Enrollment: 2366
Average SAT: 648
Average ACT: 28.9
Most Popular Majors: Business/Managerial Economics,English Language and Literature, General,Psychology, General,
Regular Application Deadline: 01/10
Student Faculty Ratio: 12:1

Undergraduate Receiving Need-Based Financial Aid: 12
Average Freshman Total Need-Based Gift Aid: $14,776.00

2009 Best Value Colleges – Private
Alternative Lifestyles Not an Alternative
Best Campus Food
Don't Inhale

School Says - General Information
Wheaton College offers academic programs rooted in the classic liberal arts tradition, taught from an evangelical Christian perspective. It's a top-ranked college that challenges students to grow their intellect in the context of developing a whole life--a school that combines serious study and academic rigor with Christian distinctiveness. Ranked by U.S. News and World Report as one of the top national liberal arts colleges, Wheaton attracts exceptional high school students from all 50 states and more than 40 countries. Established in 1860 as a co-ed, interdenominational Christian liberal arts college, Wheaton takes the pursuit of faith and learning seriously. Seeking to create a diverse, service-oriented community, Wheaton offers a rich curriculum that emphasizes global awareness and engagement. Students participate in a vibrant, growing multicultural community of talented, capable learners who are distinct in their desire to grow intellectually, to grow in relationship with one another, and to grow in Christ. Wheaton's concern for values is a long-standing tradition, not a trend. Wheaton has consistently appeared on the Honor Roll of Character Building Colleges established by The John Templeton Foundation. Such recognition reflects Wheaton's commitment to character building programs such as its Center for Applied Christian Ethics, Urban Studies Program, Human Needs and Global Resources Program (HNGR), Honduras Project, HoneyRock's Wheaton Passage Wilderness Program, and the many services and ministries of the Office of Christian Outreach. A profile of the Class of 2007 demonstrates the caliber of students that choose Wheaton. Of the 577 students who entered in the fall of 2003, 45 were National Merit Finalists. The group's average high school GPA was 3.7 and 61% graduated in the top 10% of their class. The middle 50% scored between 1250 and 1400 on the Critical Reasoning and Math sections of the SAT and between 27 and 31 on the ACT. 15% of Wheaton students are multicultural, and approximately 80% will graduate on time. Wheaton, with its emphasis on faith, learning, and service, is a place where students like this can thrive.

School Says - Student Body
Chicago may beckon, but students don't have to catch the train when they're looking for things to do. Right on campus there are College Union concerts, college-sponsored dances, the talent show, Homecoming, coffee house performances, late night skates, plays, class films, brother/sister floor activities in the dorms, and a versatile place to play and work out called the Sports and Recreation Complex. Wheaton offers men and women intercollegiate participation in 22 different sports as a member of the NCAA Division III. Through the years Wheaton has won 157 conference championships, including a league-best 54 in women's sports. Wheaton has won six NCAA Championships in team sports and accumulated individual championships in several other sports. More than 100 students have earned All-American recognition and more than 35 have earned Academic All-American honors. Dozens of club and intramural sports are also offered.

School Says - Academics
Academically, Wheaton compares with the finest schools in the nation. It boasts a rigorous curriculum, a top-tier science department, a nationally regarded conservatory of music, and outstanding summer research programs. Distinguished graduate schools such as those at Yale, Princeton, Harvard, and the University of Chicago regularly enroll Wheaton graduates in various fields. With top quality faculty, sophisticated instrumentation, and abundant resources, the college is ranked 21st among baccalaureate schools that produce the best science graduates . Here, careers in medicine, energy, natural resources, biological science, environmental science, engineering, law, and higher education get a strong start; one-third of our science graduates go on to complete doctorates. Those with a flair for the visual arts, a gift for music, or a special way with words will find courses they are looking for within the Division of Arts, Media and Communication. This academic division sustains a creative environment that includes the plays of Arena Theatre, fine art from the studios of Adams hall, original audio and video productions, and outstanding musical performances. Wheaton's Conservatory of Music is one of the finest music schools in the nation. The reasons why? A talented faculty, an 80-member orchestra, several outstanding music ensembles, engaging workshops, opportunities for travel abroad, and a long list of renowned alumni.

School Says - Admissions
Wheaton selects candidates for admission from those who evidence a vital Christian experience, high academic ability, moral character, personal integrity, and social concern. The College seeks to enroll, from its over 2200 applicants, a well rounded freshman class; a class composed of about 586 dynamic individuals with a wide variety of attributes, accomplishments, backgrounds, and interests. Wheaton offers both regular admission and early action application options. The deadline for early action is November 1 and for regular action January 10. The application includes biographical data and essays. The recommended high school curriculum includes 4 years of English, 3-4 years each of mathematics, science, social studies and 2-3 years of foreign language. Students are encouraged to include honors, advanced and AP/IB courses in their curricula. Applicants must submit their official high school transcript as well as official results from the SAT or ACT, including the writing section. Students are encouraged to use the online applications available through WheatonÂ's websiteÂâ€"www.wheaton.edu/admissions.

School Says - Campus Life
Wheaton, Illinois, population 54,000, is a family-oriented community known for its good schools, pleasant neighborhoods, and many churches. Major airports, OHare and Midway, are easily accessible for domestic and international travel. A 45-minute train ride links suburban Wheaton to downtown Chicago and all the excitement a world-class city offers, including a magnificent lakeshore. Chicago provides Wheaton students with a focus for their interests in art, music, science, sports, and ministry.

School Says - Cost Aid
For 2007-2008 the costs are: Tuition $23,730 Room $4,288 Board $2,964 The cost of a Wheaton College education is remarkably low compared to private institutions of similar quality. The 2007 Kiplinger's Personal Finance Report ranks Wheaton #16 in its list of the "100 Best Values in Private Colleges."Wheaton offers a comprehensive financial aid program. In 2006-2007 the average need-based financial aid package for freshmen was $16,297. Several merit-based scholarships are also available. See www.wheaton.edu/finaid for more details on all types of aid.

Students Say - Academics
As cheesy as it sounds, [Wheaton] really is about the integration of faith and learning, students assert, telling us that the school "is a close community of students with the same values and beliefs doing their best to learn and grow closer to each other and to God." With a "great theology program," "excellent ministry programs," and business and economics departments led by professors with "real-life experience [bringing] many real-life situations into the classroom," Wheaton "is probably the top Evangelical college in the nation," according to its undergraduates. They support their claim by describing the "many internship opportunities" available here and by pointing out that "in terms of resumes and formal instruction from professors, [Wheaton] students are well prepared for the business world or some of the best grad schools in the nation." Wheaton's "liberal arts focus causes [students] not to specialize completely but to be interested in everything and draw connections between completely different things," creating an environment in which "Wheaton students are very good at engaging with everything we are exposed to. We love to delight in and enjoy what is good and beautiful, whether that means the wonderful idioms of a spoken language, the counterintuitive nuances of quantum mechanics, or the pattern made by the icicles hanging from Williston [Hall]'s dormer windows." Although "the academics at Wheaton are superb," some departments suffer from under-funding. "Our science building, our music building, and our Internet capabilities are all extremely sub-par," students complain.

Students Say - Campus Life
Wheaton is located just west of Chicago, so "students have the entire world of Chicago open to them, which has everything you could want in a city," and because "there is a train station right on campus," the city is extremely accessible. Making matters even better, The area surrounding the campus has a ton of little stores to explore and things to do." Wheaton's "rigorous course load" means that "school work consumes a large portion of [our time]," but students still make opportunities to "do very unusual things for fun, especially in winter when it is too cold to be outside, like pool, ping pong, darts, watching The Office, playing piano, movies (DVDs mainly), and when weather permits, Frisbee, volleyball, football, soccer, running, relaxing in the sun, and in general just talking with each other." What they don't do is "drink, smoke, or do drugs. Period. (Except for the occasional 21st birthday, and even then they don't get smashed.)" Whatever they're doing, "Whether it's playing games on the dorm floor, going into Chicago with friends, or getting involved in campus or church groups," "life at Wheaton revolves around community." As one student explains, "The Christian stance makes for a feeling of community that permeates almost all of the events and even the classes. We're all like one big family, and the general congeniality of the students and the ease with which we can communicate with our teachers reinforces that feeling."

Students Say - Student Body
The typical Wheaton undergrad "comes from a middle-class family, [and]a strong Christian home, excelled in their high school, and scored highly on the SAT." Students tend to be "perfectionists…everyone wants to do the 'right' thing, so people stress a lot about grades, appearance, even making sure they have the right balance in their lives." Atypical students "probably [make up] 15 percent" of the student body; they include "those who are either here for athletic reasons or because their parents made them, and they don't follow the rules as much." Two conspicuous subpopulations here are the "conservies" (students of the conservatory) and homeschoolers, "The stereotype for these students is that they are socially awkward and are always practicing their instrument (conservies) or doing homework (homeschoolers)….The conservies all have each other…they hang out at the conservatory and talk about music. The homeschoolers eventually learn how to make friends and interact with people on a daily basis," although they are initially "socially awkward."

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