Deadlines – College Admission at Loyola

I remember when I got my acceptance letter from Loyola in the mail. It was during my winter break in December when I received a huge envelope from the university. It was thrilling because it was implied that getting an impressive and fancy envelope from Loyola meant getting accepted; there was no need to open the mail and read the letter to see whether or not I got to be a Rambler.

The anxiety of applying and waiting for a decision from colleges is over and now, you can finally breathe (a little better- the tedious part is over and complete). So you got admitted into Loyola, what next?

Of course, if you do consider on making the final decision to attend Loyola University Chicago (Decision Day is May 1st, 2017), you should be on the look out for emails and physical mail coming from us. There will be a series of administrative things to get yourself enrolled here, which will be quite simple and easy. Financially, the Financial Office will look on your FAFSA that you may have done, take into account any scholarships you have been awarded, and other contributing factors to determine what you owe the university. Personally, I believe this is important because money is earned through time and hard work; it does not grow on trees, as we all know. Keep track of certain dates and remember that there is a commitment fee to officially put your name into Loyola’s list of people enrolled.

Next step is to sort out living arrangements. Soon, LOCUS (your online Loyola Hub for everything) will be available to you to figure out which dorm buildings are available, what accommodations each building has (laundry room, living room, kitchen, etc…), and more. My best advice to those who plan to live on campus is to attend a tour and view the dorm rooms in-person to have a better idea. To those who live within good distance from Loyola and plan to commute instead, there is an “opt-out” option in LOCUS. Commuters, understandably have less to when figuring out living arrangements on LOCUS.

I know this may be a little bit far in advance, but a requirement for ALL freshman is to attend orientation. There are a variety of dates during the summer that you can pick, so it may be best to look at them and plan for the summer to make sure your vacation to wherever does not interfere with the orientation date session you have chosen. My advice would be to choose the earlier dates for a couple of reasons. (1) You get it done and out of the way. (2) You register for classes earlier than those who have orientation later in the summer (which means you may get the classes at the time you want and teacher that you need before they get filled up and closed). (3) It is not that hot in late May or in June… weather is quite nice, especially with the lake breeze and blue skies.

Click here for more Freshman requirements.

If possible, get acquainted with the campus and/or even meet some staff or students. The more you get in touch with LUC, the more comfortable you will be when it comes time to being an actual student. You will make the transition to college seamless if you start going around campus and know some people already.

Most importantly, I recommend you conclude your senior year of high school on a good note. Even though you got accepted to LUC, we still ask that you still do well in your studies and we will check to see if you ended this semester off on a good academic note. At the same time, have fun and enjoy your time as well. Create those memories because obviously, high school won’t be like college and college won’t be like high school. 🙂

If you have more questions, feel free to comment below or contact me at clam3@luc.edu.

Breaking Down Loyola’s Deadlines

By Lindsy Fagerstrom | September 9, 2014

Every school has their own set of deadlines and it can be a lot to remember. Below I have outlined all of Loyola’s major deadlines and share some helpful tips to follow throughout the process. My #1 tip: create a calendar that lists ALL of the Loyola’s deadlines (and other collegiate/scholarship deadlines) so you have all of the information in one place where it won’t get mixed up with homework assignments, exam dates, and your schedule of extra-curricular activities.

December 1st

This is the priority deadline to submit Loyola’s application.

What does this mean? You must submit your online application, your essay, one letter of recommendation from a teacher or counselor, all high school transcripts, and your ACT or SAT scores in order for your application to be complete. If you meet this deadline, you will automatically be considered for all of Loyola’s Merit-based Scholarships, which can go a long way in helping to pay for your collegiate experience.

Suggestion: Don’t wait to start your application! You can send in your application and supporting materials in any order so request documents & scores right away so your school or College Board has plenty of time to submit everything for you before the deadline approaches. It’s also better to get an early start because your senior year will only get busier and we near the winter season and you’ll want plenty of time to spend on your applications and essays.

February 1st

This is the general deadline to submit applications for the Honors Program, the Business Honors Program, and for specific scholarship opportunities that require specific applications or essays.

What does this mean? Many programs and scholarships will have their own deadlines, but many of them will be February 1st or early in the month.

Suggestion: Each one will have their own separate requirements and process so be sure to closely monitor everything to be sure you don’t miss the deadline!

March 1st

This is the suggested deadline to file FAFSA (or the Free Application for Federal Student Aid).

What does this mean? You will want to file FAFSA to insure that you receive the best possible financial aid package and don’t lose out on any financial assistance because funds could eventually run out if you file to late in the year.

Suggestion: Even if you don’t think you will receive any financial assistance, you should still apply and the results may surprise you. Submit your FAFSA as early as possible (even if this means using last year’s tax information and updating it later on in the spring). However, if you do miss the deadline, you should absolutely still apply.

May 1st

This is the national enrollment deadline when colleges and universities across the country ask students to make a final commitment to a single school.

What does this mean? This is your deadline to submit the $500 enrollment deposit to Loyola. If you miss this deadline, the class could potentially fill and close resulting in you losing your opportunity to attend Loyola.

Suggestion: Make your enrollment deposit sooner rather than later. You are able to make your deposit starting the day you are admitted and it is refundable through May 1st should you change you mind.

A Summer To Do List for Prospective Students

By Lindsy Fagerstrom | July 14, 2014

While the start of application season is still about a month away, there is still plenty to do for rising seniors this summer before the school year begins:

The first step, create an appropriate email address to use for the college application process. Keep in mind that your parents, admission counselors, and high school counselors/teachers will likely see this. Avoid using your high school email address because these email addresses are often deactivated right when you graduate and you may miss out on emails from colleges that are sent over the summer after you graduate.
Create a list of schools of interest and gather suggestions from your classmates, teachers, parents, and family friends by asking about their alma maters and collegiate experiences. Spend a lot of time on their websites researching student life, study abroad, athletics, available majors and minors, or anything else you deem a significant factor in your collegiate decision-making process. Don’t forget to sign up to receive more information from the school’s on their websites. Also, follow your prospective schools on Facebook and Twitter for up-to-date information.
After you have a list, create a calendar with all application deadlines, scholarship deadlines, honors program application due dates, campus visit dates, etc. Once the school year starts, it’s important to keep track of all admission-related dates in addition to your homework assignments and test dates.
Visit as many schools as you can over the summer while you don’t have to worry about missing classes or interrupting your extra-curricular schedule. If you can’t visit campus, look on school websites for virtual tours of residence halls or campus to at least get a feel for the institution.
Start working on components of your application: You can start working on college essays before even opening the application. Click here for college essay tips!
You can also start creating a resume. Be sure to include all leadership positions, community service, involvement with clubs/organizations/sports, internships, research experiences, ministry youth groups, part-time jobs, or whatever it is that you’re involved with outside of the classroom!
Send your test scores to schools you are definitely applying to in the fall (Loyola’s ACT Code is 1064 and the SAT Code is 1412). If you’re unhappy with your original scores, sign up for a new test date and use your time off in the summer to prepare.
Start searching for scholarships. Many scholarships are looking for students with very specific majors, interests, or skill-sets or cast a broad net when searching and use as many research resources as possible (websites like scholarships.com or fastweb.com; talking to your high school counselors about local opportunities; have your parents ask their employers about any company scholarships; etc.)
Make a list of possible people to send in letters of recommendation for you- consider teachers, employers, coaches, supervisors, counselors (anyone who knows you professionally or academically). While it’s a little soon to ask them for a letter now, you certainly want to ask right away in the fall so they have plenty of time to write and send in letters before the application deadline.
Enjoy your summer!

What to do When Waiting for a Decision

By Lindsy Fagerstrom | November 19, 2013

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:

Check your Applicant Status page and send in any missing documents by December 1st, our priority deadline. (Loyola requires one letter of recommendation, one writing sample, all high school transcripts, and either ACT or SAT test scores). If you have recently sent in documents, give us some time to upload & process them (this can take up to two weeks), so if they’re not on your applicant status page instantly, be patient.
Visit Campus! We had nearly 2,500 students visit Loyola the past two weekend for our Open House. If you missed the event, you can still visit Monday – Saturday. Click here to register for a Campus Visit!
Start searching for additional scholarship opportunities. There are many opportunities at Loyola and from outside sources.
Be Patient! Admission Counselors are reading hundreds of applications per week. We’re just as anxious to send out decisions as you are to receive them! Do be sure to check you Applicant Status Page daily, as this will be the first place your decision is posted. We will also be mailing out acceptance packets, but this will typically take a few additional days.