Shimer College, American democratic school
Shimer College is a private educational institution in Naperville that spent most of its history in Chicago, named after its founder. The school offers a curriculum based on classic books with about nine texts per semester, where students discuss in seminars of about seven people and write research papers.
The school was founded in 1853 as Mount Carroll Seminary and began with eleven students in a small church. It went through several name changes and relocations, from Mount Carroll to Waukegan to Chicago, and worked with the University of Chicago from 1896 to 1958 before becoming part of North Central College in 2017.
The name comes from Frances Shimer, a founder who promoted education for women starting in 1853. The school is known for its discussion culture, where students sit in small groups around octagonal tables and analyze classic texts instead of listening to lectures.
The school is now located in Naperville, but many alumni and students still visit the original Chicago locations where collections and archives are kept. The small class size and seminar format require active participation, so visitors or prospective students should have a conversation with the school to understand the teaching methods.
Former students had the chance to enter before finishing high school, which made the program attractive to gifted young people. Additionally, study-abroad programs in Oxford offered special tutorials where students not only experienced British culture but also discussed classic texts in their original historical setting.
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