Admissions Office
Wheaton College
Wheaton, Illinois 60187
630-752-5005
800-222-2419 (toll-free)
E-mail: admissions@wheaton.edu
COSTS:
Tuition:
$25,100
Room and Board:
$9,660
Fees, books, misc.:
$500
Wheaton, Illinois
Overview
Wheaton College's 146-year history demonstrates the benefits of stable leadership in private Christian higher education: it has had only 7 presidents since it was founded in 1860. Interdenominational and international in constituency, the student body of about 2,440 undergraduates (including 220 students in the Conservatory of Music) and 458 graduate students represents all fifty states, some forty countries, and more than thirty Christian denominations. Sixty-nine percent of the students come from outside Illinois.
In addition to its undergraduate programs, Wheaton College offers the Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) degree and the Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in clinical psychology, educational ministries, evangelism, missions/intercultural studies, and theological studies, as well as a Doctor of Psychology degree and a Ph.D. in biblical studies. Two certificate programs—Advanced Biblical Studies and Teaching English as a Second Language—are also available.
Location and Community
Wheaton's 80-acre campus is located in a residential suburb (population 50,000) 25 miles west of Chicago. The educational and cultural features of the Chicago metropolitan area are easily accessible by train and regularly visited by students. The Wheaton area is the home of more than forty Christian organizations.
Academic Life
Wheaton is a distinctively Christian college where faculty members and students work together, both inside and outside the classroom, to apply Christian principles and values to the needs and problems of the individual and society. The vigorous search for knowledge and wisdom in any area of human activity is based on the belief that all truth is God's truth. The academic curriculum combines with the extensive cocurriculum of artistic, athletic, religious, service, and social activities to achieve a lively interaction of Christian faith, learning, and living. Because of the College's strong commitment to developing effective servant/leaders for the church and society worldwide, there is a particularly strong integration of faith and learning in all degree programs.
To meet the requirements of all baccalaureate degrees, students must complete a minimum of 124 semester hours, 36 of which must be in the upper division, and have at least a C (2.0) average overall.
The major field is selected during the second semester of general education courses taken to meet competency and area requirements. Students must demonstrate competence (either by examination or by taking prescribed courses) in foreign language, mathematics, speech, and writing. All students must complete area requirements in art, biblical studies, history, kinesiology, literature, music, natural science, philosophy, and social science. A student may be granted advanced placement or college credit on the basis of examination (SAT Subject Tests or AP). The number of credits granted and the level of placement are determined by the registrar and the chairman of the department in which the course is taught.
The College operates on a semester academic calendar, beginning in late August and ending in early May. An eight-week summer term is also offered.
Wheaton College offers a variety of off-campus opportunities to enhance students' programs of study. The High Road program is a rugged wilderness education experience available to new students at the College's Honey Rock Camp in northern Wisconsin. The Human Needs and Global Resources (HNGR) Program focuses on responses to human needs from a multidisciplinary perspective. It offers a concentration of courses leading to a six-month internship overseas, followed by a seminar on campus. By participating in this program, students can earn up to 24 hours of credit. A similar program in urban studies is focused on U.S. cities.
Other special summer programs for credit include field study at the Wheaton College Science Station in the Black Hills of South Dakota; working with youth at Honey Rock Camp; interdisciplinary study in East Asia; the study of English literature in England; language study in France, Germany, and Spain; the Wheaton-in-the-Holy-Lands Program, involving biblical and archaeological studies; and an international study program based in England and the Netherlands, offering courses in economics, political science, and psychology.
Wheaton is a member of the Council of Christian Colleges and Universites, based in Washington, D.C. The council's activities increase students' learning opportunities by bringing special programs to campus and by providing off-campus study. Off-campus programs include American Studies in Washington, D.C.; Latin American Studies in Costa Rica; Middle East Studies in Cairo; and the Los Angeles Film Studies Center. In addition, Wheaton's membership in the Christian College Consortium allows students a semester of study at one of the other twelve consortium colleges.
Cooperative programs in social science are available at American and Drew universities, and students may participate in a European seminar conducted by Gordon College.
The 191 Wheaton faculty members, of whom nearly 90 percent hold earned doctorates, come from a variety of colleges and universities in the United States and abroad. As active Christians, they are interested in the spiritual and intellectual development of their students. The faculty members' primary commitment as educators and advisers is enriched by their considerable research, publishing, and artistic performance activities. All undergraduate courses are taught by faculty members.
To ensure a rich range of perspectives and expertise, every department at Wheaton has at least 3 full-time professors, and most have 5 to 10. The student-faculty ratio is 12:1.
Majors Offered:
Wheaton grants the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees and, through the Wheaton Conservatory of Music, the Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Music Education degrees.
The following majors are available in the arts and sciences: ancient languages, anthropology, archaeology, art, biblical studies, biology, business/economics, chemistry, Christian education, communications, computer science/math, economics, education, English, environmental science, geology, history, interdisciplinary studies, international relations, kinesiology, mathematics, modern languages (French, German, and Spanish), music, philosophy, physical science, physics, political science, psychology, religious studies, social science, and sociology. Also, 3-2 programs are available in engineering and nursing, as is a five-year cooperative engineering program with Illinois Institute of Technology.
The Wheaton Conservatory of Music offers majors in music composition, music education, music history–literature, music performance, and music with elective studies in an outside field. Students seeking these professional music degrees normally begin their programs as freshmen.
An on-campus program in military science leads to a commission in the U.S. Army at graduation. In addition to the majors offered, Wheaton has programs leading to teacher certification and to athletic training certification as well as programs preparing students for careers in business, health professions, law, and ministry.
Facilities and Resources
Wheaton's combined libraries have a collection of more than 1 million items and belong to Illinet, a resource-sharing system comprising fifty-six Illinois libraries. The Peter Stam Music Library holds more than 10,000 recordings, 12,000 scores, and 425 titles in music education. The Wade Center is a special collection of the books and papers of 7 British authors, including C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien.
Adams Hall houses an art gallery and studios, and Arena Theater is home to several theater productions each year.
The Sports and Recreation Complex, which opened in 2000, comprises the Eckert Recreation Center, a renovated King Arena, and the Chrouser Fitness Center. In addition to housing academic offices and classrooms, the complex's amenities include multiple basketball courts, an 8,000-square-foot weight and fitness area, an elevated running track, an indoor climbing wall, and a glassed-in upper walkway above the fitness center's 35-meter pool.
Specialized laboratory facilities and modern equipment are available for general and advanced work in various science departments and for individual student research projects. Numerous microcomputers, as well as larger types of data processing equipment, are readily available for student use.
Campus Life
The student activity calendar includes concerts of all kinds, Chicago outings, films, theater productions, athletic contests, and banquets. The Office of Christian Outreach provides opportunities for student ministry through the Student Missionary Project, Christian Service Council, and World Christian Fellowship. The Men's Glee Club, Women's Chorale, Concert Choir, Symphonic Band, Symphony Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, and Gospel Choir, open by audition to all Wheaton students, give concerts throughout the Chicago area and make annual tours to other sections of the United States and to Canada. Radio broadcasting experience is provided by WETN, the campus FM radio station. Through efforts of the student body, the College publishes The Record, a weekly newspaper; Kodon, the College literary magazine; and The Tower yearbook. An additional forty clubs and organizations round out the cocurricular offerings.
Sports / Varsity Athletics
Wheaton is a member of NCAA Division III. Intercollegiate sports include baseball, basketball, cross-country, football, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track, volleyball, wrestling, and women's water polo. In addition, the College has a well-developed club sports program, including crew, cheerleading, ice hockey, lacrosse, tae kwon do, and men's volleyball, as well as fifteen intramural sports.
Financial Aid / Scholarships
Most Wheaton College financial aid is allocated on the basis of need as demonstrated by information supplied on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the CSS Profile. Students from Alaska, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont are expected to apply for state grants or scholarships along with their application for Wheaton College aid.
Substantial student aid is available in the form of grants, loans, and work-study opportunities provided by government and College resources. The average aid package is about $13,087. The Career Development Center provides free service to help students secure part-time jobs.
Admission Requirements / Application
Wheaton is a selective college that seeks to enroll students who evidence a vital Christian experience, high moral character, personal integrity, social concern, strong academic ability and motivation, and the desire to pursue Christian higher education as defined in the aims and objectives of the College. These qualities are evaluated by consideration of each applicant's academic record, autobiographical essays, test scores, recommendations, optional interview, and participation in extracurricular activities. For students applying to the Conservatory of Music, strong consideration is given to the evaluation of the required audition.
Applicants must have a high school diploma or the equivalent and, at the time of graduation, should have completed a college-preparatory curriculum with a minimum of 18 acceptable units. Of the 18 units, 15 must be in English, foreign language, mathematics, science, and social studies. No units are granted for health, band, choir, driver's education, or physical education, but a maximum of 3 units for vocational subjects is allowed.
Satisfactory scores on the SAT or on the ACT examination are required of all applicants to the freshman class. The middle 50 percent range of scores for those admitted is 27–31 (ACT) and 1250–1400 (SAT composite math and verbal scores).
An application packet, complete with detailed instructions and requirements, can be obtained from the Admissions Office or online. For early action (nonbinding), students seeking admission in the fall term should apply to the College by November 1. All other applications for undergraduate admission in the fall should be received by January 10. The final deadline for the Conservatory of Music is February 15; the transfer application deadline is March 1.
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