Stephen's College Page

Emory & Henry College

Not to be confused with Emory College in Atlanta, GA, Emory & Henry is a tiny college in an even smaller town. I've told several people this, and it's very true: if you deleted the college and everything college-owned or -funded from Emory, VA, you would end up with about fifty cottages and a cemetery. Were it not for the school, this town would not exist.

That makes for an interesting educational experience, however. A small campus in a small town presents many more opportunities for close personal relationships to form: between students and professors, students and other students, or any combination thereof.

People are also nicer in small towns. When my father and I visited, we got free dessert in the general store across the street from campus just for being first-timers. The assisstant chorus instructor got a free meal because it was his birthday. Everyone we encountered on the Emory & Henry campus was cheerful and helpful. The main chorus instructor gave us a free CD recording of his choir singing Christmas music, and it was a handy addition to our Christmas music collection.

Emory & Henry's remoteness is its only drawback to my eye. It's very far away from anything at all, and so opportunities for community internships and other things available in big cities are limited.

Reed College

Reed is a kind of inversion of Emory & Henry. Set in Portland, it's definitely a city campus. However, it's also quite a small school. The academics are rigorous, but very strong. Everyone there is extremely smart, and they're all getting smarter.

Of all the schools I'm applying to, I feel that my best fit would be with Reed. It is one of the few schools, however, that I'm worried I may not be able to get into.

Sadly, it does seem unlikely that I'll end up in Portland. The biggest drawbacks here are my parents' aversion to the distance, the lack of merit-based financial aid (this is the big one), and the absence of sunshine in Portland.

Update as of April 4

Indeed, I was correct about not being able to get in here. I was waitlisted. Furthermore, they told me they wouldn't be able to give me any type of financial aid this year, and so it doesn't seem to have been meant to be. Alas. For a time I felt so right with Reed. I briefly thought about staying on the waitlist and toughing it out, but I've also begun to doubt whether it would provide precisely the academic experience that would be most appropriate for my education. And so I will withdraw myself from consideration.

Eckerd College

I don't know much about Eckerd because I haven't visited it. It has a generally good academic reputation, an excellent study-abroad program, a liberal arts focus, and lows above sixty year round. If I'm accepted, I'll readily visit to see if it's the kind of place I'd like to spend a few years. Until then, I don't know much about it.

Update as of April 4

I visited. It's a beautiful campus surrounded on three sides by Tampa Bay, but it didn't seem to be up to the same academic standard as the other campuses I've visited. This was the second college that I knew I wouldn't be attending while I was still on the campus. I wish it could have been academically rigorous, because I would love going to school in that environment.

Guilford College

I've said this before: "When I visited Reed, I was excited. When I visited Lynchburg, I was turned off. When I visited Emory & Henry, I was excited. When I visited Guilford, I felt...nothing." And that's true. I didn't get much of a vibe from Guilford one way or another. It was just...a school. It has much to recommend it: proximity, size, academics, but I just didn't feel the potential there that I did with Reed, Emory, and Rhodes. That is probably the biggest drawback. I'm still applying, though, and I don't expect I'll have much trouble getting in, so it's something of a safety school.

Update as of April 4

I withdrew my application before I submitted it (in February) because I knew I wouldn't be attending, since I'd already gotten into Emory & Henry.

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Speaking of safety schools...UNCG has a strong program in both chorus and in theatre, which makes it one of my favorite UNC schools. However, it is larger than I feel I would be comfortable with. I haven't visited, though, so I don't know yet what to think about it.

Update as of April 4

Unfortunately, I won't have time to visit UNCG and give it the same consideration I've given all my other schools. As a public university, it is very different from all the small private colleges I've otherwise considered. I feel bad not giving it the same chance, but I have other places where I would certainly be happy, so I don't see the point in a visit. Hopefully I'm not making a grave error.

The University of North Carolina at Asheville

What sparked my interest in Asheville was hearing that it was originally a private liberal arts college, and the UNC system approached it and said, "Yo, Asheville! Wanna join the club?" and Asheville said yes, making it a public liberal arts university. It is one of the top public liberal arts institutions in the nation, I've heard, but only because there aren't very many. Haven't visited here, either, so I don't have much context with which to judge Asheville.

Emerson College

Emerson is a bit different than all the other colleges to which I'm applying. It's strictly an arts and communications school, with no delusions of having a world-class science program. Since the arts compose most of my interests, it makes sense for me to consider Emerson, but one of the things I desire from college is to be able to explore all kinds of things, and I feel like Emerson would only reinforce those things that I've already explored a lot. Still a worthy school, though. I'll visit if accepted. Another drawback is that they have a mad long application process. It takes a lot of writing, and I've only just gotten started on it. I may not finish my application in time, and it's taken a backseat to the other colleges I'm applying to. However, I hope to be able to complete their application, too.

As time goes by...

I was deluding myself. This application requires entirely too much writing to finish on time, and I probably wouldn't have gone even if I'd gotten in.

Kenyon College

Ahh, Kenyon. It was late addition to my college list. One day I got a telephone call from one of my mother's cousins, who told me that I simply must consider Kenyon, as it was the perfect place for me. And so I'm considering Kenyon. Based on the college video that I borrowed from my counseling office, it's a nice school. The kids are energized, and everything looks fun. This is the school I most look forward to visiting if I'm accepted.

Update as of April 4

Since I got waitlisted, I'm not sure I'm willing to put in the time to find out whether I have a chance here. I figure if they don't accept me outright, it wasn't meant to be. My visit was cool, and my impressions of the school overall good. The environment, socially, reminded me of Emory & Henry, because it was in a similarly small town. Kenyon is a nice school, but I don't think I'll end up there either.