Hope College Top Questions

What do you consider the worst thing about your school? Why?

Taylor

As a student attending an expensive private school, I need to be employed while in school so I can help my parents pay for college. Unfortunately, employment has been extremely hard to come by at Hope and in the surrounding community. I do not have a car, which makes it much harder. I would consider that the worst part for me.

Russell

The bad things about Hope are limited, the people here are friendly and all the professors are here to help students. The worst thing is probably how spread out the campus is, walking from one side to the other in the middle of winter is quite a daunting task.

Sara

My school is small and private therefore there is limited diversity in the student body. The professors come from multiple and diverse backgrounds and professional experiences, but the students are very much the same. My school is also Christian, therefore what diversity there is lies primarily in ethnic diversity but not in cultural and religious realms. Though I appreciate the ability to exercise my Christian faith both in the classroom and in various forms across campus, the fact that are very few students of other faiths on campus or outwardly so leaves something to be desired.

Stephanie

It is a little too small, so there aren't many class options.

Jill

I think the worst thing about Hope College is the lack of diversity. I feel as though some minority students that attend Hope feel left out or uncomfortable because it is a mostly white campus.

nathan

Alot of the dorms are pretty small, so if you dont get along with the people in your dorm it can be hard to find friends close by.

Nicole

I would say the availability of accessing food when dining hall was not open.

Andrea

Of course it is small so there are less options than large schools.

Jacquelyn

Some of the core requirements, such as religion classees or cultural heritage classes. The registrar's office can make things difficult too, when you want to take certain classes or waive requirements, or avoid paying tuition for classes that you aren't receiving credit for.

Katie

It does not have very much diversity . It is majority white middle class Christian people.

Terra

I don't like the fact that everyone assumes that just because you go to Hope, you're a Christian. I knew that I was choosing a religiously-affiliated school, but, as a liberal atheist, it's hard to get into a lot of the on-campus activities and groups because they often have an emphasis on religion. The faculty was even chosen partially based on their religious views. They're usually open to discussion, though, which is nice. It would also be nice if they would allow pro-gay groups/clubs on campus.

Lydia

It didn't help me with what I really wanted to do in the future

Ashley

I wish that Hope College was a little bigger with more diverse students. However, more students would result in less interaction with professors. I enjoy the school, but would like it to be it's same size but located inside a bigger city.

Kylie

The worst thing about Hope is the winter. Holland virtually shuts down and there is SO much snow, all the time. It's fine as long as you have a good coat and a good pair of boots, but you will still welcome spring like never before. Lake effect snow is awful!

Jeffrey

I think the worst thing is that the cultural diversity in the college is small among the students. The majority of the students are white and Christians. It would be nice to have a more ethnically diverse campus.

Naomi

The hypocrisy of the students. Hope is a rather conservative Christian college and yet few students uphold its morals and values.

Sarah

Many students have grown up in a conservative home. It can be hard for those with liberal ideas to feel comfortable in converstation about politics and other life matters. It isn't necessarily the worst thing, but it's hard to feel completely diverse when the majority of the school believes equally about different matters. Most people are open, but it would be nicer to hear a different point of view.

Sarah

The work load it intense and at times overwhelming.

Christina

It's not very ethnically diverse- although it gets more diverse every year. Also, some are put off by the occasional lack of religious acceptance.