Lake Forest College is a liberal arts college in the USA engaging students from over 80 countries in traditional disciplines and liberal arts. It provides undergraduate degree-focused education in about 32 majors and minor subjects. Every year, the college enrolls over 1,500 students in various undergraduate programs at Lake Forest College.

The college accepts international students in two yearly intakes. It is test-optional and accepts ACT or SAT scores of prospective students on a non-compulsory basis. The college requires scores of English language proficiency tests like TOEFL, IELTS, and Duolingo to get admission to the college.

The college charges no application fees from the prospective candidates. However, international students can expect an annual expense of 31,000 USD (~23 Lakh INR) per year. To support this cost, about 90% of students are offered scholarships from the college.

Lake Forest College Rankings

  • #2 in Best Colleges for Social Mobility by US News and World Report.
  • #33 in Best Value Colleges in the USA by US News and World Report.
  • #84 in Best National Liberal Arts College by US News and World Report.
  • #205 in US colleges by Times World University Rankings.
  • #14 in Best schools for Internships by Princeton Review.

Lake Forest College Highlights

Established 1857
Type Private
Location Lake Forest, Illinois, USA
Campus Suburban
Acceptance rate 55%
Student: Faculty ratio 12:1
Motto And the truth shall set you free
Website http://www.lakeforest.edu/

Lake Forest College Programs 

International students mainly seek admission to the undergraduate programs at Lake Forest College. But apart from that, it provides graduate degree programs in two subjects for the native Americans. There are also other professional courses available and off-campus programs available in the college.

The college offers undergraduate major degree programs in subjects like American studies, Art and Art History, Biology, Chemistry, Communication, and Business. There are also several minor degree programs available to choose from. These programs include chemistry, communication, data science, economics, education, etc.

Lake Forest College Campus and Accommodations 

The main campus of the college is located in Lakewood, Illinois, USA. Students go to the Mohr Student Center to socialize, play, and relax.

  • There is also a café for the students at the center that is known as Boomer’s café. The college also provides residential facilities and meal facilities to the students.
  • The Jim Kenney lounge at the Mohr Student center is reserved for hosting student meetings and non-academic activities.
  • There are about 80 active student organizations in the college. The college provides an atmosphere of diversity and inclusion at the Intercultural house. It also takes initiative for the mental health conditions of the students.
  • There is a recreational and health center for the students where the students can take part in different recreational activities and engage in different health activities.
  • The students of the college are also actively involved in sports activities. There are many sports that are played on campus by both male and female students. Some of these sports include basketball, football, golf, hockey, softball, etc. The college participates in the NCAA division III athletics.

Lake Forest College Accommodations 

The college campus has 11 types of residential halls. Most of the students live on the campus while some of them commute from the local suburb. The college also provides on-campus meal facilities to the students.

Blackstone, Harlan, Lois, Roberts, McClure, Gregory Residential halls Fees (per semester in USD)
Double, Triple, Quads 2,770
Super doubles (Roberts, McClure, Gregory) 3,430
Singles 3,324
Stairwells singles (Roberts, McClure, Gregory) 3,280
Cleveland-Young, Deerpath, Nollen halls Fees (per semester in USD)
Doubles and triples 3,113
Singles 3,404
Super suite doubles (Deerpath) 4,078
Super Suite Singles (Deerpath) 4,369
Moore halls Fees (per semester in USD)
Doubles 3,404
Adjoined doubles 3,690
Suites 4,078

Meal plan costs for those living on-campus are:

Meal plans Fees (per semester in USD)
20 meal plan 2,979
15 meal plan 2,979
10 meal plan 2,979

Lake Forest College Admission Process

The college accepts applications in two semesters, fall and spring. The application needs to be filled online and all the documents need to be sent to the college through mail or email. The college charges no application fee from the prospective students.

Where to apply: Common application, and application for first-year students.

Admission requirements: The steps to complete the application with the requirements are as follows:

  • Complete the online application form.
  • Submit all the transcripts of high school and previously attended colleges.
  • You can also submit SAT or ACT scores but they are not mandatory.
  • Submit an academic LOR.
  • Appear for the interview.
  • Students applying for need-based financial aid need to complete the CSS profile.

Note: After acceptance of the application, the students can proceed to apply for the Visa.

Lake Forest College Application Deadlines

The application deadlines for admission to Lake Forest College are listed below:

Semester Deadlines
Fall Early Action November 1
Fall Early Decision January 15
Fall Regular Decision February 15

English Language Proficiency Tests 

The college requires demonstration of proficiency in English for students with a non-English primary language. Below are the minimum scores required by the college in various English proficiency tests:

Tests Required Scores
TOEFL iBT 83
TOEFL PBT 550
IELTS 6.5
Duolingo 105
GTEC CBT 1200

Lake Forest College Cost of Attendance 

International students willing to study in the college require a basic estimation of the average cost of studying in the institution. The required costs are tabulated below:

Expenses Fees per semester in USD
Tuition fee 25,050
Activity fee 159
Health Center fee 167
Recreation and fitness fee 125
Standard room rate 2,770
Boarding 2,979
Orientation fee 200
Total 31,450

Note: These fees are an estimate of the total fees and the actual prices can be calculated using the net price calculator on the website of the college.

Lake Forest College Scholarships

The college provides scholarships to deserving candidates and ensures that all deserving candidate’s needs are met. 90% of the students receive scholarships. The college boasts an annual endowment of $18 million USD.

The students receive scholarships according to their high school GPA or SAT scores or ACT scores. The scholarships apply to only one category of scores. For example, you can receive a scholarship for either GPA or SAT or ACT scores. The following table shows the scholarship amounts varying according to the scores:

HS GPA out of 4.0 SAT scores ACT scores Scholarship amount
4.01+ 1390+ 31+ $32,000
3.75-4.00 1330-1380 29-30 $30,000
3.50-3.74 1160-1320 24-28 $28,000
3.00-3.49 1030-1150 20-23 $25,000
Under 3.0 Under 1030 Under 20 Should contact the admission office

Following are some of the notable scholarships offered by the college:

  • Hixon Theater Scholarship: Students have to apply for this scholarship and maintain a minimum of 2.0 GPA (~73-76%) for renewal.
  • Reid Music Scholarship: Students should actively contribute to the music department and maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 to be eligible for this scholarship.
  • Durand Art Scholarship: Students should complete at least one course in the Art or Art History department and take part in arts-related co-curricular activities to be eligible for the scholarship. Students need a minimum GPA of 2.0 to renew this scholarship.
  • Carnegie English Essay Contest: This contest is for students taking admission into literature or creative writing. Up to five winners are awarded $2,500 annually.

Apart from offering scholarships to the students the college also offers need-based financial aid and loans. Students can also work part-time jobs along with studying and earn up to $2,500 per year.

Lake Forest College Alumni 

Lake Forest College has a long history of alumni that are present in different parts of the world. The alumni of the college are known as Foresters. The alumni are involved in different activities of the college and impact the lives of the students present on the campus.

The alumni donate money to the college that is used in the overall development of the college and to provide scholarships to the students. The college arranges several reunions for the alumni every year. There are also different separate batch reunions conducted for the alumni on the campus. Following are some of the notable alumni of the college:

  • Diana Nyad ( American author, journalist, swimmer)
  • Nate Berkus (Interior designer, author, television personality)
  • Jacqueline Carey (American writer)
  • James C. Foster (CEO of Charles River Laboratories International Inc.)

Lake Forest College Placements 

The college provides many opportunities to the students for moving ahead in their careers. The college provides internship opportunities, networking opportunities, job opportunities, etc. The college has a very robust training system in place to make the students job-ready. Almost 99% of the students get placed or go for higher studies after passing out of college.

The college has the 12th best alumni network in the US according to the Princeton Review. About 10,000 jobs are posted for Lake Forest College students on the handshake platform. Some of the popular programs of the college and their annual average salary are given below:

Programs Average Salary per year in USD
Finance 51,000
Business 79,000
Economics 55,000
Sociology 75,000

Lake Forest College is one of the reputed colleges for liberal arts. The college provides the students great educational experience along with the option of exploring career opportunities. The college also makes sure that the students learn diversity and inclusion among themselves and engage as a community. The college provides a holistic experience and ensures the overall character development of the students.

FAQs

Ques. What is the tuition fee of Lake Forest College?

Ans. The tuition fee of Lake Forest College is 31,450 USD.

Ques. What is the minimum GPA required to get into Lake Forest College?

Ans. There is no specification of minimum GPA required for Lake Forest College but a GPA of 3.0 increases the chances of admissions.

Ques. How hard is it to get into Lake Forest College?

Ans. With an acceptance rate of 55%, it can be hard to get into Lake Forest College.

Ques. What is the average salary of a Lake Forest College graduate?

Ans. The average salary of a Lake Forest College graduate is $63,676 annually.

Ques. Which exam scores are accepted by Lake Forest College for admission?

Ans. Lake Forest College accepts scores of exams like the ACT or SAT but they are optional. However, the scores of English language tests of exams like TOEFL, IELTS, etc need to be submitted.