Summer Intensive English Language Institute (SIELI)
Program Information
Estimated Costs
Contact Information
SIELI Schedule
SIELI Online Application
Housing Information
The Summer Intensive English Language Institute (SIELI) is an eight-week intensive English language and US culture program at Columbia College Chicago. The College is located in the heart of Chicago, minutes away from major cultural attractions and museums, the Magnificent Mile shopping area, and Lake Michigan parks and beaches. All forms of public transportation are accessible from campus allowing students to move easily around the city and surrounding areas.
The SIELI is an arts, media, and community infused program, designed for students with high-intermediate to advanced levels of proficiency in English who want to continue to develop their language and intercultural skills for academic and professional purposes. To take full advantage of SIELI's bridge-to-academic level curriculum, it is strongly recommended that students report TOEFL scores above 173 (computer) or 65 iBT, MELAB scores above 69, or IELTS scores above 5.0. Students planning to continue at their undergraduate degree studies at Columbia must provide a TOEFL (or equivalent) score of over 173. Students with lower levels of English proficiency may not be able to fully participate or succeed in the SIELI classes.
Students in the SIELI take four courses in each of the curriculum subject areas (writing and new media, reading and vocabulary, listening/speaking, and culture and community) Monday through Thursday, for 8 weeks, for a total of 20 hours per week of instruction. Students also receive 2 hours per week of individualized instruction with an ESL Specialist in the Columbia College Writing Center. In addition to classroom instructional time, students visit and participate in weekly arts and cultural events in and around the Columbia College campus and develop community based research and artistic projects.The SIELI provides students a unique opportunity to improve their English communication skills while exploring connections to the arts communities in Chicago.
SIELI at Columbia College Chicago
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Complete, in 8 weeks, 176 hours of English language and culture instruction in small classes with professional faculty.
- Communicate and comprehend ideas effectively as a reader, writer, listener, and speaker for personal, professional, and academic purposes.
- Develop tools for continued culture and language learning.
- Experience and reflect on a variety of Chicago arts, community, and cultural events.
- Develop a multi-modal (visual, textual, auditory, kinesthetic) project of sustained length and depth which explores as aspect of culture, community, and/or the arts.
Estimated Costs
| SIELI Program Fees* | $2600.00 |
| Textbooks (approximate) | $ 120.00 |
| Housing (approximate) | $ 2096.00 |
| Meals (approximate) | $ 600.00 |
| Total (approximate) | $5416.00 |
*Payment in full of SIELI program fees is expected when you receive your letter of admission to the SIELI Program.
**Full payment for housing is expected with submission of the SIELI Housing
Application.
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For more information about the SIELI, contact:
Suzanne Blum
Malley, Director of ESL
Columbia College English Department
Summer Intensive English Language Institute
600 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60605-1996
phone: (312) 344-8111
fax: (312) 344-8001
e-mail: esl@colum.edu
Do You Need a Visa or I-20 transfer?
If you have questions about student visa applications or I-20 transfers, please contact:
Gigi Posejpal, Assistant Dean International Student Affairs
Columbia College Admissions
600 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60605-1996
(312) 344-7458
e-mail: gposejpal@colum.edu
Please note that if you need an I-20 form, you should apply as early as possible to SIELI so that your student visa paperwork can be processed.
For information about undergraduate degree program admission to Columbia College, contact:
Gigi Posejpal, Assistant
Dean International Student Affairs
Columbia College Admissions
600 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60605-1996
(312) 344-7458
e-mail: gposejpal@colum.edu
Don't forget about housing!
Learn more about living at 731 S. Plymouth Court . If you plan to live on campus, request a SIELI Housing application from esl@colum.edu. We expect and encourage SIELI students to live on campus, but we will make exceptions for students with other housing arrangments.
