Life at Carmel Catholic High Schools’ International Residence

Looking for a top school with expansive STEM offerings, a wide range of AP/Honors/Dual Credit courses and an abundance of extracurriculars? Then Amerigo Signature school Carmel Catholic High School, located just outside of Chicago in a safe, affluent suburb, just may be the place for you.

Carmel Catholic is a five-time winner of the coveted National Blue Ribbon School award – only six schools in the country have earned this award five times! With 1150 total students, 100+ AP, Honors and Dual Credit courses, and 70+ clubs and sports, there’s truly something for everyone.

“Carmel is a very special school,” said Jillyen Phelps, the Director of Campus Operations for Amerigo Chicago North Shore.  “It’s very welcoming to all, no matter what culture or background a student has. There’s always someone there to help you, and you never feel alone. The school is vey big in community – they’re always making sure that everyone has a friend and knows someone.”

Learn more about what life is like at the international residence below.

Life at the International Student Residence

Amerigo’s international high school students attending Carmel Catholic have the option to live in a beautiful, amenity-filled apartment complex located just a quick drive away from the school campus. Homestay opportunities are also available for international students at Carmel.

The apartment complex features a gym that students love to use, a pool that’s open in warm weather, and plenty of common spaces for students to socialize, study and hang out.

“We have a great campus community,” Jillyen said. “Everyone is very friendly, everyone says hi to one another. Our students love to hangout over Boba tea, watching soccer games and more. The community also loves to participate in baking, so sometimes students will hang out with our campus staff and bake banana bread and cupcakes together.”

All the meals for international students living in the residence is catered by local restaurants.

“The food is varied every day,” Jillyen said. “We have American, Greek, Asian, Mexican. Most of it is very healthy as well, we always have a protein, veggie and starch, with rice always available.”

Activities at the International Student Residence

The Carmel Catholic international student residence has an incredible location, with easy access to so much to do – including restaurants, a movie theater and even a shopping mall. In fact, Mundelein – where Carmel is located – has more than 50 restaurants, as well as a vibrant arts community.

On the weekends, students love to enjoy everything the community has to offer, as well as activities at the school, like attending plays, musicals, sporting events and football games.  

“Students also love hanging out at the residence playing board games, listening to music and talking,” Jillyen said.

The Amerigo team also plans an extensive amount of acculturation activities for students. The international students have gone to professional sporting events by the Chicago Bulls (basketball), the Chicago Blackhawks (ice hockey) and the Chicago Cubs (baseball). They’ve also seen theater shows, like Hamilton, gone to the ballet and taken trips to the nearby cities of Milwaukee and Madison to explore.

University Support

2024 Amerigo graduates from Carmel Catholic have already been accepted to some top universities, including the University of California –Irvine (#33), University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign (#35), Purdue University (#43) and many more.

Students are supported by on campus University Guidance Advisors, who meet with Grade 11 and Grade 12 students throughout the year to share information about college, help with admissions essays, assist in applying to scholarships and much more. The students also work closely with the Carmel Catholic University Guidance Department.

Additionally, students living in the Amerigo residence receive academic support in the residence after school, with supervised studying and homework help available.

Homestay

International students at Carmel Catholic can also live in a Homestay if they prefer, living with a warm and welcoming local family in a safe and comfortable residence near the school.

“Carmel embraces the homestay program, and is really committed to supporting the homestay students,” Jillyen said. “Our homestay students will never feel alone – they’re a really big part of the school community.”

To learn more about Carmel Catholic, click here.