As we stand right now we expect one of North Central’s largest incoming classes to date. Our First-Year numbers are through the roof (literally, and they’ve asked me to refer to the hole as a “skylight”) and our Transfer numbers are the same.

For some reason, you wonderful transfer folks applied early, sent in your transcripts, were accepted, completed your financial aid paperwork in a calm and orderly fashion, and overall have been doing everything on time. GOOD FOR YOU! Really. I’m not just saying that. If you are currently able to do so, please raise your left arm, put it behind your head, and give yourself a big pat on the back. It has got to feel great to be going into the next few weeks with your biggest concern being if your roommate is bringing the mini-fridge or if you should.

If this last paragraph doesn’t apply to you, don’t panic. Please. Don’t panic, I have run out of brown lunch bags to breath into (I used them up while watching the finale of Lost).  There is still time to get everything in for the fall, although time is definitely of the essence. Here is a checklist on what you need to do before Friday, September 3 to ensure you’ll be ready for our Welcome Week.

• If you have not done so (and why haven’t you?!) Apply. The application is free online. Free. No joking here. Free. If you want to start at North Central this fall, apply for the Fall Term (which starts on September 13); if you think you would like to start in the Winter Term (which starts on January 3, 2011), apply for the Spring Term. Either way, apply!
  
• Request to have official transcripts sent from every institution you’ve attended. And when I say every institution, I really do mean every institution. If you took a class at one school and transferred it to your current college or university, we still need both transcripts. If you’ve attended five schools, we need…five transcripts. It’s just that simple.
• Don’t forget to send in your high school transcripts as well, as well as a copy of your ACT and/or SAT scores. If you have over 27 transferrable hours we won’t use them to make an admission decision, but we still need them to complete your file.

Once we have your application and all of your transcripts, we can make an admission decision.

While your transcripts are making their way to North Central from such exotic locations as Hawai’i, Texas, and Aurora, there are a few other things you can do for yourself to move the transfer process along.

-If you haven’t already done so (and why haven’t you?!) and plan to do so (and why wouldn’t you?!) you should apply for Financial Aid. Click here to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (the FAFSA). We won’t be able to calculate your financial aid until we make an admission decision, but completing the FAFSA and listing North Central as one of the schools to receive the info will speed things up on the back end of the admission process.

-Call your counselor. Pretty, pretty, please call your counselor. Because your application is bringing it down to the wire for the start of the term, it is probably a good idea to contact your counselor so that all of us are on the same page. Don’t know who your counselor is? Click here and find out.

Just one more thing to note: Due to the size of our incoming class, we are currently at a wait list status for our student housing. Students who intend to live on campus and pay their deposit will be put on a wait list and placed in housing as spots become available. We cannot guarantee that every student will be housed before the start of the term, however the sooner you apply, are accepted, and pay your deposit, the higher up on the waitlist you will be, and the better your chances will be of getting placed in housing.

Well, I think that will about do it for now. The Transfer Staff is getting more and more excited about our incoming class, and we (myself included, of course) can’t wait to see all you lovely transfers becoming North Central Cardinals this fall.

Here’s hoping that the rest of the summer is sunny and fun(ny).

-Megan

You know what they say about time. That it flies. It feels like January was just a few days ago, and already it is the 5th week of our Spring Term of classes. Let me say that again. Spring. Term. That means that Winter Term has already come and gone, and we are going into the tail end of our final term. This week, North Central students will be taking their last midterms of the year, and our seniors are about a month away from graduation. So I mean it when I say that time really does fly.

It also seemed like “decision time” was so far away as well. What do I mean by “decision time”? Well, it’s the end of April now, which means that it is time for transfer students to decide where they want to be in the fall. And how students make that final decision depends on a lot of things. Location, classes, majors, credit hours, financial aid, it all comes into play.  So that’s what I mean when I say it’s “decision time”: students are deciding if North Central is the right fit for them.

One of the biggest things that I always discuss is the importance of coming to visit campus. I’ve brought this up before, but I’ll say it again: I can’t buy shoes online, and those only go on my feet. How can I know if a school is the right fit for me if I haven’t tried it out for myself?  Which brings me to our Transfer Visit Day that we held on Saturday.

First of all, what a fun group! We had a great group of students and their families come to visit campus. Our student workers, who work our visit day and help out the Transfer Admission Staff (who I prefer to call the “Transfer Admission Rockstars”) by touring students and being their awesome selves, told me that this group of prospective transfer students were delightful. Saturday’s prospective transfer students asked really good questions of both the student workers and faculty in attendance, didn’t complain when their tours ended with a little bit of rain (I’m brilliant, but sadly can’t control the weather), and, most importantly, laughed at my very very bad jokes.

Pretty soon you’ll see a few pictures from our visit day pop up on our Facebook fansite, so be sure to check them out.

That reminds me, did you know that the Transfer Admission Rockstars are very plugged in to the social media?  You didn’t? Well then maybe you should become a Facebook fan of North Central Transfer Admission. Or maybe you should be following us on Twitter (don’t worry, you can still follow Conan O’Brien too). Follow and Fan us, people: you’ll be glad you did.

But before you go back to your Facebook page or go on and tweet about my fabulous blogging abilities, just a few reminders:

If you missed one of our Transfer Visit Days this year and still want to visit campus, in addition to individual visits (which you can do throughout the year), we also have three Transfer Info Sessions this summer where students can hear a brief presentation from Admission and then get a tour of campus. For more information on those and how to sign up for the info sessions, click Here.

It’s not too late to apply. Click Here to apply, and be sure to request official transcripts from every school you’ve attended.

I think that’s about it for now.

-Megan

Wow.  It’s hard to believe that it’s already December 15^th! I know that there are only 9 more days until you travel around the world spreading joy and cheer to all the good little Admission counselors (don’t forget to check that list twice – it’s “Hoinkes” with an “H”), but I thought I’d drop you a line just to check in and see if maybe my Christmas Admission dreams will come true.

Just a couple things for you to keep an eye on, Santa:

1)  Ashley Chubirka, a counselor who works with first-year students, also has a blog. She wrote a rather funny poem that might sound very familiar to you, Santa, but talks about the fun things happening on campus this December.

2) Our fall term ended on November 25^th, just in time for all our students to enjoy their Thanksgiving without finals hanging over their heads. If you want to brush up on how our academic calendar is set up, here’s an entry I wrote last year about it, “What it Means to Be a Trimester Master.”

3) Winter Term starts on January 4, 2010. It’s coming up pretty fast, so if students are serious about starting at North Central in January, they need to contact a Transfer Admission Counselor pronto (isn’t that the name of one your reindeer, Santa? No? Well then, never mind.).  For more info on which counselor to contact, click here.

4) One thing that will never be on my Admission Christmas list, Santa, is actually the name of a popular song: “Silent Night.” Santa, we Admission counselors like to have work to do, and to do that we need students. My Admission wish is that in January students are emailing and contacting North Central, setting up visits to campus while on their winter breaks.  To set up an individual appointment and unofficial evaluation of your credits, call 630-637-5800 or click here for more information.

5) Oh, and I don’t know if you had anything to do with this, Santa, but thanks for keeping the weather so nice for our Transfer Visit Program on November 7^th. We had 60 prospective transfer students on campus talking with faculty, hearing about North Central, and touring campus. I’m sure it will be nice and chilly for your flight around the world, but the sunny weather in November was very nice and very appreciated. Our next Transfer Visit Program is scheduled for February 27^th (click here to register), but students can set up an individual appointment any time.

I think that’ll about do it, Santa. Oh, and just in case you want to know what I want for Christmas, I’m feeling pretty modest this year, so here we go:

-Peace on Earth (always first)
-A waterproof eyeliner and mascara that are actually waterproof.
-A package of Pentel RSVP black pens
-A package of Bic Mechanical Pencils
-The Power of Flight
-A Pony

I know that all of that stuff is a pretty tall order, so I’ll settle for the pencils and the power of flight.

Thanks Santa.  Be sure to give my love to Mrs. C, and the cookies will be by the fireplace. As usual.

With Tidings of Both Comfort and Joy,
Megan

Okay, so before I get down to What I Did on Your Summer Vacation, a quick note about Transfer Visit Day.

That’s right, it’s the time again, time for you all you wonderful folks to come to our Fall Transfer Visit Day. It is a great opportunity for students interested in transferring to come check us out. It’s on Saturday, November 7^th at 8:45am and begins in the Lobby of the Wentz Concert Hall and Fine Arts Center.  We’ll start with a meet and greet with faculty, which is great, especially if you want to talk to professors from more than one department. Yes folks, this may be the only time you’ll ever see Biology, Philosophy, Business, and Physical Education faculty all in the same room (in my opinion, it’s worth coming for that alone).  Then we’ll head to Meiley-Swallow Hall for presentations on student activities, admission, and financial aid, and then we’ll send you on a walking tour of campus with some of our great North Central Student Ambassadors. To register, click here.

Now that we have that out of the way, let’s get down to it. What I Did on Your Summer Vacation.

Well, in regards to work and North Central, the Transfer Admission staff was busy this summer bringing in the rest of the Transfer class for this fall.  After a long and exciting summer, I’m proud to say this fall we welcomed 266 new transfer students to campus. And when I say ‘welcome,’ I mean it: you might have see us on Transfer Move-In Day wearing those dandy white T-shirts. To the lucky person who I helped bring up her futon mat – you’re welcome. But yes, along with the 522 incoming first year students, this fall’s incoming class was the biggest North Central has ever seen.

We have a lot of great additions this year to academics, including majors in French Education and German Education, and some new changes coming up in different areas all over campus, so this year promises to be just as good (or better) than the last.

Outside of North Central, I had what you might call a Stay-cation. Instead of going away for a few days, I instead took some days and explore what our area has to offer. That’s probably the best part of living in the Naperville area: it’s also the Chicagoland area. And Chicagoland in the Summer = Good.

At North Central we always talk about location, and how nice it is to be near Chicago. Here’s what we’re talking about:

• Sports – Okay, so I’m a Cubs fan. I’m White Sox supportive (when they aren’t playing the Cubs), but I’m a Cubs fan. This summer I went to four Cubs games. From North Central, it is easy to get to Wrigley: One day I left work a little early, walked to the Metra station (about a 5 minute walk from my office in Old Main), took an express train into Union Station, walked to the El, and took it all the way to Wrigley. It was a day game, and I was able to stay for the whole game, grab a meal with a friend, and be back at my car by nightfall. To the CTA, bravo. To the Cubs, well, there’s always next season.

• Festivals – There are a lot of fun and silly festivals in the summer around the Chicagoland area. In Naperville, there are two that are especially fun. RibFest and Last Fling. RibFest, is a battle royale of ribs, with live bands playing and just fun for everyone. Last Fling, while less rib-centric, is just as much fun, with bands and carnival rides, and is on Labor Day weekend (a ‘Last Fling’ before school starts).

• Theatre – Chicago is great for theatre. That’s a fact, don’t even try to contest it. This summer in addition to the lighter fair (looking at you, Legally Blonde: The Musical), some standup comedy (Kyle Cease at Zanies Comedy Club), and some improv comedy (Second City really is great), I saw two other shows that were amazing. First, Million Dollar Quartet, which is about a night when Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis, Johnny Cash, and Carl Perkins all ended up in a recording studio together. The actors all play their own instruments, and it makes for one rockin’ show. Again, I was able to get there all through the wonder and glory of public transportation. For more info, check here

• Another highlight of my theatre experience this summer also has (surprise!) a North Central College connection. I’m talking about History Boys, playing at the Timeline Theatre. It is a great ensemble show about young men who are trying to get into Oxford and Cambridge. Great show. The show was running for a few months, then got extended and ran for a few months more…then a few months after that.  The show will finally close this week, but not before receiving 5 Jeff Award Nominations (Chicago equity theatre awards, it’s a big deal), including a nomination for Best Ensemble.  I saw this show in part to support my friend Michael Peters who is in the cast, and was happy to see that North Central alum Will Allen was also in the cast. Will just graduated from North Central this spring, and was great in the show.  While I don’t know him personally, I did get to see him in a few shows at North Central, so it was great to see him transition to a professional production. Congratulations to the whole cast. For more information on the TimeLine Theatre and History Boys, click here.

There’s more, but I think you got a little taste of my Stay-cation. Just a few notes to wrap it up:

-The Transfer Staff is back on the road. To see if they’ll be visiting your neck of the woods anytime soon, click here.

-We are still taking applications for the Winter 2010 term at North Central. Please contact your admission counselor or contact 630-637-5800 for more information or apply now.

-We are also now reviewing applications for the Fall 2010 term. For more information, check out the transfer information page, or click here to apply now.

-Don’t forget the Transfer Visit Day! Click here to sign up.

Coming up in my next blog – Giraffes, safaris, and other North Central Adventures.

Until then!
-Megan

But first, here’s one last reminder for our Transfer Visit Day this Saturday!  It’s gonna be a blast!  Click here to register.

Now, back to financial aid. I know, everyone’s favorite topic, right?! Anyway, the other transfer counselors and I have all started to receive your financial aid packages; you might have already received a call from us or received your package in the mail.

My goal with today’s blog (and I have such lofty goals) is pretty simple: I want to encourage you to start filing the FAFSA now. Like right now. Why? Because this year it is expected that some of the federal aid deadlines will move up, and whether you are looking at transferring this fall or even next winter (January 2010!), it’s worth your time to take a few hours this weekend and start filling that fun little FAFSA out. Here’ a little more info on what I’m talking about, according to the Director of Transfer Admission, Steve Mueller:

“The priority deadline for the Illinois Monetary Award Program (MAP) will likely be in May. This means MAP funding will not be made available for any student completing the FAFSA after this date. We would like to ensure you will not miss out on funds that may be available to assist in covering your education expenses.”

Now I know what you’re thinking (or maybe I don’t; but it’s a blog, so work with me). “But Megan, I haven’t even applied or been accepted to North Central for the fall or winter. Shouldn’t I wait to apply or be accepted to apply for financial aid?” Let’s see, how do I put this gently?

NO! NO NO NO NO NO!

YOU DON’T NEED TO WAIT FOR ACCEPTANCE TO A COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY TO FILE THE FAFSA. (Sorry, I guess I’m not as gentle as I thought.)

You absolutely do not need to wait. You can list several schools on your FAFSA, so you don’t need to even decide where you are heading before you complete the FAFSA. Once you are accepted at North Central, then the Office of Financial Aid will take a look at your FAFSA and begin our end of the financial aid process. That can be months after you’ve already completed the FAFSA.

Think of filing your FAFSA early like a bookmark: once you’ve done your part, we are able to pick up right where you left off.

Now again, I know what you’re thinking (or again, I might not, but I’m an admission counselor, not a member of the Psychic Friends Network.) “But Megan, my family and I have never filed for financial aid or done the FAFSA, and we might not qualify. What do I do?”

Well, as for the not qualifying part, it never hurts to apply for financial aid. You may not qualify for any federal grants or grants through North Central, however you’ll never know if you don’t complete the financial aid process. If you are offered federal loans as part of your financial aid, it is up to you whether you want them or not.

As for how to file, here’s a little info I usually share with students who ask me that question.

1. Here is the link to the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid): http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/

By filling out the FAFSA and listing North Central’s code (001734), we will receive your financial aid info.

2. To electronically sign the form, you and the parent filing with you will need to apply for a PIN, which is found at this website: http://www.pin.ed.gov/PINWebApp/pinindex.jsp (I recommend getting them, as the PIN will decrease the processing time of your FAFSA. Think of it as an electronic way of signing the FAFSA. If you have a pin from previously filing the FAFSA, you can use that pin.)

When we receive the FAFSA, if we need additional information from you, we will let you know.
If there has been a change in your family’s financial situation over the past year, contact your counselor directly so that we can help you have the most complete and accurate financial aid package possible.

See, now that looks pretty harmless, right? If you have additional question about filing financial aid, be sure to talk to your admission counselor. Don’t know who that is? Click here to and find out or call 630-637-5800.

I think that wraps this blog up for now.

Your personal Suze Orman,
Megan Hoinkes

Before I jump into the end of my great French adventure, a few plugs.

-The next Transfer Visit Day is coming up on Saturday, April 25. If you really want to see what transferring to North Central is all about, it’s a great day to meet with faculty, get a tour of campus, and hear from the stupendous (and we are stupendous) Transfer Admission staff. Register here. If you can’t make it, you can always set up an individual visit. Contact info is here.

-The Transfer Admission Staff has a Twitter page. Click here to follow us Cardinals as we Tweet.

-The North Central Athletics page is new and looking good. You’ve gotta check it out.

Now then, what were we talking about? Oh, right, FRANCE. Honestly, even though it’s been almost 3 months since the trip wrapped up, I’m still tryin to find ways to describe it. I’ve been very lucky, as this was my third trip abroad: I was a direct exchange student for the 2004 Fall Term at Canterbury Christ Church University (where a group of students from North Central will be attending this year), was part of the 2005 “Crossing Boarders, Connecting Cultures” Conference that took me to Beijing, China and Kyoto, Japan for two weeks (really, just stunning), and now a December Term trip to France.

Over the past few months, I’ve tried to figure out how to describe the experience (a common problem for those who study abroad, I’ve found). I could talk about all the amazing sites I saw (the Pont du Gard, the Amphitheatre in Orange, Avignon, Arles, and of course Paris). Also, for those of you who own the bestseller 1,000 Places to See Before You Die, by my calculations we knocked five locations from the book off our bucket lists.

I could give you insightful critiques of everything I ate and drank (well, “delicious” doesn’t really begin to describe my gastronomical experience, neither in fact does “scrumdiddlyumptious,” but it’s closer). I could tell you about the people (the gentle chiding for not knowing French, the look of surprise and smiles on people’s faces when I tell them where I’m from). I could tell you some of the crazy stories, and some of the funny ones. Traveling always causes both of those types of stories, and I promise you that this trip was no exception.

Or I could just give you a list of Do’s (DO go on a dinner boat tour of the Seine, as Paris at night is just mesmerizing) and Don’ts (DON’T try to find tasty American food.: the French do French food better, and you live in America and can literally get a hamburger whenever).

So maybe I’ll just do this. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. According to my camera, I took 2,086 pictures. I know. That’s a lot. Stop laughing. But instead of speaking for them, I’ll let some of the pictures speak for themselves.

Okay, right now I can’t get the blog to post it, so you’ll just have to click here.

There. Better than my stories, better than my Do’s and Don’ts. Bottom line: This trip was amazing, and by far the best way I’ve ever spent a D-Term at North Central.

That’s it for now.

-Megan

But, as usual, I’m getting ahead of myself.  Let’s talk about our group of world travelers and GLS 177 – A Journey Through the History of France, the class they are taking.  All in all there are 20 of us on this trip: Professor Norval Bard, our fearless leader, me, the intrepid staff assistant, seventeen female students (of which five are transfer students), and one male student.  The class and corresponding trip takes place of the the entire December Term – December 1st  through the 19th.  The first day was a pre-flight meeting, and then on Tuesday we were off!  The first stop in our three city tour is Avignon, which is in Provence deep in the south of France (Google it if you are as bad at geography as I am).  Most of Provence was settled by the Roman empire (that’s OLD, people), and so they area is a vibrant mix between a Mediterranean and French style (if that makes sense).  Clay tiled roofs, shutters, and pastel buildings abound.  Avignon itself though, is stunning:  you may have heard the famous song “Sur la Pont d’Avignon,” and are familiar with the famous bridge. (Yes, I went to the bridge, yes I danced; however, due to my bad dancing that picture will never see the light of day and has been condemned to the bastille.)  

But my personal favorite in Avignon is the Palais des Papes, or the Palace of the Popes.  For a period of 70 years in the 14th century, Avignon was the home of the Pope, and as a result, the Palais remains a beautiful site and reminder of this time.  Here’s a picture of our lovely group: 

I wish I could show you pictures from inside this amazing place, however, my mother always taught me to be respectful of both my elders and of historical monuments, and so I’m sorry to say that I’ll have to keep the memories to myself, and instead invite you to visit this building one day.  

This region is known for lavender, and so it is not surprising to walk into a store and be overcome by the smell of it. I happen to love the smell of lavender, so this is a very good thing.  Also, during the holiday season towns throughout France and Europe set up Christmas Markets, making the city center of Avignon completely unforgettable.  As is the case in Avignon and Tours, we are using the cities as sort of a home based for a lot of our day trips. While in Avignon, we’ve taken day trips to the Pont du Gard, an unbelievable exposed section of an aqueduct from 100 AD (that’s SUPER OLD, people), and taken trips to Arles, one of the first cities to be colonized by the Romans (Just FYI, the arena in Arles is still used today for bullfighting, but in Roman times people would fight other animals, specifically bears.  That’s right, BEARS.  Stephen Colbert would be proud.)  

The students are having so much fun, and our hotel staff is very nice.  I do not speak French, and the front desk guys doesn’t speak much English, but we still managed to have a fun conversation about Jason Mraz and talk about other American musicians too.  

Well, tomorrow we are traveling for a full day to Tours, which is about two and a half hours outside of Paris.  So, on to the trains, and au revoir (for now!) – Megan

 (Please forgive any spelling or grammar errors, by the way.  Remember, I’m in France. Merci.)

Megan Hoinkes here, blogging to you live from Joliet Junior College!  Wahoo!  I’m so sorry it’s been a bit since I last blogged, and it’s hard to believe that it’s already the Monday of the week of the Fall Term.  The Fall Term always seems to sail by, but this term it feels like it was propelled by nuclear energy or something.   That means that next week is already Finals Week.  To quote Inspector Gadget, “Wowzers!” The trimester does seem to go by fast.  But what a fall term this turned out to be!  This fall we welcomed over 270 new transfer students to North Central’s campus.  That’s the biggest incoming transfer class in the history of the school.  The rest of the transfer staff and I have been dancing our way through the fall (well okay, that’s not entirely true, I’m the only one dancing, but we’re all very happy), and we are now working on getting students ready to transfer in for our Winter Term that begins on January 5^th. 

We also had a very successful Transfer Visit Day on November 1^st.  Nearly 50 prospective transfer students came to check out campus, talk with faculty, and get info from our very informative transfer staff.  The students were great, and I think that everyone had a great time.  If you weren’t able to attend the visit day, but would still like to visit campus, I just want to take a minute to remind you of a few options.  First, we do have a mini-Transfer Info Session coming up on Saturday, December 6^th.  The session is about two hours long: for the first hour you get some general information about visiting campus, and the second hour is a tour of campus.  And of course, you can always, always, always come in for an individual visit to campus to meet with a transfer counselor for an unofficial course evaluation, and go on a tour of campus.  For more information on both of these opportunities, you can visit the visit campus portion of the North Central Office of Admission website by going to http://www.northcentralcollege.edu/x5089.xml .

Right now we’re all back on the road, visiting community colleges and college fairs all over the lovely Land of Lincoln (that’s Illinois, ya’ll).  To find out who your counselor is and when they’ll be visiting a school near you, head on over to the “Meet Your Counselor” page at http://www.northcentralcollege.edu/x5100.xml .  

Perhaps the biggest news for me right now is that I will be out of the office for the better part of December. Why?  Well, as I’ve discussed in the past, during the December Term (D-Term) at North Central, we end up sending students on mission trips and study abroad opportunities all over the world.  This year, I’ve been asked to help assist Dr. Norval Bard with a group of students headed to France!  I’m so excited, and am going to do my best to try and post a blog or two during our adventures to Avignon, Tours, and Paris.  This trip is going to be a great way to end a great fall! 

Two more shout outs:  First, check out the greatness of North Central Athletics this fall!  In Football, the Cardinals won the CCIW conference and just finished undefeated in regular season ball.  Good luck in the playoffs!  Our Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Teams had great seasons as well.  For more info on North Central College Athletics, check out the athletics website. http://www.northcentralcollege.edu/x8249.xml

Finally, I want to say howdy and welcome to Ashley Seiple, into the blogosphere.  Ashley will be blogging for the office of admission from the first-year perspective.  Check her blog out at http://blogs.northcentralcollege.edu/aeseiple/ .

I think that’s about it for now.  Have a great rest of the fall!
-M    

I’m sorry it took me a while to put another blog up, but seriously, it’s been one crazy summer in the Office of Admission. But now, summer is giving way to fall, which means it is time for two of my favorite things about fall: the start of a new school year, and the start of football season. Next week, our incoming transfer class will move into their dorm rooms, orientation begins, and I expect that the air on campus will be perfumed by the smell of new textbooks and school supplies.

Before I totally give up summer though, I want to share a couple pictures I took a few weeks back of North Central’s campus. Why was I taking pictures of a campus I work at and see every day? Well, to be honest, I was bored on my lunch break, and my camera was in my purse. Suddenly, I’m an architecture paparazzi. I only took a few pictures, but for some reason looking through the camera made me remember one of the reasons I transferred here. Now, I don’t consider myself a terribly superficial person, but I have to admit that we have one pretty campus. Take a look and see what I mean.

This is Carnegie Hall. It used to be the campus library, and is now home to our Computer Science and IT department. When people ask me how to get to Carnegie Hall, I always say “Practice.” Of course, no one ever gets that joke. Anyway…

Meiley-Swallow Hall is one of the most recent additions to campus. It is the new home to our Art Department, and also houses our Interactive Media Studies major. It also has a stunning 3/4 thrust stage inside (that’s Shakespeare style, ya’ll).

This is Old Main. Old Main is where you can me and the rest of the Office of Admission on the second floor. Oh yeah, and there’s the Financial Aid Office, the Business Office, the Office of the Registrar, the Office of Marketing and Communications, the President’s Office, the Alumni Office, some classrooms, and, of course, the Mailroom. But mostly, the Office of Admission.

****

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I only need five: How beautiful is our campus? I didn’t even show you pictures of the Wentz Concert Hall and Fine Arts Center, Kiekhofer Hall (newly remodeled and home to two of my favorite departments – English and International Programs), Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium (did someone say football and soccer?), and Pfeiffer Hall. Maybe another time. Or maybe it’s about time you visited campus.

-Megan

Time flies. Well, actually, time is relative (thank YOU, Einstein), but I argue that it does fly as well. It is already the fifth week of our spring term. In the words of the great Jon Bon Jovi, we’re halfway there! It may sound cliché (but who cares? I love clichés), but it feels like it was only yesterday that our students (and myself included) were grumbling about returning to class and being forced to face the cruel January winds. However, now that I’m walking around in a lighter jacket, and we’re five weeks away from summer break, and I’m loving the trimester.

Of the things that make North Central stand out is the awesome-ness of the trimester. (By the way, I cannot be entirely sure “awesome-ness” is an actual word, but let’s go with it) What is the trimester, you ask? Well, instead of two semesters like many colleges and universities, we have three 10-week terms. Our fall term begins in September, and we go straight through ten weeks of classes. By Thanksgiving, we have already completed our first set of finals. When I was going through the process of transferring schools, when it was explained to me that I would be done with my first set of classes by Thanksgiving, let me tell you, “pleased” does not even begin to describe how I felt. “Ecstatic” is more like it.

After fall term, we have an optional 3 week period that we call our “December Term” (or D-Term), which I’ll get to in a minute.

After the New Year, we start our winter term. Ten weeks and a few finals later, we have a week and a half off for spring break, and then we begin our spring term. Ten more weeks and a few more finals later, and our students are done for the summer by the week of June.

The beauty of the trimester lies in this calendar, because we condense semester course work into ten week courses, meaning that though the course work is as challenging as it would be a traditional semester school, (and possibly even more so, since North Central classes must move at a faster pace) you take less classes at a time. Yet, over the course of the academic year, you will complete the same amount of course work as one would complete at a traditional semester school. Each term you will come back to a totally new set of classes, meaning that unless you are doing an independent study or internship or research of some kind, you will never be working on a project or studying for a test during your breaks.

Now, back to that December Term. I’m a huge fan, because when you meet up with your family over the holiday season, the D-Term will be the reason why you have the best story at the dinner table. During this period, there are a variety of opportunities available to students. For one thing, you can take a course at North Central’s campus, only at an accelerated pace (more so than our already fast 10 week terms). The class goes toward your winter coursework, so it is a great way to get a general education class out of the way.

So class is great, but there are other opportunities to learn beyond the traditional classroom experience. That’s where our Verandah Experiences come in. Students and faculty alike look at a Verandah experience as an opportunity to explore topics in a different way. So, a Verandah course may have students interested in education visit Chicago museums while learning about resources for under-funded schools. Or maybe math…and square dancing. How about exploring Christmas-themed theatre by going to theatres and watching holiday classics like The Nutcracker and A Christmas Carol? Verandah experiences are opportunities to enhance your cultural and educational experience. For more info on Verandah experiences, click here: http://www.northcentralcollege.edu/x19231.xml

For people who want to do some good, we have Service and Mission trips that take place during the D-Term. These service opportunities have taken our students to Louisiana, North Carolina, and even as far as Thailand. We also have the Appalachian Service Project (ASP), where students go and help to repair homes in the Appalachian region. Whether it is Habitat for Humanity or Hurricane Katrina relief, our students have used D-Term as an opportunity to aid others. Here’s the link to our Service and Mission Trips page: http://www.northcentralcollege.edu/x15042.xml

And for people itching for a stamp in their passports, we have International Travel Seminars where, according to our International Programs website, our students have “the chance to engage in independent study of two or three cultures on a single three-week study tour, under faculty guidance.” (Yeah, they said it better than I could have.) Some of the December Term seminars in years past sent our students to Greece, France, Cambodia, along with Turkey and Tunisia, and this year there are plans to go to Germany, Ghana, France, Guatemala, and Morocco. It is a great way for students who might not have the ability to study overseas for a full term to have the opportunity to experience another country. For more info, check out the Office of International Programs page: http://www.northcentralcollege.edu/x10813.xml

And there you have it. The North Central College academic calendar. Admit it, you love it. I know I do.

That’s about it for now. Here’s where you can find a North Central transfer counselor in the coming weeks:

Wednesday, April 23, 2008
College of DuPage 10am-1pm (second floor of the SRC near the library)

Thursday, April 24, 2008
Illinois Valley Community College 10am-1pm

Wednesday, April 30, 2008
College of DuPage 10am-1pm (second floor of the SRC near the library)
Moraine Valley Community College 9:30-12:30pm

Tuesday, May 6, 2008
College of DuPage 10am-1pm (second floor of the SRC near the library)
Elgin Community College 10am-1pm

Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Moraine Valley Community College 4pm-6pm (Transcript Evaluations Only)

Thursday, May 8, 2008
Waubonsee Community College 9:30am-12:30pm (Bodie Hall library)

We are finishing up our traveling and will be taking a well-earned break from the open road, though you’ll still find us on the second floor of Old Main all summer long. Click here to find out how to set up a visit on campus: http://www.northcentralcollege.edu/x4383.xml

And don’t forget about our Transfer Visit Day on Saturday, May 3^rd. It’s gonna be a blast. Here’s the info on how to register: http://www.northcentralcollege.edu/x5089.xml

Happy Spring!
Megan