By Joe Scarriot ‘23

Normal, Illinois is the home of Illinois State University; however, Illinois State is no normal school. I recently was accepted into Illinois State and wanted to check it out. I know numerous people who have gone there, and I have only heard good things.

On a day off from school, my parents and I took a trip down to Normal. When we arrived, we were greeted by admissions counselors, received a folder with information on Illinois State, and listened to a brief presentation. Then, we were assigned a tour guide to navigate us around the school.

The first place we visited was the Bone Student Center. It seemed to be a place where lots of students study, do work, and socialize. The most impressive thing about the Bone Student Center was the career service section.

The career service section has counselors present throughout the week to help students expand their knowledge on a potential career. Students are able to print free business cards here, which is a unique feature compared to other colleges.

The next place we visited was the quad. The layout of the quad is similar to a park. It is surrounded by trees, benches, and tons of walking space. Most of the educational buildings are connected by the quad which creates a distinct environment on campus. It is literally a walk in the park to get from class to class.

During the tour, we checked out a Hewett-Manchester dorm room. The dorm room we viewed was 142-square-feet made for two people. Each person had a desk and a closet.

Illinois State also offers free laundry! Students can download an app that tells them if washing machines and dryers are in use. They can even track when their laundry is washed and dried! After we viewed the dorm room, the tour had come to an end.

Illinois State offers a welcoming environment that makes it feel like home. Illinois State has a large enrollment number; however, it does not feel that way. With the quad, it makes the school feel much smaller than it actually is because everything is connected. Our tour guide said, “You can walk across campus before you listen to two songs.” My college decision has become much easier because it will be difficult for any other college to top Illinois State University.