Small Campus, Big City, Global Community

Transcript

There is no other city like Chicago. You can eat deep dish pizza, visit a museum, stroll through a diverse neighborhood, check out a pro sports game and ride your bike along Lake Michigan, all in the same day and still have a million more things to do. Joel, an architecture student from a smaller town felt right at home from day one. Let’s hear about it.

– Thanks Alex. So I’m originally from Omaha, Nebraska. And when it came time for me to look at colleges, I knew that I wanted to stay in the Midwest. Having been to Chicago a few times, being fascinated with the city’s architecture and history, I decided to narrow down my search to universities in the area. After visiting Illinois Tech, I knew it was the right school for me. One of the things that really drew me into Illinois Tech was the balance between location and the size of campus. Our Mies Campus, designed by a pioneer of modernist architecture, is 120 acres and sits just about 10 minutes south of the Loop by train, which students have access to through a U pass. My freshman year, I lived in a residence hall that was mere feet away from an entrance to The Green Line. One of my biggest concerns coming into college was potentially feeling drowned out in a sea of lots of other students. Fortunately, the small class sizes at Illinois Tech and especially the small cohorts within the college of architecture, helped me make connections with other students and form collaborative support networks that provided a nice break from the stress of architecture courses and the hustle and bustle of the city. And being among the top 60 national universities with the highest campus ethic diversity with international students representing over 16% of our undergraduate population, students come to Illinois Tech eager to branch out. There’s plenty to do in the city in your downtime. There’s always street festivals, sports games in massive stadiums, art shows, concerts, and community events that provide a nice relief from classes and make you feel like a true local. Being a small campus in a big city, comprising a global community, Illinois Tech offers the perfect balance for students looking to shout and get a comprehensive tech education at one of the best cities in the world. That’s my story, back to you, Alex.

– Thank you, Joel, Illinois Tech really does offer the best of both worlds. It’s a great global city, overflowing with opportunities and at the same time, a quiet, friendly, welcoming campus community where you get to know your fellow students and professors by name, I love that. Thanks again for sharing your story Joel, take care.