What is life like on campus for residential and commuter Summer Program students?
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Summer Residential/Commuter FAQs
Dorm Questions
May I tour the dormitory before the program starts?
No. The dormitories are occupied by NU students until mid-June. If you
are in the area, you may use the map included in your acceptance packet to locate the dormitory buildings.
How will my child do laundry?
Each dormitory has coin-operated washers and dryers. Residential staff
will show students how to use them. It is recommended to give your child a
"laundry tutorial" before s/he comes to CTD!
How safe are the dormitories, and are there college students living
there as well?
CTD dormitories are occupied only by CTD students during the Summer Program.
Access to the dormitory is controlled by at least two keys: an outside
door key and a key for individual student rooms. During the program, only
CTD students, CTD staff, and university cleaning and maintenance staff
have access to the dorm.
Do rooms have their own bathrooms?
Communal bathrooms, segregated by gender, are the norm in the dormitories.
Toilet and shower stalls have doors for privacy.
Are males and females housed on separate floors?
In Apogee and Spectrum, students are placed in same-gender RA groups.
Typically a floor or hall is the same gender, but sometimes males and females
live on the same floor. In Equinox, students are placed in co-ed RTA groups,
with all students in a class living in close proximity. All floors in Equinox are co-ed. Roommates in all programs are always same-gender.
Are there phones in the dorm rooms?
Every dormitory room has a phone jack and an assigned phone number. You
will be informed of your child's phone number when you arrive to move-in.
Your child or her/his roommate must bring a phone and plug it into the
jack. Furthermore, your child will need a calling card to place off-campus
phone calls, although the phone will receive off-campus calls. Students
may bring cell phones, however, use is prohibited during class, activity
or study time. Cell phones will be confiscated if misused.
Are there computers in the dormitory for my child to use?
Computers are available at computing facilities on campus, and your child
will have some limited access to them during recreational periods. Internet
access (though not a Northwestern University email address) is available from on-campus computers.
Many students bring their own computers and printers to their dorm
rooms. For students in classes that require writing assignments, this
is helpful. Students desiring internet or email access via their personal
computers need to bring an ethernet cable. No technical support is available
for students setting up computers in their dorm rooms.
Do the dorm rooms have air-conditioners?
Each dorm room has an air-conditioning unit. There is no extra charge for this amenity.
My child is enrolled for both Session I and Session II. Can CTD store
her/his luggage during the intersession?
No. University maintenance staff requires that all personal belongings
be completely cleared out of rooms for cleaning and repair work during
the time between sessions. CTD does not have a storage facility for students' personal
belongings.
Are there any things my child should not bring along to the residential
program?
Yes. Please do not bring bicycles, role-playing games, televisions, skateboards,
roller skates, or roller blades. In addition, dormitory rules prohibit
the use of microwaves, hot plates, hot pots, hot air corn poppers, candles,
incense, firecrackers, matches or lighters, and air conditioners; small
portable refrigerators are permitted in dorm rooms. Finally, students must leave their pets
at home.
Roommate Questions
When will we find out where my child is living and who her/his roommate
is?
All housing information will be provided on Opening
Day. Parents will receive information sheets to take home that include
their child's housing information - room number, phone number and mailing
address. Housing information will not be available before Opening Day.
Will my child have a roommate?
Most CTD students are housed in double rooms and occasionally in singles.
In the Equinox and Spectrum Programs, roommates are students of the same
gender, usually enrolled in the same course. In Apogee, roommates are students
of the same gender and approximately the same age.
How are students assigned to rooms/roommates?
CTD encourages students to meet people from many walks of life. Learning to
live with others is an important component of the CTD Summer Program
experience. CTD Summer Program staff make dorm room and residential group
assignments based on gender, age, and academic interests just before
students arrive on campus. Students who are the same age and in the same
class have the best chance of being assigned together. Students are notified
about their housing arrangement and roommate at registration on Opening Day.
Supervision and Safety Questions
Are students well-supervised while they are at CTD?
Yes, CTD students receive consistent, age-appropriate supervision while
they are in the Summer Program. All students are coached in safety procedures,
such as always staying with your group, how to use emergency phones on
campus, and how to use the emergency phone numbers printed on the back
of student identification cards, which students carry with them at all
times. Apogee students are always with a staff member as they walk around
campus. Spectrum students are usually in a supervised group with a staff
member, although they are allowed to walk without a staff member to specified
activities (i.e. meals) if they have a "buddy." The "buddy"
rule is strictly enforced. Equinox students have more freedom, but they
must sign in and out of the dorm at specified times, and must always be
with a "buddy". Depending on the site, Equinox students may
be allowed to travel off-campus and use public transportation without a staff
member.
What is your staff-to-student ratio in the residential program?
Apogee students are in RA groups of 7 - 11 per RA. Spectrum students
are in groups of 10 - 15 per RA, and Equinox students are in groups of
12 - 18 per RTA. Also, additional staff members (commuter counselors,
auxiliary staff members, and the Residential Coordinators who supervise
each dorm building) are available, providing additional adult supervision
for student activities.
Meal Questions
Where will my child eat meals?
CTD students take most meals in a university cafeteria close to their
dormitory. Three meals a day are provided, except for Sundays, when brunch
is served later in the morning, followed by dinner at the normal time.
Meals are served via an all-you-can-eat cafeteria line, where students
can choose from hot entrees and side dishes as well as from stations offering
fruits, salads, cereals, sandwiches, and desserts. Milk and juice, as
well as soft drinks, are available at every meal. Students who have never
eaten in an institutional setting may take a few days to adjust to not
eating home-style cooking, but a wide variety of food ensures that students
should always be able to find something they like to eat.
My child is a vegetarian; will there be enough vegetarian options to
choose from?
The cafeteria always offers at least one vegetarian entree. In addition,
vegetarian side dishes, salads, cereal, and fruit are always available
to fill out a meal. Vegetarian students have no trouble finding well-balanced
meal options that fit their dietary needs.
My child eats only kosher meals; will there be kosher options?
Kosher options are available and clearly marked in every cafeteria. A staff member may be consulted to assist a student with finding kosher options.
My child will commute; are meals provided?
Yes. Lunches are provided for all commuters.
Commuter Questions
My child is a commuter; how will s/he get to and from class?
In Apogee and Spectrum, commuters are dropped off every morning at a commuter
drop-off/pick-up point, located near the dorms. All Apogee and Spectrum
commuters must be picked up and dropped off at this location. Commuter
counselors will meet the students, take attendance and sign them up for
the day's activities. Students must be picked up at the same location. The drop-off/pick-up location, as well as drop-off/pick-up times, will be noted at the Commuter Meeting
on Opening Day. Commuter information is also provided in the Family Handbook
that will be sent in the student's acceptance packet.
Equinox students are responsible for getting to and from class on their
own. They may meet residents at the dorm and walk with them to class or
go directly to their classroom.
My child is a commuter; can s/he participate in study halls?
In Apogee and Spectrum students may attend evening study sessions on Tuesdays
and Thursdays; commuters are highly encouraged to attend study halls.
Commuters who stay through dinner must bring money to pay for dinner at
the cafeteria. Students must be picked up promptly at the drop-off/pick-up
location after the study session. Commuters may not attend nightly study
times in the dorms.
Equinox commuters may attend any after-class study sessions if they are
signed into the dorm and leave by 10 p.m. (11 p.m. on Friday &
Saturday).
My child is a commuter; can s/he participate in activities?
Apogee and Spectrum students may attend afternoon activities if they have signed
up in advance. Commuters are welcome to attend certain evening
activities, such as dances and talent shows. Invitations and information
about these events will be provided during the session. Commuters must
sign in if they are staying on campus after class. CTD is not liable for
commuters who stay in Evanston after class without signing into the program.
Commuters may not attend weekend activities.
Equinox students may attend afternoon, evening or weekend activities,
as long as they have signed into the dorm and leave by 10 p.m. (11 p.m.
on Friday & Saturday).
Where can I get more information about commuter policies?
Commuter policies are explained in the Family Handbook included in the
acceptance packet. Individual program procedures are explained by the
commuter counselors at the mandatory Commuter Meeting on Opening Day.
Health Care Questions
In case of illness, how are students cared for?
For minor illness, the on-campus health center is staffed from 9 a.m. to
4 p.m., and nurses and doctors are always on-call and available for questions
from residential staff. Students with serious illness or injuries will
be taken immediately to the emergency room at a nearby hospital.
Does CTD provide health insurance for students?
CTD provides access to the on-campus health center, but all students must
be covered by a major medical insurance plan. All hospital visits or procedures,
as well as most medications and tests, will be billed directly to the
student's parents.
Residential Activity Questions
What kinds of recreational activities does CTD offer?
CTD staff plan and supervise a variety of age-appropriate recreational activities. Some
group activities and outings, including games of Capture the Flag and trips to Chicago museums, are more structured. Students may also participate
in a variety of other activities such as sports, visiting Northwestern's student center, swimming on life-guarded
beaches and crafts. The residential program aims to take full advantage of
the wonderful resources available in the Chicago area, ranging from world-class
cultural institutions to a beautiful lakefront.
My child plays a musical instrument - should s/he bring it along to CTD?
Students may bring instruments and music to participate in our end-of-session
talent shows. Students should plan on having limited (not daily) opportunities
to practice. Some access to pianos may be available.
My child participates in sports; will s/he be able to train while at
CTD?
In most cases, intensive training will not be possible because of students'
rigorous academic schedule. The Sports and Aquatic Center (SPAC) at Northwestern
is available to students 16 years and older. Equinox students can use
their sign-out privileges to visit SPAC with a buddy, on a pay-per-visit
basis. Equinox student who wish to go running are welcome to do so, if
they have a buddy.
My child lives in the area, and would like to participate in a regular
activity (sports practice, SAT prep classes, music lessons, etc.) while
in the residential program. Is this possible?
Students, both commuter and residential, should avoid scheduling any other
regular activity while in the Summer Program. Five hours of class plus
1 - 4 hours of homework a night (depending on the age of the students)
is a rigorous schedule, and students are expected to give their best effort
to their coursework.
We would like to visit our child while s/he is in the residential program.
Is this possible?
Visits are strongly discouraged. Homesick students generally adjust better
to their new environment when they are not visited by parents or other
relatives during the program. If a visit is essential, arrangements can
be made with the Residential Coordinator of your child's program to visit
between 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Sunday mornings. Extended off-campus absences ("program releases")
are prohibited except in cases of true family emergencies. No holiday
program releases are permitted on July 4th.
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