The Evergreen State College Top Questions

Here's your chance: Say anything about your college!

Dejonnee

The Evergreen State College does not grade it's students via the GPA system, additonally, the student is free to study individually should they prefer personal education over classroom settings. This institution works very closely with local and international grassroots organizations, as well as governmental and military affiliations.

Amelia

Students sign up for one program that can last one, two or three quarters. Each program covers an aspect of various areas of study, occasionally combining them for a new look at the material. Essentially, each student has only one class, which allows them to get a more in-depth look at the subject matter. At the end of the quarter, teachers provide an evaluation of the student instead of a letter grade and have a conference with the student to review the evaluation.

Aviva

We have multidisciplinary programs, rather than one-subject classes. You can guide your own program of study and even create contracts with professors to study in-depth what interests you.

Cameron

Small classes, amazing faculty, intense, focused classes.

Aisling

The Evergreen State College is unique because they don't give out grades. Instead they do evaluations about your work in each program. Also, there isn't individual classes. There are programs that study a few different subjects but is all combined into one.

Michael

Pretty much everything about my school is unique compared to my other choices. The curriculum is largely interdisciplinary and allows students a considerable degree of independence in their studies. These features, along with the college's reputation have drawn a far more interesting student body than your avergae run-of-the-mill school.

Ruth

Everything - the way programs are set up, the way classes are taught, the general mindset.

Margaret

There are no grades. Each student gets to build their own adademic plan and the more involved a student is in creating that plan, the better they tend to do.

robert

Contracts. At TESC you can find exactly what you want from a class by just making one yourself with the aid of the college. Need a class on physics and areoplane engineering? Write a contract, get a faculty sponsor, and head over to bowing or the like and get an internship and learn the works. Also unique about TESC is that it offers programs not class. Take a 16 credit art class and you also learn, religion, history, sociology, goegraphy, bussiness, natural philsophy. Take a class and learn more than just words in a book.

Danielle

What I love about this school is that their are no grades or gpa's, thus eliminating that horrible competition I felt in high school. The evaluation method is a more in-depth way of assessing what one learns. The people and environment are fabulous here as well. It's a safe, gorgeous place to learn and make friends.

Sheila

Evergreen is different in many different ways. I think the most profound difference is the evaluation system versus a letter grade. After years of being a letter or a number which is the mean value of - who cares. All of a sudden you are able to say "yes i missed a few classes, BUT I did work and I had this big understanding". It is the best thing in the world, that liberating feeling, of not being another number to the prof and being able to have a say in what your learning actually means.

Arianne

It's alternative education as opposed to really stupid strict bullshit.

Armand

Classes are smaller allowing for closer faculty interaction. Seminars take place every week with other students, there is a good opportunity to share knowledge about relavant issues.

Chantal

No grades, no majors. You decide the course of your education, it is highly integrative.

Meagan

The main thing that interested me in The Evergreen State College is that it was an alternative liberal arts school as well as a 'Green' school. When I had a tour of the school it was a beautiful campus surounded by trees and secluded. Everyone was friendly and welcoming and didn't judge me for what I was wearing or looked like. When i went to my first class I enjoyed it so much. It was hands on and I love that instead of the typical GPA grading system, they have evaluations.

Georgia

m

Anne

No grades, one course at a time, interdiciplinary, teachers know and care about you. No TAs teaching

Annie

Evergreen is an amazing learning community that embraces everyone and allows you to persue your interests

Heather

You have complete flexibility to individualize your curriculum, especially with regards to study abroad opportunities. Everybody here is passionate about what they study because they have the flexibility to choose to study wherever there interests are without having to deal with general education graduation requirements that are irrelevant to one's post-grad plans.

Kate

We have an organic farm and a lot of anarchists.

William

No grades, ability to study ANYTHING you desire through independant learning contracts which are easily available.

Sally

It's a peaceful community of students. There is a real community between students & faculty/admin. EVERYONE cares for the WHOLE person & are willing to be genuinely humble & helpful. This has provided a safe place to learn without all the unnecessary stress usually between over-demanding, unflexible faculty who work against students at other colleges. Evergeen set the tone & so its students follwed & feel good about what they are learning. And the faculty, although reasonably demanding, are flexible when flexibility is called-for. This has built trust between faculty & administration, & the students in attendance. The faculty & admin. operate transparently.

Sarah

Evergreen promotes hands on learning, such as the research program I am a part of. It allows for real world experience as a student. This helps to prep students for higher learning and evaluate potential careers.

Ryan

I'd like to see Alfred Hamilton's Farm Billboard (now Mike's) on I-5 read the following: SAVE THE QUADRIVIUM We created a cult called "Greener." Mariolotry catholicized it and now it's got a creed of its own. RESUSCITATE HOUSE BILL No. 596

Melanie

At other schools I used to say: " If I don't do this assignment, I'll get a B for te class; OK, I'll take the B." But at Evergreen, you have to work really hard because you are "graded" on effort and improvement. You are also often evaluated on attendance and participation. Some people say you need to be self-motivated at Evergreen, but I found I had to be much less self-motivated than at schools where I could skip class with impunity.

Anna

NO grades, outgoing, liberal, enviornmentally aware, relaxed,

Jamie

I didn't even consider other schools once I read up on Evergreen. It's more like a grad-school than the average college. The interdisciplinary studies are what won me over from the start. You learn how to fit things to-gether and it's so amazing! We have evaluations instead of impersonal letter grades, which can make it complicated for transfers, but I feel they are a lot more meaningful and give students a chance to explain how they personally improved and where they could have done better. We're never graded on a curve.

Daniel

The fact that there are no grades, merit is determined by your level or growth and work with course work and the ability to communicate well with professors and peers. There are narrative evaluations of students that describe progress throughout the quarter.

Sarah

The people are very friendly. The environment allows people to really grow.

Kevin

Evergreen is an alternative learning community where grades are based on evaluations not letters. So you get a lot out of your teachers and the overall feedback is very constructive.

Michael

Everything. You make your own major, you don't recieve grades, all courses are interdisciplinary. there is no other school like evergreen

Roxanne

Instead of grades, we recieved written pages about our preformance and participiation. A B in history could mean anything; a written evaluation can't hide anything about you or how you did in the class. It really shows who you are, how you are in school, and gives speficic examples of how you completed the course requirements.

Elyse

No sports/school spirit, no grades, you can design your own major/focus, more real-life education

Erin

The education that you recieved is weighted on what you put into the classes you take. You are responsible for your education and you get out what you put into it. The diverse people make for a well rounded and informed experience when at Evergreen.

Evan

Evergreen classes are taught using the socratic method of using questions to find the greater answer to the issue at hand. The professors all know their students on a first name basis, and often meet with them after class.

Cody

I'd like to see the manarchists eliminated. Expel and prosecute the rioters.

Eli

If you want to study something specific I would recommend going to a different sort of college, but if you are looking to find yourself without all the hassle of backpacking around Europe than by all means come to this bizarre campus.