Northwestern

What distinguishes Northwestern in the strength it maintains across the board in all that it offers.  The undergraduate program at Northwestern is comprised of 6 colleges, the College of Arts and Science, Journalism, Engineering, Education and Social Work, Communications and Music.  

The Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences College offers over 100 in majors natural science, math, social science, humanities and more.  It is the largest and oldest of the colleges and serves 1/2 of the undergraduates. Freshman year students participate in a freshman seminar that 1st helps prepare for college level work.  

The McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, like the university, is strong in all that it offers. There are 10 areas of study within the school of Engineering.

Students are paired up with clients with real life problems.  Recently a group of students developed a machine so that paraplegics can give themselves insulin as necessary.  They are currently presenting it to hospitals in the Chicago area for use.  Co op employment opportunities are available and part of a 5 years program.  A student would then graduate with 4 years of coursework and real life full-time work experience.

The School of Communication is the second largest of the schools and takes an academic approach to the issue.  It also hosts 80 theater productions/yr.  The School of Journalism is the only such program offered at a top tier university.  The J school like the other pre-professional schools integrates a full-time internship, the journalism residency, into the curriculum.  Often taken the fall of Senior year, the residency offers a great transition to a full-time position.  The school also prepares students for the real world with use of the latest multimedia technology.  Students work on the newspaper on the radio and in producing television shows.  Also offered is a 4 year accelerated BSJ/MSJ program.

The School of Music serves students  who have the abilities of a conservatory level musician with high level academics.  Auditions and required for admittance.  It is a 5 year program but students graduate with two BA’s.   Students may choose to combine their study of music with Arts and Science, Engineering, Journalism, Communication or Education and Social Policy.   The School of Education & Social Policy is the only school of its kind and competes with Vanderbilt for top students.

NU follows the quarter system with 10 week periods.  Students usually take 4 classes per quarter meaning by the time they graduate students have take 10 -12 more classes than peers at traditional semester universities.  This allows students to pursue double majors, travel abroad and participate in internship programs while still graduating on time.  In fact, it is not unusual for students to be informed that they can graduate early.

NU students are well rounded.  They work hard and play hard.  The northern end of campus houses the fraternities and sororities and is known for parties.  The southern end is known to be quieter and more artistic.

Bryn Mawr

Bryn Mawr is a study in contradictions.  Its a college with 500 graduate students in programs such as Social Work and French.  It’s an all-women institution but incredibly diverse with 40% minority and international students.  It is also a woman’s college who historically has partnered with an all male college Haverford that is now itself co-ed.

Like it’s brother school, Bryn Mawr has a strong honor code constructed and enforced by the students and refined every year through a plenary meeting.   Also like Haverford, the strengths of Bryn Mawr compliment the strengths of Haverford and allow students to not only take classes at both institutions but major and live at either institution.  In fact, the two schools have a combined course catalog and bus facilitating the integrated nature of the two schools.  Bryn Mawr students can also take classes at Swarthmore and UPenn.  The most popular majors a re Biology, English and Foreign Languages (12 languages).  1/4 of the students at Bryn Mawr major in math or science.  That is three times the national average.   THe strongest programs at Bryn Mawr are Archeology, Growth and Structure of Cities, Physics, Math, Art History, Classics and Foreign Languages.

Because of the small size of the school, Bryn Mawr is able to offer small classes.  Like all schools, the largest classes tend to be the intro classes students take freshman year but in this case the largest class maxes out at 50.  Regular class size is 10 - 19 with a student faculty ratio of 8:1.  Classes are not lecture based but rather focus on discussion.  As a result, strong mentor relationships flourish.  The school requires two classes in each of the three divisions (social science, natural science and humanities) as well as one semester of quantitative work, intermediate level competency in a foreign language and physical education.  During their freshman year students are required to take the Emily Basch seminar.  Its comprised of 14 students and focuses on critical thinking, research and writing.  Different seminars focus on different topics.  

Life at Bryn Mawr is steeped in tradition with May Day festivities, Lantern Night, Parade Night Hell Week and Step Signs.  Bryn Mawr students are not worried about what others think. Instead they are independent minded, very respectful of one another, inquisitive, interested in others, and collaborative.  The social life at Bryn Mawr is relatively low key with student theater, cappella concerts, movies, speakers...  It’s more of a “friends over to your room” kind of place.  For the more traditional party scene Bryn Mawr students head over to Haverford, Villanova and Swarthmore.    

Haverford College

The honor code at Haverford is the foundation of the school’s academics and culture.  This strong code of ethics is constructed and enforced by the students and impacts almost all facets of student life within the college.  Students schedule their own exams, take unsupervised tests and enforce their own underage drinking policies.  The code is reviewed and refined every year by the students at a meeting called the Plenary.  In typical Quaker style, decisions are not determined by vote but by consensus. The importance of a this strong set of values then infiltrates down to the most mundane behaviors with students feeling comfortable leaving doors unlocked and and their computers on their desk in the library if they have to step away because crime is basically non-existent.  Having such a strong honor code then serves as almost a self-selecting process by drawing students with similar values and concerns and a strong respect for others.

A second dynamic that also makes Haverford unique is the fact that all students have a senior thesis/project.  This effort may range from a 25 - 120 page paper depending on the field of interest. On average there are 325 graduating seniors, each providing a senior presentation to which the whole school is invited.  

Haverford is a small liberal arts college of just over 1,000 students.  Some of the schools’ strongest programs include the Biological and Physical sciences,  English, History, Political Science and Economics.  Historically, Haverford was an all male college with Bryn Mawr being its sister school.  The vestiges of this relationship remain with Bryn Mawr having complimentary academic strengths and Haverford students not only being able to take classes at Bryn Mawr but also having the ability to major in areas at Bryn Mawr. 10% of Haverford students major at Bryn Mawr.  Popular areas include Macro Biology, Clinical Psychology, Dance, Theater, and The Growth and Structure of Cities.  The integrated nature of the two schools extends beyond academics with Haverford students having the ability to live in Bryn Mawr housing.

Although Haverford is academically rigorous, the culture is not competitive.  Students don’t know each others grades.  Instead they are simply passionate about learning.  Students tend to be intellectually curious and self-motivated.  They work hard but are also involved with a lot of different things, learning in and outside the classroom.  The have passionate interests and are engaged with their community locally and globally.

Temple University

Temple is an urban school integrated into the city of Philadelphia.  Like GW and Drexel, a person may be walking through part of the college campus and not even know it since it blends in so well with the surrounding city.  Temple is also a large university with over 24,000 students.  The university maintains 8 campuses worldwide including the main campus (on Broad St), Ambler (a more rural setting and shuttle bus ride away), the Health Sciences campus (5 minutes away from main campus), Temple University Center City, the Tyler School of Art (adjacent to the main campus) and lastly international locations in Tokyo and Rome.

Temple has the same strengths and challenges as many large universities.  The school offers a broad range of classes and majors with 12 schools offering different academic programs.  Temple is known for their theater and opera programs.  There is also a huge range in class size, 5 - over 200.  Because of this students can get lost in the shuffle.  This puts the responsibility on the student to work hard and be recognized.  

Since Temple is integrated into the city, it is not surprising that the city places a dominant role in student life.  There is also 34 Greek organizations and 35 club and intramural sports.  Like a city, the school is also very diverse along almost any continuum you can think of.  The one area it may not be diverse in is geographically. A huge portion of students hail from the Philadelphia area.  Lastly, important to note is that 1/2 the student body are commuters and 1/2 live in and around campus.  After sophomore year, you are not longer able to live in the dorms.    

University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania’s mission stems back to its founding in in 1740 by Benjamin Franklin.  Prior to that time, only three universities existed in the US, Harvard, Yale and WIlliam and Mary and all three had the same purpose, to train you men for the seminary.  Franklin had a radical idea.  The purpose of UPenn would be to prepare men to be engaged citizens through practical and experiential learning so that they might enhance their community.  UPenn established the nations’ first medical school, business school, journalism curriculum and psychology clinic.  This impressive history has led to a very career oriented culture with the Wharton School of Business taking the charge in this area. Not surprisingly students from the nursing school are less aggressive.This focus on practicality does not however extend to the inclusion of co-operatives or full-time internships like its neighbor Drexel.  Rather, like it’s fellow Ivy League compatriots, UPenn believes the focus of education should be within the classroom.

Students apply directly to one of the four undergraduate schools, engineering, business, nursing and arts and science.  If you are torn between specializing or attending the college of arts and science, in general the advice is to start out by specializing.  It is often easier to transfer into arts and science than a specialty because of class requirements.  The most popular majors include finance , economics and bioengineering.  UPenn also has several nationally recognized program leaders including anthropology, , management, cognitive and computer science and the Biological Basis of Behavior.

The school is a mid-sized school with 10,000 undergraduates with 6,000 in the college of arts and science “The College”.   Half of all majors are inner disciplinary in nature  so there are not a lot of double majors but students can take classes in all schools, and use all libraries and research facilities.  Lots of flexibility.  Although UPenn does have a pre-professional side to it, at its heart it is a liberal arts university.  All students take classes in arts and sciences.  The undergraduate population is viewed as fluid, taking classes with one another.  The university has distribution requirements which bring students together. 

UPenn is known as the “Social Ivy. It’s for students who are not willing to give up their fun.”  THe school is 30% Greek.  There are over 500 clubs and if you don’t find what you like you can start your own.  The city is also a big part of the social scene providing great restaurants, bars, sporting events and more.  UPenn is very diverse with a 38% minority population. 

Drexel University

Drexel was founded during the industrial revolution and its educational philosophy stems from its beginnings.  Drexel believes an education should connect with the new world, incorporate the latest technology and be open to everyone.  To accomplish this, Drexel has developed the cooperative education system which alternates full-time study with full-time employment.  Students apply directly to their major because students need to take classes in their major in their freshman year and build that knowledge base before they start their first internship.  In addition, in preparation for internships, students take a pre-cooperative education course that addresses skills assessment, resume writing, interview preparation, networking and other information critical for entrance into the working world. Drexel doesn’t guarantee internships for each student but 96% of students have an internship prior to the commencement date of the internship period.  If a student is not able to get an internship in time, the career staff helps the student until they have one.  After two weeks into the quarter, all students have internships.  Internships last six months.  Some programs require one internship.  Others require three.    

This process can sound daunting but students say you don’t need to know exactly what you want to do.  However, you do need to have a confident attitude and belief that you'll figure it out.  Sometimes it can take a while and students have to try lots of different things but they figure it out.  Drexel does not provide a lot of hand holding but there are lots of opportunities.  Students need to take the initiative and figure out what they want to do.  Time management and organization are important skills for a Drexel student as well.

Academically, engineering dominates at Drexel. It is one of the strongest and largest programs.  Other popular majors include information science, nursing and biological sciences.  The school also offers some more unusual majors including media arts, fashion design, game art and production, video game track, custom design, product design, and a business engineering program which provides classes to give the student a foundation in engineering but does not extend into higher technical issues.  Instead the program evolves into a focus on business skills and management.

Drexel is in the heart of Philadelphia, integrated into the city and across the street form UPenn.  Not surprisingly, student life reflects this urban location.  Students take advantage of museums, concerts, local bars and restaurants.  On campus, there’s greek life, intramural sports and grassy areas for students to hang out and relax.

Villanova

Villanova is an Augustinian university nested in the Main Line outside of Philadelphia.  What does it mean to be Augustinian as opposed to a Jesuit institution.  The head of admissions at Villanova explained it this way.  If a Jesuit invites you over, he will probably entertain you in his library while an Augustinian will bring you right into the kitchen for something to warm your stomach and soul.  Another way to characterize this distinction is when students were told in a well known speech “ not to let books get in the way of their learning.”  Translation, at Villanova, there’s more to your education that what you learn in the classroom and community service is a big piece of the pie.  While Villanova is a highly respected and competitive Catholic University, their goal is to educate the whole person, mind, body and spirit.  As one student puts it, “You will work hard Monday through Wednesday, have fun Thursday through Saturday and on Sunday you will devote your time to a good cause.

With regard to its academics, Villanova’s undergraduate business school was recently ranked 7th in the country and serves nearly a quarter of the student body.  Employers love Nova grads because of the real world experience they receive through the internship program.  The engineering program is also highly regarded.  The most popular majors include nursing , biology, finance, marketing and mechanical engineering. The school maintains a rigorous core curriculum.  Different schools have different requirements but all students must take a core humanities seminar that includes theology, English, math, social sciences, philosophy and for most students , science and a foreign language. The course stress discussion, writing and reading from primary texts. 

The social life at Villanova centers around campus events and parties.  There’s “Late Night at Villanova” which hosts comedians, bands, dance parties and open mic night. Approximately 25% of the students are Greek but fraternity houses and team houses are not allowed on campus which means no parties on campus.  Instead students buy tickets up to a week in advance and pay up to $30 and take buses to the events. 

Saint Joseph's PA

St Joseph’s is a small liberal arts jesuit university on the outskirts of Philadelphia.  They may be known for their division I sports but there’s much more to this private catholic university.  First to note, may be the school’s saying, “Not For Spectators.”  This expression is indicative of the friendly outgoing and involved student body.  

Education is not limited to the classroom but should be experiential as well.   This plays out in the many programs that require internships for graduation including an optional 5 year b.s. degree from the business school which imbeds 4 internships within the degree requirements so that students have a well established resume upon graduation.  The business school is known for its accounting, marketing and management programs.  It is only one of five schools offering a degree in food marketing.  Five year b.s./m.s. programs are also offered in education, international marketing and psychology as is teacher certification at the elementary and secondary level.The university requires 2 classes in theology and philosophy and three in a foreign language.

Experiential enrichment also occurs outside the academic arena through the extensive community service opportunities offered to and pursued by the students.  Students at St Joe’s are very friendly and school spirited.  The are however, not very diverse ethnically,  geographically, religiously or economically.

Muhlenberg College

Muhlenberg is known is known for its nurturing and supportive culture which includes students, professors, administrators and staff.  Everyone helps one another, students, support each other, tutor each other, Professors doors are always open.  They become friends, mentors. role models and sometimes host parties in their own homes.  

At Muhlenberg everyone is accepted.  There is significant religious diversity and a sensitivity to gay and lesbian issues.  There is not significant ethnic diversity although there is a deeply embedded culture of respect and acceptance.

The school embraces the pre professional with strong pre-med and pre-law programs.  Education, political science and theater also get rave reviews.  Auditions are held for performances but not required for majorsBecause of the school’s small size, classes tend to be small and discussion based and there’s a lot of opportunity for research. 35% of the students double major and 30% graduate with a major and minor.

In line with the strong supportive environment, the school provides extensive services and guidance regarding life after college.  For example, there is a non-credit Dine for Success class advising students how to handle themselves in social settings through the job search process.  The school also provides mock interviews, classes on resume development and one-on-one reviews of the resume.  Over winter break, there are workshops on what to expect in a job Interview, how to network, and how to review a lease for a rental apartment.

Lehigh University

Lehigh is a small to medium size university in the suburbs of Pennsylvania.  Known for its strong engineering and business programs, the business school was recently ranked 25th in undergraduate business schools in the US by Business Week.  The school boasts by the first week of October 98% of the seniors majoring in finance and accounting had jobs.

To ensure success going forward, the school is actively investing in their engineering program.  Recently the school has invested in millions of dollars in optical technologies, nanotechnology, bioscience, biotechnology and optoelectronics.  Further building on their strengths, the school has created integrated programs. IBE is the acronym for the Integrated Business Engineering program. IDEAS is the integrated degree in engineering arts and Sciences and IPD stands for Integrated Product Development focusing on bringing the product from idea to market.  These programs are designed to bring together the best of what the school has to offer and provide their students the opportunity to distinguish themselves with unique highly marketable programs.

Having said all this, the College of Arts and Science still has the highest enrollment and is the most selective. Distribution requirements for Lehigh include classes in mathematical sciences, natural sciences, social sciences, the arts and humanities, writing and foreign language.  Some degrees require internships to graduate.

Lehigh has a lot of school spirit.  Students work hard and play hard.  Greek life has a dominant role in the social life of students.  Approximately 37% of students belong to a sorority or fraternity.  Some consider Lehigh a party school but the administration take underage drinking very seriously. 75% of the students participate in either intramural or club sports.  There is not a lot of ethnic or socio-economic diversity.

Lafayette College

Lafayette College is a small suburban liberal arts school outside Philadelphia.  It is known for the extensive research opportunities available to its students, strong engineering and physical science programs and Division I athletics.  Lafayette even has a program, EXCEL, where undergraduates get pain for research conducted with faculty.

50% of the students at Lafayette study engineering or physical science, the other half major in the humanities.  Some aspects of the engineering program worth noting is the fact that students don’t pick their area of specialization, mechanical, electrical..., until after their freshman year.  In addition, engineering students have the opportunity to study abroad, something relatively unusual in this often very demanding and stringent field.  Lafayette has special programs both with engineering schools in Spain and Germany which facilitate this process.  This is indicative of the fact that Lafayette has been recognized as one of the top colleges in study abroad participation.  Over half of the students take advantage of study abroad opportunities.  The students have also participated in Engineers Without Boarders.

Community Service is another strong aspect of student life at Lafayette. Many students take advantage of the opportunity to volunteer at schools, rehabilitation centers, hospitals and environmental sites through Lafayette’s Community Outreach Center.  Recently, students have renovated a middle school for community art center and worked with high school students in Madagascar helping them apply to colleges in the US.

Lafayette is also known for having a strong career services providing students externships, shadowing experiences and more.  The school sees career development as a four year process.  The first two years focus on exploration  while the second two years concentrate on preparation.  

Lafayette students tend to come from middle class and upper middle class backgrounds.  There is not a lot of ethnic diversity or politics on campus.  Social life centers on campus and includes a strong Greek system.  26% of men and 45% of the women belong to a fraternity or sorority.  For those who wish to travel off campus, Philadelphia, NYC, Atlantic City and the Appalachian Trail are a short drive away.

University of Maryland

The University of Maryland has been a rising star for the last 15 years.  The school credits their ascension with a concentrated effort to improve the quality of education provided.  One strategy to achieve this has been the creation of smaller learning groups 

providing students with smaller class sizes and greater opportunities to connect with students and faculty.  These groups include the Living and Learning Programs with sub specialties in journalism, life science and more.  Students are invited into this program as part of the admissions process.  There is also an Honors Program, College Park Scholars, Civicus and global communities.  

Other strengths of the school points to include a new core curriculum that starts Fall 2011 and focuses on how to learn rather than collecting information.  The classes are called the I Series and included classes in Investigation, Inquiry and more.  The school offers over 100 majors through its 12 colleges and schools.  73 of the school’s programs rank in the top 25 and 24 of the programs rank in the top 10.  The school is best known for its engineering, physics and computer science programs as well as the schools of business and journalism.  With such strong academics, students do not need to worry about outgrowing the faculty.  UMD is a world class research institution and one of the fastest growing universities in scholarship.  All of these strengths however can be linked to the schools sheer size, over 25,000 undergraduates, and like most large public research institutions, the best research opportunities are often taken by graduate students.  Similarly, in these institutions Professors are recognized for their research not their teaching with predictable outcomes. In particular, students complain about math and science professors.

The school is like its own city, enriched by diversity (34% students of color) which the schools contends helps prepare the students for their careers and the real world.  Students learn how to negotiate different perspectives, values...  Like a city, there is not an average citizen or students.  It’s a big melting pot.  Campus life centers around Greek life, local bars, house parties and football and basketball games.  Off campus, it’s easy to take the metro and go down to DC.  Whoever you are and whatever you like to do, there is a community of students for you.     

St Johns MD and Santa Fe

St Johns, there’s no place like it unless you are talking about its peer location.  St Johns has one campus in Annapolis and has been around since the 1700’s.  It opened a second campus in Santa Fe New Mexico in 1964.  But what makes St Johns truly unique are its academics.  There are no majors.  There are no lectures.  There are no text books. All students take the same classes and have the exact same curriculum.  These classes are based on the “Great Books” and includes the works of Socrates, Plato, Newton, Einstein, and others.  Students learn by reading these thinkers original works and then discussing them in class.  Class size ranges from 8 - 20 at most.  Class discussions are lead by tutors who at other universities would be considered professors.    They are viewed as tutors at St Johns because their role is not so much to teach as to guide the discussion and serves as a model learner.  There are no final exams.  Grades are based on papers and class participation.  In fact, the papers often do not come back with a grade on them.  Instead after the paper is returned, the tutor may set up conferences with each student to discuss their work.The curriculum includes 4 years of math where students discuss the various theories of Euclid and Ptolemy, their thinking behind their theories and how math built upon itself.  Students also study two years of Greek and French, 3 years of laboratory science, 1 year of music and 4 years of Great Books seminars.  

The experience is intense.  Many students take the year between Sophomore and Junior year off and its not unusual to take 6 years to graduate.  When students have completed the program, their degree is viewed as a double major in Philosophy and the History of Math  & Science with a minor in Literature and Classical Studies.  Because the academic experience is so unique transfer students must start out as freshmen regardless of how many years they completed at other institutions.  Similarly,  the school does not recognize other  academic abroad experiences.  Instead, Johnies may switch their campus for a year to get that “other experience.”    In Annapolis students spend their time partaking of intramural sports and living a more urban life in Annapolis.  Santa Fe’s student life tends to include a more “outdoorsie” experience.

Not surprisingly, the students attracted to this unique academic experience tend to be unique themselves.  They are highly intellectual, sometimes nerdy.  Some are social.  Some are anti-social but they all tend to dance to the beat of their own drum.  Having such an intense stringent academic experience some may think would lead to intense competition.  In fact, it’s just the opposite.  St John’s provides a close knit community that accepts all.  

The Naval Academy

First and foremost, you don’t apply to the naval academy because you are considering it as one of many colleges.  You apply to the naval academy because you want to join the military and you see the best path for yourself as one that would provide a high quality four year education which will train you to be an officer.  You choose the Naval Academy over West Point or other post secondary military institutions or vice versa not based on the military academy but rather because that is the branch of the military you wish to join.  All that having been said, the Naval Academy is an amazing opportunity for the right individual.

The naval academy draws highly motivated, talented, and disciplined students from all over the country.  All agree that the academics are the hardest part of the Naval Academy but these students enter an institution that strives to train and strengthen the whole person.   In addition to academics, students are expected to participate in 2 hours of physical activity daily.  They are also evaluated on their integrity and their ability to work as a team.  All of these aspects are considered in determining a cadets ranking within their class which then determines where they are in line in choosing their final placement after the academy.

The Naval Academy offers 23 majors.  2/3’s of the students pursue technology majors and 1/3 pursue the humanities.  The school is ranked 5th best engineering program in the country.  In particular, aerospace, electrical and mechanical are also ranked 5th in the country. The school maintains a stringent core curriculum. 3/4 of the classes a student takes are core classes, 1/4 pertain to the students major.  The strict nature of the school not surprisingly also extends to student life.  Students are woken up at 6:30. Breakfast is at 7:00. Classes begin at 8:00.  Lunch is at 12 and so on.  Co-ed within floors.  No tv’s, refrigerators, microwaves or foods in dorms.  

University of Richmond

The University of Richmond is nestled amongst trees and surrounds the lake, a little oasis in more ways that one.  A small liberal arts college serving almost 3,000 undergraduates, 550 law school students and 550 graduate students.  The school is also home to one of the most prestigious undergraduate business schools in the country (ranked 12th by Business Week) and the first school of Leadership in the country.  The school of Leadership focuses on what traits foster leadership more than on training leaders.  Of course both happening simultaneously is possible.  The program looks at leadership through the study of psychology, sociology, music, politics and more.  Other schools include Arts and Sciences, Law and Continuing Studies.  Approximately 70% of the students are enrolled in the school of Arts and Science.U Richmond has a very strong pre-professional aspect to their curriculum thanks to the business school but all undergraduate must fulfill requirements in communication including writing and foreign language, literature, history, natural sciences, social analysis, symbolic reasoning and visual and performing arts.

Like its geographic cousin UVA, the University of Richmond maintains a that southern style with students dressing in jackets and ties and dresses for football games, a strong greek system and a culture steeped with traditions.  All freshman partake in a ceremony where they sign the honor code and write a letter to themselves which is not opened until Senior year.  During their Junior year, students attend the Ring Dance, an elegant ball, where women wear white gowns and receive their class rings from their fathers.  Life at the University of Richmond really centers around the campus.  The state capital is close by but Richmond does not provide the greatest public transportation.

Richmond students are not the most diverse bunch (6% African American, 4% Asian American and 3% Hispanic) but they are a friendly and happy lot.  The addage work hard play hard fits here.  2/3’s of the students also volunteer donating over 100,000 hours a year. 

University of Virginia

What makes UVA so special? Answer: Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence, our country's third president and the founder of UVA.  He may have lived 200 years ago but his philosophy and vision live on today in Charlottesville. Jefferson’s belief in democracy, a government by the people and for the people has translated into a university in many ways led by the students.  The student government sets the priorities of the school through student led meetings where the general student population is invited to voice their concerns and desires for the school.  The students are also responsible for defining and enforcing the very stringent honor code which is at the heart of the school culture. The idea that all persons are created equal is even imbedded in the vocabulary.  At UVA, they don't use the terms freshman, sophomore, junior and senior but rather 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th year to suggest that no one is superior to another but rather that some students have merely been at the school longer.

Also impacting life at UVA is the fact that the school is one of the most competitive public universities in the country.  The kids here are smart and they work hard.  On the other hand, life is also balanced. Students tend to be physically active and service minded.  UVA is the largest contributor to  the Peace Corps of mid-sized schools in the nation.  The school has also maintained a little of that southern flavor.  It's not unusual to see male students attend football games in jackets and ties and female student to be wearing dresses.  The school also has a lot of fraternities and sororities.  Approximately 30% of the students are members but the parties can seem to dominate the social life on campus on the weekends.  The school is also the home to a few secret societies.  Can't tell you much about that.  They're a secret.

Since UVA is a state school approximately 2/3's of the students are from VA.  The university houses colleges of arts and science, engineering, architecture and nursing.  Their are also upper level schools where students can start participating their third year.  These include, business, public policy and education.

Goucher

For the eclectic, artistic, eccentric and more Goucher provides a charming 287 acre home nestled in the woods but just outside Baltimore.  Historically Goucher was an all women’s college.  It turned co-ed in 1986 but still has some of the strengths previously found in an all women’s college, a strong performing and creative arts program, some say the best non-conservatory dance program in the country, a wonderful writing program and something not historically female, a great science and pre-med program.  It’s student body also reflects the schools history with a 33/67 male/female ratio.  

 Moreover, the school also distinguishes itself by having the only study abroad requirement.  To offset this financial commitment, the school provides each student with a $1,200 voucher for their travels.  All say this adds so much to the educational experience.  So much so that 20% of the students go on more than one abroad experience.

All this serves to only enhance the intellectual and academic aspect of university.  Goucher ranks among the top 50 universities in sending their students to PhD science programs.  All students must take a first-year colloquium (frontiers) that introduces them to college seminar level work.  In addition, students are required to participate in a connections class that focus on transitioning to college life.  Distribution requirements also include one class in humanities, social science, math, natural sciences, computer science, writing, an intermediate level foreign language and 2 physical education courses.  Goucher is test optional.

Loyola College, MD

Loyola Is a beautiful nurturing jesuit college nestled right outside of Baltimore, that strives to develop the whole person intellectually, socially, emotionally and spiritually.  Students rave about the knowledge, ability and generosity of the professors.  They also point to great opportunities for research and work-study. The most popular majors are business and education.The administration also gets rave reviews for their efforts to openness and desire to provide the best for its students. 

Life is described as balanced even though the preponderance of time is spent on academics.  Students seem to successfully juggle, social life, academic responsibilities, community service, athletics and more.  Loyola students are well rounded and outgoing.  Given its location, most students come from the east coast, particularly, NY, NJ and Philly though the goal and trend to to broaden.  On the whole students tend to appear preppy and come from middle to upper class backgrounds.

One final bit of insight, grades appear more important than test scores and the more recent the grades the more important they are.  Also the school pays attention to who visits and the extent of communication with perspective students. 

Johns Hopkins

John’s Hopkins is known as a pre-med powerhouse and for good reason.  It has one of the top research hospitals in the country, the number one undergraduate bio-medial engineering program in the country and the number one school for public health studies.  What doesn’t always get the same attention is its top rated international studies program, dynamic Writing Seminar, french program, highly respected school of engineering and its special relationship with the Peabody Conservatory for music.  

Perhaps because of the reputation for pre-med Hopkins is also often considered highly competitive.  Students however are quick to clarify that this does not mean cut-throat.  Rather, the school is filled with some of the brightest students in the country who are passionate about their interests and want to learn.  They have a clear vision of what they want but they also take the time to help each other.  Help is also offered by teacher assistants who don’t teach the classes but are available to support the students through the learning process.  

Hopkins does not have a core curriculum but rather has distribution requirements which are easily fulfilled.  Students can declare their majors after freshman year. This adds to dynamic of attracting students with clear passions who know what they want.  This is not a school that provides a lot of hand holding.  On the other hand, it does provide a lot of opportunity for those who are ready.  Even freshman are provided great research opportunities.  Hopkins takes pride in providing learning and living classes, learning takes place in the classroom and living takes place through the robotics labs, the operating room and other opportunities.  They say for every one hour of class, students have 2 - 3 hours of work outside the classroom.

Howard University

Some consider Howard University the nation’s pre-eminent black university and with good reason.  Howard has connections all over the country and works hard to bring the fruits of those relationships to its campuses and students. These benefits translate into grants, internships, jobs and more.  In addition, the school strives to make sure their students learn and succeed.   Many students profess that their week is dominated by studying and the weekend is for their social life.  Some academic areas are seen as more rigorous than others.  African American Studies , Business and Dentistry are all noted for their strong programs.  The most popular major is biology.  

Students are also seen as driven with a focus on career goals, academics, political activism, and community service.  Some students do feel the pressure.  Having confidence and self-esteem helps.  

Not surprisingly, a majority of the students are African American.  Diversity  comes from the strong international community within the student population including people from Spain, England, Trinidad and Tobago, South Africa, Nigeria.....  Nationally,  the top three draws for Howard students are 1. Maryland, 2. New York and 3. California.  Housing can be difficult after freshman year.  The higher the grade point average the better your lottery number with regard to housing.            

Catholic University

Catholic University is the national university of the Catholic church and the only university established by the US Catholic bishops. As such, it has a core curriculum that stresses both philosophy and theology.  Other academic issues worth noting is the school’s highly regarded architecture program.  It is the only catholic college to have an architecture program and also arguably the best architecture program in DC. The nursing school is also highly noted and provides its students with internships and other opportunities in over 20 hospitals.  Lastly, the school of music is well recognized and viewed as a great option for students who would like to continue pursuing their interest in music but are not ready to make a commitment to a conservatory.  

Like other schools in the nation’s capital, CU’s DC location is a huge advantage for it’s students, providing them great opportunities and internships.  Job postings are reviewed in accordance with Catholic teachings. 

DC also plays a large role in students social lives.  It is not unusual for students to go out to the city every weekend. There is a metro stop right by the school which allows students easy access throughout the city.  

Being the national university of the catholic diocese, it should not be surprising that 80% of the students are catholic.  Many students tend to come from the mid-atlantic area, attended Catholic high school and are fairly conservative.  The conservative nature of the institution is also reflected in the school’s policies.  The school maintains quiet hours in the dorms and no guests are allowed after midnight.

George Washington University

Like schools in DC, GWs strength lies in its location.  Great internships, great speakers, great instructors, great job opportunities....  Unlike other colleges and universities in the area, GW is more integrated both literally and figuratively. GW's main campus is in the heart of DC, an area called Foggy Bottom.  While the Foggy Bottom campus consists of a specific set of streets (19th - 24th St and E St. to Pennsylvania and New Hampshire Ave.) when walking through the area you wouldn't necessarily know you are walking through a university campus.  GW has a second location, Mount Vernon, for a more traditional green experience.  Many classes are held at mount Vernon but it is a secondary campus and does not provide all that the main campus does.  You could not spend all four years only on the mount Vernon campus but you could spend four years on the Foggy Bottom campus.

As they say in their information sessions, GW is not for someone looking for a traditional college experience.  Rather it's for someone ready for real life experiences.  For someone searching for an adult lifestyle, GW students have it.  They are balancing the responsibilities of the classroom with internships and other opportunities living in a dynamic city offers.  GW also stresses that their instructors bring real world experiences with them into the classroom.  Many combine their teaching responsibilities with jobs at the Washington Post, NIH, the State Department.... Classes also take students to the National Zoo, the National Portrait Gallery and the Kenney Center to name a few.  

GW has several colleges within the university.  Undergraduates can take classes in the:

• Columbian College of Arts and Sciences which also includes the School of Media and Public Affairs and the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration 
• School of Engineering and Applied Science
• School of Business
• Elliott School of International Affairs
• School of Public Health and Services
• School of Nursing

American University

Located in a beautiful residential area of Washington DC, one of the primary strengths of AU is that it is in the nation’s capital.  Because of its location, AU can offer its students great internships, one of the best career services in the country and a classroom that extends to capital hill.  Its not unusual for a student to have a class assignment that requires  students to go to Congress and listen to hearings regarding various issues.  Furthermore, because of its location, AU is able to attract strong speakers to campus.  Not surprisingly students at AU tend to be politically active.  Its also a diverse student body with representation throughout the country and world.  What might be surprising about AU is that although a city school, it has a gorgeous 89 acre campus and is designated a national aborteum.  It was also ranked 13th for “Best Quality of Life” in by Princeton Review in 2009.  AU is a mid-sized test optional school with 5 colleges within the universtiy (arts & sciences, business schools, communications, international service and public affairs). At AU students are described as active learners, passionately involved and contributing to their communities.