Randolph College

I came from a very very small high school (16 seniors in my graduating class) so I wanted to go to a relatively small school for my undergraduate degree. During my senior year, many different colleges flew me up to visit. While R-MWC certainly wasn't my first choice, or even my second, I was amazed at the friendly atmosphere and the strong sense of community. In a sense it is like most people's high school experience (which can be good or bad). With less than 800 students, you get to know everyone by sight at least, if not by name. I chose to attend partly because of the strength of the community and partly because of the awesome scholarship I received (everyone I know has received some sort of financial aid, usually better than most other colleges are willing or able to provide). Now that I've attended R-MWC for a year, I'm still amazed and comforted by the community bonds. However, the strength of the community that I fell in love with before now seems slightly stifling. If you have a problem with someone, things are uncomfortable because you know for sure you'll see that same person every single day. The thing that has been most disappointing for me though is the strength of the academics. I came to R-MWC believing I would be sincerely challenged in all my classes. I'd heard "an 'A' anywhere else is a 'B' at R-MWC." However, with the exception of a few special classes, I am bored to tears. I want to enter a competetive, science-intensive career field, and I feel that with the education I'm getting here I won't be able to compete. Overall, this school is a great, friendly, welcoming place to start off, but one thing that I've found is that after their first year, many students look elsewhere for academic challenge.

1st Year Female -- Class 2007

Faculty Accessibility: A+, Surrounding City: C