When transferring from my local community college to a 4 year school, I was very picky about where I wanted to attend. I needed an in-state, small, private, non-affiliated school that was in both a good area and known for excellence in education. Turns out the only school that fit that criteria was Lake Forest College. At Lake Forest College, you are able to develop very close relationships with your Professors and fellow classmates. As someone who has graduate school on their radar, this is essential as letters of recommendation are not easily obtained at larger and more impersonal universities that many people are familiar with. The college has excellent internship programs for most all majors in particular, the psychology program. The practical experience acquired during these internships truly put you ahead the rest of the pack post-graduation. I highly recommend taking advantage of the internships as getting these experiences outside of Lake Forest College are very hard and not to mention rare to obtain. The best part about this place however, is the quality of education. You will learn so much here it's really unbelievable. With that said, you will also work soooo hard it's unbelieveable, making this place more of a grad-prep school than anything else. To attend here, it is a little pricey however, this school was ranked #11 for awarding financial aid in the nation. Most everyone gets some form of grant money or scholarship, which makes going here much more affordabale than what you may initially believe. Some other exciting things happening here will be the new Johnson Science Center which is expected to be completed around 2017. Johnson is being rebuilt to meet the growing demand of the ever popular Life Science majors such as Biology and Neuroscience. Speaking of which, the Neuroscience major here is truly outstanding with high placement into the field of medicine post-grad. Also, this school has an awesome Forester for Life alumni service that helps graduates find jobs, network, and revise resumes which is something a graduate like myself is very thankful for. In summation, if you are like me and would like to attend a small school offering such a huge package, Lake Forest College is for you! Just be sure to take advantage of the internships offered!!! ^_^ read more

This is a beautiful campus. We were looking for the ice rink to see my grandson play hockey but got a bit turned around. I stopped a young man who was a student and he explained exactly turn by turn how to get to the Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse which houses the rink. He was a shining example of the type of friendly, respectful and well spoken student one would hope to find here. The ice rink was state of the art and spectator seats were comfortable chairs and not the usual bleacher style seating. It was a comfortable temperature inside as well. read more

Lake Forest College - Nice hockey rink - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Lake Forest, Illinois

Athletes Beware! Had to transfer out after just one semester due to improper and unprofessional treatment from head football coach. The coach is also the athletic director so his behavior can affect multiple sports. We filed a complaint with the school administration including the new college president regarding this matter, but not sure if anything will be done to address the issue as the president did not want to be directly involved despite our multiple attempts. Another administrator who is very professional reached out and assured that necessary steps will be taken to improve the athlete experience. I sure hope improvements will be made as Lake Forest otherwise is a good school with friendly and caring professors. The team/class/roommates were also friendly. read more

This is one of the prettiest college campuses I have ever been to. I used to go to the library to study at this campus. Located close to the lake. Plenty of snow in the winners. Incredible faculty who are deeply concerned about each one of their students. Very friendly student body. A wonderful place to grow and learn. read more

Back when I was just an ignorant senior in high school (heck, to this day, I still feel ignorant about a lot of stuff), Lake Forest College was one of my top three choices for collegiate life. I had been accepted and rewarded a small academic scholarship to play volleyball. I had the chance to visit a couple times (even met with the volleyball coach and attended a game) and my visits were lovely. The small campus is quaint, filled with aging, ornate buildings nestled together among trees near a small town along the North Shore of Chicago. The college is small -- a liberal-arts school that has about 2,000 students, which is the equivalent of a large high school. I'm sure, at times, that this place probably feels like high school, on a whole different level (think: parties). LFC is known for its academics and prestige. This place definitely oozes prestige and wealth, since it's in one of the wealthiest areas of the state (and not a cheap college to attend). I was kind of awed by it, but knowing myself, the appeal fades quickly. Chicago isn't too far away, if you choose to drive (eek!) or walk to the Metra in town. I ended up choosing a different university to attend -- this one just didn't quite fit me. The 'richness' didn't appeal, and I didn't see much diversity. Of course, things change over time, and had I attended, I may or may not have a different opinion (I have not heard good things from a friend of mine that did attend and ended up transferring out her Sophomore year). read more

Lake Forest College is fabulous, stellar, all of the above. It's a bit pricey, but typical for a small private liberal arts college. The education is great and professors are wonderful. A great choice! read more

I can still remember my first campus tour like it was yesterday. I entered through the North Campus (named for the Cardinal direction of North) and parked my red Nissan (nicknamed The Red Scare). Before I knew it, there I was. Me, a wide-eyed, optimistic prospective student, and my tour guide, an angelic, golden blonde haired beaut named Sharon or Cheryl, whatever not important. We viewed every building on all 3 campusii starting with North, moving on to Middle Campus (named for its location in the middle of the entire school), and finishing in South Campus (named for early school chancellor Mark South). My tour guide shared numerous fun facts with me along the way. Do you know that LF does not have a baseball team? Do you know about the Senior 25? Do you know the path of the Homecoming Parade? Do you know where the grinding wall is in the student center? Do you know the best bush to take a leak in? Thanks to my tour guide, I know all of these things. My tour guide was super helpful with answering just about all of my questions on academics and clubs and ways to get involved in the school/community. She looked confused when I asked where the cool kids would be hanging out on a typical weekend night, but then I noticed her purity ring and realized she didn't get out too much. Nonetheless, I learned a great deal about the school although I finished my tour feeling slightly ill. My tour guide insisted, "Looks like someone has caught Forrester Fever!" We both had a god laugh over that one. Turns out, however, it was the onset of a stomach flu. I've been rushing to the toilet ever since. So, to sum it all up, I was very impressed with the campusii of Lake Forest College, and I look forward to being a Forrester! (pending further testing and medical clearance from my doctor. 5 stars read more

After moving from this school in the middle of my first semester in college, visiting other colleges, meeting different professors and students, & thinking about my experience at Lake Forest, I came to the conclusion that I'm not crazy and this college really is terrible. It is after all of this, I have decided to sit down and write a review of Lake Forest College because people - especially prospective students - need to know. I came to the school on the belief that it was everything I would want in a college: small, private, liberal, and supportive of diversity. Huge mistake. While of course, everyone has their own experience in college, I feel that it is important to listen to my story. Because there are certain aspects of a college that everyone essentially wants and should have, such as safety. In their attempt to create a great, diverse and unique school in the middle of the forest, they failed miserably - it is isolated from everything. Coming from Chicago, their whole "45min ride from Chicago" rip is false. Second, in hopes of not making the college only filled with rich, somewhat smart students, the school has gone into a huge, expensive recruiting mission to bring more students of color and of different backgrounds to the campus. What was seemingly a good idea, has become a disaster within their classrooms. Where half of the students are far beyond the lecture and the other half does not understand basic grammar and the definitions of words such as, contradiction. I felt cheated in my academics here, and while I enjoyed the topics, I was not learning these topics on the college level I expected. Lake Forest College is like another Lake Forest High School, except with a handful more people of color and probably a more dysfunctional administration and staff. There is no effort to mix groups up and have social/educational events that are interesting enough to catch even half the school's attention. The cliques are like something from Mean Girls and the football team never wins a game. These factors might be ok if the college was academically challenging and involved in community organizing, or the arts perhaps. Lake Forest College has no well established program, courses, or campus activities that it can honestly claim are unique, educationally enhancing and well organized. Every month they hold a dance in the student center called an "ACP" which stands for all campus party. At these parties funded by the college, underage students drink excessively and are openly exposed to massive amounts of alcohol and drugs. Obviously these things exist on a college campus, but for the school to encourage much of this unhealthy activity for it's already ill-equipped student population is a little too "liberal". Furthermore, the campus lacks appropriate safety for its students. After being the victim of a violent crime on the campus, I can attest to this. After about 6 pm, the whole campus gets pitch black in the winter, there is poor lighting and sexual assaults and harassment on campus are rampant. Public safety had no structure when approaching my incident and did not comply with usual procedures. The administration did a horrible job making me feel safe after the incident as well. No matter what kindof school you are looking for, don't you want it to be safe? Also, the college advertises that it is a great choice for social justice, law, public policy, international relations, and government bound students. Most of these type of students that came in the fall of 2010 are already gone, including me. I actually tried to start a global activism club at the school, but about 90% of the students were more interested in getting drunk and trying to forget about the poor education they were receiving. The drunk, idiotic students are in the majority here, and it is far more obvious on the campus because it is a small school. When you graduate college, you don't want to go back to high school right? Don't attend this school or send your smart, creative and talented students here if you want them to have a useful college diploma, graduate with intelligence and sanity, and have a future. read more

Sometimes you don't know how good or bad something is until you move on. I was in a 2 year program in a large Boston instution; I though the college was great (Dean's List, Student Body President), etc. and the town some much fun it was scary. After two years in Boston, I moved on to Lake Forest College and started to learn. It is tricky to be critical when your target population is only one person. Was LFC really that much better or was it just that had my superego finally started to develop? I did feel like a different person. When I left Boston, I thought life was good: sex and drugs and Rock'n roll. When I left Lake Forest I felt like there were a thousand things I wanted to do, and I could make a real contribution in what ever I did. Everyone needs to make their own choice. The lack of structure in a liberal school means you have to make more decisions for your self and that might be scary. But taking risks, accepting occasional defeats or finding yourself in a challenging situation are important learning experiences. That is what college is all about: finding what you can do in the world that has value and doing it. Lake Forest worked for me. read more

This bucolic, Midwest liberal arts college is a wonderful private enclave for students from near and far. Known especially for economics and pre-business programs, many of the other departments including music, theater, sociology and anthropology are booming as well. With new dormitories going in, a completely new athletic center, a new library and a new annex to the student center, the campus has grown significantly in recent years and yet kept its intimate feel. read more

A great private school in the Chicago suburbs. Its nestled away and hard to find, but the campus is beautiful and worth checking out. Its a small school, but provides a great education. I think their education program is great here. read more

Ten years ago I graduated Cum Laude from Lake Forest College, and, under no circumstances, would I recommend it to anyone. In the ten years since graduation I have applied for hundreds of jobs requiring a college degree and have never once been offered an interview. I achieved a top score on the GRE but could not gain acceptance to any graduate schools. The advisory and career counseling services are completely useless. Lake Forest College offers nothing to its students but debt and bad memories. read more

LFC is a hidden jewel and Chicago's best kept secret. Would love to see one of the bigger financial institutes in Chicago sponsor/create a world-class undergraduate business school. Some of the best leaders in the world live within a 10 mile radius of the school----time to leverage this connection! read more