Kalamazoo College

As a Freshmen at K, I was expecting a small school that was very personal. The amount of clubs on the personal level was also a great aspect. GOing overseas will be a nice endeavor, and the coursework is challenging. THe quarters system is kind of a pain, when your friends leave for school before you do. Although not a very racially diverse school, it has friendly students, who all are very open-minded. Good luck that the community bathroom toilets don't overflow all the time. The campus is a beautiful place, and the size is nice, given that you never have to walk very far at all. The LAC's are nice, requiring you to broaden your mind every once in awhile. I'm glad I came to such an open-minded school.

1st Year Male -- Class 2008

Perceived Campus Safety: A+, Social Life: C+

(I am starting with the bad stuff, but I have loved this school. Read on)
I was initially disappointed when I came to "K" College, for two basic reasons. First, the caliber of the students coming in the first year did not meet my expectations - they were scared, rather closed minded, and I had to search high and low to find anyone that seemed genuinely passionate about what they were learning. Second, despite what anyone tells you about the abundance of entertainment opportunities available in Kzoo, the city is small. Yes, there are things to do if you look (and many students don't have much time play anyway), but it is NOT a big city, or even much of a medium city, and the downtown is focused on upper class Grand Rapids types, not college students.

But now that I'm in the end of my senior year, I'm amazed at what this school has done for me, or what it has facilitated to help me do myself. I've internshiped everywhere, TAed, taken really challenging classes in a variety of departments, run a research lab, lived in Philadelphia... you name it. I can honestly say that I have been able to do more and achieve more than pretty much any of my friends at big state schools, including the high-reputation ones like the University of Michigan. Rock on, K College.

The best thing about this school is the faculty, hands down. Whenever I ever got down about the students (and yes, if you are expecting diversity, IT AIN'T HERE! For the most part, a bunch of mindlessly liberal white kids), I remembered that I was thrilled about the faculty. The faculty is why I came here - and they have been endlessly supportive, and challenging, and worth the time and effort.And the students, of course, get better, like at any other university. They find (most of them) what they like and do it, and they get happy and confident. Class discussions get better as the years go on!

3rd Year Female -- Class 2004

Education Quality: A+, Social Life: C

For the most part, my time at Kalamazoo College was a great experience. The faculty was very concerned with the academic and personal growth of their students and the study abroad experience is incredible for those who participate. It is however, a very intensely academically oriented college- meaning that the level of student involvement really suffers and the administration was not concerned with improving student life programs.

4th Year Female -- Class 2002

Education Quality: A+, Extracurricular Activities: C-