Success Stories and Outcomes

Pursuing your passion works, and our graduates are proof of it.

Lake Forest College students don't have to choose between practicality and passion, and it pays off. 

Our entire campus has made a true commitment to the effort of outstanding career support, culminating in a stunning career success rate. We are intentional in our approach to ensure all students flourish after graduation, and the liberal arts education they receive sets them apart as competitive candidates to take on the challenges presented in today’s professional world.

97% class of 2024 grads are pursuing chosen opportunities: 76% employed, 21.1% grad school, 2.6% seeking employment, 1% applying to grad school, 0.3% applying to graduate school

98 percent of graduates have jobs, enter graduate school, or pursue other avenues of success within six months of graduation.

*3-year average 2017-2019, over 73% of graduates reporting

Where our graduates land

Graduate at graduation

Career Placements

A strong base of employers based in the Chicago area and beyond routinely hire our students, recently including:

AbbVie  Medline Industries 
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago  Microsoft
Aon  Morningstar 
CDW  Northwestern University (Feinberg School of Medicine) 
Citigroup  Peace Corps 
Coyote Logistics  Walgreens Corporate 
Epic  The Art Institute of Chicago 
EY (Ernst & Young)  U.S. Department of State 
Goldman Sachs Ayco  U.S. House of Representatives 
Grainger  Starcom, a Publicis Company 
IBM Shirley Ryan AbilityLab 

Graduate Schools

Lake Forest College students go on to top graduate schools across the nation, recently including:

Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science (IL)  Rush University (IL) 
College of William and Mary (VA)  Illinois Institute of Technology (IL) 
Northwestern University (IL)  Washington University in St. Louis (MO) 
University of Illinois--Urbana-Champaign (IL)  New York University (NY) 
Loyola University Chicago (IL)  Case Western Reserve University (OH) 
DePaul University (IL)  University of Chicago (IL) 
University of Notre Dame (IN) Vanderbilt University (TN)

Our graduates have the skills employers want

Employer critical thinking skills

In a recent survey 98.5% of employers cited critical thinking and communication as “very important” or “extremely important,” ranking them as the most important skills for college graduates to have to enter their workforce. Our interdisciplinary curriculum hones these skills in and out of the classroom, setting our graduates apart as competitive and uniquely qualified candidates across industries. 

Competencies Weighted Average
Critical Thinking 4.57
Communication 4.56
Teamwork 4.49
Equity and Inclusion 4.33
Professionalism 4.2

*National Association of Colleges and Employers  Job Outlook 2022 Survey,  5-point scale, where 1=Not at all important, 2=Not very important, 3=Somewhat important, 4=Very important, 5=Extremely important

How the Class of 2025 is making it

Read more about how six Foresters have found their futures.

Hawi Odhiambo '25

Hawi Odhiambo '25

Pursuing MS in Environment and Sustainability Management at Georgetown University

Majors: Economics and international relations
Minor: Chinese
Hometown: Nairobi, Kenya

An interdisciplinary background: “Studying economics and international relations at Lake Forest College provided the kind of interdisciplinary learning that I wanted in order to focus on issues of sustainability. I've had so many great opportunities to intern and study abroad and live and work in Chicago while at Lake Forest, and it has really helped me refine my perspectives and focus on my passions in learning.”

Chirag Aggarwal '25

Chirag Aggarwal '25

Software Engineer at Capital One

Majors: Computer science and data science (statistics track)

Hometown: Westford, Massachusetts

An unexpected creative outlet: “My dad is a software engineer, and I always thought it was so boring. However, at Lake Forest, I got to try so many different things, and I ended up taking a computer science class and really liking it. I realized you can be so creative with code, and now I am on this path that I love and feel passionate about.”

Cara Goldstone '25

Cara Goldstone '25

Copywriter at Scholarships.com

Major: English (creative writing track)

Minor: Philosophy

Hometown: Nolensville, Tennessee

A world opened: "What I've learned at Lake Forest College will surely follow me for the rest of my life, but the most important thing I think I'll take from my time here is the way this school opened up the world for me. My hometown is small and relatively sheltered; here I've been able to meet all kinds of people and see all kinds of things, and I'll always be grateful for that expansion of being. Not to mention the friends I've met here, who I hope to keep for the rest of my life."

Daniel Tulchinskiy '25

Daniel Tulchinskiy '25

Attending Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University

Majors: Neuroscience and biology

Minor: Chemistry

Hometown: Buffalo Grove, Illinois

A personal mission to unravel the mysteries of science: “When I was in fifth grade, my grandfather was unfortunately diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. I went on this very long journey of trying to unravel the mysteries of science, and at Lake Forest College I continued to unravel those mysteries by working in a lab doing Parkinson's research. I did three years of hands-on research in the lab and presented my research at national conferences, which has prepared me for medical school.”

Adam Plager '25

Adam Plager '25

Broadcast/Media Relations Manager at Norwich Sea Unicorns

Major: Business (marketing track)

Minor: Entrepreneurship

Hometown: Cypress, California

A voice for a team: “I’ve always enjoyed sports, and broadcasting allows me to stay connected and involved with the game I love most. There’s nothing like calling a game and being a part of a family, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to have gotten my start at Lake Forest College.”

Yamel Munoz '25

Yamel Munoz '25

Financial Analyst at Microsoft

Majors: Economics and Data Science (finance concentration)

Minor: Public policy

Hometown: Chihuahua, Mexico

Facilitating global collaboration: After graduation, I will begin working at the Mexican Embassy in Washington, D.C., where I’ll be involved in negotiations and collaboration efforts between Mexico and the United States. Following that, I will be joining Microsoft in Seattle as a Financial Analyst. I will always carry with me the deep bonds I built within the international community at Lake Forest College.

Contact Information

Gorter Family Career Advancement Center

256 Brown Hall, Middle Campus
847-735-5235
careers@lakeforest.edu

Hours

Academic Year: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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