momofthree

Hi!

S2 has applied to Lake Forest! I wonder if there are others out there??

lindalana

My D just applied there as well. Friend who graduated from there with degree in psychology recommended it very heartily. We will be visiting there soon. My other friend's S is going there as transfer and he likes academics a lot and has nice single room, has been given nice finaid. I am not sure whether it is him since it is a transfer school for him but he seems can not find anything to do there on weekends beside drinking and he is over that part of college life Adcom people are very nice and prompt in responces.
Anyway, we are planning to find out.
If you look at parents income sheets it seems like about 50% of all kids come from very well off families.

momofthree

lindalana,

Thanks for writing! I am looking forward to hearing how you like the campus when you visit. S2 visited last summer and really loved the look of the camous. There were no students on campus, though, so we are not so sure whether it will be a good fit. He is a little "individualistic" marches to his own drummer and such.

lindalana

Lake Forest college short story.
Since it is midwinter, it does look somewhat drab out there but I can imagine that in spring/fall campus looks magnificent, all these gothic buidings and whole layout.
As my D summed up- LFC same as Lake Forest suburb has to much of everything for too little people. Campus is huge for 1300 students and walking from South camp/where most freshman dorms/ to north/ where is the main cafeteria/ is a hike. There are 3 mainly fresh dorms, rooms are about 17X17, about half of rooms are single. Most of dorms are substance free, but I do not think administration is very harsh about it.
Frats and sororities are about 25% of population.
Some professors live on campus, some 15-30 minuts away but they are very available. Many profs. have famous biographies, like working in White House, inventing holography etc.
Food has traditional set up but mostly it is cook to order- from pizza to stir fry which made in front of you.
There is ice skating rink and hockey is very popular. New stadion.
New library, very impressive, laptops you can rent from library and wireless connection. Lots of room to study.
They are building new student center which promised to be impressive , students had input in building plans.
Lots of resourses for courses connected to Chicago, including field trips, ressearch and internships.
Students are very proud of being named #2 for best fin aid.
Needless to say my friend's S has 16K grant as transfer/ one more sibling in college but parents are middle to upper class/

momofthree

Thanks, Linda!

We are awaiting the EA decision, which should come in a couple of weeks! I am amazed that so many rooms are singles. That could be a blessing for S2, as he is a real night owl and would probably drive a roommate crazy with his sleep habits. He was an only child before his dad and I married, he now has my two as sibs, but has never had to share a room.

lindalana

Yes, my D awaiting EA decision as well, should be coming in a week or so. I was very surpirsed by the huge property space college has. Lake Forest suburb is VERY affluent, so land must cost there arm and leg. Apparently college was build sometime before the suburb development that is how they have so much of very valuable land.
College is located very conveniently to the train station which leads to Chicago, and it is also 10 minuts walk to the beach, beautiful landscaping everywhere. There is shuttle bus going to Evanston on weekends, another very trendy, artsy, modern neighbourhood. Despite that more than 80% students stay in on weekends and college doing admirable job bringing attraction to them, inviting different speakers, music groups, etc.
I believe about 20 % of students commute and they do not require to live in dorms.
My D will be visiting Lake Forest again on Science Day Jan 28 so we will get more info on their academics.

lindalana

Yes, admitted with presidential scholarship! She is happy kid.

momofthree

lindalana!

Wow! That is fantastic. S2 got in with the Prairie State scholarship! We are really glad, too!

lindalana

Visited LFC Science open house. D was very impressed with state of the art technology and amazing internship and research possiblities. LFC has 100% admission to medical school record and it is very impressive. Profs and health advising are very good. Funny but so many good looking boys and girls at that school-I wonder if it is how they choose?

HiLine

I applied RD.Looking forward to the good news.

bookmom

Can anyone address the campus-in-suburb setting? My D is concerned that there is no real 'campus environment' off the campus--no 'college town' around the campus itself. Do students all just hop the train to downtown Chgo? I'm sure she would do well academically at LFC and Chgo offers so many opportunities, but of all the dozen or so campuses we have recently visited, LF seemed the most 'isoloated' in the sense of there being the campus and the town, with little student-oriented shops, etc adjacent to campus. We visited during summer so I don't feel she got a true feel for the place and plan to have her revisit for an overnight during her senior year next fall.

lindalana

Lake Forest suburb is very affluent wealthy safe neighboruhood but it is not college town IMO. There are few dining places nearby and couple shops but mostly they close up early. Thankfully Lake Forest surrounded by tons of other suburbs so one does not need to go Chicago only.
Every weekend there shuttle bus running to Evanston/ 30 min ride/, which is very student friendly with nearby Northwestern.
One gripe LFC students have now is not having enough night life- part of library open 24/7 but you can not be too loud there. LFC building now new student center and most students are very eager to see ist completion. Pictures show very spacious building almost in the middle of the campus and main cafeteria. It will have lots of space for group discussions, some game tables, snack bar and even bar with alcohol for those over 21 who wants to drink and does not want to drive out of campus. The project has had lots of input from students and will be completed this summer.
First year students can not have cars on campus but metra is so easy to access.
BTW only admitted students can get overnight visit at LFC.
You might want to enocurage your daughter to take a look at North Central College at Naperville- this one is one of the fasstest growing cities, NCC right smak in the downtown area and also one hour ride by train to Chicago. Very very similar to LFC but no preppy attitude whatsoever. Have great merit scholarship aid as well. Excellent psychology program.
Bookmom, I reread some of your earlier posts and my D probably met yours during psychology weekend overnight at OWU. She got half tuition award from that school but was disappointed in the strenght of psychology faculty and in student body type/too many blond, dumb etc/. Her stats are about same as your daughter's.

bookmom

Lindalana, thanks for your suggestions and insights. Interesting about OWU--they seem to stress their psych dept, but I wasn't overly impressed by their internship offerings or some of the admin types I met. I'd guess it is about 4th on D's list right now, with LFC about 5th or 6th. I don't think LFC is as rigorous (I was disturbed that US News listed it as third tier but I take USN with a grain of salt anyway) but I still think the coursework would keep her busy, and there would be lots of opportunities and external class experiences in Chgo. I am very familiar with Naperville and NCC as my ex partner lives there; he praised NCC too. My dtr is rather an artsy, 'quirky' type and I think she is more of a Beloit type--no sorority or J Crew for her. NYU is her first dream choice followed by Oberlin. I'm trying to bring her bring her back to a more 'central' and less 'fringe' (for her) choice. She did like the LFC campus itself and I suppose could be on the lookout for glimpses of Vince Vaughn (whose family is from LF) but she is really into the coffee house/indie band mindset and might not like being a long drive away from weekend activities esp without wheels her first yr. We will visit again when school is in session and see how she feels then--she said if the money was right she could 'grow to like it' esp with the new student center. Seems as if yr dtr may have decided on LFC, esp with the presidential scholarship--the med school admit rate is admirable. My D is now leaning toward Law rather than clinical psych after UG.

lindalana

NYU is not known for good fin aid so such schools were automatic turn off for us. We visited Oberlin with our oldest D and it was too much drinking/drug scene for her plus she did not like rural location.
But your D is only junior. Things might change many times over. Initally in the process my D wanted to go to big U somewhere in Cal. Now when time comes close to acually going she wants to stay as close as possible to home and wants small LAC atmosphere. Overnight visits did a lot to her figuring out what she wants and values most of all. She also wants to finish with least amount of debt because of graduate school plans so she is waiting to receive all offers before she makes her final choice.

bookmom

I agree about less debt in UG if planning on grad school. U of ILL, or other state school in IL, is prepaid tuition/fees but DD wants to attend an LAC not a large sprawling state school although she plans to attend a large university for grad work. I have tried to tell her the st schools have honors programs that knock down class sizes but so far she is resisting and I can't really blame her. We are looking at a couple smaller publics like Truman, but it may be too conservative (and rural) for her. My niece will finish pharmacy school with $65K in debts and my sister just finished her MS as a cardiac nurse practitioner with probably $40K to repay. My first grad degree was fully paid and provided a stipend as well but I realize most professional degrees won't offer this level of generosity, and I will be retired or planted by the time both my kids enter grad school (in latter case I guess the insurance would pay for wherever they choose!). In re-reviewing LFC, I am again impressed by what first drew me to it, including the abundance of Chgo internship and cultural opportunities and the pleasant campus in a safe environment--like having Chicago without being in it!--so D would have benefits of a major metro area but the closeness of the LAC experience. Thank goodness we have another few months to consider the options (I agree with you re Oberlin and NYU--well, NYC if not the school would eat up my shy little violet very quickly!)