College of the Holy Cross Top Questions

Generally, yes. Most students seem to be of the higher socio-economic class and may dress in a "preppy" way because of this (girls more so than guys I think) . However, the rest (a very sizable amount),range from the very lower class to upper middle class. It is customary to see people in very casual clothing. Some even show up to class in their pajamas=) The school is indeed academically rigorous and is known for its relatively high level of drinking/partying in comparison to other schools. However, for those who do not drink or party that much, they can find quite a few things to do on or off campus to combat stress and just have a good time(free shuttles to Boston and Providence for example). It is a Jesuit-catholic school and thus, students are mostly catholic. This does not imply however that students are forced to go to mass or are looked down upon for not practicing their religious faith. Holy Cross is very liberal in this sense.People of different religious beliefs or even those of a lack thereof(agnostics and atheists), are all able to feel comfortable in this predominantly catholic environment. Holy Cross students are mostly of caucasian decent(approximately 70{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}),mostly from the New England region. The other 30{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} is comprised of students of color and international students. Some countries represented include: Afghanistan, Korea, China,Trinidad,Jamaica, Haiti, Ghana, Nigeria, Cape Verde, Vietnam, Belize, Uganda,Dominican Republic and Columbia. Regarding our ranking by Princeton review as having "little/no race and/or class interaction," this is sadly true. It is noticeable that students tend to be segregated into their different ethnic and racial groups( Asians, Hispanics, blacks and whites for example). However, this does not deter a sizable amount from interacting and exchanging with people of groups differing from their own. So even though there is relatively little race/class interaction, I don't think it is as bad as it is made out to be. The typical holy cross student regardless of race or economic class is friendly and/or is open to learn new things through his/her interactions with others.

More or less i would say that for the students here who drink...we drink....a lot...make a not so fun situation way more hilarious

No - I don't think so. Sure, some of us may dress the same but I don't think I have ever gone to class and worn the same shirt as the girl sitting next to me. We have students from all walks of life, all areas of the world and all different styles. We are definitely not cookie-cutter images of one another. Get to know us and you will see what I mean.

Yes, some students are very preppy. But some aren't. You aren't going to feel left out either way. I am Catholic, so the religious identification of the college matches my own. However, I have never felt that ideals have been forced onto me. You do have to take one religious studies class, but it can be in any religious (from buddhism to Catholicism).

Not at all. When I was going to Holy Cross, I thought the religious aspect was going to be overpowering, but it is quite the opposite. People are very chill and if you go to church then you go, whatev. That is the basic mentality. Of course there are pockets of conservative people, but I would say that we are a pretty liberal school, definatly the most liberal catholic school, look, we have an allies group, a gay group and a support center. Pretty progressive for a catholic school. Holy Cross is more about learning and being there for others, no matter who they are. Pretty sweet, I think. As for the other stereotype, people do like their J. Crew, but it has definatly slowed down since I first got there. Holy Cross is definatly not a snobby, rich "daddy's wallet" school like people think.

absolutely -don't fool yourself into thinking you can live with these things/ people if you're at all individualistic -this place crushes creativity -but the campus is beautiful........

Of course not everyone is an ex-athlete but most people are. It's nice though, because there are always plenty of intramurals and club sports. Yes, there might be more religious student at Holy Cross than most liberal arts colleges, but because of those students we have so many great imersion projects and retreats. Programs like those are for students of any spirituality, not just for Catholics. And, no not everyone is from prep schools. I know a lot more public school kids than prep school kids.

Well, everyone at Holy Cross is very smart; you have to be in order to get in. But they are not all super Catholic; some aren't even Catholic at all!!! Holy Cross fosters diversity and tries to help you become your own person. They offer a non-denominational Mass, and only require you to take one religion course. That course can be on anything from Buddhism to Islam to Hinduism.

the girls being twigs and anorexic is fairly accurate, and there are a large number of rich and stuck up people, but it definitely does not make up the entire college, and as for the catholicism, it isn't true, holy cross doesn't force catholicism on you

Well to some degree it's true. There are many of those people but it is not too hard to find people who aren't. There are a few overweight girls and a few more overweight boys, but they are the minority. Although it may seem impossible at first to find non-drinkers, once you find the first one you find a much larger group of people who do not drink.

Not at all, though some fit this description most of the students are middle class and are very friendly. They all seem like the kids I know from my public high school.

Most are true except that yes the students study real hard and drink hard but some people get around the studying and do more drinking. Also, at the same time there are people who don't go out but they are in there own cliques so people who go out dont miss them and don't think that they exist.

For the most part.

While the academics are challenging, I find them manageable, especially with small classes, accesible professors, and only four courses per semester. I take social science classes though; my friends who are natural science and pre-medical students have more work than me. While there are many stereotypical Holy Cross students on campus, over the years I have found students who have other interests, styles, and personalities.

Some or most of the kids are like this,but not all

For the most part, yes. Weekend parties are mostly sitting around drinking with lots of people, and while someone will always hold the door for you, students are pretty preppy and can have quite a sense of entitlement. There are some that don't fit the mold though!

no, I am not white or racist and certainly, not rich. I also have a lot of friends that are white and that love being around people of different races and cultures. However, there are some snobby people that complain a lot when they don't get what they want.

Yes

Yes.

Sometimes. We do indeed drink quite a bit, and most people are from New England. But there are some minority students, some people from Ohio (like me), and some people who don't drink. But I do feel like those people are vast minorities.

The first two stereotypes are very untrue (I myself am an Atheist minority and I know many faculty who are neither Christian nor Caucasian. The last two, however, I feel to be extremely valid. I see very few students who dress out of the norm (I have seen maybe 2 students who dress punk, goth, etc.) and that has, admittedly, influenced me to do the same. Those who do dress out of the norm seem to stand out and I notice that other students look at them. It's really very sad. As for the last stereotype, I believe it to be true after comparing the amount of workload that my friends at other colleges (including the IVYs). There's actually an entire Facebook group entitled "Holy Cross: Where Your Best Hasn't Been Good Enough Since 1843", which many Holy Cross students, who feel as though they aren't getting the attention that Holy Cross deserves (in terms of academics), have joined. I definitely believe that Holy Cross deserves more attention from the public eye. People don't seem to recognize how hard the academics at Holy Cross are.

The truth is somewhere in between... I have a lot of friends who have elements of both of those characteristics in them. Holy Cross is a hard school, and if you want to succeed, it is hard work. But everyone can choose to study just like they all can choose to drink. Nothing is true for the whole group.

je ne sais pas

The stereotypes about the students are not at all accurate. Since coming here in Fall 2007, I have met only nice, generous people. And because Holy Cross offers need-based financial aid, students come to Holy Cross from all financial backgrounds. The stereotypes about the college are true. From traveling around New England for baseball, I have seen some Ivy League campuses and they are very comparable to Holy Cross.

Holy Cross does have a sizable drinking culture, but it remains mostly in control. It's definitely possible to avoid it, too, if it's not your scene. Many HC students are "typical college students," concerned about little more than surviving classes until the weekend, but most are great people, who care deeply about society and helping others. Academics are hard.

While we work hard, we also know how to play hard. Many students are quite wealthy, and people are very preppy, but there is room for individuality.

No!!

Yes, Very

Both of these stereotypes are pretty accurate. However, while it is true you will come across a lot of preppy kids, that does not define who they are as people. Everyone here is usually a very nice, outgoing individual that likes to work hard. It just so happens they like to look their best while they do so. In terms of the work hard, play hard stereotype, that is pretty true as well. Usually the students are consumed by so much work and stress during the week that when the weekend comes around, they like to blow off some steam.

To a certain extent these stereotypes are accurate. I believe about 60{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the students come from private and Catholic high schools. The other 40{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the students come from public high schools and this number continues to grow every year. While on the surface it seems that the students are all the same, shop at the same stores and have the same political opinions. This is definitely not true, the students belong to various groups and not everyone has the same opinions. I feel that I am an example of not being a part of this stereotype, I belong to Allies which is the gay-straight alliance on campus which most people would not expect to see on a Catholic campus. The school is also trying to appeal to students on a national level and while the majority of students come from the east coast, this demographic is beginning to change.

There is not a whole lot of diversity on campus, but there are definitely all types of people here. You'd be surprised how many people could only come here due to financial aid - not everyone has a lot of money.

We are pretty preppy but often more Vineyard Vines and Lilly. On a more serious note, Holy Cross students love to give back to the community. I just volunteered on a program called Appalachia in which I spent a week in Appalachia with other Holy Cross students rebuilding and helping a small part of a town in Kentucky, over 250 other students took part in programs like this across the country. I think we dress classically and behave in much the same manner, most of the time.

NOT AT ALL! In fact, there are many different religious beliefs all across campus.

NOT at all. Of course, some people are wealthy, but most of the time you would never know. People here are not snobby at all.

Yes, a lot of people are preppy, but it's not too overwhelming. Religion is definitely an important aspect of life for many students, but I am not at all religious and it has not been an issue at all for me.

This is false- You can be as involved in the faith life on campus as you choose.

Yes

there is a lot of money at holy cross but they are not all spoiled. There are many other types of catholics

Although Holy Cross is definitely lacking in diversity, and there are some snobby people, there are also many people who are not snobby or wealthy.

for the most part, yes

Many students are often more concerned with their GPA than real-world applicability of their work in the classroom to be men and women for others. It's true that Holy Cross students pledge an allegiance to Boston sports, epecially the Red Sox. Students are indeed obsessed with alcohol; it seems to be the primary social medium and there is little acceptance for those that don't fit into this mold. Holy Cross is truly a work-hard then party-hard environment.

HC definitely takes advantage of a j.crew catalog, but many do not fit that mold. There are many different types of people at Holy Cross, I think our diversity is sometimes overlooked. Most do not fit these stereotypes at all.

A good majority of the students fit the the stereotype of a JCrew catalogue, but on the whole snobbishness isn't anything extraordinary. Breezies? quite a few. Stairmaster/thighmaster? Why yes I got my fabulous physique climbing Mt. St. James!

For the most part these stereotype are true. Except, Holy Cross does not push Catholicism on its student. Rather, it preaches the Jesuit motto of "men and women for others."

Absolutely not. Does HC have students that are generally wealthier than most college campuses? Absolutely - but there is a great deal of socioeconomic diversity, which you can see in our school's dedication to meeting 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of financial need for accepted students. HC students are extremely down to earth, warm and friendly, so this stereotype is absolutely not true.