Loyola University Chicago is the most comprehensive Jesuit University in the United States. Founded in 1870 by priests of the Society of Jesus, Loyola continues the Jesuit commitment to education, which is well-grounded in the liberal arts and based on excellence in teaching and research.
Loyola attracts students from all fifty states and eighty-two countries to its nine schools and colleges as well as its various campuses: the Stritch School of Medicine, the School of Law, the College of Arts and Sciences, the Quinlan School of Business Administration, the Niehoff School of Nursing, the School of Education, the School of Social Work, the Graduate School, and the School of Professional Studies (for adult and lifelong learning): the Chicago Lakeshore Campus, the Chicago Water Tower Campus, the John Felice Rome Center Campus in Italy, the Beijing, China Campus and the Vietnam Campus in Ho Chi Minh City.
Each year, Loyola University Chicago enrolls more than 1,900 freshmen and more than 400 transfer students. These students choose Loyola because of its personal attention, its environment of academic excellence, and its reputation for career preparation. Loyola students take advantage of Chicago as an educational resource, often combining their studies with internships and part-time work experience.
Rome Start Program – Loyola University Chicago
John Felice Rome Center: Rome, Italy
The Rome Start program at Loyola University Chicago offers a smooth transition to the American university system for international students and US citizens living abroad. Rome Start students spend their first year of university studying at Loyola’s campus in Rome, after which they transition to Loyola’s Chicago campus for the remaining years of their university career. Students in this program are part of a small, close-knit, supportive and truly international community of students and faculty.
The Rome Start program offers students attending high school outside of the United States a smooth transition to the American university system, allowing them to spend their freshman (first) year in Rome and then transition to the Chicago campus for the remaining years of their college career. Rome Start students will benefit from an orientation designed specifically for them, peer mentoring, specialized classes by our most dynamic faculty, one-on-one advising, and full integration into a small, close-knit college community.
The Rome Start curriculum provides a strong foundation for any of Loyola’s bachelor’s degree programs. Much of the focus of the first year of study in Rome is on Loyola’s Core Curriculum. The “Core” aims to offer a comprehensive liberal arts education and stresses Loyola’s strong commitment to service for others, social justice, ethical leadership, and global awareness. Rome Start students take a portion of their classes together as a small cohort. This ensures that Rome Start students have access to all required “Tier 1” foundational Core Curriculum courses. This also ensures that Rome Start students will receive plenty of personal attention from faculty and academic mentors. This academic structure allows Rome Start students to focus more freely on elective core courses and courses for their major of choice once they arrive in Chicago at the start of their second year. The Rome Start program offers a smooth transition to the US university system for international students and US citizens living abroad. After spending one year at Loyola’s campus in Rome, Italy, Rome Start students transition to Loyola University Chicago in the US for the remaining years of their university career. Students in this program are part of a small, close-knit, and truly international community of students and faculty, however, they also benefit from the resources and global recognition of a renowned US university.
Admission to Loyola is competitive but flexible. Interested students must complete an online application indicating a fall term start. In addition to the online application, students must also submit the following supporting credentials: official high school transcripts, a letter of recommendation, a personal statement or essay, and official copies of ACT or SAT exam scores. Admission to Loyola and the Rome Start program operates on a rolling basis. The application for admission also serves as an application for merit scholarships. Students wishing to be eligible for merit scholarship consideration must be admitted by February 1. Students applying prior to December 1 are given priority consideration for both admission and scholarship opportunities.
Prospective students are encouraged to visit the campus. Visiting campus is one of the best ways to understand if a program is the right fit for you. Visits can include: a one-on-one session with an admission counselor, a campus tour, individual meetings with faculty, the option to view a class, and even an overnight in the residence hall. To arrange a visit to the Rome campus, email
romestart@luc.edu.
Highlights:
- Earn a degree from a prestigious American university. The “Loyola” name is recognized globally.
- Rome Start students get all the advantages of a U.S. degree (career planning, academic advising, experiential learning, state of the art facilities) while having the advantage of beginning closer to home in a more familiar and intimate environment.
- Rome Start students can do a for-credit internship in the second semester of their year in Rome. Previous students have interned at places such as the Italian senate, the Capitoline museum, International Development Law Organization, the Jesuit Refugee Service, and the European Broadcasting Union.
- The Rome campus has an average population of 200 students. This means that Rome Start students will have lots of opportunities for interaction with faculty and academic advisors. If a student is struggling, they will get the assistance they need.
- Rome Start students will be living and learning alongside the other 200 students at the Rome campus. Students studying in Rome generally form strong bonds which carry over, even once the students return to the Chicago campus.
- Rome Start students take three core classes per semester as a cohort and are allowed another two electives. This means that Rome Start students are guaranteed at least 6 core classes completed within their first year.
- Rome Start students will have the opportunity to travel to the Chicago campus during their fall break. On this trip, students will tour the Chicago campuses, visit with faculty in their field, and get to see the city of Chicago. All expenses once in Chicago are paid for by the university.
ROME START
ADMISSION CRITERIA
The Rome Start program is available to students attending high school outside of the United States and select U.S. high school students with demonstrated international interest.
HOW TO APPLY
Complete our online application at LUC.edu/apply and submit all required supporting materials. Further details about the application process can be found at LUC.edu/undergrad/admission/romestart.
VISIT US
Interested students are encouraged to visit Loyola’s campus in Rome to tour the campus, sit in on a class, and meet current students. Please contact us to arrange a visit!
Useful Links:
Rome Start website:
List of Majors and Minors at Loyola University Chicago:
Online Application:
Contact information:
Via Massimi 114-A, Rome, Italy 00136
Tel: (+39) 06.355.88.328
Fax: (+39) 06.355.88.352
To learn more, contact the Rome Start admission office at (+39) 06.355.88.328 or romestart@luc.edu.
You may also contact Loyola’s Undergraduate Admission Office at admission@luc.edu.
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Loyola University Chicago