Lake Forest College Visit Report by momofthreeboys

Visit Activities:

Admissions Interview: Yes - Interview with admissions counselor. Son said the conversation was typical with a question about his self perceptions which my son felt awkward answering since he said he doesn't analyze himself

Campus Tour: Yes - Very relaxed tour with no other students or parents. Covered the entire campus.

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Campus:

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The students we came in contact with were friendly and outgoing and made both my son and I feel very welcome. They talked to my son as if they would see him in the fall which made him feel welcome.

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They were quite forthright about understanding that the kids have choices and were great about talking to me about things that parents find important and that differentiate. I found that refreshing.

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Lovely campus wtih a mix of historical and new building styles. Large campus for the size of the student body. The campus, in general, was well maintained and not run down.

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In general in good repair and clean.

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Mix of dorms. The newer ones are quite nice, some of the older ones were abit worn and some have exterior access to the suites from a covered exterior which I found odd in a winter climate.

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Lake Forest is an exceedingly safe area. Campus safety and security personnel were visible even on a Saturday.

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Mixture of older and newer buildings, cohesive feeling. Plenty of green and trees, plantings, benches, patios for warm weather. Large campus for number of students but easily walkable in winter.

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Off-Campus:

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Beautiful old suburb of Chicago with large (really large) older homes, bike paths, and mature landscaping. Would be fun to ride a bike around in the fall. 15 miinute or so walk to Lake Michigan.

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Well maintained and nice downtown. Plenty big to spend an afternoon walking around. Clean and within walking distance to campus (grocery stores, retail, gas staion, post office, all the usual)

Campus Visit Notes for Lake Forest College

Visit Description:

I was glad that we visited this fall. The college campus is lovely and the students were varied (from 47 states and over 30 countries.) It was quiet this particular Saturday, but the students we encountered were friendly and cheerful and were slowly making their way to brunch and a football game or whatever their Saturday plans held. The curriculum structure allows students to take a wide variety of classes and many double major. They all seem to have broad interests: science majors taking a minor in art, language majors taking a minor in history, etc. Studying outside your intended major is highly encouraged. Majors do not need to be declared until late sophomore year. Even though you feel a million miles from Chicago, it is really very close and students take advantage of the train (the station is within walking distance) and all the activites. There seems to be a large number of students doing very fun internships all over Chicago, which speaks highly of the school's connection in a city with several "good to great" colleges and universities. Research and internships start freshman year and the students talk "alot" about what they have done and what they want to do before they graduate which as a parent I really appreciated. Some of the dorm are pretty run down, but the space is nicely organized with much closet space. The new dorms are very nice. Food is all over campus from coffee bars in some of othe dorms to small eating locations to the cafeteria. We heard (and can report) that the food was very good. My son rated it the best of all the colleges we visited. The students seem very bright and credit is given for AP (4s and 5s) and our tour guide did IB in high school. The students also seemed socially secure and outgoing. Most students live on campus as housing is scare and expensive off campus. There seems to be plenty to do activity-wise and the kids we encountered were actually involved in all sorts of things and from some of the things that were recent, the kids have pretty interesting and sophisticated tastes which my son found interesting. My son knew that there were parties (w/alcohol) on campus but we both left with the impression that alcohol consumption was very much secondary to the social activities. In addition to internship opportunities, scholarships are abundant and most students have taken advantage of them by applying. Every student we encountered had a finaid package and all were pleased. We were told by admissions that the college is very highly ranked nationally for students happy with their finaid packages. I would be comfortable if any of my kids went here and it shot up on my son's list after the visit. Lake Forest is a beautiful area with large established homes and small lanes. The downtown is immaculate and vibrant maybe a mile long and two or so blocks deep and has everything a student would need along with a handful of places students could get-away for a nice meal with the parents.

Hotel/Lodging Recommendations or Comments:

We stayed about 10 minutes away and it was a pretty straight shot on surface roads into Lake Forest. The tour guide told me that was "where her parents stayed."

Dining/Restaurant Recommendations or Comments:

Numerous! And one can always stay and eat in Chicago.

Other Comments (Transportation, local attractions, parking, etc.):

Train station downtown is a quick walk from campus. Lake Michigan is a slighly longer walk but still close. Lake Forest has a community beach with sand. Lovely.