Marywood University

The key attribute that makes Marywood University different from any other school is there are five core values that shape the community on campus. These five values include Catholic Identity, Respect, Empowerment, Service and Excellence. Every decision, faculty member and student is chosen based on these values. Every person on campus is focused on growth and community, not personal gains. I strongly believe that when reviewing colleges the most item is the community and the overall vibe of the student body. Technical items are also important, such as dorm rooms and on-campus food, but who you are being influenced by should be the most significant quality a campus can offer. Due to Marywood community’s strong influence by the five core values, I believe Marywood attracts the very best people. The first value, Catholic Identity, is where the Marywood campus gets their roots. This value is not to be confused with every person needing to be of Catholic faith because we do not discriminate. The reason Marywood uses Catholic Identity is because of the faith’s traditions to pursue truth, goodness, beauty, justice and the common good. Every person on campus is focused not only on studies, but on becoming the most morally good person they can be. Being in an environment where good is the common goal has opened up a whole new world of support. The second value, Respect, is presented in a more complex way than in high school. In grade school we are taught to “treat others how we want to be treated”. At Marywood, we present Respect as honoring the uniqueness of each human being, choosing the most ethical interactions and caring for all creation. Whether respecting people or the planet itself, Marywood holds respect as one of the most important core values and there is no toleration for disrespect on any level. The third value, Empowerment, makes sure every person from every background is granted the same education tools to reach their full potential. This is very unique to Marywood as they make sure every resource is being used by every student. There is no exclusivity to any building, room or club. Therefore, every person becomes more educationally well-rounded in ways other universities cannot provide. The fourth value, Service, is used both to promote our human social responsibility to serve the people around us and to promote the importance of interacting with the community. Marywood does plenty of mission trips and service based events. Marywood University reaches from a local-scale to a global-scale to spread goodness. Every student accepted to Marywood has a great sense of aid and a need to serve others. The fifth value, Excellence, ensures every student is pursuing the highest level of achievement. There is a strong belief on campus that no one is limited. Every student and faculty member promotes hard academic work. This provides students with the ability to self-motivate and it helps students become comfortable with the hard work that will be expected of them. Through the promotion of hard work, community service, respect, empowerment and traditions from the Catholic faith; Marywood University creates the strongest individual adults. Academically, each student is prepared by faculty to meet every assignment and test. However, the most important trait we are taught is how to be a good human being. Therefore, Marywood University deserves the top rating because there are few institutions who ensure that their students do not become a statistic. Instead students become so much more than a statistic, they become strong leaders and advocates for the moral goodness each human has to offer.

I think that Marywood University is the perfect school for someone who wants an intimate college experience that has an average class size of around 30 and is a tight-knit community. It is a beautiful campus that is magical when it snows and the farthest walk is maybe fifteen minutes, however there is a pretty steep hill.

Marywood has a great education. As well as a great campus. Many of the building are very old fashioned and there’s not much diversity in the school. The professors are very kind, but you aren’t acknowledged to your grade; students must calculate their own.

Marywood University provides a unique college experience that students can not achieve at Penn State, Harvard or Ohio State. Marywood promotes kindness and leadership and inclusiveness that creates a successful and supportive environment for all types of students. The campus is on the much smaller side of life and allows for students to know each other and know their professors. Students build relationships and are able to rely on Marywood's staff in a way that large campuses cannot be there for its students. You are set up to succeed at Marywood rather than to be broken down by large numbers and statistics.