgan Parker
Morgan Parker

“Think outside the box when writing your college admission essay. It is best to write your essay on a topic that you are completely passionate about rather than what you think admissions counselors will want to read.” – Morgan Parker, Sophomore

Melissa Vazquez

“Make sure to visit the colleges you’re interested in, especially during Open House events. It will help you get a feel for what the campus environment is really like, and to see if it’s the right fit for you. This also allows you to meet professors and ask questions regarding the classes you’re interested in taking.” – Melissa Vazquez, Sophomore

Vince Jones
Vince Jones

“Choosing Loyola to be your new home for the next four years is choosing a premier education that is always highly respected wherever you go in life and will be a strong beginning to a successful career.” – Vince Jones, Junior

Ally Ryder 2
Ally Ryder, Left.

“Choose a school that has clubs or activities you can see yourself getting involved in, or even starting on your own. College is the time to explore different fields and deepen your passion, so when deciding on where to go, choose a University where you can challenge yourself and see yourself grow.” – Ally Ryder, Junior

Sam Cordova
Sam Cordova

“Make it possible for yourself to study abroad in your four year plan. This opportunity will enhance your experience at any University and it will give you the ability to learn about yourself outside of the classroom.” – Samantha Cordova, Junior

Joe Sadofsky
Joe Sadofsky, Center.

“Be yourself, get involved, and don’t be too cool for school! Rambler on.” – Joe Sadofsky, Senior

 

What to do When Waiting for a Decision

What to do When Waiting for a Decision

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It’s that time of year when applications are complete and the waiting game for decisions and acceptance letters begins! Here are a few tips on what you should be doing with this admission process down-time:

 

If you have any additional questions, give us a call at 800.262.2373 or email us at admission@luc.edu.

Don’t Miss Your Chance to Explore Campus!

Don’t Miss Your Chance to Explore Campus!

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Only 26 days until the first Undergraduate Admission Fall Open House of 2013 at Loyola University Chicago! This year’s Open Houses will take place on Saturday, November 9th and Saturday, November 16th starting at 9:00 a.m. Many students & parents have been asking questions about the event, so hopefully this post will provide some answers!

 

What is Open House?

Open House is an opportunity to explore campus, tour the residence halls, learn about academic programs, find out about admission and financial aid, and connect with current students and faculty! There will also be presentations on experiential learning, residence life, study abroad opportunities, pre-health advising, and the new Institute of Environmental Sustainability. Click here for a full schedule.

 

Who can attend Open House?

High school juniors & seniors, transfer students, and their families are invited to attend Open House. Click here to register online!

 

Do I need to bring anything to Open House?

You are not required to bring anything to Open House. Though we do recommend that you spend some time looking at the schedule before hand so you can select which sessions you would like to attend. Also, be sure to come prepared with any questions you have for admission counselors, financial aid counselors, or faculty members from your major/program of interest.

 

Do you have hotel recommendations for the weekend?

Yes, click here for recommended lodging options nearby.

 

Is parking available on campus?

Yes, we recommend that all visits park in our main parking structure on campus. Parking will be free on both Saturdays.

 

If I cannot attend Open House, is there another time I can visit campus?

Yes, you can attend a campus visit at our Lake Shore Campus on Monday – Saturday and our Water Tower Campus on Monday – Friday.

 

If you have any additional questions, give us a call at 800.262.2373 or email us at admission@luc.edu.