Southwestern University

The first college we visited on our Austin trip was Southwestern University, one of the colleges profiled in Colleges that Change Lives.  At fewer than 1500 students, it is a residential college located about 40 minutes from downtown Austin in the suburb of Georgetown and is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas.  The compact campus is comprised of newer beige limestone buildings. The landscape is flat – perfect for riding bikes, which is how the students get around campus and the nearby town.  While many bring their own bikes, there is a free “pirate bike” (Southwestern’s mascot is the pirate) system of yellow bikes that anyone on campus may use.  A whopping 75% of the students participate in at least one internship during their college years and all complete a capstone project as a senior.  Southwestern is the type of college that pays close attention to students and where professors know each student by name.  Athletics are offered and popular but are not a big focus here.  Fraternities and sororities are present but only a third of the students participate in them.

St. Edward's University

On a recent trip to Austin, Texas, I visited St. Edward's University , which is a sister school to Notre Dame.  Do you remember Dave Bralower, our former Director of Admissions?  He works at St. Edwards now in the Admissions Office and it was good to catch up with him and hear about his job.  Over the last ten years, St. Edwards has doubled in size to 3600 students.   The campus is on a “hill” with a fantastic view of downtown Austin, which is only about 10 minutes away.  Along with the most popular majors (psychology, communications, biology, English writing and international business management), they offer a number of innovative majors such as digital music management, digital media management and entrepreneurship.  The university owns an urban wilderness preserve used by the environmental science department.  The unique theatre arts program allows students to earn points towards membership in the Actors Equity Union.  As a Catholic university, St. Edwards requires all students to take an ethics class and either a philosophy class or a religion class.  My tour guide was Muslim and she said she felt totally at home here.  St. Edwards has developed a number of their own study abroad programs and is experimenting with innovative ways to bring an international presence into the class room by enrolling students from universities in other countries in their classes and managing participating by Skype.

Occidental College

Oxy, which is how many refer to Occidental College, is a lovely campus in the Eagle Rock section of Los Angeles.  The campus is spacious and located on a gentle hillside. Spanish architecture predominates and is mixed with more modern buildings.  The landscaping is lush and includes many inviting outdoor spaces for gathering and relaxing.  The students were a diverse group and I sensed that politics and activism were clearly a part of the campus culture here.  The library was busy on a Friday afternoon although our tour guide thought it was a sleepy Friday.  Half the students study abroad during their four years.  Classes are under 25 students and our guide reported getting to know her professors well.  Except for a graduate program in education, Oxy is an undergraduate liberal arts college with strength in most majors.  There are fraternities and sororities but only 10% of the student body joins. Oxy has a reputation for being in an unsafe area of Los Angeles but I think this is really a matter of opinion.  I thought the campus felt very safe.  Our tour guide said she frequented cafes and stores in the neighborhood, but my limited driving in the area did not reveal places that I thought would draw students.  In summary, Oxy offers a very strong education and if that’s what you’re looking for, check it out and make your own decision!

Susan

Colgate University

The village of Hamilton, where Colgate University is located, is big enough to have a movie theatre and more than one coffee shop but small enough for merchants to sell items outside their shops on the honor system.  The college bookstore is located “downtown” and also serves as the town’s bookstore.  The college and its students seem to be woven into the community and vice versa to the happy benefit of all concerned.  Getting out of town requires a car or the bus, with Syracuse an hour away.

Colgate is a very personal place, starting in the admissions process where acceptance letters contain a hand written note mentioning what the admission officer particularly liked about the student’s application.  With fewer than 2800, Colgate is focused on undergraduate education in traditional liberal arts areas.  A core curriculum guides students through the process of learning broadly and first year seminars assist students with advising and making the transition to college.  100% graduate within 4 years, 95% return for the sophomore year and 95% live on campus.  A new library and science building are impressive on this campus of stately older buildings that have been masterfully restored inside.

Colgate has an unusual early decision process with two rounds that serious applicants should research and consider.  50% of the class is accepted through these early decision options.

Syracuse University

At Syracuse, students choose from nine undergraduate colleges.  Each college has its own admission and outreach coordinator and these folks can assist a student in compiling portfolios and improving their applications – as resource not to be missed!  When applying, students rank their choice of colleges and selectivity differs by college.  The university calendar calls for a “Maymester” when students can take one course for a short but concentrated period of time.  Many students study abroad during Maymester.

With 14,000 students, Syracuse operates nationally known study abroad programs.  Known particularly for the schools of architecture and public communications, Syracuse offers the full range of academic choices.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)

Rensselaer has long been known as a place for engineering (11 different types!), math and science.  Achievements of RPI alums touch us every day - the inventor of sunscreen and the person who proposed including “@” in email addresses are graduates.  Schools of architecture, business, engineering, information technology and sciences are available in addition to a college of humanities, arts and social sciences.  The engineering programs are top-notch and the game design and electronic media departments are receiving National recognition as well. On my recent visit there, however, the admissions staff was anxious to show us all the other possibilities of like at RPI, including gleaming new athletic facilities and a star of the art performing arts venue.

This university of 5000 undergraduates is perched on a hill overlooking Troy, New York, a historically industrial town on the banks of the Hudson River.   The student body is predominately male (70%) and the typical class size is 2-40 students with 150 in the biggest class.  RPI boasts of an amazing alumni network and highly successful career development department.

Hamilton College

Named to honor Alexander Hamilton and founded to educate the local Native Americans, Hamilton College has 1800 undergraduates.  The college is located at the top of a hill, overlooking the tiny village of Clinton.  Students laughed at the snow flurry that greeted me as I arrived in late April – they’d been wearing shorts the prior weekend, and expected to again the next – such is April in upstate New York.   In 1970, Hamilton merged with Kirkland College, the women’s college located across the street, becoming coed and increasing in size.

Hamilton’s open curriculum sets it apart from many other selective liberal arts colleges.  Believing that its better to have students in class who really want to be there, there are no general education requirements except for three writing intensive classes (from which there are many to choose across all departments) and PE (yoga, golf and skiing included).  That said, faculty advisors deliberately engage students in conversations, strongly  encouraging them to take a broad selection of courses.   Students are supported by a Writing Center, Media Center and Oral Communication Center.  A senior capstone project is required.

Community is a defining characteristic at Hamilton and that’s not surprising considering its somewhat isolated location.  98% live on campus and students stay there on weekends, participating in a huge range of activities and events.  About 30% join fraternities and sororities but there are no associated houses. The two largest organizations on campus are the Outing Club, where you can rent just about any sports equipment you can imagine, and the community service organization that sponsors everything from one-hour activities to ongoing commitments.  The students I spoke with were self assured, smart but not pretentious.  They spoke of first hand experience with strong alumni networks for internships and jobs. What is the value of a Hamilton education?  These impressive students said they had gained considerable confidence, were far more articulate and have developed valuable relationships with classmates, faculty and alumni that would last them a lifetime.

Hamilton admits students without regard to financial need and meets 100% of their demonstrated need.  97% return for the sophomore year.