North Central College’s Office of Admissions is experienced with recruiting out-of-state students.
No matter where a student is from, the admission process is relatively similar between Illinois residents and out-of-state students. All of them work one-on-one with a counselor, have the opportunity to visit campus, and can receive financial aid. However, there are some differences when it comes to recruiting students from other states.
“There definitely is a different process,” stated Dean of Admissions Martha Stolze. “We are known mostly as a regional school, so we do not dedicate a mass amount of business funding to send counselors away.”
About 92 percent of North Central’s student population consists of Illinois residents, so most of the recruiting is focused on visiting high schools and college fairs in Illinois. However, some admission counselors visit schools outside of Illinois.
“We go to a lot of out-of-state fairs to the states that touch us,” said Christopher Drennan, freshman admissions counselor. These include Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa and a few others.
Stolze said that students who are interested in North Central and are from out-of-state typically knew an alum from North Central, have family that lives or lived around the area, or find a niche on campus. For example, Heather Breed, senior associate director of freshman admission, had a student from Massachusetts who had a strong interest in jazz, learned about faculty member Jack Mouse, and wanted to be involved in the program.
Another draw for out-of-state students is the athletic programs offered at North Central. For example, Kristen Guido, freshman admission counselor, sees some of her students from Texas attending North Central for the football program.
The Office of Admissions stresses a little bit more for out-of-state students to visit the campus and learn more about the Naperville area. The office will even help pay for half of the travel expenses for students coming from more than five hours away.
“As somebody who went to an out of state school, North Central has done a nice job with out-of-state students,” said Stolze. “There is support for these students, and it is a vibrant campus.”
Erik Burke Monroe, Michigan
Senior Erik Burke had a personal connection to North Central before coming here. Jessica Stotz, a North Central alumna, reached out to Burke and suggested that he check North Central out. After seeing the “Wedding Singer” on campus, meeting the theater faculty, and partaking in auditions, Burke settled into the community. “I love the [theatre]program. There is a strong connection with the professors and the amount of opportunity in the program.” He also likes the close proximity to Chicago and the theater opportunities there. Burke is pleased that he took the plunge and moved away from home, which is about a four-hour car ride, five hours by train. “It’s an adventure. You will experience other things that you would not usually have. It really broadens your horizons.
Ryan Varela Ketchikan, Alaska
For senior Ryan Varela, he did not want to stay close to home for college. Instead, he chose to move away from the West Coast and travel east. Varela came across North Central by Googling colleges that offered his intended major at the time, sports management, and the opportunity to play football. Varela made the journey to the Midwest with his parents to visit North Central and the surrounding area for about 3-4 days, and he liked what he saw. “I really came here to have the opportunities that the city offers, espically the career opportunites.” Varela also likes the chance to meet new people and be able to explore different parts of the country, and an out of state school offered just these opportunites to him. “I don’t regret it. The Midwest will definitely become my home.”
Matthew Wilke Derby, Kansas
When it came to deciding on a college, senior Matthew Wilke knew he wanted to come to the Chicago area. After looking at numerous Chicagoland colleges, Wilke settled himself into the North Central campus. Wilke chose to attend North Central for several reasons. “The main thing was I wanted to do worship leading. I felt that I really had the opportunity to reach my dreams here.” He also came to North Central because of the college’s ties to the Methodist faith, being close to Chicago, and massive amount of opportunities to get involved in all his interests and passions. “I had to step out of my comfort zone, but it pushes you to find who you are.” Wilke recently studied abroad in Israel and Palestine, where he did research for his thesis on social activism and Christianity.
Kat Kazmierski Monroe, Michigan
Freshman Kat Kazmierski had her choices narrowed for college when she was applying last year: Columbia in Chicago or North Central. Kazmierski came to learn about NCC through her mother finding the college on a college board website. Kazmierski decided NCC would be her choice of school because it offered her major, graphic design, and it was very friendly and offered a more personal atmosphere. “My admissions counselor called me every few months to check in and see how things were going.” Kazmierski did not find anything hard to adjust to coming to a new school in a different state. She said that she was a very independent person before the school year started, so the transition was easy for her to make. However, she did have to get used to some Illinois laws.
