I will admit it it right away - I had never heard of Oglethorpe University before I was invited to visit it along with other colleges in Atlanta. Of the five colleges we visited, it was one of the standouts. Most of the 1100 students are from the south and mid-Atlantic states but there was one student on our student panel from Los Angeles. The students on the panel impressed me as being quite genuine, relaxed, friendly and surprisingly balanced young people, in contrast to the many college students I meet on campuses who seem over committed and stressed. Named after the founder of Georgia and its first governor, Oglethorpe occupies a lovely wooded campus within the Atlanta city limits and walking distance from the light rail transit system. Classes here are small and personal and everyone seems to know each other. Faculty are here to teach undergraduates first, develop their own scholarly interests second. The President had just returned from leading a spring break trip to Ecuador. Oglethorpe offers the usual liberal arts majors and biology is most popular at the moment. New residence halls have recently been built but everyone agrees that a new student center is needed next.
Relationship was the word that kept coming to my mind during my visit to Oglethorpe. The relationships between people were highly valued and honored and I observed this in the interactions between people and in the way I was treated. This focus translates to a more humane admissions process that includes rolling admissions and an attempt to provide as much financial aid as possible for needy families. Oglethorpe's not the right place for everyone, but it would be a great place for someone who wants to build relationships at a small, diverse college in a city.
