Improve your chances of getting into college,

The stereotype for the most part is of stoners and hippies, but I don't see the former as being significantly more present here than at any other college. However, this is a hippie-heavy town and campus, which I personally love! Most of them are really nice, non-proselytizing hippies.

I love this school! It has an absolutely beautiful campus, a great selection of majors, fantastic professors, and tons of opportunities to do just about whatever you want. It's a small school, which means the professors know you by name. The dining services are sometimes criticized, which may have something to do with the school's size, but I can almost always find something good to eat. This campus is also big on music (as is the town) and you'll hear all sorts of music and sounds just going from your residence hall to your classes.

The grading at this school is notoriously harsher than at other colleges, and this is due in large part to the fact that the teachers are able to get to know you and thus form high expectations of you. However, it is manageable, and it is worth it in the long run! Almost every professor I've had at this school knew (and still knows) me by name, and we usually greet each other when we pass. Some students here are competitive, but in a friendly way.

I am a Literature major with a Creative Writing concentration and grades 9-12 teacher licensure, and I can assure any prospective student that the literature, writing, and educations departments are nothing short of fantastic. The professors are always available if you need help, and usually even if you just want to stop by and chat. There are a lot of general education requirements because this is a liberal arts school, but you often get to take really fun classes like The Physics of Sound and Music, which I am taking this semester (and it's great!). I feel that this school has a very good balance between career-focus and learning for its own sake. Professors are always very encouraging, but they are also real and practical.

The student body is primarily white, but I have not observed even a hint of racial discrimination on campus. There is about a 3:2 ratio of females to males, and there is a high percentage of LGBTQA population. I'm not certain about socio-economic status, but I know that my two best friends here are both on government, need-based grants and would not have been able to come to college without them. The only student I could see feeling out of place here is a student who is made uncomfortable by people who are different or who follow alternative lifestyles, because this is an incredibly diverse campus. There is a noticeable liberal preference here, but opposing ideas are always accepted.