Promoted by Illinois College

Illinois College: Inspiring international student talent

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A top-ranked liberal arts college where learning is hands-on, Illinois College (IC) is inspiring international student talent from its innovative, atmospheric campus in Jacksonville, US.

Welcoming you into a community that’s committed to the highest standards of scholarship and integrity in the liberal arts, the college enables you to develop a fulfilling life of leadership and service.

Where your professors become mentors

With an international reputation for inspiring achievement and empowering students to make a difference in the world, IC professors motivate and mentor students through their chosen course.

Boasting over 45 areas of study, each program embodies an innovative curriculum and includes study abroad opportunities.

There’s also the chance to take BreakAway group trips led by IC faculty. These are life-defining global experiences that immerse you in another culture as you live, study, travel and work in places like Belize, Jamaica, Cuba, Japan, Greece, Austria, Ireland and France, and more.

If you’re concerned about financial barriers holding you back, it’s good to know that scholarships and programs are available to all IC students and that Illinois College has resources and guidance available to all students to make study abroad and BreakAway options affordable.

“The faculty at IC are incredible. I learned so much from my professors in the economics, accounting, finance and international studies/political science departments. I can’t say thank you enough to them and I’m still in touch with some of them. You can tell that IC made a significant investment in its faculty talent in those departments and that they really are at the top of their field.

“The opportunity to complement my studies at a world-class institution like the University of Oxford through the IFS-Butler program was also phenomenal. I don’t think many small liberal arts institutions offer such programs,” Economics and Finance graduate, Josephine Oshiafi from Nigeria reveals.

Illinois College

Where you find countless ways to get involved

A college where your student experiences go far beyond the classroom walls, Illinois College prides itself on providing a diverse campus that diverts your attention to a variety of sports at the Bruner Fitness & Recreation Center and activities at the Center for Student Involvement (CSI).

As Oshiafi explains, there are countless ways to get involved, from the Homecoming committee and student ambassador campus tours to the IC Women’s Tennis and the Coalition for Ethnic Awareness (CEA), here, there’s something for everyone.

“CEA was especially important to me because it was a space for me to celebrate my heritage and the diversity and multiculturalism on campus. I also conducted independent research and participated in Model United Nations under the supervision of Professor Winston Wells in the International Studies department.”

For IC graduate, Samer M Anabtawi from Palestine, there was never a shortage of events to attend or career-boosting activities to pursue.

“My experience at Illinois College was spectacular in every way one could imagine. The liberal arts curriculum was designed in a way that made it possible for me to explore other disciplines beyond my main area of focus.

“I was able to hone leadership skills while serving as the president of two student organisations focused on promoting cultural diversity, progressive education and inclusivity. My communication skills were advanced through my participation in the Phi Alpha literary society, and the college also gave me the opportunity to study abroad in France for a semester and write an honors thesis in French in addition to a senior thesis in political science,” Samer states.

Keeping the student organisations and clubs list updated and the Students Activities Board bursting with regular events involving musicians, speakers, comedians, dance parties and more, IC is the ideal education hub for international students that want to make lifelong connections with fellow learners and faculty.

Illinois College

Where your future starts

For many international students, Illinois College is a stepping-stone to the future.

“IC prepared me to become a researcher and gave me the opportunity to demonstrate scholarly and intellectual merit in my senior thesis which opened the door for me to pursue a career as an academic and a future professor. I am lucky today to continue to enjoy the mentorship of my former IC professors who continue to offer me guidance in my scholarly career a decade later,” Samer reflects.

Advising incoming students to take advantage of the remarkable student life that IC offers, from study abroad opportunities to living-learning communities and literary societies, Samer believes that the “enriching experiences offered, combined with excellence in the classroom, will make you a unique individual and candidate anywhere you go after graduation.”

Another student who had an inspiring time at Illinois College is Mary Appleton. “My experience at IC has been awesome. As an international student, I had great advisers that helped me adapt rapidly and I had the opportunity to attend career fairs that led to interactions with different employers of different companies,” says Mary.

“Plus, the faculty and staff at IC are amazing, they’re always willing to students in whatever way they can and their offices are always open to students,” she advises.

So, if Illinois College is where you hope to start your US study abroad venture and to ignite your talents, click here to discover more.

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