Augustana College, Lake Forest College, St. Olaf College, or DePaul University?

College Search & Selection
, ,
1

HELLO PLEASE HELP ME I’M VERY CONFUSED AND WANT SOME INSIGHT FROM CURRENT STUDENTS AT THESE PLACES!
A little bit about myself…
academics:
-I come from a very rigorous high school in Chicago so I’m not worried about the workload of college so much because I know I can handle it, I’m a straight A student with a 32 ACT score
-I’m currently not 100% sure on my major but would really be interested in Studio Art, Theater (I would love to act on broadway one day, so if I went to depaul I’d minor in theatre most likely. Would major at St. Olaf), and Communications!
-I’m looking for a school that really sets you up well with internships, especially cause the art and theater side of me really needs to pursue those to get my foot in the door. I really want to do internships in major cities.

my wants in a school atmosphere:
-I want a school that is very accepting of LGBTQ individuals (I’m bi) and hopefully has housing for this group or for art students (doesnt have to at all, just would be a plus)

  • I don’t drink alcohol because alcoholism runs in my family, I’m open to weed but also want to be in a campus where you can go to a party every now and then and it’s not a bunch of frat boys or keg stands or snorting coke
    -I get really overwhelmed in big groups, which is why I’m looking into small to medium universities. However, I also want to be able to be a face in a crowd sometimes when I’m feeling introverted (so not a school that’s so small that everyone will know me)
    -I’m a pretty liberal person and I can deal with class discussions with conservative people but I would rather the campus have more of a liberal or moderate feel to it - aka I don’t want it to be a bunch of Vineyards Vines wearing white people who play lacrosse.
    -I’m looking for an open minded school that is accepting of all races, religions, ethnicity, and sexuality without being PRETENTIOUS!

I love the idea of a college town or just being in a quaint area but the idea of staying in my home city of chicago sounds really enticing too.

What are you guy’s experiences? Are any schools cliquey, ostracize students of color, or just generally have not a lot of diverse views?

2

Are you a junior making your college list, or are you a senior with acceptances in hand trying to decide where to attend?

3

A senior trying to decide. These are the acceptances I’m deciding between!

4

All of these colleges should have ways for you to get in touch with some current students, so ask the admissions offices to help you do that.

5

I’d go for St Olaf if it’s affordable because you already know your major, it’s the most rigorous academically so you’d have good choices if you change your mind, it’s well-connected to the Twin Cities (superb for theater), and it allows you to leave home a bit evne though it’s not too far (experiencing another region is always a plus when you’re 18: time to spread your wings a little)!

6

I am leaning towards St. Olaf, it is actually the cheapest college on my list, too! The more I contemplate the more I do feel like I should be somewhere new so I can grow. Plus I do enjoy the small community as well as the close proximity to the cities so I can have, as Hannah Montana would say, the best of both worlds!

7

@amgallagher23
Which school did you decide on?