CHICAGO EXPRESS Through dedicated recruitment efforts, notable alumni achievements, and more, Albion is establishing a more direct westbound connection to America’s third largest metro. By John Perney When you think about Albion College’s recent success story in Chicago—and it is a bona fide success—it’s hard not to think about the little train station in downtown Albion. Hop on the Wolverine from what Amtrak calls “the charming Italianate depot” that has served the community for more than 125 years, and you’ll reach Union Station in three and a half hours (Amtrak says 3:15 but let’s get real). Indeed, for decades, one could say an opportunity for the College has been right at its doorstep. But Albion, with its more natural and traditional and still vibrant Detroit link, maintained a distinct Michigan identity: from the 2003-04 academic year through 2014-15, the percentage of Albion students from the Great Lakes State consistently ranged from 88% to 90%.
12 | Albion College Io Triumphe!
But it doesn’t take a social scientist to understand that Michigan’s population trends (the state will lose another seat in Congress following last year’s census) demanded new strategies for recruitment.
Getting to Work As the Wolverine approaches the platform at Union Station (or any big-city terminal), it gets a bit dark: perhaps a mix of the unknown, anticipation, and excitement for the buzz that awaits above and outside. Quickly walking through the station searching for the right exit means navigating around commuters and other travelers. Suddenly, the grandeur of The Great Hall forces a pause: it looks better than ever! Step outside, and you’re looking for your Uber, hailing a cab, or maybe hoofing it across the
Chicago River to your Loop destination— navigating more people and, probably, construction. But the energy! Metaphorical attempts aside, Albion’s efforts at building a student-recruitment hub in Chicago may have seemed daunting seven years ago. But the possibilities have always been there. And the results have been undeniable. The number of Chicagoland students from Cook and surrounding counties enrolling at Albion College has increased more than eightfold, from 21 in the fall semester of 2014 to 172 in fall 2020. Fueling that surge has been the strong relationship established between Albion and the Noble Network of Charter Schools, a nonprofit organization that runs 17 charter public high schools and one middle school in Chicago. Relatedly, the percentage of students from Michigan has decreased across the same span, from 89.6% to 70.9%.
