IDEA #2 — COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES May 26, 2009
Posted by Ms. Klemundt in Uncategorized.trackback
I know this one might strike you as an odd summer activity, but bear with me. This idea made the cut for 2 reasons.
First, although they’re not as busy in the summer as during the school year, most colleges and universities offer free or low-cost special events you can attend — exhibits, concerts, theater, lectures, etc. Most websites have a “Calendar” or “Events” link where you can see what’s happening. Check back more than once because summer events don’t always get on the Calendar way in advance.
Second, whether you’re a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior, visiting colleges and universities is good experience. Obviously, there’s a little more urgency to the task if you’re a senior, but it’s never too early to start looking. We have a wealth of colleges and universities in the Chicago area and even if you know you want to go far, far away to school, it’s helpful to visit a variety of schools just to understand what the different possibilities are. So go walk around a few campuses, take an official tour, or set up an appointment with Admission Office staff. You’ll be a much better-educated “consumer” when it comes to decisions about college. Speaking of those decisions, if you’re a junior or senior, summer is also a good time to organize all that mail you’re receiving from colleges, learn more about the college selection process and the intricacies of financial aid, and have some serious discussions with your family about your plans for the future. And, no, this hasn’t been a paid announcement from your guidance counselor! However, I’m sure she’ll be mightily impressed when you show off your college “IQ” in the fall.
Though they’re just the tip of the iceberg, here are a few schools to get you started:
- Northwestern University (http://www.northwestern.edu) The Block Museum of Art is free and changes exhibits every 6 or 8 weeks. Also, the Dearborn Observatory offers free observations to the public on Fridays, 9:00-11:00 p.m.
- Loyola University (http://www.luc.edu) You may not know that Loyola has a great art museum down on Michigan Avenue near the Water Tower. They hold a variety of events in conjunction with their exhibits.
- University of Chicago (http://www.uchicago.edu) In addition to the Oriental Institute, which I mentioned yesterday, the Smart Museum has art exhibits and activities. There are also a variety of music performances, lectures, exhibits, and architecture on and around campus.
- Elmhurst College (http://www.elmhurst.edu). The Elmhurst College Jazz Band is offering a free outdoor concert on June 20. Combine this with a visit to the Elmhurst Art Museum (http://www.elmhurstartmuseum.org).
- Oakton College (http://www.oakton.edu) Visit the Koehnline Museum of Art or walk around the grounds where they have done wonderful habitat restoration.
- Columbia College (http://www.colum.edu) Columbia is a mecca for dance, art, music, photography, etc., much of which is student-produced.
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