All incoming Spring 2021 deposited transfer students are eligible for a tuition-free course in the J-Term.
The College is offering this special opportunity in response to the financial challenges that many students and families are now experiencing due to the coronavirus. Transfer students must submit their deposit before Monday, December 28 to be eligible for the free J-Term course.
Due to COVID-19 public health concerns, all J-Term courses will be taught remotely.
Questions?
Melissa Naughton
Director of Transfer Admissions
naughton@lakeforest.edu
874-735-5009
Get ahead or catch up on courses
Our J-Term offers exciting and challenging courses taught by our top faculty. This four-week session gives you the ability to catch up on a college credit, get ahead of the game, supercharge your writing, or learn a second (or third or fourth!) language.
Classes have time set aside for synchronous work, five days a week, either in the mornings or in the afternoons, leaving time to read and study, complete homework, and make the most of your winter break.
Please log in to my.lakeforest to register for your free J-term course.
J-Term Dates: January 4 – January 26, 2021
Note that if you withdraw from your free course after the last day for change of registration, you are not eligible for another free course.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will any J-term courses be held in person?
No. All J-term courses will be remotely taught.
If I've chosen the free course option, how does it work if I take a partial credit course?
You may combine up to 1.0 cr of courses for no tuition charge in the J and Summer terms. So for example, you could take MATH 102 (0.5 cr) in the J-Term and ECON 129 (0.5 cr) in Summer 1. Note that the partial credit options are limited and there is no "refund" if you do not use all of your 1.0 cr of tuition-free courses before Fall 2021.
If I am an undergraduate Education major, can I take an MAT course tuition-free?
It depends. EDUC 501 (Summer 1) is excluded from the free-course offer, since it is a graduate course, but EDUC 486 (J-Term) can be taken by eligible undergraduates as a free course.
Can I hold a full-time job and do a J-Term course asynchronously?
No. Because of the compressed schedule—a whole course in less than 3 ½ weeks—the J-term by itself requires full-time commitment of up to 50 hours per week. The total time you will spend on the course—both in and out of class, will be between 140 and 160 hours.
Will all courses be able to accommodate asynchronous students?
No. A few courses have been granted exceptions and require synchronous participation. The J-term course page indicates which courses are synchronous only. We remind students that synchronous instruction will in many cases prove the most effective.
Will incompletes be possible in a J-term, given that spring semester begins right afterward?
Yes, with a deadline of one week after finals. Yet, incompletes are generally not a good idea with this quick turnaround.
Will I be able to withdraw from a J-term course and take my free course in the summer?
It depends. If you have chosen the free course/internship option, and you drop the J-term course by the third day (Wed, Jan 6), you will still be eligible for a free course or internship in a summer term. If you withdraw from a course after Jan 6, you are not eligible for another free course or internship.
Can I switch from one J-term course to another after the term starts?
Yes, but note that the compressed schedule does not lend itself to “course shopping.” Each class period covers about a week’s worth of material, so if you discover on the first day that you want to switch to a different J-Term course, you should make every effort to be in the new course on the second day of the term.
Can I go asynchronous for part of the course if an internship opportunity comes my way?
No. Asynchronous accommodations are only for COVID-related reasons. However, it may be possible to start a spring term internship during the J-term, provided the internship hours are limited.
Will my advisor be around in J-term to help me decide on course withdrawals or P/F decisions?
While your advisor is your first stop, Associate Dean of the Faculty Dawn Abt-Perkins (abtperkins@lakeforest.edu) is available to assist.
J-Term Class Schedule
Classes meet Monday-Friday. No classes on Monday, Jan 18 (MLK Day).
Click on the course to go to the course descriptions for that department.
**ECON 130 no longer has ECON 129 as a pre- or co-requisite.
#Meets concurrently with Math 110: 9:00 - 11:50 am, plus three additional 1:00 - 3:50 pm meetings.
^Instructor approval not required for Jan term only.