INDIANA — Indiana’s 29 private, nonprofit colleges are offering special visits to students and their families as part of Indiana Private College Week from July 18 through July 22. Prospective students and their families interested in the college selection process will experience the unique personalities of each campus through tours, informational sessions, and conversations with current students and staff. A complete list of participating campuses, event schedules, and registration information is available at icindiana.org/pcw.
“Students and their families can make the best decision about where to attend by seeing the dorms and classrooms, meeting with faculty and staff, and seeing themselves thriving on campus,” says Kurt Dykstra, president, and CEO of Independent Colleges of Indiana.
As part of this week, several campuses are hosting 21st Century Scholars Day on Wednesday, July 20 (please check the schedule for participating campuses). Scholars, as well as all other students, are invited to visit ICI institutions hosting special activities designed to help complete the requirements of the Scholar Success Program. The program includes 12 college-prep activities, mandatory for Scholars but recommended for all students, including visiting a campus, estimating college costs, searching for scholarships, and submitting a college application.
Additionally, aspiring private college students have access to a new search tool with accurate employment and salary statistics, key information about the long-term value of their prospective undergraduate degrees. Conducted in partnership between ICI and U.S. Census Bureau, the data can be found online at icindiana.org/gradfacts.
“We want all students and families to discover that an Indiana private college education is within reach in terms of affordability,” says Dykstra. “In addition to federal and state grants, including the 21st Century Scholarship, ICI colleges and universities provide millions of scholarship dollars to students, making a top-flight college degree a dream come true for tens of thousands of students. In addition, the ICI GradFacts tool offers prospective students valuable information demonstrating the return on investment of a college education.”
Visitors between the ages of 16 and 20 touring ICI campuses during Private College Week will also have the chance to enter a drawing for a Microsoft Surface or Apple iPad. Entry forms and rules will be available from each campus.
Although Indiana’s private colleges encourage and welcome visitors throughout the year, this concentrated week offers students an opportunity to visit as many campuses as they would like without missing school. Individual tours may also be scheduled upon personal request.
Independent Colleges of Indiana serves as the collective voice for the state’s 29 private, nonprofit colleges and universities. ICI institutions employ more than 22,000 Hoosiers and generate a total local economic impact of over $5 billion annually. Students at ICI colleges have Indiana’s highest four-year, on-time graduation rates, and ICI institutions produce 30 percent of Indiana’s bachelor’s degrees while enrolling 20 percent of its undergraduates. More information is available at icindiana.org.
