My D has LFC high on her list, but we’re having difficulty finding much information about it. We don’t live that far, so I’m very familiar with the area, but even in our area we don’t hear much about the college, and I don’t know anyone who has attended. D is still over a year away from applying, but we’re starting our research.
Any information would be appreciated. FWIW, D might be a commuter, so any information as it relates to commuting would also be great to hear.
I’ve heard a presentation by the admissions diector and fin aid director. Seems like lots of good stuff. Plus they have a semester based in downtown Chicago.
It’s a great school with so many opportunities available for the taking. It’s the perfect location with Lake Michigan a short walk away and Chicago a short train ride away. Commuting is easily done.
DD was quite impressed upon visiting, even after having looked at other more “highly ranked” midwestern and East Coast/West Coast LACs. Lake Forest College seems like a hidden gem. Their rankings may be considerably lower than their “true quality” in part because they don’t seem to be playing the admissions/ratings game in the intense manner of so many other colleges. Their course catalog in the social sciences and humanities looks very solid (can’t judge the hard sciences). Unlike most LACs, they offer a strong set of Finance and Business courses alongside Econ–with downtown Chicago rather easily accessible by train for internships/summer jobs. Faculty bios and research areas seem on par with many LACs. The school has an unpretentious midwestern feel, but also feels sufficiently cosmopolitan with a sizable proportion of international students and students from around the US, plus Chicago cultural influences. Notwithstanding its location in a (gorgeous) wealthy suburban enclave, the college seems to have a liberal tenor, but also a balanced feel, at least in terms of courses taught. LFC doesn’t seem to be high on the CC popularity list, but perhaps it should be? Are we missing any major hidden negatives?
DD is a senior there and has become a big fish in a little pond, having discovered that one can make a relatively large impact when the school is small. She spent a semester abroad and is spending her last semester in the Chicago Loop program. She has been contacted via LinkedIn by recent alumna, encouraging her to apply for positions at their firms, so I think I will be losing my California girl to Illinois.
When we were looking at schools starting in her sophomore year of high school, I wanted the focus to be on the best match for her and not which one was most prestigious or well-known. She ultimately decided she wanted to go far away from home where she didn’t know a soul and a LAC in or very close to a large city and most definitely wasn’t known for quirkiness/quirky students.
Her biggest complaint is about Aramark, the food service company. They also service ballparks. The company requires the workers to use corporate recipes so there is no room for creativity even if it is within the budget. (Yes, she researched the matter in an effort to get better food!)
We live very close and have visited twice. It was deemed very small, very high school like. We found the academic rigor lacking in general (there will always be big fish in tiny ponds, but are you the only big fish?) It also is quite isolated surrounded by suburbs. Check the amount of commuter students, which we understood to be a big factor. A lot of people sent their kids there because they wanted a LAC very close to home.