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10 Reasons Our Students Say Elmhurst College Is the Place to Be
Doorstep
The Top 10 Reasons Our Students Love Our Location Some of the best college experiences take place outside of class. Taking on an internship, soaking up new cultures, and exploring a dynamic city are great ways to discover the world around you—and yourself. At Elmhurst College, you’ll find a world of opportunities to explore. Our gorgeous campus is a green oasis in the heart of a safe, quiet suburb—but it’s also just 16 miles from downtown Chicago, one of the world’s great cities. A Metra train stops 55 times a day at the Elmhurst station, two blocks from campus. The ride downtown takes only about a half hour, and we encourage you to make the trip, early and often. But whether you hanker for a downtown adventure or prefer to stick around campus, Elmhurst College has it all.
No. 1
You’ll choose from a wealth of great internships. The Chicago region is the Midwest’s capital of industry, finance, arts and culture, and scientific discovery. From wgn and Soldier Field to Argonne National Laboratory and Morgan Stanley, internship opportunities in the Chicago area are plentiful and varied. As an intern, you’ll develop skills, explore careers, make connections—and maybe even land the full-time job of your dreams.
No. 2
You’ll make excellent professional connections. Want to learn more about a field that looks interesting? We’ll set you up with a mentor— a professional in your field who will share insights and wisdom with you. You also can shadow a variety of professionals as they make decisions, engage colleagues and pursue their daily goals. On campus, you’ll have the opportunity to hear from—and meet—speakers ranging from New York Times columnists to religious leaders to best-selling novelists. We have strong connections with Chicago-area businesses, hospitals, schools and other organizations, giving you plenty of opportunities to develop connections of your own.
No. 3
You’ll meet people in all their glorious variety. On campus, you’ll find bright, curious, committed students from many states and countries, and from every religious, racial and ethnic background. In Chicago, you’ll find an array of eclectic neighborhoods reflecting a kaleidoscope of global languages and cultures. The neighborhood of Albany Park on the city’s Northwest Side, for example, is home to people from Mexico, the Philippines, India, Korea, Vietnam, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Romania, Pakistan and the Middle East. West Rogers Park boasts restaurants serving Indian, Pakistani, Russian, Middle Eastern, Ethiopian and kosher food—side by side. Then there’s Greektown, Little Italy, Chinatown and a lot more.
“I’m from a small farm town where there’s nothing to do, so it’s exciting that I can get on the train and be in downtown Chicago in 20 minutes. Also, I had a chance to work with the photo editors at the Chicago Tribune. That was an awesome experience” Jessie Moyemont, special education major
“Chicago is a great place for opportunity. I’ve worked with a mentor in the city who helped me make professional connections, and I had an internship downtown with u.s. Senator Dick Durbin.” Nicole Spizzirri, German and political science major No. 4
World-class culture is just around the corner. Art, music, dance, theatre—Chicago has it all. Visitors come from across the world to visit major cultural institutions such as the Art Institute of Chicago, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Shedd Aquarium. But the city also is home to more than 45 museums and more than 120 theater companies, where you can see everything from Broadway musicals to cutting-edge performance art. Closer to home, the College boasts its own world-class collection of Chicago Imagist art, and the Elmhurst Art Museum is only two blocks from campus.
No. 5
There’s plenty to do in downtown Elmhurst. You can catch a first-run movie at the nine-screen theater just blocks from campus. Opened in 1924, the York Theatre is a cool Art Deco landmark in the heart of downtown Elmhurst. Other entertainment options include Spare Keys, a stylish bowling alley with 14 lanes plus billiards, video games, and a bar and grill. Elmhurst has all of the college staples such as Starbucks, Subway, Chipotle, Cold Stone Creamery and Lou Malnati’s deep-dish pizza. As the Princeton Review put it, “Downtown Elmhurst has almost everything a college student could need.”
No. 6
Chicago is the music capital of the world. From Buddy Guy’s Legends in the South Loop to Rosa’s Lounge on the West Side, Chicago blues clubs regularly host the top names in the business. Jazz venues across the city and suburbs range from the Green Mill, where Al Capone used to hang out, to the Velvet Lounge on the South Side. And you’ll find some of today’s hottest rock and alternative performers at places like the Empty Bottle, the Vic, Metro and the historic Aragon Ballroom.
No. 7
You can immerse yourself in the great outdoors. The Elmhurst campus is an arboretum, with more than 150 varieties of trees and shrubs. Nearby is the Morton Arboretum, a 1,700-acre oasis of greenery, and 100-plus miles of hiking trails through leafy forest preserves. In Chicago you’ll find bike trails, sparkling beaches and one of the world’s best park systems. In Millennium Park, the city’s newest and most dynamic lakefront green space, you can enjoy outdoor concerts like Lollapalooza or splash around in the quirky Crown Fountain.
No. 8
The shopping is world class. In downtown Chicago, the Magnificent Mile on North Michigan Avenue is one of the world’s great shopping destinations, boasting major retailers like Nordstrom and Abercrombie as well as independent boutiques. Closer to campus, Oakbrook Center oΩers six major department stores and more than 160 upscale shops and restaurants in a lush setting of gardens and fountains. For food lovers, Chicago lays claim to an array of regional specialties, including deep-dish pizza, Chicago-style hot dogs, the Maxwell Street Polish (a kielbasa on a roll topped with grilled onions and yellow mustard) and the Italian beef sandwich. For a crash course in Chicago cuisine, head to Portillo’s just a few blocks from campus.
No. 9
For sports fans, we’re a dream come true. Chicago is home to seven professional sports teams. The more uncompromising fans of the White Sox and the Cubs (meaning most of them) are rarely seen together, except on two dramatic weekends a year when the Crosstown Classic pits the rival teams against each other. The Bears and the Bulls bring the town together at Soldier Field and the United Center, respectively. The city has pro hockey (the Blackhawks), a pro soccer team (the Chicago Fire) and a professional women’s basketball team (the Chicago Sky). Of course, if you’re a fan of the Cardinals, Brewers, Reds, Colts, Tigers, Packers, Bucks or another rival team, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to see your favorite players in action—even if they don’t have the hometeam advantage.
“Why did I choose Elmhurst College? Because of location, location, location. The campus is just a train ride away from downtown Chicago, and I’m in love with the city.” Anar Akhundov, marketing and international business major
No. 10
The whole world is a train ride away. “You can jump on the Metra in Elmhurst, and within half an hour you’re downtown, exploring all that Chicago has to oΩer,” says Agnes Plawsiuk. “You can take a walk on Navy Pier, go ice skating, see a museum or participate in an academic conference. The opportunities here are limitless.” If you want to go further afield for your explorations, take a 15-minute drive to O’Hare and catch a direct flight to any major city in the world.
Internships Here are just a few places where Elmhurst students have completed internships and other professional experiences. Abbott Laboratories
abc-tv Advocate Health Care System Alexian Brothers Hospital Allstate American Express Financial Advisors Aquinas Literacy Center Argonne National Laboratory at&t b-96 fm Blistex Brookfield Zoo Catholic Charities Central DuPage Hospital Charter One Bank Chicago Blackhawks Chicago Board of Trade Chicago Bulls Chicago Coalition for the Homeless Chicago Mercantile Exchange Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chicago White Sox Christ United Methodist Church Christian Century Magazine City of Chicago Classic Cinemas
cltv Coldwell Banker Community Renewal Society Congregation Etz Chaim DuPage County Health Department Elmhurst School District 205 Exodus World Service Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Fermi National Laboratory Fifth Third Bank First United Church of Oak Park Greater Chicago Food Depository Hope Children’s Hospital House of Blues
ibm India Muslim Relief Committee Interfaith Youth Core John G. Shedd Aquarium Kane County Juvenile Justice Center Keebler Company Kraft Loyola University Medical Center Make-a-Wish Foundation Marriott
Mayo Clinic McDonald’s Corporation Merrill Lynch Minolta Morgan Stanley Motorola Nabisco Nalco Chemical Company National Safety Council
nbc-tv Northwestern Mutual Financial Porsche q 101-fm Ravinia Festival Ronald McDonald House Rush University Medical Center Sierra Club Smith Barney The Mix 101.9 fm Thornton Township High School United Airlines Universal Records us 99 usg Corporation u.s. Congress u.s. Department of Commerce Wheaton-Warrenville High School World Relief DuPage World Trade Center Chicago
wbbm-am wgn/Channel 9 wlup-fm wttw/Channel 11 wxrt-fm
Cultural Options: Museums, Zoos and Architecture Adler Planetarium Art Institute of Chicago Brookfield Zoo Chicago Architecture Foundation Chicago Cultural Center Chicago History Museum Clarke House Museum DuSable Museum of African American History Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House Glessner House Museum Historic Pullman Foundation International Museum of Surgical Science Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art Jane Addams Hull-House Museum Lincoln Park Zoo Martin D’Arcy Gallery of Art
Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum Morton Arboretum Museum of Broadcast Communications Museum of Contemporary Art Museum of Contemporary Photography Museum of Science & Industry National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum National Hellenic Museum Newberry Library Oriental Institute Museum Peace Museum Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum Polish Museum of America Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago John G. Shedd Aquarium Smart Museum of Art South Shore Cultural Center Spertus Museum Swedish American Museum Center Ukrainian National Museum
Cultural Options: Music, Theatre, Film and Dance Bailiwick Chicago Black Ensemble Theater Broadway in Chicago Chicago Opera Theater Chicago Shakespeare Theater Chicago Sinfonietta Chicago Symphony Orchestra Court Theatre Gene Siskel Film Center Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago Goodman Theater Grant Park Music Festival Hubbard Street Dance JoΩrey Ballet Live Bait Theatre Lookingglass Theatre Company Lyric Opera of Chicago Mexican Folkloric Dance Company Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago Music of the Baroque Ravinia Festival River North Chicago Dance Company Royal George Theatre Ruth Page Center for the Arts The Second City Steppenwolf Theatre Trinity Irish Dancers Victory Gardens Theater
O≈ce of Admission 190 Prospect Avenue Elmhurst, Illinois 60126