How's Life at Loyola in Chicago?

I've been hearing great things about Loyola University in Chicago, particularly around life on campus and the surrounding city area. Would love to hear more from anyone who is familiar with it.

Loyola University Chicago is pretty uniquely situated, giving students the best of both the university and city experiences. The campus is split into two main parts: the Lake Shore campus (located in Rogers Park), and the Water Tower campus (at the heart of downtown Chicago on Michigan Ave).

The Lake Shore Campus is at the edge of the city, right on the beach of Lake Michigan. Here, you experience a traditional campus atmosphere with residential halls, libraries, and plenty of green, open space where students often study, socialize, or just relax. The campus definitely has a friendly, warm vibe and due to its smaller footprint, it's also quite easy to meet people and socialize.

Then there's Water Tower Campus, smack in the middle of everything that downtown Chicago has to offer. It's surrounded by shopping centers, restaurants, and cultural sites like the Art Institute and Navy Pier. This is also where most of the business, social work, law, and graduate health sciences classes are, so you'll definitely be making your way downtown for classes if you're in one of these programs.

Shuttle buses run regularly between the two campuses, so students have access to both and can take advantage of what each has to offer. It's a bit of a commute (around 30-45 minutes), but it's a great opportunity to catch up on readings or just look out at the historic Chicago neighborhoods you pass through.

Something unique about Loyola is its commitment to social justice. This is something that pervades everyday life on campus, whether through service opportunities, courses, speakers, or just everyday conversations with your peers and professors.

Lastly, the food scene around Loyola is pretty diverse, with a variety of international cuisines available around both campuses. There are also two dining halls on the Lake Shore campus which have a good variety of options.

In summary, Loyola combines an urban and traditional campus feel quite well. The surrounding neighborhoods, the city of Chicago, and the commitment to social justice all create a vibrant, dynamic student life experience.