Why Loyola
Making the decision of what college to go to is hard, I’m not going to lie. For me, my decision was between two opposite types of schools: Ohio State University or Loyola University Chicago. Of course, as you may have guessed- I chose to come to Loyola! Making that decision was difficult, but here are 4 things that brought me and kept me at Loyola.
1. The Big City
Loyola is located in the third largest city in all of America. Going to school in such a robust and diverse city such as Chicago is something that you don’t always get the chance to do. For me, I already lived in the suburbs—and while I wanted to go somewhere away from home—I knew that the opportunities that Chicago offered could not be found elsewhere. In Chicago, we have direct access to some of the largest companies, such as The Wrigley Company, Tribune Company, Groupon, and even Hyatt, which means that as Loyola students we have endless opportunities when it comes to finding meaningful internships and jobs after graduation!
2. The Size
Like I mentioned above, my two options for college were between Ohio State University and Loyola, and well these two options are quite opposites in size. Ohio State is a large, state school, with a huge campus and on the contrary, Loyola is private and instead has a smaller campus, broken up into two. Coming from a high school that was medium in size, where all my teachers knew my name and even knew me personally, I didn’t want to become just a number in a lecture hall when arriving to college. Knowing this, I knew that if I had chosen a state school as large as Ohio State, it would be hard for me to build a relationship with my professors. I knew that going to Loyola, where the faculty-to-student ratio is 14:1, would be a better choice. Today, I’m so glad that this factor drew my decision to Loyola because I’m able to connect with professors on an individual level and have meaningful conversations.
3. The View
This factor was pretty obvious… If you have ever visited Loyola, you know that one end of campus is directly against Lake Michigan. This view may cause some bone chilling winds in the brutal Chicago winters, but during the rest of the year, every walk across campus is a little brighter and happier. How could you say no to such a view?
4. The Jesuit Education
To be quite honest, I didn’t understand and know what a Jesuit education was when I was making the decision to come to Loyola. Though, today I can easily say that these values are one of the most important reasons why I believe my decision to come to Loyola was the right one. Studying at a Jesuit University means that our education is values based. Loyola embodies different Jesuit traditions and values such as, cura personalis (caring for the whole person), leading with a purpose, and finding God in all things. While I may not personally identify as Catholic, I find that these values and traditions are applicable to my own life, and allow me to develop as a person, in my own way. At Loyola, I am receiving a great education, but I’m also becoming a well-rounded individual, and that is not something I could have gained at a different institution.
What are some factors that you are considering when making the decision on which college is your fit?
Foram