2008-2009 Indiana College Guidebook - (Page 7) As you evaluate colleges, here are some questions to ask yourself: • Does the college or university have a strong academic reputation, particularly in my desired field(s) of study? • How do graduates fare in job placement or graduate school? • What kinds and amounts of financial aid has the college or university offered me? • How large are typical classes? Are undergraduates taught by professors or by graduate assistants? • Will the professors challenge and encourage me in the classroom? • How up-to-date are the library, laboratories, and other facilities? • Does the institution offer tutoring, counseling, and help with job placement? • How’s the social life on campus? If many students go home on weekends, are there activities for those who stay on campus? • What are the options for residence halls, Greek life, and other types of housing? What about dining halls and meal plans? Does the college serve food that I like to eat? Clearly, there’s a lot to consider when choosing a college! The best way to evaluate an institution, though, is to make a campus visit. Contact the admissions office of the colleges and universities you want to learn more about. They’ll be happy to set up a visit so you can see the facilities, meet faculty members and students, and get a feel for how well the institution can meet your needs. Finally, good luck in your college search! If the ICI office can be of any assistance, just send us an e-mail at guidebook@icindiana.org or visit our web site: www.indianacollegechoices.org. What is a Liberal Arts and Science Education? You may have heard the term “liberal arts education” used interchangeably with the kind of educational program offered by many independent, or private, colleges and universities. While there is no clear-cut definition of this term, educators agree that an education in the liberal arts and sciences involves the development of the ability to think critically and reason analytically; an integration of the academic and extracurricular to enhance the educational experience; and a “life stage” that provides wide-ranging opportunities for interaction with peers and faculty. Indiana’s 31 independent colleges and universities place the highest importance on enriching the entire educational experience for each one of their students. From professors whose priority is teaching undergraduates in small, highly interactive classes to a wide range of non-academic offerings—such as intercollegiate and intramural athletics, sororities and fraternities and theme-based residential living, and special clubs and organizations covering almost any interest you may have—Indiana’s independent colleges and universities seek to provide students with an inspiring living and learning environment. A LegAcy of exceLLence. Alumni of ICI member institutions are more than twice as likely as graduates of state institutions to rate their overall undergraduate experience as “excellent.” Alumni Rating Their Overall Undergraduate Experience as “Excellent” Indiana Independent colleges' Alumni 64% 29% 5% 2% Indiana four-year State Universities' Alumni excellent good fair Poor 31% 48% 15% 6% Source: “Comparative Alumni Study,” conducted for ICI by Hardwick-Day, 2003. For more information: www.indianacollegechoices.org 7 http://www.indianacollegechoices.org http://www.indianacollegechoices.org
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