火爆社区

The Illinois Institute of Technology teaches students what 鈥測ou really need to know鈥�in the professional world.鈥� That means that coursework is 鈥渧ery challenging but rewarding,鈥� and that rigor is well-matched by 鈥渁 lot of support available鈥� from the faculty, the administration, and the 鈥渟tudent culture of helping each other.鈥� This support is underpinned by the school鈥檚 relatively small size, which allows for 鈥渓ots of close peer interaction鈥� and 鈥渁 lot of attention from faculty.鈥� Incoming students can expect to jump right into hands-on learning. As one student says, 鈥淸In] my very first electrical engineering class, I got to build an autonomous robot car!鈥� The opportunities for hands-on learning only increase during your time at Illinois Tech. For example, every student is required to complete the Interprofessional Projects (IPRO) Program. As the school explains, IPRO 鈥渏oins students from various majors to work together to solve real-world problems, often on behalf of sponsor companies and nonprofits.鈥� Students say the IPRO courses 鈥渁re a cool way to get involved in innovative projects鈥� and they enjoy collaborating with their classmates. Students also praise Illinois Tech for its 鈥済reat networking opportunities with great companies in Chicago鈥� and the fact that just about 鈥渆veryone gets scholarships.鈥� They feel confident stepping out into the job market knowing that 鈥渢he curriculum is adapted to current technologies and is frequently updated to reflect what is necessary within the workforce.鈥�

Illinois Tech draws a hardworking and collaborative crowd. It鈥檚 a community where 鈥渆veryone is willing to help each other鈥� and 鈥渉omework is often completed in groups.鈥� Incoming students can expect to join a group of 鈥渉ighly intelligent individuals who are passionate about school.鈥� In other words, 鈥減eople study for fun.鈥� For this group, that鈥檚 a feature, not a bug. As one student says, 鈥淚 love how much all of my peers care about school. I also love that even though many of my friends are different majors, we are all still STEM majors.鈥� Illinois Tech has many international students and students from the Chicago area, as well as classmates who 鈥渃ome from all over the country.鈥� The result is a diverse group of people who all have unique interests. While the student body, as a whole, would not be called extroverted, classmates will come out of their shells 鈥渨hen prompted with conversation.鈥� As one student elaborates, 鈥淔or the most part, [my peers] simply require an icebreaker to uncover everything.鈥� Once you get them talking, it鈥檚 easy to be inspired by this 鈥渃reative and innovative鈥� group.

This 鈥渃ompact but not cramped鈥� walkable campus is 鈥減retty convenient,鈥� and architecture majors especially appreciate studying on a 鈥渕asterpiece campus鈥� designed by the famous architect Mies Van der Rohe. When it comes to extracurriculars, students note that there鈥檚 not that much variety鈥攁lthough students do have 鈥渇reedom and autonomy鈥� to pursue their passions, hence organizations like the comedy club, the community radio station, and the esports club. Just as students tend to be 鈥渁cademically driven,鈥� so too do most clubs represent professional interests, such as the Women in STEM group, the pre-med student organizations, and the chemistry club. Many students are involved in athletics and 鈥渋ntramural sports are always something to be excited about.鈥� Students note that 鈥淕reek Life here is very relaxed and feels more like a community.鈥� When students get a break from studying, they can hang out at the Bog, the on-campus 鈥渁rcade/bowling alley/bar.鈥� The school鈥檚 own train stop (and free transit pass for students) makes for easy public transit throughout Chicago, whether you want to eat, see a concert, or visit a museum. There鈥檚 鈥渁lso a beach a mile from campus, with bike/running trails to spend time on.鈥� Ultimately students acknowledge that 鈥測ou get out what you put in鈥� and for those who 鈥渕ake an effort to be social and take part in any of the many activities on campus, community is flourishing and welcoming.鈥�

According to many students, ITT 鈥渋s very focused on getting students placed in jobs after commencement.鈥� To this end, Career Services hosts several career fairs and on-campus recruiting events throughout the year. They also offer a variety of services from day one, including career development/peer career coaching, workshops, and mock interviews. Students can join The Bridge鈥擨IT鈥檚 online networking platform that connects alumni and students to create mentorship opportunities鈥攐r can take the semi-annual Career Crash Course and brush up on their professional development and networking skills in one compact day. Academic departments also help students apply for experiential learning opportunities such as internships, co-ops, and research opportunities in relevant fields. IIT鈥檚 proximity to downtown Chicago is a huge plus for employment and internship opportunities. ITT students are go-getters鈥斺�渁lmost every student either has a job concurrent with their classes or is working on a personal project of some sort.鈥� This drive pays off鈥攐f the ITT alumni visiting PayScale.com, the average reported median starting salary is $77,300, and 51 percent report that they derive a high level of meaning from their jobs.