Jacksonville, IL: Waking up at 5 a.m. is not something I usually enjoy.One morning, however, was an exception. I was actually excited to be up early,for I was visiting to Illinois College, a small liberal-arts school.

Wearrived in Jacksonville shortly before the 8:30 a.m. check-in. Greeted by afriendly admissions staff, I was immediately impressed with the college. We weredirected to a large banquet room, where several tables were set up withinformation pertaining to everything from financial aid to student activities. Assoon as everyone arrived, the president gave a speech, as well as the director ofadmissions. Then three students described their experiences, providing a lookinto the lives of Illinois College students, both academically andsocially.

When they finished, the visitors were separated into groupsaccording to possible majors. Although I am undecided, I thoroughly enjoyed myvisit to the English department, where we were able to have a one-on-onediscussion with the head of the department. He answered every question, and Ifound the time very helpful.

Following the departmental tours, we allreconvened and were (finally!) treated to lunch. The cafeteria offered manypossibilities, ranging from hot dogs to pasta to a salad bar and my favorite -ice cream. Lunch was very good.

Next, we had a tour of the campus.Although fewer than 1,000 students attend, the tour was in-depth and took over anhour. We saw every building and at last, came to the dorms. The rooms are largecompared to many I've seen. Most are double occupancy, with a community bathroomdown the hall. One disadvantage of the one I visited was that there was onebathroom for 30 women, though our guide assured us that she had never experienceda problem. She noted that upperclassmen had the option of living in an adjoiningroom with a bathroom shared between four, and we toured a dorm with thisarrangement, which I found to be very accommodating.

After the tour, weagain met in the ballroom for closing activities. The staff thanked us for comingand encouraged us to ask questions. Several parents were worried that because thecollege is so small, there is nothing to do. The staff and students refuted thisidea, emphasizing that Illinois College not only has many campus events to keepstudents busy, but Jacksonville is also home to another school, MacMurrayCollege.

Overall, I was very pleased with Illinois College. Although theschool is not as culturally diverse as I would like, I was impressed by thestudents, faculty, and admissions representatives. I recommend Illinois Collegeand encourage everyone to visit and see for themselves - even it if does meanwaking up early.




Reviewed in 2002