<p>Looking to round out a planned visit to Chicago colleges and came across North Central College in Naperville, Illinois. The academics looked all right for undecided DS, there are merit scholarships, some possibility of playing D III sports, and we like Naperville, where our relatives used to live - not too far from our home in Ohio, students can walk to the shops and restaurants of the Chicago suburb of Naperville, and students can take a train into Chicago if they want city. (Relatives said the school had a perfectly reasonable reputation.)</p>
<p>Then I checked the Common Data Set: six-year graduation rate 63%. This college appears to have a number of factors in common with two small, somewhat regional, suburban LACs near me, John Carroll and Baldwin Wallace. I thought I’d check their six-year graduation rates so I’d have something to compare the 63% to. These rates were 82% for John Carroll in University Heights, Ohio, and 73% for Baldwin Wallace in Berea, Ohio. In that context, North Central’s 63% rate looks really low. Am I being too picky of a parent? What do you think? What could be causing this?</p>
<p>Also, I saw some comments from students who were reviewing the college that in their opinion, it is a suitcase school that empties out on the weekends. Any ideas on how to find out if that is really the case or those kids were just “complainers”? I notice the school has a winning football team and that there will be a home football game at 6 p.m. on the Saturday that we are in Chicago, so I was thinking we might go to the game. ;)</p>
<p>Have you also checked the stats for percent of need met? I have not made a study of this at all, but when I was helping my daughter search out schools, I did notice a correlation between low %age of need met and lower 6-year graduation rates. It may have been coincidence, and my observations were not wide-ranging, but it would make sense to me that some kids just run out of money (or the desire to take out additional loans).</p>
<p>Coach Thorne has built an amazing football program at the school. If football is your DS’s sport have him meet the coach. he is an impressive guy.</p>
<p>North Central used to be a suitcase school but my sense is that it has evolved some as Naperville has grown. The graduation rate may be impacted by kids who start there and then transfer to other schools in the state. I’m not sure how that figures into the calculations</p>
<p>The only reason I have heard of the school is that the lady who works with me on a daily basis has a son who graduated from there a few years back and he is in medical school right now. He chose the school for its financial aid package and seemed very happy there and graduated in 4 years.</p>
<p>To be honest, I don’t think North Central offers anything that is worth an out of stater coming to. I perceive it as a school that people in the western suburbs might attend as an alternative to College of DuPage (the local comm college). I suspect that’s why the low graduation rate. Honestly I think it’s fairly unknown even in Chicago.</p>
<p>I live about 20 min from Naperville area…and I agree with the post #5, NCC is definitely not something worth coming to for an out of stater. It’s reputation is really not worth it for you…your son could definitely do better. </p>
<p>Naperville is a nice town but I don’t think it’s fit for a college town.</p>
<p>I live in Naperville and while there is a nice downtown area where NCC is located I don’t think it would be the greatest of college towns. The majority of restaurants/stores are pretty upscale and geared towards familes or couples. There are a lot of students from around the western suburbs who probably go home so that may explain why some students complain about the empty feeling on weekends. The academics are reasonable but I have heard that its lack of major recognition hurts some students if they’re applying to grad school, mba, med school,etc.</p>
<p>The data set I found for Illinois State said the 6 year grad rate was 55%. Higher rates may correspond with stronger student bodies? Or maybe North Central, being in the middle of suburban Chicago, gets a lot of drop in/drop out students. Just speculating.</p>
<p>It sounds like a nice school for a sports-minded student, from what I’ve read.</p>
<p>Some schools have low graduation rates because they have a lot of students who transfer out ot the school.<br>
I’m from the north suburbs, and I have barely heard of North Central.</p>
<p>I don’t have a very high opinion of NCC, but I think the neighborhood is quite pleasant for college students. It’s pretty rare to have a college in the suburbs where you can walk to such a variety of restaurants, stores, and services. It’s not Madison or Ann Arbor by a long shot, but IMHO downtown Naperville is about as good as it gets when it comes to suburban LAC locations. It sure beats Bryn Mawr, Swarthmore, Wellesley, etc.</p>
<p>I lived in Naperville while I attended college at DePaul. I took that train and often came home at 9pm. Naperville was then a farming town and was reasonably priced place to live. I really never realized there was a college in town it was so obscure. Elmhurst was higher rated and located on the train line, but I stuck with Depaul for business. The town is a pleasant place to live. What is the transfer out rate of NCC?</p>
<p>Naperville was surrounded by farms when I lived there as a child in the sixties, but not really a farming town. The main thing I remember about North Central is that it had a great sledding hill.</p>
<p>Honestly, I see no reason compelling enough to bring someone from out of state to NCC, unless it was a full ride for a kid who otherwise couldn’t attend college at all. I’d send my kids to College of DuPage (cc) first. Sorry.</p>
<p>I am a rising college freshman this year. Last year (08-09) I took an organic chemistry course at NCC while still attending my high school. I made some good friends and have a fairly good feel for the school. The generalizations that have been said are mostly true. Most students go home at least one weekend a month. The classes are not that rigorous. The only thing that I have heard that is not true is that the name will hold you back/not help you in the future. I know a bio major who this year got accepted to Northwestern University medical school. Another few science grads went onto grad school at places like Uchicago, Michigan, and UW madison. If you do well at NCC, there is nothing holding you back from a great grad school/gainful employment. Also, the social scene sucks. Anything remotely resembling a party is busted up by the cops before 8 pm, and everyone over 21 frequents the local expensive/trendy bars if they have the money. Finally, the housing situation sucks. Only about 1/3 live on campus. Another portion of the students live in apartments sponsored by NCC that are about 3 miles outside campus (in suburban hell, not near Down town fun zone). Anothe portion of the students live in apartments in down town naperville, and finally a good deal of students live at home and commute to campus every day. PM me if you have more questions</p>
<p>Im an actual student from North Central College who is originally from South Florida. When I found out my family was moving to Naperville 2 summers ago, I immediately started searching for colleges in the Midwest. In my search I applied to and visited, North Central College, Augustana College, Loyola Chicago, St. Marys College at Notre Dame, and University of Illinois. When I visited North Central and had an appt. with a counselor, everything seemed to fall in to place. The college is nestled in to the beautiful historic neighborhood of Naperville, and is located a mere 2 blocks from the downtown area. As a college were perfectly and centrally located, and just an hour long train ride to Chicago. I believe that if you really want to go in to downtown Chicago, the train ride seems so short. Just bring an ipod or even a book and youre set! As for whether or not were a suitcase college, I believe we arent. Half of our students live on campus. The other half either commute or live within a few miles from campus. My family lives 15 minutes away and I see my family maybe once or twice a month for dinner. We have a lot of activities that take place on the weekends that keep our student body on campus; I.E. football games, various comedians, and outdoor activities (when weather permits). The only way that you can find out whether North Central College is the right fit for you and your student, is if you make an appt. and explore the college for yourself.</p>
<p>SunnyLHP, you should work for NCC. You are quite a booster. I have heard many nice things about NCC on this thread. It sounds the school is getting better every year, heading in the right direction. For now, though, the 63% six-year graduation rate looks like a deal-breaker.</p>
<p>Parents - Thank you all so much for your helpful input. We are planning to fly in and out of O’Hare during our Chicago trip; I need to discuss this with DS <a href=“who%20is%20on%20an%20out%20of%20town%20fishing%20trip%20with%20MidwestDad2Kids%20so%20I%20am%20watching%20carefully%20for%20Big%20Brown%20Bats”>i</a>* but I think we will head up to Beloit College for a visit there. 83 miles out but I think it might be a nice fit and we will be relatively close.</p>