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College Spotlight: University of Colorado at Boulder

By meredith dodd posted October 15, 2010

Boulder, Colorado, located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, is known for its laid-back attitude, gorgeous weather, and excellent ski and snowboard access. However, Boulder is also home to the University of Colorado at Boulder- a campus established in 1876 as the flagship school for the University of Colorado system.

While the city of Boulder, with its countless outdoor opportunities, the highest population of Ph. D’s in the county, and a lifestyle that is continually ranked as one of the best in the county, is certainly one of the biggest draws students have towards the University of Colorado, it is not the only one. CU, as it is shortened to, offers 85 majors at the bachelor’s level, and 70 majors at the masters level to its almost 30,000 students. Despite the school’s large size, a remarkable 85% of classes have fewer than 50 students, and over half of all classes have fewer than 20 students.

With over 90 research centers, institutes, and programs it is no wonder that science majors, such as molecular, cellular, and developmental biology, are among the most popular with students. Psychology, pre-journalism, and English are also some of the more well-represented majors. Students at CU certainly take advantage of the large number of majors as many choose to double-major during their time at the University.

The university and the city of Boulder attract some of the brightest minds in the country. Four faculty members at CU have received the Nobel Peace Prize, while another seven have received a MacArthur Fellowship- otherwise known as a “Genius Grants”. An astonishing 91% of the faculty members hold degrees higher than a Bachelor’s degree.

Along with an outstanding faculty, CU was also named one of the “Best Buy” schools by Fiske Guide to Colleges 2008. In 2008, 55% of students received some type of financial aid. Although tuition is slightly steep in comparison to other public universities for out-of-state students, around $24,000 per year, the consensus among students is that the cost is well worth the experience.

To top it all off, CU has recently become a member of the highly competitive PAC 10 conference in athletics. The cross-country, ski, and track teams are among the best in the country, while the annual football game against arch-rival Colorado State is one of the highlights of every student’s fall semesters.

The University of Colorado combines all that one could want in an undergraduate institution; excellent academics, great athletics, outstanding faculty, and a living environment that is hard to top anywhere in the country. If you are looking for a school where you can truly enjoy life while completing your degree there might not be a better choice than heading to Colorado.

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College Spotlight: Lewis and Clark College

By katie cantrell posted October 8, 2010

Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon, might be the greenest college in the United States. Named the second most beautiful college campus in the U.S. by the Princeton Review, Lewis and Clark lies nestled next to Tryon Creek State Natural area. The campus is filled with trees, streams, and beautiful buildings dating back to the 1800s. The greenery is also reflected in the school’s ethics; sustainability is a key part of Lewis and Clark’s philosophy. Thirty percent of their electricity is generated by wind power, and Reuters listed Lewis and Clark as one of the top 10 schools in the country for studying “Cleantech,” or renewable energy.

Founded in 1867, Lewis and Clark provides an intimate small school experience. The average class size is 19, and the faculty to student ratio is 1:12. The school offers 28 majors in arts and humanities, social sciences, and mathematical and natural sciences. Roughly 64% of applicants are admitted, with an average GPA of 3.5-4.0, and an average SAT score of 1830-2050.

Lewis and Clark is also renowned for its study abroad programs. It currently offers 25 overseas and off campus study abroad programs. Most students choose to study abroad during their junior year. The international element is also reflected in Lewis and Clark’s student body. Nine percent of students are international, representing 58 countries. There are also students from 46 different states.

On a visit to Lewis and Clark, I was struck by students’ activity and fitness. Indeed, one in five undergrads is an officially designated student athlete. In addition, College Outdoors offers trips to the many beautiful environments of the Pacific Northwest, including activities such as skiing, backpacking, rafting, kayaking, and hiking.

In addition to being located near such beautiful natural environs, Lewis and Clark also has metropolitan advantages. Portland is a hub for many different youth movements, from hipster to vegan to DIY. As a Lewis and Clark student, you can take the free shuttle downtown, pick up a vegan fruit loop donut at Voodoo Donuts and stroll over to Powell’s City of Books, the largest independent bookstore in the United States. Or, you could pick up some renowned local coffee and walk through the Waterfront Park, which offers views of Portland’s many bridges.

If you want to learn more about what the Pacific Northwest has to offer, check out Lewis and Clark’s Real Life Student Blog: http://media.lclark.edu/content/reallife2009/

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College Spotlight: UC Irvine

By jordan schonig posted July 6, 2010

As with many institutions familiarly known by their acronyms, UCI attracts clever backronyms, like the playfully self-mocking (but simultaneously self-aggrandizing) “Under Construction Indefinitely.” Unexpectedly, the nickname–currently the only one sanctioned by the administration–encapsulates one of UCI’s many paradoxes: construction on campus may be annoying as an unsightly impediment, but it nevertheless promises growth and progress.

This beloved joke illustrates the kind of sense of humor, but ultimate pride, with which UCI students regard their school. First, the humor spawns from some well-known idiosyncrasies about UCI. The university is located on the cusp of Irvine–the wealthy, clean, conservative, so-safe-it’s-boring, planned city–and Newport Beach–a lively coastal community whose true culture is mostly belied (but not altogether warped) by the former TV series The O.C. UCI, then, is nestled between symbols of old and young, bland and piquant, wealthy and, well, wealthy. Luckily, UCI maintains an autonomous identity while lying in the middle of this geographical tug-of-war, an identity fueled by critical thinking and, of course, a great sense of humor. Perhaps this humor accounts for UCI’s odd choice in mascot–the anteater. A true UCI student understands that the mascot anteater derives its power not from its laughably fierce cartoon rendering (complete with bulky, well-defined deltoids), but from the quirkiness that inspires an underdog solidarity among the faculty and student body.

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College Spotlight: University of Wisconsin – Madison

By meredith dodd posted June 16, 2010

Dear Grockit Blog Readers,

I have three questions for you:

1) Do you work hard?

2) Do you like to have fun?

3) Can you balance both of the above?

If you answered ‘yes’ to all three of the above, then the University of Wisconsin at Madison may be the school for you. UW – as it is frequently shortened to- has a reputation for attracting students that exemplify the motto “work hard, play hard.”

There is no playing hard without first working hard, and students at UW certainly do work hard. Academically, the University of Wisconsin boasts one of the top public school educations in the country. US News and World Report recently ranked it 9^th in terms of Top Public Schools, and 39^th overall in the country. With over 130 different majors, 4,000 plus classes offered each semester, and 40 libraries on campus there is a plethora of information that students can take advantage of.

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College Spotlight: Sarah Lawrence

By katie cantrell posted May 24, 2010

Have you ever dreamed of not having to worry about grades? Do you hate the idea of huge, anonymous lecture halls? If so, you might want to consider Sarah Lawrence College, which is located roughly fifteen miles north of Manhattan, New York, in a small town called Yonkers.

Founded in 1926 as an all-women’s college, Sarah Lawrence is known for its liberal arts education. Rather than declaring majors, students are allowed to design their own curricula, or “concentrations.” All students work closely with their academic advisors, called “dons,” to design their concentrations.

Students choose their courses from four major areas of study: history and the social sciences, humanities, natural sciences and mathematics, and creative and performing arts. Students only take three courses per semester. Most classes are run using a seminar-conference system; each class, usually consisting of no more than 10 students, meets twice a week with the professor to have in-depth discussions about projects and readings. All courses focus heavily on developing students’ writing skills.

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College Spotlight: University of Southern California

By vivian kerr posted May 3, 2010

USC is the oldest private research university in the Western United States with a well-deserved reputation for both scholastic and athletic excellence. USC first opened its doors in 1880 and its main campus, University Park, is located just minutes from Downtown Los Angeles. Today it is in the top 1% of all colleges and universities in terms of selectivity and was voted “College of the Year” in 2000 by TIME Magazine and the Princeton Review.

Recent statistics show the average unweighted GPA of entering freshman to be about 3.70 and the middle 50% of admitted students had an SAT range between 1930 – 2150. There are approximate 17,000 undergraduates with more international students than any other U.S. university. Enrollments include students from over 115 countries and the university offers extensive opportunities for internships and study abroad.

The main campus is home to the USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences as well as 17 professional schools. The campus is easily accessible by foot, with cars limited to only a couple streets, and contains many beautiful buildings, a combination of East Coast-style original brick and elegant new facilities. The landscaping is perfectly maintained and “Tommy Trojan”, a statue of an ancient Trojan warrior and the school’s unofficial mascot, stands guard at the center of the main quad.

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College Spotlight: Carleton College

By jonathan peters posted April 20, 2010

Carleton College is a top-notch liberal arts college located in Northville, Minnesota, a small town some 44 miles south of Minneapolis. Carleton offers awesome academics and a strong community ensconced in one of the most bucolic corners of Minnesota. Some 1986 students call Carleton home; a small population that leads to a considerable amount of interaction; you will get to know your peers here. The average class size is eighteen and the student-faculty ratio is about 9:1, a good number that encourages a great deal of meaningful dialogue between student and professor.

Carleton offers 37 diverse majors, from Biology to Russian. The academics are excellent, and many of the professors are leaders in their fields. Like many liberal arts colleges, here all classes are taught by professors and not teaching assistants. During your four years here, you will be doing research, meeting with a professor about your paper, and finding the tools to become an independent learner. Some famous professors include Minnesota senator Paul Wellstone (now deceased) and philosophy of science writer Ian Barbour.

The campus is quite beautiful and features Cowling Arboretum that covers 880 acres next door to the main grounds. The environment is quite important here; Carleton students’ sustainable habits are well known and earned the campus an A- from the Sustainable Endowments Institute in 2008. Sports are important at Carleton; do not let their status as Division III fool you. Many students participate in sports, especially club sports like rugby.

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College Spotlight: The University of Vermont

By jonathan peters posted February 17, 2010

The University of Vermont is located in the bucolic small town of Burlington, Vermont, a stone’s throw away from Lake Champlain. This university with a small school feel defies expectations; it is both approachably small and features enough academic offerings to interest any college student’s most wide-ranging interests. The college has about 10,371 undergraduates and a student-faculty ratio of 17 to 1. Class sizes range from smaller seminars to large lectures; there is about an even mix between the two. The average class size is about 23.

UVM is composed of ten colleges, including the College of Arts and Sciences, where most students enroll. There are about one hundred majors to choose from at UVM and more than 1,882 classes offered. These include a forestry seminar where students become up to date on current themes in the study of forests, and a classics course on “Greek Feminism.” The Honors College attracts the best and brightest from around the country to study in Burlington. UVM is also known for its outstanding environmental program; it has been ranked one of the “greenest colleges” in Forbes. The Rubenstein School of Natural Resources stands out as a center of research and advocacy for the environment.

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College Spotlight: The University of Virginia

By jonathan peters posted February 11, 2010

The University of Virginia is a standout public research university with a small college feel. Nestled in the Blue Ridge mountains, and surrounded by suburbs and farmland, UVa is located in the small town of Charlottesville (population 45,049), known to locals as the ’Ville. Some 13,617 students call the school home. Since its founding by third president Thomas Jefferson in 1819, the University of Virginia has been known for its diversity of academic offerings and the strength of its program. Truly a Renaissance Man, Jefferson believed that students should major in their interests and this holds true today; some ten different schools offer forty eight different degrees for undergrads.

Academics takes center-stage at Virginia. The student-faculty ratio is a respectable 15 to 1. The most popular major is economics; UVa is also known for its political science and history departments. Academically motivated Echols Scholars are given special treatment, including a dorm. The Distinguished Majors program is open to any student who wants to complete a thesis during his or her final year. The Honor System defines academic life at the school; according to the code a student will not do three things: lie, cheat, or steal upon penalty of expulsion. Since 1842, it has served as the academic equivalent of the highest law of the land.

The campus is truly beautiful and one of the selling points of the school. Jefferson personally designed the grounds as he developed the school; his home, Monticello is nearby. The by all appearances colonial Lawn is the center of campus but the Rotunda, a monument based upon the Pantheon, is perhaps the highlight.

Some famous alumni include Woodrow Wilson, Edgar Allen Poe (who unsurprisingly did not graduate) Ted Kennedy Tina Fey of 30 Rock, and Katie Couric of The CBS Evening News. Virginia seems to attract the best and the brightest, especially in politics, as it is known for its powerful coterie of graduates in government.

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College Spotlight: Goucher College

By jonathan peters posted February 1, 2010

Goucher College is a small liberal arts college of national renown located in Towson, Maryland. With a student population of only 1,500 undergraduates and a student faculty ratio of 10:1, students get to know their peers and professors in little time. The school is situated in Towson, a sleepy suburb of Baltimore, Maryland with a population of about 50,000.

The school was founded in 1885 as a female liberal arts college known as The Women’s College of Baltimore. In 1986, the school went co-ed; still today the gender breakdown is about 67% female. According to a 2004 survey in Newsweek, the school has some of the happiest students of any college in America. Some famous alums include Mary Vivian Pearce, a member of John Waters’ acting troupe, conservative writer Jonah Goldberg, and groundbreaking chemist Florence Siebert.

Goucher offers 31 majors, but encourages students to come up with their own majors as well. The school’s creative writing program is well-known for its sterling faculty. Also, the school hosts a post-baccalaureate pre-med program that prepares college graduates for careers in medicine. In an interesting move, in 2010 Goucher will require all students to complete some form of study abroad, whether a three-week unit or a semester in another country.

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