The Parents’Guide
to the College Choice
a common-sense approach Congratulations on your student’s acceptance to Elmhurst College! And congratulations to you as a parent, too, for navigating the most daunting part of the college search process: narrowing the field down to the colleges that fit your student’s needs and aspirations.
Your questions about Elmhurst are likely to go a little deeper than they
have until now. We’ve put together this guide to help answer some of those questions. Inside you’ll find information about financial aid, student life, college guides, advising and registration and more.
If you have questions, please call or e-mail us. We’re always happy to hear
from you. And if your family hasn’t visited our campus so far, we invite you to do so now. We’d love to meet you, and there’s no better way to find out if a college feels just right.
the bottom line
Making the Right Investment For most families, the sticker price is reduced through generous scholarships and grants. We all have read the statistics on the value of a college education. A college degree can net out to be worth about $1 million in higher
earnings over a lifetime. But just attending any college is not the same as finding the right college for you. Elmhurst is a great investment. The vast majority of Elmhurst families pay less than the full cost. For most families, the published
cost is oΩset through generous scholarships and grants. That’s true not just for your first year, but for the entire time you’re at Elmhurst.
“A quick look at the ‘list price’ of any college may alarm you. But the list price and the actual cost to a student’s family often are very different things. With financial aid, the cost of attending Elmhurst often is much less than the published tuition and fees.” Ruth Pusich, Director of Financial Aid
scholarships & financial aid
The Top 10 Things to Know 1
Visit Us Again or for the First Time You’ve come a long way from the day you and your student first started thinking about visiting colleges. You worked through the list and narrowed it down to come to this point. You’re now gathering those last pieces of information to help you and your student decide. If you have not visited or have only been here once for a few hours, another look at Elmhurst is worth it. To arrange a campus visit: • Call us: (630) 617-3400 • E-mail us: admit@elmhurst.edu • Register online: www.elmhurst.edu/visit The web link above has information about special campus events for prospective and admitted students.
If you have not already done so, complete the 2013–2014 FAFSA online at www.fafsa.gov. 2 Submit any requested verification information to the O≈ce of Financial Aid as soon as possible.
5 Parents who plan to take out a parent PLUS loan will need to provide an application that can be found at www.studentloans.gov. Parents must also complete the PLUS loan Master Promissory Note at www.studentloans.gov.
8 Student Accounts bills for the direct costs of tuition, fees, room and board. Other educational expenses for books, transportation and miscellaneous items are not directly billed through the College. 9
6
All scholarships, grants and accepted 3 loan proceeds will be posted as After receiving a financial aid award pending financial aid to the student’s letter, return one copy to the O≈ce account and is deducted from of Financial Aid indicating the tuition and fees on a term basis. financial assistance that you wish to “Pending” financial aid simply accept or decline. This process also means that until a student attends can be completed on BlueNet. classes, the aid is not “o≈cial.”
Billing statements typically are mailed around mid-July for the Fall Term. The first payment is due on August 15. Elmhurst College oΩers a payment plan that gives students the opportunity to make monthly payments. Each term can be paid in five installments. 10
4 Any student who has accepted student loans must complete a Master Promissory Note and entrance counseling. Both are completed online at www. studentloans.gov.
7 Students interested in a campus job are invited to review student employment opportunities and additional information about working on campus by visiting www.elmhurst.edu/finaid.
For questions on financial aid such as scholarships, grants, student and parent loans, student employment and FAFSA problems, contact the O≈ce of Financial Aid at (630) 6173075. For questions about billing statements, payment plans, refunds, small check writing and third-party billing, contact the O≈ce of Student Accounts at (630) 617-3015.
advising & registration
How to Enroll: Your Next Steps Whether your family has paid your $100 deposit for Elmhurst or is still considering the options, it’s helpful to know what’s ahead. Here’s a look at next steps in the enrollment process at Elmhurst. The next big step is advising and registration. Over the summer, your entering freshman will meet one-on-one with a faculty member to discuss academic interests, plan a course of study and choose firstterm classes. Students typically take placement tests in English, mathematics
and foreign languages at this time. We oΩer several dates for advising, registration and placement tests. Your freshman will choose one of these dates. Wednesday, June 12 Wednesday, June 19 Friday, June 21 Tuesday, June 25 Tuesday, July 9 Monday, August 5 Tuesday, August 20
to select courses and register for fall classes on four days: Thursday, June 27 Wednesday, July 17 Friday, August 9 Tuesday, August 20 Placement tests must be taken prior to the advising and registration appointment. We’ll send your student more about advising and registration in early April.
Transfer students will have an opportunity to meet with an advisor
To Parents of Entering Freshmen Advising and registration isn’t just for students. While your student is busy choosing courses, we invite you to join us for presentations by key members of the College community—the vice president for academic aΩairs, dean of students, director of campus security, residence life staΩ and others. You’re also welcome to meet with representatives of the o≈ces of financial aid and student accounts.
Keep Us Informed We appreciate your feedback and hope you will let us know how we can help you achieve your college goals. Keep in mind that financial aid is not a “one-size-fits-all” process. Working out the financial arrangement that recognizes your abilities and serves your needs often requires more than one conversation, and we are always happy to talk to you or your family.
what the critics say about elmhurst
The Professors Know Your Name “Best Midwestern College” The influential Princeton Review bases its college rankings in part on the view of a particularly demanding group of critics: actual college students. Here are excerpts from the Review’s most recent report on Elmhurst College. For the complete text, go to www.princeton review.com. This school is named a Best Midwestern College by The Princeton Review, which says, “Our goal is simple: to identify some of the colleges and universities that we feel stand out within each region.” The Review says students who looked at Elmhurst have also looked at Augustana College, Bradley University, Carthage College, DePaul University, Illinois Wesleyan University, Lake Forest College, Loyola University-Chicago, Marquette University, North Central College, Northern Illinois University, University of Chicago and Washington University in St. Louis.
What Elmhurst Students Told The Princeton Review About… Academics Elmhurst College is a small, private liberal arts school in the Chicago area where “the environment is very comforting and the teachers know their students individually, not by their numbers.” Students at Elmhurst find “endless opportunities for scholarships, mentorships, internships, research and so much more.” In class, “professors work with students on a one-on-one basis. I never would have found this level of personal attention at a larger university.” Elmhurst oΩers more than 50 majors and a host of pre-professional programs. Nursing, business and education are especially strong. “Even though Elmhurst College ranks as one of the top 10 colleges in the Midwest, it wasn't the least bit intimidating,” says one student. “My Elmhurst College experience
has challenged me on all levels of my life: socially, spiritually, mentally, physiologically and intellectually.” The Niebuhr Center for Faith and Action oΩers a unique interdisciplinary opportunity for students interested in service, whether in ministry or via other paths. An abundance of study-abroad opportunities is also noteworthy. “Elmhurst College is small enough to oΩer tremendous opportunities,” says another student. “I’ve explored many diΩerent career paths with the help of the College’s Center for Professional Excellence. I shadowed a variety of employers in the fields I was considering, which helped me focus my career interests.” Student Body Students boast about Elmhurst’s tight-knit community. There are definite “artsy” and “athletic” groups of students that tend to bond together, but “everyone is friendly and students are always smiling at
Staying Safe At Elmhurst, safety comes first. Our campus security o≈ce operates around the clock, every day of the year. Our professional security staΩ includes police o≈cers, emergency medical technicians, fire fighters and Illinois state-certified security o≈cers. Services to keep students safe include 24-hour campus patrol, a 24-hour escort service and emergency telephones located throughout campus parking lots. All residence halls are equipped with electronic card access systems.
Campus Life The school is “the perfect blend of big city access and small (but not too small) campus atmosphere.” Everyone is “involved in a couple clubs,” and Greek life is especially popular. Students have easy access to the amenities of downtown Elmhurst and Chicago; on weekends, one student says, “We can find a party if we want; we go to the cinema or the bowling alley. We take picnics in the park and take the Metra to Chicago for a museum visit.”
Report. At a time when the cost of college is of paramount concern to families, Elmhurst was included in the top 15 institutions that oΩer the best value among Midwest colleges and universities with master’s degree programs. Elmhurst ranks No. 11 in the top tier of Midwest colleges and universities. In this category, Elmhurst enjoys the highest rank among schools in the Chicago metropolitan area. And the College’s A.C. Buehler Library has won a prestigious award—the 2010 Excellence in Academic Libraries Award from a division of the American Library Association. The award recognized the library’s outstanding services, programs and leadership.
Top Tier
Close to Chicago
Elmhurst College is on the move. It’s a great school at a great price, according to the latest annual college rankings by U.S. News & World
Elmhurst, Illinois, a quiet suburb of Chicago, is filled with familyowned shops and restaurants, as well as theater, music, art museums,
each other,” says a student. “From the beginning, it was very easy to meet people and make friends,” says another. Students are “pretty focused on their future” but they’re also “here to have fun and chill.”
parks and other recreational activities. The beautiful 48-acre campus looks like a college should look: big trees, broad lawns and stately red brick buildings. Home to more than 150 varieties of trees and shrubs, the Elmhurst campus is an arboretum. Just 16 miles away (30 minutes by train), Chicago has something for everyone. Sports fans can enjoy watching the Bears, Bulls, Cubs or White Sox in action. Students who are interested in art or culture can visit the Art Institute of Chicago, The Field Museum and the Shedd Aquarium. The city has a worldclass theater scene and is renowned for its architecture. There are concerts in Millennium Park and dozens of venues to hear live music, from jazz to rock to classical and opera. Chicago also features lots of shopping, dining, nightlife and dozens of diverse neighborhoods.
a broad foundation
The Elmhurst College Integrated Curriculum “I think the job of a teacher and of a college is to help students to uncover their own capacity and desire for learning. Every good teacher I’ve known has been an inspirational teacher. Good teachers enlarge a student’s vision of what he or she can do; they draw to the surface the best that is within, and in the process refine the spirit and intellect. They help students become what they are capable of becoming.” Alzada J. Tipton, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty
A successful future requires more than job-specific skills. Young adults entering the workforce will need to communicate clearly and solve complex problems. That’s why the Elmhurst Experience incorporates a strong foundation in the liberal arts and sciences. Students will complete courses designed to enhance skills essential to the flexibility required in a changing world. The Integrated Curriculum asks students to demonstrate proficiency in writing, mathematics, a foreign language and computer technology. It also requires coursework in nine Areas of Knowledge, including
literature, the fine arts, the sciences, ethics and justice and religious studies. In addition, students will take classes that help them develop their values and hone their skills. To meet these requirements, students will choose courses that are “tagged” for a given skill. A statistics course, for example, might fulfill the requirement in quantitative reasoning, while a course on non-Western literature might satisfy the requirement in intercultural global engagement. Another key component is experiential learning, which enables students to test the knowledge
they’ve acquired in the classroom. The College will provide opportunities such as internships, clinical work, student teaching, servicelearning and study away. A senior capstone experience will pull together what your student has learned over four years. At Elmhurst, the Integrated Curriculum will help students find their own pathways as they form themselves and prepare for a career. We look forward to being with you every step of the way!
welcome to bluenet
Navigating the College Online BlueNet is the portal that gives students, faculty, staΩ and the community online access to information and resources for Elmhurst College. All students who apply for admission to Elmhurst College are issued an eNumber and password (information sent via mail). BlueNet may be accessed at https:// bluenet.elmhurst.edu. Using BlueNet, your student will be able to check the status of his
or her application for admission and obtain other information on enrollment. Your student can learn about his or her financial aid awards and accept and/or decline aid. Through BlueNet, your student can RSVP for a summer advising date to register for classes and take placement tests. It also is used to access student account information, including paying the bill on line. Your student will use BlueNet to register for classes
and obtain other personal academic records. If you have questions regarding the use of BlueNet, please contact the O≈ce of Admission at (630) 617-3400 or admit@elmhurst.edu.
first-year orientation
Big Questions: What Will You Stand For? If higher education’s primary mission is to prepare thoughtful, principled graduates, our first-year students get oΩ to a big start with our five-day orientation program, Big Questions: What Will You Stand For? This year’s program runs from Wednesday, August 21 to Sunday, August 25. Big Questions spurs first-year students to examine their personal beliefs and begin to develop the skills and tools they will need as they begin their journey of self-discovery. Team-building exercises and group discussions are meant to help students get comfortable discussing complex social, political and scientific issues, including concerns about race, culture and identity. These conversations are designed to
encourage students to explore their out a historic Lombard cemetery values, think critically and imagine and finding ways to reuse old how they might become engaged textbooks. in the civic arena. The five-day program draws “It is our hope that Big Questions rave reviews. “I feel much more will provide a solid start to the connected to the College and student’s educational experience,” community,” said one first-year says Desiree Novak, associate dean student. “I was so nervous and of students and director of student homesick the first night, but after success and retention. “This program participating in all the activities I contributes to the preparation found a small place for myself in of graduates to become engaged the group.” Said another participant, citizens who know what they believe “I have become more aware of my and are willing to link thought with values and what I value in other action to make the world, or their people.” corner of it, better.” Detailed information about In recent years, the program the schedule can be found at has led students through projects www.elmhurst.edu/orientation. such as packing meals for the Northern Illinois Food Bank, Feed My Starving Children, cleaning
O≈ce of Admission 190 Prospect Avenue Elmhurst, Illinois 60126
here’s how to contact us
Stay in Touch! Elmhurst College 190 Prospect Avenue Elmhurst, Illinois 60126-3296 www.elmhurst.edu
Academic Advising (630) 617-3450 Registration & Records (630) 617-3250
Follow us on: facebook.com/ElmCol twitter.com/ElmhurstCollege Admission (630) 617-3400 or (800) 697-1871 admit@elmhurst.edu Financial Aid (630) 617-3075 finaid@elmhurst.edu
Residence Life (630) 617-3150 Athletics (630) 617-3140 Student Accounts (630) 617-3015 Student Activities (630) 617-3058 Events Hotline (630) 617-6100 13