Trinity University (TX)

Trinity University (visited 9/19/22)

The main entrance to campus with the university sign, fountain, Admissions, and other buildings in the background.

Are you looking for a selective liberal arts university (accepting about 1/3 of applicants) with strong academics, great school spirit, Greek life, and some of the best athletic facilities for a school of its size? This is it.

Trinity has impressive facilities for a school of 2600 undergrads who have access to so much in and out of the classroom. “The students who ‘Arrive and Thrive’ like to take on the academics and be challenged. They’ll ask for help. They get involved. The ones who leave tend not to use the resources – and we have a lot of them here!”

One of the main fountains on campus.

Students come to Trinity for its location in San Antonio, the size, the diversity (both of students and faculty), the rigorous academics, and the opportunities outside of the classroom, particularly athletics. They’re known for their incredibly strong athletics and facilities for a DIII school, going to championships regularly and recently winning the national championship in basketball. “The most organic school spirit is for soccer,” said the tour guide. “It’s the one that students show up to just because, but students show up to a lot of sports. The school promotes football the most with tailgating.” Club sports also draw participants and spectators. “And it’s not just sports. Theater and music are popular, too. Students show up to support each other for these, too.” They put on three shows a year and a musical every couple of years. Music groups put on frequent concerts, usually in the chapel – and the university offers the Bachelors of Music degree in Composition, Performance, and Music Precertification which is unusual in that it’s a 5-year degree leading to the BM and an MAT/teaching certification.

The central tower

Because they have their act together, so to speak, the university has seen applications almost double since 2015 which reflects the fact that they’re becoming a known quantity; it helps that they don’t have an application fee and that they’re test optional. Only about 50% of applicants submitted scores in recent years; admission, scholarship distribution, and yield all stayed pretty much in line with this percentage. Merit Scholarships run from $12-32K/year based predominantly on the academic info such as grades and rigor. They have an incredible endowment; students we spoke to are happy with the scholarships and financial aid.

A seating area and fire pit outside one of the residence halls

The thing the tour guide likes is that Trinity met her where she was in the curriculum when she arrived on campus as a freshman: she came in with a lot of advanced computer science skills, so they placed in at the appropriate place in the curriculum rather than making her sit through classes and curriculum she’d already mastered. “It’s given me more flexibility to do things I’m really interested in and to move at my own pace.”

Their mascot is the Tiger; they used to have a live tiger (living at the zoo). These stuffed tigers hang out on the diving boards when not in use – just one form of school pride.

This is just one way they’re setting students up for success. They’ve done a great job keeping up with technology and updating facilities, including a large Maker Space. The students love “The Cube” which is a dynamic teaching space with movable walls, pods, and lots of technology. There’s funding for research for all fields, and about 80% of students will complete some form of research before graduating. Students regularly participate travel classes and other events that put their learning into the real world and allow for experiential, hands-on learning.

The Cube

It’s fairly common for students to double major (or at least have a minor). Students can create their own second major which comes with a couple caveats: it has to be interdisciplinary, must get approval from the faculty in the appropriate departments, and their other major must be one that’s pre-created. One student is currently majoring in International Sport Politics, combining languages, sports management, international relations, and more. Another counselor asked our tour guide if students can double major with or between “the big ones,” aka Engineering and Business. “Those would be really hard because they’re so structured. They can usually do it with math or physics. Most other majors are more flexible.”

A few programs to pay attention to that you may not find other places include Global Latinx Studies; Ancient Mediterranean Studies; Arts, Letters, & Enterprise (either a minor or a certificate); Business Analytics and Technology; Greek or Russian (major or minor); and American Intercultural Studies (minor).

Community is a big deal here; it’s a residential campus, and it shows in how students interact with each other. Dorms are great; none of them are traditional in the sense of having bathroom down the hall! We went into one which had one of the biggest rooms I’ve seen (complete with a walk-in closet!), and the tour guide said that this was relatively standard. They offer Gender Neutral housing (and campus overall “is incredibly LGBTQ friendly” according to the tour guide).

One of the many sculptures on campus.

They have strong Greek life on campus, but chapters are all locally (no national ones) which gives Trinity more control over rules and. We saw a bunch of kids walking around in their chapter t-shirts and learned that Monday is Greek Life T-shirt Day. Rush is a semester long which gives students a chance to acclimate to campus before deciding to pledge.

Campus is in a residential area of San Antonio, about 3 miles from downtown. There’s a lot that’s walkable around campus (restaurants, cafes, stores). I asked our tour guide about public transportation to get around the city since it’s not reasonable that students coming from a distance will have a car: “it isn’t a big thing here. It’s not really a bike friendly town, either, but a ton of people do have cars and people hitch rides with friends.” All students can have cars on campus; parking is just $75 a year.

I should note that despite the chapel being fairly central on campus, Trinity is currently affiliated with, but no longer run by, the Presbyterians who started the university in the mid-1800s. Campus had moved several times over the years (including taking over the failed University of San Antonio) but eventually purchased an old limestone quarry and built the current campus there and became known as the University on the Hill. At this point, they also agreed that they’d step away from being run by the church. They’ve done a beautiful job using the geographic features, building on and around the quarry; the current campus is stunning. The tower is a central feature on campus and the focus of a major tradition: students climb it at the end of orientation week and then again right before graduation (but not in between!). Other popular traditions are getting dunked in the fountain for your birthday and students dunking their class rings in the fountain.

One of the Cat Care stations around campus.

Fun fact: this is one of only two schools I’ve seen (the other being Southwestern in Austin) with feral cat colonies on campus. They have a Cat Alliance that takes care of them (unfortunately, people in town know this and will drop their cats here). Students have set up feeding stations and warm housing for the cats. They work on a kind of catch-and-release program in which they make sure the cats get fixed and have their shots but then let them live freely on campus.

Another interesting fact: they used to have a live tiger (which is their mascot) on campus. They’re within walking distance from the zoo, so the tiger was taken care of there.

© 2022

Widener University (Take 2)

Old Main, the original building when this was Pennsylvania Military College

Widener University (visited 2/25/19)

(Click HERE to see notes and pictures from my previous visit on 11/20/15)

What makes students a good fit for Widener?

• “We’re told by co-op employers that our students have grit and no sense of entitlement. There’s a drive that pushes them.”
• “Kids come in with so much on their plate – but they keep going. They’re all passionate about something. They’re resourceful and innovative. They want to try new things and to connect.”
• “We’re a smallish campus and a family style environment. People aren’t anonymous. You know the groundskeeper, the president, the person serving you in the dining hall, the student next to you in class.”
• “We’re plugged in here. We’ll do wellness checks.”

One of the Pride mascots (female, male, and cub)

“Student success is at the core of everything we do,” said an admissions rep. This ranges from a 3-year residency requirement (“data points say that students are more successful if they live on campus”) to experiential education “which is harder to find than you think!” Some students have never engaged in diverse environments, dealt with communities struggling with hunger insecurity, etc. They work with students to appreciate civic engagement for what it is and deal with it as career preparation. Students deal with privilege and power on a variety of levels.

Widener uses their location to their advantage; some people worry about safety in that area, but “No one talks about all the rich things that happen in terms of service. All major cities have stuff. If you go to a rural campus, there are rural issues. If you go to an urban campus, there are urban issues. We talk to kids about being savvy about where you are. Because of all the lights, it’s like Yankee Stadium in the middle of a game. There are more than 100 cameras. There are tons of ways to keep campus safe.”

One of the Hospitality lab/classrooms – the top slides back to expose stovetops

Widener students are 20% more likely to participate in research, internships, and high impact practices through Civic Engagement, hands-on education, Co-ops, and more. In the Philly region, Drexel and Widener are co-op powerhouses with two significant differences:

• Widener is on traditional semesters (Drexel is trimesters) with 3 co-ops (Sophomore fall, Junior spring, and the summer before senior year; the 2^nd and 3^rd can be combined).
• Business (including Business Analytics and International Business), Engineering (including Robotics and Biomedical), Comp Sci, and Tourism and Hospitality Management complete 3 co-ops and still graduate in 4-years. Students take classes in the summer before sophomore and junior years.

One of the student-run tv studios in the communications department

Although I had visited Widener several years earlier, I was glad to revisit and see many of the departments I hadn’t before; they did an amazing job getting us the academic facilities and talking to professors who were passionate and clearly care about the students. I can see why students do so well here! A professor told us that “one of our competitors on the accreditation team said, ‘We say we care; you guys really care’.”

“This is the place where you have dinner at the President’s House. You get that up close and personal. More than 1000 students have dinner there every year: she invites sports teams, Bonner’s Program, etc. The dogs come out and the pool is open.”

One of the Computer Forensics labs

We asked the students on the panel, “Why should we send students here? What’s appealing?”

• “During a revisitation day, two science professors sought me out. I’m 1 of 7 biochem”
• “It’s the only school in the area that goes to the European Simulation. It’s one of the most life changing things I’ve done.”
• “Family and Growth. I’ve seen myself grow compared to my friends at other colleges. You can create your own legacy and leave your mark.”
• “I run track and miss random classes for meets, but it’s easy to work with professors to make sure I keep up.”
• “They’ll work with you to match you with internships because professors have connections. They have no problem helping out and linking students with their contacts.”
• “I came for the accelerated PT program. I’ll starts grad classes in senior year to shave off a year of my graduate studies, but I keep my scholarship as a senior.”

A geology lab

With 3,000 full-time undergrads and 3,000 graduate students, Widener provides what many larger schools offer while giving students a smaller college feel and personal attention with an average of 25 students per class. “It’s a blessing and a curse because we’re put in with larger institutions, so we get hit with rankings.”

Student panelists said that their favorite classes were:

• Genetics: “my research prof teaches it. She’s helped with med school, MCATs, shaping me as a person. This taught me resilience.”
• “I don’t have a specific favorite, but I’ve taken 4 classes with one professor. He embodies the involvement faculty have =. He checks in with how I’m doing. He knows I ski.”
• Constitutional Law: “The Prof engages without PowerPoints for 3 hours. I’m learning the same things as Villanova Law students.”
• “I had one professor in fall of freshman year who helped me find my internship. We got close because I was always missing his class for meets so I was working a lot with him.”
• Business Law: “I want to go into that. I took it with a professor who’s a lawyer. I learned things I could apply in the field.”
• Environmental Engineering: “I had the professor for 3 classes and did research with her.”

The nursing building

The largest major is nursing: about 200 of the incoming 750-800 freshmen declare that major. Overall, they have strong Health programs (especially PT) and are starting OTD and PA programs. They accepted 16 into next year’s PT accelerated 3+3 cohort: to be offered a spot, students need 570 math SAT (1200 composite) or 24 math ACT (24 composite). If they don’t meet that but are admissible to Widener, they’re offered a 4+3. PT students work in a pro-bono clinic and complete in-patient, out-patient, and 1 choice internship; some do sports, pediatrics, even abroad (currently in Belize or Italy; Costa Rica and China are potential future possibilities).

The library

All majors can study abroad: “going abroad should not delay your education.” Students can also study away in the US. “There’s a diversity of options without even leaving the North America: HBCUs, sea grants, French-speaking in Quebec, Spanish speaking in PR.” Widener owns property in Costa Rica, often used for short-term abroad programs, research projects, etc.

Over 90% of students live on campus in a variety of options including gender-neutral. Housing is guaranteed all 4 years and required for 3 unless they live with family within 25 miles. All students can have cars; permits are $230/year. There are 2 nearby train stations (Chester and Swarthmore) and buses to get around town.

NCAA athletes (23 DIII teams) make up 25-30% of the freshman class. “Academics and graduating are the most important. That being said, we hate losing more than we love winning.” Just over half of the athletes made the honor roll, and athletes are the highest retaining cohort.

Widener has been named among the top 150 most affordable colleges (out of 1700 researched by LendEDU) for freshmen with financial need. The “Average Joe” gets about $26,000 in merit aid.

© 2019

 

Eckerd College

Eckerd College (visited 2/8/16)

“Eckerd brings out the good in us,” said the student sitting at our table at lunch. “It taught me that I’m pretty tough. I can roll out of bed at 2:00 am and go save people off a sinking boat.”

Skateboard “Parking” can be found around campus

Eckerd sits on about a mile and a half of waterfront property; not a bad place to spend 4 years! However, the administrators are quick to point out a line from Colleges That Change Lives: “On a sunny lush plot of land on Florida’s Gulf Coast, Eckerd College might seem like the perfect spot for an easy college career, four years marked by sun, surf and sand. But if you’re looking for a vacation, you should enroll elsewhere” (http://www.eckerd.edu/about/colleges-that-change-lives). Students describe classes as “intense and rigorous.”

Hammocks are all over campus

People are excited about being here and are genuinely nice. “Very few places make the homesickness worth it. This is one of them,” said our tour guide. Less than ¼ of the students come from Florida (and about 5% are international); in fact, the average distance a student travels to attend Eckerd is about 1000  miles. The best way to describe students here are “beachy,” and students will even take extensive use of the yellow bikes on campus to get from place to place … they just grab one that’s free and scoot off to wherever they need to go! If they prefer to use a skateboard, there are even places provided to “park” them inside the buildings. The overarching feel is liberal, according to several students. They’re definitely relaxed and outdoorsy, taking full advantage of their surroundings, but not at the expense of their studies.

Waterfront equipment

The Waterfront substitutes for a campus rec center, and students come here for both fun and academics. Students, faculty, and even relatives can rent tents, coolers, fishing rods, and other equipment. In addition to a multitude of organized waterfront events (Fall FunFest, Hoedown, SplashBash, and the Talent Show to name a few), they have daily 2-hour windsailing and waterskiing trips and frequent overnight trips throughout the year such as a 4-day snorkeling trip to the Keys. Classes (wind-surfing, sailing, etc) are discounted for students, and anyone can sign up assuming they’ve passed the swim test. Clubs will also go scuba diving.

Boats at the waterfront

Faculty will bring classes to the waterfront; students will go out in kayaks or boats as part of their academics. Students may paddle to islands and read or write there for an English class. Environmental or Marine Science classes use the water and coast as a lab.

EC-SAR (Eckerd College Search and Rescue) is the only college water rescue in the country. It’s entirely student run (with some staff oversight!); they train and certify students to go out. They’re on-call 24 hours a day and go on about 500 calls a year (2^nd to the Coast Guard). There’s also a land-based rescue: dispatch for 911 calls to help stabilize people on campus.

The campus chapel

This is a Presbyterian-affiliated school, but you’d never know it; although there’s a chapel on campus, it’s non-denominational and there are no other statues or paraphernalia to indicate a religious affiliation.There are no attendance requirements or classes dealing with religion. They have an active Hillel and a club called “Scubie Jew” in which anyone (they don’t have to be Jewish) can get Scuba Certified. “I think they may be changing the name because people thought you did have be Jewish, but it’s kind of catchy so I hope they don’t,” said a tour guide. Students can get free transportation off campus to any service they want in the area. The school also holds alternative services on the beach sometimes.

Part of the Academic Quad

Admissions looks to bring about 500 first year and about 50 transfer students in a year. “It’s a challenge not to grow,” said one of the admissions representatives. Admissions decisions are done holistically, but scholarships are awarded based on grades and test scores (they’ll superscore ACT and SAT). The application fee is waived if the application is submitted by November 15 – with a guaranteed answer by 12/15. International students need a 550 CR SAT, a 79 TOEFL, or a 3000 word essay.

The study room on the main floor of the library

First-year students arrive 3 weeks before upperclassmen to complete orientation and the first class. This is called Autumn Term: “It should be called Sweaty term. There’s nothing Autumn about it,” said a rep. Transfer students CAN do an Autumn term but are not required to. Class runs from 9-12, and then students participate in orientation activities in the afternoons. Of the 25 classes offered, students can choose 6 classes that they’re interested in. Completing this class is a requirement for graduation, but it does not count towards the major. Orientation helps them learn about balance and other things.

Instead of “General Education” requirements, students complete Perspectives. The largest classes for our 2 tour guides were 40 (Chem 1) and 23 (Introduction to Anthropology); smallest were 2 (Latin) and 6 (Religion). Eckerd awards AP credit for 4 or 5 on the exams. Students can come in with up to 9 classes worth of AP, IB, or Dual Enrollment.

The entry to the new science building

The most popular majors are the Natural Sciences (about 1/3 of students), followed by the Social Sciences (just under 1/4 of the students), Business (about 20%), then Arts & Communications and Humanities (both just over 10%). Marine Science, Geosciences, Human Development, International Business are particularly strong. They offer a 3-2 Engineering & Applied Science program with Columbia and Wash U; “Not as many people take advantage of this as we’d like. Usually they’re here for a reason and will stay for all 4 years to take advantage of the opportunities here.” There’s also a 3-3 Pre-law program.

The Music building

They’re getting a new Arts center in the Spring of 2017. “You might see a building coming down today. It’s intentional … if they hit the right one,” said the Dean. The main Academic Quad is fairly small; all the buildings have classroom doors that open to the outside. There are no long halls in the buildings. They have recently built a new science center. However, much of the campus is in need of a face-lift; people are mostly willing to overlook it because of the natural beauty of campus, and students see that improvements are being done over time.

The Marine Science building

Experiential and Service Learning components are built into the fabric of life here. Research is everywhere, and a Mellon Foundation grant allows up to 25 freshmen to start researching immediately. All freshmen have to attend career services and complete 40 hours of reflective learning by junior year. The 2 aspects of this include both course content (1 example: Becoming Visible: Sex and Gender in American Society in which students look into how people can work with diverse populations) and an individual project or alternative spring break trip. They run trips to places like Cuba (looking at faith and lifting the embargo), Panama and Quito (working in orphanages), and Kentucky (poverty in the Appalachians). They’re ranked the #12 college in the US for short-term study abroad and study away: they travel internationally, but also at Ghost Ranch, NM; the Sundance Film Festival, UT; the United Nations, NY; and Woods Hole, MA. They’ve recently partnered with the University of Havana, Cuba so students can study Marine Biology there.

One of the bigger dorms on campus sits right on the water

The dorms (all of which are mixed-classes: there are no freshman-only dorms) are named after Greek letters “partially to thumb our noses at Greek Life.” 86% of students live on campus, even though they only are required to live there for the first year. They have themed living, including Gender Neutral dorms. They opened their first one last year, and it’s so popular that they now have a 2^nd one.

Another set of dorms

There’s also Pet Friendly living; the Department of Pet Life provides oversight, health and wellness checks, flea and tick medication, and vet visits twice a year. Ten buildings allow pets; dogs have to be at least a year old and owned by the student for at least 10 months; Cats have to be 6 months old and owned for 3 months. “This is to make sure that the students know the pets well and how they react to things.” Usually parking is fine, but it’s been more of a challenge this year with the construction. Kids who fly in will usually take SuperShuttle or have friends who pick them up.

 

When students get sick of campus and/or the water, there’s plenty to do off campus, and the school runs free shuttles off campus to various locations and runs buses downtown to First Friday every month.

© 2016

Beloit College

Beloit College (visited 4/15/15)

Campus Cafe

The students at Beloit were some of the most open, forthcoming, articulate students I’ve met. I was hugely impressed with them and the school as a whole. They’re doing something very right there. It’s clearly earning its spot on the Colleges that Change Lives list!

Beloit is great for students who like to do more than one thing. The professors also demonstrate this range of interests. For example, a physics professor teaches “The Physics of Asian Sounds” and co-teaches a class with a Music professor on “Keeping it Real.” Students tend to be jacks-of-all-trades who want to do a lot and maybe need help focusing (in a good way). About half the students become involved in the arts in some way during their time here just because they enjoy it. The campus has a lot of facilities for performances including a thrust stage and 2 black box theaters.

Science Lab

The happiest students engage across the curriculum. “There are excited students who want to do this and excited faculty who want to work with them,” said one admissions rep. Faculty work with them to show how to fit things into their majors. “They help students move into the driver’s seat of their own education” by letting them articulate what they’re interested in and why. The ability to articulate their own narrative is important. A student put it this way: “We’re challenged in different ways at different times. Be ready to have your world turned upside down in a good way.”

Quad

Students are collaborative, not competitive. Students are internally motivated, not grade-grubbers. They’ll ask “What did you think about the reading?” not “What did you get?” They want to know what they can do better. “They take the responsibility for their education,” said one professor. “They’ll ask, ‘What can I do differently next time?’ not ‘Why did you give me that grade?’”

Science Building

Students here learn by doing and are expected to do something with what they learn in class. Beloit calls it Liberal Arts in Practice: “We want them to graduate with a resume, not just a transcript.” All students complete a significant project such as research or an internship – and Beloit makes it easy to do this. Students don’t even have to leave campus for real-world experience (although many still do):

Archaeology Museum in a converted chapel

• There are 2 teaching museums on campus: Art and Anthropology/Archaeology (and there are 20 Indian Mounds on campus). Many students work here as researchers, curators, and educators since the museums only have 4 staff members
• Students who like to make things happen are supported in the Entrepreneurship program CELEB.
• There’s a fully functional campus TV station.

There’s a high degree of flexibility in the Curriculum. Rather than Core or Distribution Requirements, Beloit has 5 Domains (such as Creative Processes and Scientific Inquiry) and 3 Skills (Writing, Cultural Competency, and Quantitative Analysis) that they want graduates to have. There’s vast amount of choice involved; many of these can be fulfilled within a major.

“It just kind of worked out that no more than 10% of students in any given year are in a major. We don’t do that on purpose,” said an admissions rep. “Professors are hands-down the best here,” said one student. Some of the unusual majors or programs of note include:

• 3-2 and 4-2 Engineering: Two to four students a year will take advantage of program. Many more come in saying they’re interested but change their minds. Students spend 3 or 4 years at Beloit earning a B.S. and then will earn a 2nd Bachelors or a Masters in Engineering from Columbia, RIT, Michigan, Wash U, or Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
• Environmental Management and Forestry: this is a cooperative program with Duke. The accelerated program (3-2) is competitive; students can also start at Duke after the full 4 years at Beloit.
• Critical Identities Studies
• International Political Economy
• Geology
• Languages: Beloit offers classes in many languages beyond the “traditional” including Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and even Hungarian. About 75% of students will study another language even without a language requirement. The Modern Languages major lets students combine more than one language.
• Comparative Literature
• Creative Writing: this is a full major, not an afterthought within the English Department
• Health and Society
• Anthropology: Rated the top undergrad program in the country and #2 for students who go on to get a PhD

Favorite classes include:

• Thinking Queerly: “It was about identity, and a really rigorous class. It pushed me in a unique way.”
• Women, Race, and Class: “It was a wake-up call.”
• Masculinities: “We did a lot of research.”
• “Social Technology Entrepreneurship: “There were 6 professors and 4 students. Where else will that ever happen?”
• Anthropology of Race and Identity

Although there is only a 3-year residency requirement, 95% stay on campus all four years. Housing options include special interest and Gender Neutral housing. The alcohol policy is for students to be responsible and respectful. “There aren’t a lot of regulations here. It’s much more laid back so there’s no pressure to binge drink,” said one student. “People can reach out for help if they need it without fear of repercussions”.

Dorms

Athletics are big but not overwhelming (they’re DIII). The Athletic Director (also the baseball coach) told a story about one of his players who was going to miss practice for the opening of his Senior Art Show. He felt bad about missing practice and proactively told the coach — who not only told him not to worry about it, but delayed the start of practice by about an hour to allow the rest of the team to support their teammate at the opening. “If we’re good, we’ll win without the extra practice.” Because they’re DIII, they don’t have much influence, if any, on admissions: “Admissions reps don’t show up to practice and tell us how to bunt. I don’t tell them who to admit.”

Admissions is competitive, but applicants tend to be fairly self-selecting. They will recalculate GPA to a 4.0 unweighted scale. This year, they’re Test Optional for the first time. International students need to demonstrate skills with TOEFL or SAT/ACT.

Students love Beloit. The town is cute with lots to do. One student did say that “sometimes it can be a bit isolating. The good side is that it makes us a community, and there’s so much to do here that there’s no reason to leave anyway.” Some of the favorite traditions on campus are:

• “Bizarro” held at the on-campus bar. Students dress up as someone else on campus.
• Bell Run: “You can be naked on the residential side, but not the academic side. The bell sits just over the line on the academic side; students run across the “line” to ring the bell.”
• The 2-day Folk and Blues Music Fest
• Spring Day Carnival
• Ultimate Frisbee Championships between faculty and students. “We also joke about whether “Old School” (faculty) will be any good this year.”

(c) 2015

Lawrence University

Lawrence University (visited 4/17/15)

“Lawrence takes the weirdest, quirkiest, most awkward people and puts them all in one place. Go with it,” said one student.

The “SLUG”

I loved Lawrence. Students were open, straight-forward, and interested in lots of things – and therefore were interesting people. Students sat with us at breakfast and provided great information that didn’t come up in the more formal presentations. One student was active with the Sustainable Life Undergrad Garden (“SLUG”); another rowed on the crew team. A third told us that he wasn’t sure he wanted to come to Lawrence. “What convinced me was the conversations in the cafe. People are smart, and that doesn’t end in the classroom. They want deep, meaningful conversations and want to know what others think.”

People are extremely open and accepting here. This is a great place for LGBTQ students or who just want be themselves without judgment. Interestingly, though, religion isn’t talked about much. Students talk about just about everything else: politics, race, sexuality. The yearly Campus Climate survey data supports that students of faith sometimes feel left out; the administration is aware that this is an area of growth. However, there are student-run religious groups and a Religious Studies major so there’s a space for these discussions to happen.

Lawrence is a College That Changes Lives. I asked the student panelists how it has changed their lives:

• It forced me to learn how to deal with people I don’t necessarily agree with. I can manage difficult relationships. That’s a good skill. It’s shaped me to be prepared for the world as it is.
• I’m from a tiny town and fortunate to be here. I’m engaging with diversity, going to eye-opening speakers, taking part of great conversations.
• The opportunities – there are so many ways we can engage with each other.
• The conversations are different. My friends at big schools don’t talk late into the night about big-picture, real-world problems trying to figure things out. It’s life changing.
• Lawrence’s mantra is teaching you how to think differently. I used to roll my eyes, but I’ve looked back on papers, and I thought, ‘Wow, I was WAY less smart!’ I’m a better thinker now.
• I was a leader in high school in terms of being able to do things I was told to do, but here, I’m a leader in terms of pursuing my own interests.
• There’s so much passion here. It’s why there are so many groups and so many individual studies. We want to learn things and bring other people along for the ride.

One counselor asked, “What frustrates you?”

• Sometimes the people. It’s a small school. Usually that’s great, but sometimes we push each other’s buttons.
• There’s so much on campus and people get stretched thin.
• High and low is the size of the school. Now it feels a little too small. I wish I could have lived in an apartment and had a bit of independence.
• The bugs . . . but we aren’t supposed to mention them!
• The winter but Lawrence handles it well.

Someone asked, “What surprised you?”

• How many smart people there are.
• The talent. You’re always finding out new things. There’s a girl in my house who yodels. How cool is that?! Next thing you know, there’s someone there with a fiddle.
• The Academic and Social Honor Codes. People take them so seriously.
• The campus has a fully functioning cinema including free popcorn.

Student lounge overlooking the Fox River

Campus is a manageable size with the Fox River running along one side (although much of the sports complex is on the opposite side of the river, hockey being the only exception; the rink 4 miles away). The Club Sailing and Crew teams practice on the river, and the on-campus gym has an erg loft for rowers. They have 22 DIII sports and Club fencing that competes on DI level (against Notre Dame, Ohio State, Northwestern, etc). About 25% of students participate in sports. Basketball, soccer, hockey, and volleyball draw the most fans.

Students hanging out outside a dorm

Gaming House

Housing is mostly clustered together, and except for one upperclassman-only dorm, has a mix of majors, years, etc. They have 2 floors of Gender-Neutral housing, substance-free housing, and group houses. Groups such as Gaming, Swing Dancing, and Multicultural clubs, must be in existence for 3 or more years before applying for a house. Clubs are generally highly active, and there’s more to do on campus than time to do it in. Favorite traditions include the 50 Hours of Trivia and Stealing the Rock.

Greek Life attracts 20% of students. Three students spoke about Greek life. One got a scholarship from the frat he ended up joining; at the dinner for scholarship recipients, he was blown away by how much it wasn’t about the social aspect but more about philanthropy and helping each other with school. The 2nd person said, “Each one is different and provides a different sort of support system.” The 3rd wasn’t even thinking about joining a frat when he came to college. “I didn’t think it was for me but all my friends were joining. It’s inclusive. Events are open to all of campus.” Rush is delayed to winter term so students have the fall to establish themselves.

Side of the science building

Classes range from 40 (Biological Anthro) and 60 (Intro to Biology) to 2 (Independent Study) and 8 (Sr. Experience and Statistics). Students call professors by their first names. Favorite Classes include:

• Topics in Middle East and India Through Ethnomusicology
• Geology
• Intro to Drawing: “I draw like a 5 year old, but that’s ok at Lawrence!”
• Computer Science: “So hard and so good!”
• Gender in Cinema: “We watched Clueless and Top Gun. We queered up that movie so bad! We talked for 2 hours about the relationships in that movie.”
• Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion – uses HP to learn about Medieval Witchcraft
• Defining Frenchness

Notable majors include: Linguistics, Neuroscience, Cognitive Science, Biomedical Ethics, Chinese, and Innovation & Entrepreneurship.

Conservatory with a food truck – makes for easy lunches between rehearsals

Lawrence has an excellent music conservatory. Classes in “The Con” are open to all students regardless of major. Productions are inclusive and mostly based on ability: if you can do it, you can get in. We asked if there was a divide between the Con and other students; most agreed that if there was any divide at all, it was between the Conservatory and Athletics. In an effort to keep that at bay, they hold “Flip-flop Weekend” when those 2 groups go to the other one’s activities.

There’s only one application regardless of whether a student applies to the Conservatory or not. Con students apply ONLY regular decision and go through the audition process then without a pre-screening. If a student can’t attend an on-campus or one of the 12 regional auditions, they can send in a video. They’ll get the decision for admission to Lawrence and the Conservatory at the same time. If a student applies for a dual-degree program, they’ll still be looked at academically for the university if they aren’t eligible for the Con.

Appleton is a great small college town; town-gown relations are good. The airport is 10 minutes away making it easy for the international students and others who need to fly to and from school to get there and back home.

(c) 2015