Author: Lindsy Fagerstrom

Welcome to my blog! I'm an admission counselor here at Loyola, and I'm also a recent alum: I graduated from Loyola in May 2012 with a BBA in marketing and a minor in psychology. I was involved with many student organizations during my time as an undergraduate, and I absolutely love the University and the city of Chicago! Hopefully I can share some insights about Loyola and the admission process with you.
Next Steps for Admitted Students

Next Steps for Admitted Students

  1. SUBMIT YOUR ENROLLMENT DEPOSIT BY MAY 1, 2015
    LUC.edu/apply/status
    The $500 enrollment deposit will save your place in the upcoming Rambler Class and is refundable through May 1st for freshmen (*the deposit is refundable through August 1st for transfer students). Be sure to continue to check your application status page where you may find information about your application, scholarship opportunities, on-campus events, and your next steps.
  2. SUBMIT YOUR HOUSING CONTRACT OR EXEMPTION FORM:
    LUC.edu/ apply/status and LUC.edu/LOCUS
    Information on how to access these housing forms will be available through your applicant status page. Housing is based on a lottery system for all those that deposit and fill out their housing contract by May 1st. All students are required to fill out one of the following forms: Housing Contract (if you plan to live on campus) or the Housing Exemption Form (if you plan to live at home with a parent or legal guardian). The housing contract or exemption form should be completed no later than May 1st for freshmen students or August 1st for transfer students.
  3. REGISTER FOR SUMMER ORIENTATION:
    LUC.edu/ apply/status and LUC.edu/Orientation
    Register for your overnight summer orientation once you’ve submitted your deposit. At  orientation, you will register for classes, get your Campus ID, and complete other final steps before starting classes in the fall. Several dates are offered from May – July, and orientation registration for deposited students will open in early May.
  4. COMPLETE REQUIRED ONLINE PLACEMENT EXAMS:
    LUC.edu/orientation/preparing/assessments/
    Loyola placement assessments help place you in courses that best fit your skill level, which assists you in progressing through your academic program successfully and efficiently. You will be notified via email if a placement assessment exam is required. Placement assessment information will be sent in early May. Placement assessments must be completed at least one week prior to attending orientation.
  5. SUBMIT YOUR HEALTH IMMUNIZATION RECORDS:
    LUC.edu/wellness/tools/immunizations/
    Proof of immunity is an Illinois state requirement. All Loyola students must complete a two-step process to verify proof of immunity. You must submit immunization records no later than August 1st.
  6. SUBMIT AP, IB, AND/OR CLEP SCORES AND COLLEGE TRANSCRIPTS:
    LUC.edu/undergrad/academiclife/loyola-chicago-admissions.html
    You may earn credit and/or advanced placement for college-level studies completed through Advanced Placement (AP), College Level Examination Program (CLEP), and the International Baccalaureate (IB) tests. New, first-time freshmen may receive up to 36 hours of credit by examination based on AP/IB/CLEP test results. You will be notified of placement exam deadlines via email prior to your orientation.
  7. SUBMIT YOUR FINAL HIGH SCHOOL TRANSCRIPT:
    LUC.edu/undergrad/admission/applyasafreshman/college-application-process.html
    High school seniors need to have their high school send an official transcript electronically, by email (admissionforms@luc.edu), or by mail to the Undergraduate Admission Office as proof of high school completion.

Questions? Email admission@luc.edu or call 800.262.2373

5 Reasons Why You CANNOT Miss Loyola Weekend

5 Reasons Why You CANNOT Miss Loyola Weekend

 

5 Reasons Why You CANNOT Miss Loyola Weekend:

  1. EVERYONE you want to meet will be there. Are you looking to talk to a Chemistry professor, the Director of the Wellness Center, a Campus Ministry Chaplain, Directors of Loyola’s Interdisciplinary or Quinlan Honors Programs, the Dean of the School of Communication? We have faculty, staff, current students, and alumni from just about every department, major, minor and program on-campus. That’s a ton of awesome people from the Loyola Community who will be around all weekend to answer all of your questions.

  2. You get an ALL-ACCESS PASS. Literally. It’s the only weekend the entire year when you can tour all 5 first-year residence halls, the Nursing Simulation Lab, the Engineering Science lab, a Chemistry lab, the Fine Arts Annex, the Newhart Family Theatre, the Institute of Environmental Sustainability, Campus Prayer Rooms, and Halas Recreation Center. This is, of course, in addition to our normal Lake Shore Campus and Water Tower Campus tours that are offered the rest of the year.

  3. Get ALL of your questions answered. Are you wondering … How do I make the deposit? Where can I study abroad? How do I register for classes & orientation? What do I do with my AP scores? What do the dining hall menus look like? Well we’re here to answer those questions. The day is filled with presentations (on topics like Next Steps, Financial Aid, Study Abroad, Off-Campus Student Life, etc.) to get you answers for any of those questions floating around in your mind. It’s a one-stop-shop to get it all taken care of so you don’t have to schedule multiple appointments or call/email different departments at the University.

  4. Figure out what that FINANCIAL AID Package really means. Don’t worry, you are not alone with this one. Understanding your financial award and responsibility is a tricky task, which is why we want to help you out with that during Loyola Weekend. Financial Aid counselors will be giving presentation and available to meet with you to answer your specific questions. Trust me, going to the presentation will be a life-changing and worthwhile decision.

  5. Meet other future RAMBLERS! Each year hundreds of students come to campus this weekend to get their first chance to really see what life as a Rambler looks like. It’s a great way to confirm Loyola is the best fit for you and make some new friends for your upcoming collegiate years. And hey, maybe you’ll even meet your future roommate, teammate, classmate, or even your future best friend!

Now that you’re dying to go to Loyola Weekend,
click here for a full schedule & registration!


 

 

9 Loyola Myths

9 Loyola Myths

 

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.

 

Defining Different Types of College Visits: Which visit is right for you?

Defining Different Types of College Visits: Which visit is right for you?

 

Enjoy your Campus Visit

30 Reasons Why We LOVE Loyola

30 Reasons Why We LOVE Loyola

 

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.

 

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.

 

Winning the Scholarship or Honors Program Acceptance Letter

Winning the Scholarship or Honors Program Acceptance Letter

 

Congratulations, you’ve been admitted to Loyola University Chicago as a future Rambler! And now, some of you have been invited to apply to Loyola Interdisciplinary Honors Program or the Business Honors Program and some of you have been invited to apply for selective scholarships at Loyola! While being invited to compete for these prestigious organizations and awards is an accomplishment in itself, you can follow a few quick tips to put yourself in the best position to win the scholarship or acceptance letter; my advice:

When it comes to your essay

  • My number one tip: ANSWER THE QUESTION. Many students submit essays that dance around the topic, but your essay will be much more impressive if you acknowledge the question head-on. Be direct and be concise.
  • SUBMIT IT EARLY. You don’t want to wait until the last minute to start your essay. You want this to be a well thought-out and well-written essay. Not something you threw together at midnight between your math homework and science project. We read enough essays to tell which were written with care and which were written hap-haphazardly.
  • USE SPELL CHECK. It’s your friend. Use it. Then proofread it. Then read it again. Then have someone (a teacher, counselor, parent, etc.) read it. Then put it away for a few days and then break it out and read it again. You want this essay to be perfect.

When it comes to your resume

  • SEND IN A NEW ONE. If you submitted a version for college admission, that’s great, but you might be leaving out some new accomplishments. I would recommend adding new information like new awards, honors, participation in organizations, leadership, service, etc.
  • DON’T FORGET FRESHMAN YEAR. We should know everything you’ve been involved with in regard to extra-curriculars over the past 4 years; not just what you’ve been doing junior and senior year. Leave nothing out; this is your chance to awe us with your accomplishments. (This updated resume will also be helpful in the future if you are looking for jobs on-campus in the fall!)
  • MAKE IT PROFESSIONAL. The font should be clear, text in black, with a format/style that says organized. There are so many different template available to help you do this. A final tip, send you resume as a PDF so you don’t have to worry about it being distorted when opened on different types of computers and programs.

When it comes to your interview…

  • BREATHE. You’re here to talk about you. No one knows you better. This is a topic you’re a natural pro at so try to relax. Just come in, be yourself, and don’t be afraid to brag a little.
  • BE PROMPT. Walking in late will not impress anyone.
  • DRESS FOR SUCCESS. You don’t have to wear a suit necessarily, but you should be dressed appropriately (definitely no pajamas, disheveled clothing, or clothing you wouldn’t wear to school or to dinner with your grandma).
  • BE POLITE TO EVERYONE YOU ENCOUNTER. If an administrative assistant checks you in or escorts you to the office for the interview, be polite and friendly with them, you never know if they might share this input with the decision-makers.
  • PREPARE. Do your research about the school, their values, their mission, etc. Knowing what is important to the school will likely help you impress the interviewers.
  • LEARN SOMETHING. If you’re there on campus, this is another chance for you explore and determine or confirm “fit”. Also, keep in mind that whoever is interviewing you has some connection with the University whether they are staff, faculty, current students, or alumni, they are great resources whom you can ask questions.

Good Luck!

 

New Year’s Resolutions

New Year’s Resolutions

 

While I’m sure many of you already have  your own New Year’s resolutions lined up for 2015, I am sharing what I would consider to be a helpful list of resolutions for a college-bound, high school senior:

  1. Don’t let senioritis get the best of you. Your second semester grades still matter, so don’t risk losing admission or a scholarship by letting your grades slip. You will have to send in a final high school transcript to your college, so make sure it will impress them.
  2. Create a senior year bucket list (go to prom, try out for the spring musical, join a new club, etc).
  3. Take a ton of photos of your friends & family and actually print them out so you have some to decorate your residence hall room next year.
  4. Make a pro/con list, research, and visit all schools remaining on your short list. Make sure your list has no more than ten schools (hopefully much less) by the time you file FAFSA (which you should do by March 1st).
  5. Learn how to cook a meal in a microwave so you can become the top chef of your floor next year.
  6. Open a student checking/savings account, learn how to write a check, and actively start to manage your own budget so you won’t have to learn this on your own at college.
  7. Learn how to do your own laundry. Then  you can go to college and teach some of your roommates/floormates/suitemates.
  8. Enjoy every remaining moment of your senior year. You have some once-in-a-lifetime moments to look forward to so make sure you appreciate them.

Happy New Years from the Undergraduate Admission Office!

Scholarship Search Tips

Scholarship Search Tips

 

It’s never too soon to start searching for scholarships. Whether you already have your acceptance letter or if you’re still working on completing that application (which you should try to do as soon as possible!), there are plenty of ways for you to begin your scholarship search process.

How to get started with YOUR scholarship search (you should be searching, not your parents; this is your college application process, not their’s) –

1. Check your applicant status page regularly for scholarship opportunities we know you’re a good fit for.

2. Search for “Out-of-the-Box” Scholarships.

3. Look for outside scholarship opportunities.

4. Talk to your high school counselors about local or community scholarship options.

5. Have your parents inquire with their companies/employers to see if they offer any type of scholarships.

6. Search online (there are so many websites like FastWeb & Scholarships.com) and on Social Media.

 

Good Luck & Happy Holidays from the Undergraduate Admission Office!

 

Using Social Media to Explore Loyola

Using Social Media to Explore Loyola

 

Hopefully, by this point you have a short list of schools left on your list (and hopefully these applications are complete, if not, submit them ASAP!) If you have narrowed it down and are waiting for decisions, use this time to get to know the schools better.

Social media is a great way to get to know schools more closely – by following these accounts, you can get an inside look at events, classes, experiences, and life at different universities. Use this as an excuse to spend a ridiculous amount of time getting lost in pages upon pages of social media.

Here is a collection of some of my favorite Loyola social media sites:

Twitter:

Facebook:

Pinterest:

Instagram:

Flickr:

YouTube:

Weibo:

 

Enjoy browsing! As always, contact me with any questions you might have!