North Central College (NCC)

���Location, Location, Location!��� bears an important imprint on an undergraduate education at North Central College. Students cite many ���opportunities due to location��� boasting, ���you cannot beat being so close to Chicago.��� But the Windy City isn���t the only reason students choose NCC. The school offers ���a wonderful study abroad program,��� as well as ���a great science department.��� Students also enjoy that ���professors are multi-faceted individuals, and have a lot to offer.��� Most ���are very dedicated and accessible. They encourage individual research and independent study.��� Professorial support of students who want to take the initiative in their studies leads undergraduates to ���feel that though North Central is not necessarily one of the most ���highly selective��� schools, it gives you the opportunity to push yourself to whatever academic level you desire.��� Students appreciate that ���The administration makes an effort to get to know as many students as possible.��� Some complain, however, that the administration might be too ���focused on the future of the school, and not on the present. They worry about attracting students��� more than they do about retaining them.

���The typical student comes from upper middle class suburbia, is an average student, an athlete, a Christian, and heavily involved��� in some type of extracurricular group. He or she is Caucasian and ���comes from the surrounding suburbs and wants to be close to mom and dad, but still able to practice the freedom that college gives.��� Other students are ���from smaller farming communities in Illinois.��� A typical NCC student ���goes home about one weekend a month.��� Because ���it is very uncommon to see an atypical student,��� many NCC undergraduates wish that there were ���more ethnic and religious diversity on our campus.���

Location plays a large part in the social life of NCC undergraduates as well. The ���school is located right in downtown Naperville, where there are a lot of great restaurants, coffee shops, and little stores.��� In addition, ���there are several bars within walking distance, and those who are 21 and older frequent them.��� Film aficionados appreciate that ���there is a really cheap movie theater near school ($3), so we go there frequently.��� Since ���fraternities and sororities are non-existent at our college,��� there are ���seldom��� parties on campus. When there are, they ���tend to take place in houses owned by members of the sports teams or in the dorm rooms.��� Speaking of sports teams, ���a large percentage of students are athletes,��� and during the week the ���day revolves around practice and class.��� Unfortunately, ���it seems like everyone goes home for the weekends.��� In an effort to curb the Friday night exodus, ���the CUAB (College Union Activities Board) puts together lots of weekend and late night activities around campus��� but ���very few actually have a turn out.��� It only takes about 45 minutes to ���travel to downtown Chicago via the Metra.��� The trip is made easier because the Naperville train station is very near the NCC campus.