Alright wannabe wheaties-come on out!

<p>I know I'm not the only CCer interested in Wheaton. Any other EA applicants counting down the days until Dec. 31 out there?</p>

<p>yeah i applied EA too...Wheaton is my number one school, I hope i can get in!!!!</p>

<p>That's awesome, arwen. Are any of your friends applying too?
All of mine think I'm crazy for not wanting to go to the huge state school since I have a good scholarship there.
But what I really want is a small, academically and spiritually solid Christian LACs...and Wheaton definitely tops that list. I'm also applying to Grove City College and Asbury College ( my safety). But Wheaton is definitely my first choice too.
Have you visited?</p>

<p>Any idea if Wheaton has chemical engineering?</p>

<p>Jlee88-
No one else that I know is applying to Wheaton-almost all my friends are going to secular universities. I don't mind though; I want to branch out and meet new people at college. I looked at Grove City too, but I eventually crossed it off my list because it just didn't feel right for me. I know someone who goes to Asbury, and they tell me it is a great school. Obviously, though, it is not as strong academically as Wheaton. Have you heard of Taylor University? It is in central Indiana and seems pretty similar in a lot of ways to Grove City. If you are still looking at colleges you should check it out.<br>
I have visited Wheaton, and I loved almost everything about it. It is a beautiful campus and the people there are great. I also sat in on some classes and was very impressed with both the students and the professors. My only concern is that I almost felt that students at Wheaton were focused more on academics than on God. For example, during chapel, half the students in my row were either sleeping or doing homework. Also, the service seemed rather....stiff. It was basically a theological lecture on the nature of evil, not a time of worship and spiritual teaching like I had assumed it would be. I would appreciate if any current Wheaton students out there would comment on this and let me know if maybe this was just a one-time thing, or if that is what chapel is typically like. Anyway, other than that, it was great!
billy's mom- I looked through the course catalog, and I couldn't find anything on Chemical Engineering. I could be wrong, but as far as I know they don't have it.</p>

<p>ok .... weird question... are you all like uber religious??</p>

<p>If I understand your question, terrybhs06, you want to know whether the reason I'm looking at Wheaton and other Chrstian colleges beause I am very religious. I know that for me, being a Christian has definitely affected my college decision. My relationship with God is an integral part of who I am and relates to every aspect of my life- not just church. I can't just ignore that side of me while picking a college.
Did I answer your question?</p>

<p>yea it did... i was just making sure that there isnt an exception to the rule</p>

<p>Hey you guys, I used to look at these boards last year as a senior, but I'm now a freshman at Wheaton. I absolutely LOVE it here and would be glad to address any of your questions/ concerns/ comments about life here. I'll be as honest and accurate as I can possibly be :-)</p>

<p>okay, what fields of engineering does Wheaton have if any? It's sooo hard to find a Christian school strong in Chem. engr.</p>

<p>There are not a whole lot of engineering students here at Wheaton, but I do know that we have (at least) civil, chemical, mechanical, and electrical engineers (and probably more fields I just don't know about). It's a five year program -- 3 years are spent at Wheaton with gen ed, math, and science courses, and then the last two years are spent at whatever college you choose -- I know we have special connections with IIT, U of Ill, and Wash U in St. Louis -- finishing up the actual engineering degree. We have really strong math/ science departments so if you're willing to be in for 5 years, I'm sure it's a good program.</p>

<p>Thank you for your reply and info. I'll let D know.</p>

<p>Thanks for posting, kshea! I have researched wheaton pretty extensively, but nothing can compare to an actual student's perspective. I have a couple questions.
First, is it true that Wheaton kids are really competitive academically? I was talking to a Wheaton grad student a couple months ago, and she acted like that was a major thing...and it sort of freaked me out.</p>

<p>How are the core classes? Does everyone consider them a waste of time or are they valued? I've also heard that the profs at Wheaton are considerablely more libral than the student body. What is your opinion on that?</p>

<p>Wheaton is sometimes referred to as the Harvard of Christian schools, and I must say that yes, the vast majority of kids here are really, really bright, well-rounded, well-spoken, etc. I have been amazed in some of my classes at the insightfulness and intelligence of my peers, but it's not in an intimidating way -- that is, I haven't sensed any competition for grades or anything like that, but just a genuine desire to learn. I feel like the classes here are definitely challenging but still applicable because the professors do a great job of integrating faith with the learning itself.</p>

<p>As for gen eds, there are LOTS of them, but that is the huge benefit of getting a well-rounded education from a liberal arts school. From what I've taken so far (and what I hear from friends) the core classes really are valuable -- definitely not a waste of time -- but just like any gen eds, most people are ready to move on into things they're more interested in. You basically get out of them what you put in, because the material and the professors can make them wonderful if you have the mindset of learning and are not thinking, "Oh, this is just another worthless gen ed.. etc." </p>

<p>As for the profs... AMAZING. Saying that they are more liberal than the student body is a pretty big generalization, though, because you certainly have pockets of tons of different ideas and belief systems among everyone at Wheaton. What you heard might have been referring to the fact that a lot of the biology profs don't believe in a 6 day creation -- no, no, they don't believe in evolution :-) -- but they believe that God created the world in an indefinite time period that we can't just restrain to 6 days. I know this has raised a few eyebrows among students, but overall its a very conservative campus, especially relative to most schools these days.</p>

<p>Wow. Wheaton really is an amazing school. That was just what I wanted to hear! Thanks for your informative reply. It's nice to know that you still love it even though it's probably freezing up there!
Can I ask one more question? =]
I'm taking a couple classes at Asbury College for dual-credit, and I'm trying to decide which classes to take next semester. I've tentatively registered for an OT class. Passing that course would pretty much guarantee that I can test out of it at Wheaton. But would I be cheating myself? Are the theology courses an integral part of Wheaton's curriculum?
p.s. obviously, I won't recieve a decision from Wheaton 'til late December. I certainly don't want to sound over-confident. But I guess it never hurts to plan ahead!</p>

<p>I have a question. Since it's a Christian college, what's the dorms like? Are they "coed"? S goes to college where guys and girls are on the same floor! I was hoping for more privacy for D. How far are you from an ice rink? How about the airport? She'd have to fly to get home.</p>

<p>Jlee, if I were you I wouldn't take OT at Asbury -- I'm sure it would be well-taught, but Wheaton has unbelievable Bible profs and yes, it is a pretty integral part of the curriculum. I'm in OT Archaeology this semester and despite reading the entire textbook in the 1st 3 weeks and writing a 12 page exegesis paper on Ruth 2 :-), the OT just comes alive every class period. So yes, I would definitely recommend taking your Bible classes here.</p>

<p>Billy's mom, I love the dorm set-up so far. I live in Smith-Traber dorm (Smith = girls, Traber = boys), so we share a lobby, computer lab, laundry room, etc. but are on two opposite sides of the building. All floors are single-sex, and the opposite sex can't even be on the other floors except for 3 nights a week-- Wednesday, Friday, and one other night each floor chooses individually. As for an ice rink, I'm pretty sure we have one about 10 minutes away (where our hockey team plays) and O'Hare and Midway are each about a 30-45 minute drive away, depending on traffic. Since freshmen can't have cars I've taken the trains to the airport and gotten there in about 2-2.5 hours -- a little longer, but a still a fun experience as a freshman in my opinion :-)</p>

<p>I'm a Wheaton Wannabe! Everything about the school just seems to click so well with my interests and personality. However, I have heard that there financial aid awards aren't very good. In your experience, kshea, how well does Wheaton aid families in the lower middle class who want to wend their kids there? Thank you.</p>

<p>The financial aid question definitely depends on to what degree you are "lower-middle class." Low income students who want to come receive wonderful financial aid packages -- my roomate, for example, is on a full fin aid ride -- but I would say the majority of Wheaton students are in that middle-upper class sphere, and I personally am not completely satisfied with the package I got. Plus, the president's award is only 1000 a year for a 1400+ and high gpa, and almost half our freshman class got this. The administration works off the philosophy that they should spread the money thin among all the students rather than really focusing on giving many large scholarships. If you want to talk specific numbers, we can; overall, though, if this is where the Lord want you, he'll make a way for it no matter how much financial aid you get. That's basically how lots of the students get by financially around here, simply trusting God to supply.</p>

<p>Okay, so this waiting thing is getting old. I know the best things come to those who wait, but still. So not fun. Any wannabe Wheaties want to commiserate? Have any tips for getting your mind off Wheaton?</p>