The Pacific Northwest Counselors College Tour

Notes and Impressions

 

Whitman College

 

Whitman is located in Walla Walla, Washington which is 5 hours from Seattle and 3 hours from Portland.  There is an airport in Walla Walla that is 5 minutes away from campus and a slightly larger airport in Pasco which is one hour away.  There are private transportation options from Pasco and taxi’s from Walla Walla.  Students usually find a friend to pick them up or over their stay at Whitman, they arrange for rides to the larger airports in Portland or Seattle.

 

 Walla Walla has a historic downtown filled with art galleries, sculpture, wine tasting rooms, a Macys, home decorating stores and restaurants.  The Walla Walla Valley is renowned for its onion and its wines.  There are 48 Walla Walla Valley wineries.  There is also a symphony, a farmer’s market during the fall, spring and summer months, a wildlife refuge, rivers and lakes to explore, the Fort Walla Walla Natural area, bike trails, golf courses, a skateboard park and skiing.

 

The campus is lovely brick buildings in a well groomed, grassy setting. 

 

Whitman has a 45% admit rate with a wait list of around 300 students which usually goes down to 100 once students make their decisions in May.

Not many students get off the wait list.

There is a small pool of spring admits of 25-30 students

20% athletes

70% public school students

Financial Aid is “need blind” for students except those on the wait list.

Financial aid is available for students with financial need.  Whitman is trying to reduce merit scholarships

 

All students do a First-Year Core Program in Antiquity and Modernity during their first two semesters.  One professor teaches a section of not more than 17 students for the entire academic year.

 

All Whitman students are required to complete written and oral exams to graduate.  These cover knowledge the student has acquired over their four-year education at the college.

 

Whitman professors do a good job identifying students, early in their academic career, to engage in research opportunities or to put nominated for a variety of grants and scholarships.

 

A hallmark program at Whitman is Semester in the West.  This is offered through Environmental Studies program.  Forty students and a faculty member travel throughout the west studying social justice and environmental issues.  They speak with 80-100 people from varying background and viewpoints during their travels.  They study all areas of science, social science and humanities. 

·        Highly selective program

·        Applicants must have at least a 3.6 GPA, usually be a junior, write an essay, get letters of recommendation ,have an interview and be able to relate it to their major.

·        Each morning is focused on environmental activities and each afternoon exploring the counterpart.

·        Participants discover the complexity of the issues

·        Each student keeps a journal and does a final project (4 credits in politics and 4 in environmental studies)

·        There is a two week intensive science component where students study the grass lands to explore what grows where etc.

·        Throughout the program there is a ”human dimension” giving the students the opportunity to explore archeology, historic art, guns in various cultures and so forth.

·        There is discussion each day and the program is writing intense

·        Students travel in trucks, camp in public lands, prepare their own meals, and learn to live in close proximity with one another.

·        A computer van accompanies the group

·        The program operates ever other year and leaves in early fall and ends by December.

 

Whitman owns a nearby wilderness campus

 

There is a large study abroad program

·        45% of juniors study abroad

·        Students may take their financial aid and scholarship with them

·        20% are science and math majors

·        Students are immersed in the local community.  They study with teachers from that country, live with families or with local students

·        They do research and/or independent studies

·        New programs are in Latin America and Egypt

·        Students do not need to be proficient in a foreign language for all of these programs

 

Research is encouraged and available and is common for students to do projects with faculty.

 

There are interest houses, Fraternity houses and NO sororities

 

Asian Studies is also an area showing a lot of progress.  There are two programs with Japan

 

Whitman students are:

·        Unpretentious and intellectually curious

·        Are defined by what you do and what you think

·        Totally engaged in their education and a mix of extracurricular activities

·        Live by an environmental ethic

·        Outdoory (or will become outdoorsy)

·        Passionate about multiple things

·        Well rounded

·        Nice “kids”

·        A professor describes a typical student as an “

·         Intellectual snowboarder”.

 

Whitman has a DI Ski team, cycling, and crew to name a few of Redwood’s favorite sports.

 

Reed College

 

Reed is located in Portland, Oregon on a beautiful campus with some exquisite old buildings.

 

All freshmen take Humanities which is an integrated course joining Humanities, Social Science, Art history and Religion.

There is a cultural approach to all of the materials.  Students participate in interdisciplinary lectures, small class discussion groups known at Reed as conferences.

 

Students in these “Conferences”;

·        Learn to listen

·        Learn to speak

·        Do intensive writing.  Each student works individually with a member of the faculty in a one-to-one situation in a writing tutorial for ½ hour.  The papers are not graded but have comments written on them.

·        These comments help students to understand their self development.

 

All freshmen read the same text at the same time thus making a binding relationship for all freshmen on campus which lasts through the college years.

  • Students find themselves discussing their readings
  • All students must participate in class discussions go beyond the classroom and beyond the freshman year.
  • Students begin dealing with different view points on the small material early in their college life.
  • This discourse and inquiry and attitude of discovery is what distinguishes the Reed student and something that continues throughout their education
  • Will be assigned a pre-major advisor

 

Majors are declared in the sophomore year

 

All juniors take the qualifying exam which is known as the “qual”.  It tests skills in writing and quantitative skills.

 

There is a seminar during the junior year.  Students are expected to look for what has been written and documented about the given topic they choose.

  • They are expected to be able to define what they are doing and why.
  • This helps prepare the students for their senior thesis

  

 

All seniors do a Thesis with the help and support of one faculty member.  Seniors will need to defend their thesis with 4 faculty members during a two hour oral examination

 

Seniors also have the opportunity to participate in the senior symposium.

  • Talk about contemporary texts with students from a variety of majors.
  • Students always know where they are and what is expected because of this highly structured curriculum
  • All groups are small and discussion based
  • Students are expected to think like a professional in their field.
  • The seek out articles and literature to help them with the project
  • All senior thesis are bound and live forever in the “tower” of the library which looks like the one in Harry Potter.

 

Reed students are said to have their own language because they have gone through this unifying experience.

 

Students do earn grades at Reed on their transcript but not on their assignments.  All assignments are returned to the student with a written evaluation by the professor.  Chemistry exams are returned and scored with the number that is correct.

  • Students are notified by way of a note to see the professor if they are earning a C- in a subject.
  • The professor then helps them prepare for the next exam
  • There is lots of support for all subjects and for the “Qual” in the junior year.

 

The typical Reed student is;

  • A pure intellectual
  • Loves discussion
  • Involved
  • Intellectually creative individuals
  • Willing to work really hard
  • Articulate
  • Celebrate different types of students

 

 Admissions at Reed

  • Holistic
  • Applications are read twice
  • If there is any question they may be read by the faculty and the dean
  • The evaluators are looking for consistency in academics
  • Interest in learning
  • Motivation
  • Evidence that the student is up to the challenge of Reed academics
  • The essay and interview must support the fact that the student truly cares about learning
  • Professors “recruit for their” team academically
  • Potential students must show excitement about the thesis

 

Reed has no sport teams

 

Willamette

 

Willamette University is located in Oregon’s Willamette Valley in the State Capitol of Salem.  The campus has a river running through it and is lush and green.  The Capitol buildings are across the street and the new art museum is a block away from campus.  I is beautifully manicured and gives students plenty of places to be out of doors in inviting surroundings.

 

There is a very good music department at Willamette.  All students can audition to be in a musical group.  There are lots of opportunities

 

Political Science is another popular major.  Students have easy access to the Capitol and are able to secure internships.

 

English and Creative Writing were also mentioned as strong majors at Willamette

 

There is a Japanese study program in Tokyo that students can access for a semester, a year, a month or for a summer exchange program.  There are also Japanese students who come to Willamette as part of this program.

 

Students are encouraged to do research with professors either in a summer program or during the school year.  These collaborative opportunities are competitive and include areas such as pre-medical, pre-dental, physical therapy, optometry and more.  Basically “anything goes”.  There is also an EMT program on campus.  The hospital is 2 blocks form campus and is a major contributor to internship possibilities and a setting for research.

 

Seniors in all departments have a “Senior Experience” project which is a thesis, internship or special project.  Students who have declared a Humanities Major will be required to do independent research bases on one of four seminars that relate to a text.  A major scholar is brought in to meet with the student.

 

There is a Greek system but they are not a separate entity on campus.  They participate in all campus events and their events are open to all students.  They are viewed as service organizations.

 

There is a Core course but it is under review.  Presently there is a 1st semester seminar with a quantitative requirement, six modes of inquiry, two years of a foreign language and four courses in writing.  All subjects, across the curriculum, during the first year have a “World View”.  Faculty works collectively on the plans and curriculum.  Everyone reads the same texts but with different teachers, and some invited speakers.  This is set to change for students beginning in 2006.  The groups are small, 15-16, students each.  The faculty is proposing cluster courses around themes with continued faculty collaboration but a larger variety of texts.

 

The Students:

·        From all over the United States

·        Very involved – sports teams, Greek life, tour guides, overnight host coordinators, internships at the capitol, attending sports events and cheering for the teams, music and theatre productions, philanthropic events, community service and religious clubs.

·        Students wished they could slow down a bit but there are so many things to keep them busy

·        Very friendly, warm and welcoming

 

Sports are DIII and the athletes are supported by the other students, town, faculty etc.

 

Hearths:

·        Special study areas that are set up in a central location to the professors offices.

·        The professors come out and interact with the students

 

Traditions at Willamette include the Opening Day initiation walk in the rose garden. The freshmen float candles on the Mill Stream that runs through campus as a symbol of their hopes for the future. When the students graduate they again walk through the rose garden with their professors with the bag pipes playing

 

At freshmen orientation the new students eat in the home of an alumnus in Salem.  The alumni provide a great support system for the students and help them with connections in town for internships and other opportunities.

 

Lewis & Clark

 

Lewis & Clark is in Portland, Oregon set in a fabulously beautiful park-like setting.  The administration building is an old mansion overlooking lawns and the mountains.  The older structures on campus are all scheduled to be replaced

 

Students at Lewis & Clark enjoy the resources of the Law School and graduate school counseling

 

Environmental Science and International Affairs are popular majors.

 

Funding is available for students to do research with faculty.

 

There is a two semester Core Course which will be “Exploration & Discovery” for future freshmen classes.  Students will spend the fall semester working on a core group of texts, studying them from a historical perspective.  During the spring semester the students and faculty will break into groups and take off from there.  Students may select teachers according to the discipline which interests them the most.

 

AS is the case with all of these small Liberal Arts colleges, students at Lewis and Clark would like more diversity on campus.  There is a fly-in program and good Financial Aid.

 

The student panel identified “school unity” as a problem and felt there could be more school spirit.

 

There is a strong music program that is open to all students.  There is World Music, Classical Ensembles, Music Ecology and chorus.

 

There are many internship opportunities.

·        Sixty student interns are invited to do research with alumni during the summers

·        Hospital internships are available

·        The alumni has a contact roster

·        There are internship opportunities in the admissions office and in the residence halls.

 

Students are involved in community service.  They have built shelters for the homeless, worked with reading programs in the public schools, done environmental clean-up and more.

 

Lewis & Clark will allow students to apply with a portfolio including a transcript, an academic portfolio of graded writing/course work and recommendations.  Students who wish to apply by portfolio may eliminate their SAT/ACT scores.

 

Applicants who have demonstrated an interest in Lewis & Clark stand a better chance of being admitted.  The admissions counselors see if the student has visited the campus, attended college fairs and seen the representative there, has come to presentations at their high school etc.  If these things are available then students interested in Lewis & Clark should attend.

 

There is a national debate team

 

University of Puget Sound

 

The University of Puget Sound is located in Tacoma, Washington which was recently ranked at one of the 10 most livable cities in the United States.  The campus is beautiful and is near a small neighborhood that has plenty of options for the college set such as coffee shops, markets, movie theatres and places to eat.  Tacoma is on the Puget Sound and they do have a crew team.

 

There are three new museums and a new convention center in town.

 

UPS has the highest ranked DIII sports on the West Coast and they are #28 in the Country.  The athletes are also interested in their academics and campus leadership.  The soccer and basketball programs are also good.

 

U. of Puget Sound has good community connections and is able to access programs in the public schools.  There is actually an outreach program for students in the junior high and high schools, run by the students and faculty from U. P.S. to help prepare Tacoma’s students for college.    This is just one example of the humanitarian character of U.P.S.  It is a culture of engagement between faculty and students. 

·        “Kids Can Do” program

·        Greeks active in community service with reading programs and pen pals

·        Advising group also does work in the community such as starting a vegetable garden for the homeless community

·        Take the volunteer ethic into the community to help with creek clean-up/restoration

 

The University of Puget Sound Student is;

·        Liberal, politically but open to what others think (there is a Young Republican club on campus)

·        Intellectually Independent

·        Has multiple interests

·        Can be autonomous

·        Friendly

·        Happy and successful

 

The Admissions Counselors do keep track of students who show interest.

They look at the high school curriculum, the SAT (around 1250), and for a balance in the life of the applicant.  They are not “heavy-handed” and will look outside the profile.  80% of the admitted students are from the top 50% of their graduating class.

 

Signature programs include:

 

·        IPE International Political Economy is the first and larges program of its type in the nation.  The professor who wrote the book is a faculty member.

·        The School of Music features all types of musical performance including opera.   Music scholarships are available even for non-music majors.  There are at least 100 concerts each year.  Anyone can audition for one of the ensembles.

·        The New science building enhances the Biology Department and other science majors.

·        There is a graduate level School of Education

·        Plenty of research opportunities

 

Students say that U. P.S.

·        Is good for students who like a proximity to big cities.  Seattle is a 30-40 minute drive

·        They like the accessible admissions staff

·        People stay around for campus activities on the weekends

·        There are “wee hours” programs and Late night programs

·        There is a Casino Night and a Spring Cruise

·        There is a dry Greek system

·        Two large activities about twice a month

·        Like Tacoma’s restaurants, Pt. Defiance Park, minor league baseball, movie theatre, museums and more

·        A bit of a bubble

·        Would like a larger minority population

 

CRUSSH  TOUR

 

Skidmore College – Is in Saratoga Springs New York which is a resort town just east of the Adirondacks and just south of Lake George.  It is the home of horse racing in late July and opera and the New York Ballet in June through mid-July.

 

  • Skidmore is a community of 2200 students.
  • 50% of the students study overseas during there time at Skidmore.  This is an important part of education there and all majors including science are encouraged to do this.
  • 100 year tradition in the Liberal Arts
  • Strong in the Arts & Dance
  • New Science programs are strong such as Astro-Physics
  • Students may design their own majors.  These are called Independent Study majors
  • All students wait until their junior year to declare a major
  • Skidmore has programs that connect with American University in Washington D.C.
  • The campus in its present location is 40 years old and built with a South West flare.  A new dining hall will be complete fall of 06 as will the new apartment style dormitories which will replace the present housing in town.  A new music building will be completed in 08.
  • A key program at Skidmore is the Scribner Seminar which is a class of 15 students who work one-on-one with a professor.  All work on a specific research which the professor is passionate about.  Students choose the subject matter that is of interest to them.  This professor becomes their mentor until they choose a major in their junior year.  Often the student and the Scribner Seminar professor remain in close contact for all 4 years.
  • Skidmore has a 3-2 partnerships in Engineering with Rensselear Poly Tech, Clarkson and Dartmouth
  • The Freshman Semester in London is another defining Skidmore program.  Each year 36 or so freshmen begin their education in London.  They will be selected after being admitted to Skidmore.  They go through orientation in London and then return to the main U.S. campus in the spring.
  • Skidmore uses the Common application
  • 70% of the applicants applied on-line
  • Skidmore has both Early Decision and regular decision.  There are 2 rounds of Early Decision, one deadline is November 15th and the other is the same as regular decision on January 15th and these students will know their admissions decision within several weeks.  Regular applicants will get their decision later.
  • There were 6600 applications for 610 places on the Skidmore campus and 36 spaces in London for fall of 2006. 
  • Admitted students had an average SAT of 1320 while students who chose to attend had an average SAT of 1260.  The high school profile is important as Skidmore wants students who have challenged themselves in areas of interest.  They stated that “it is OK to excel in 2 or 3 areas and get a solid B+ than try to be impressive in all areas.”
  • Skidmore wants involved students in and out of the classroom.  They look carefully at the two letters of recommendation from teachers and the letter from the counselor.  The essay is important for content and writing skill. Grammar counts!
  • Recommended are 4-years of Math, Foreign Language and Science.  They did say that if a student does not like or feel strong in Science or Math then there should be something else filling the gaps
  • Skidmore wants students to take the ACT + Writing or the SAT although they only count the first two sections of the SAT.
  • They will look at AP scores but say they will not “make or break” the chance for admission.
  • There is a music scholarship, four Presidential scholarships and five scholarships in math and Science.
  • The cost of attendance is $46,500 and the average award is $27,000.
  • There is a separate question on the Common Application regarding math and Science for another $10,000 scholarship
  • Application and Financial Aid applications MUST be on time.
  • The students who spoke on the panel and on the tours said that they chose Skidmore because they could study in specific areas, do research with professors as freshmen and wanted a collaborative atmosphere.  Other things that the students mentioned were
    • Involvement on campus
    • Flexible and open to new experiences
    • Open minded
    • An embrace of the Liberal Arts Education
    • The campus and the town – Lots of things to do on and off campus
    • Good support by the staff
    • Professors that engage students in classroom discussions and are available at all hours for the students.

A professor at Skidmore gave this quote

“If you tell me,

             I will forget.

If you show me,

I will remember.

If you involve me,

I will understand.”

 

 

Rensselaer Poly Technical (RPI) - Is located in Troy, New York which is a small town on the rebound.  Students say there are places to go in Troy to ear and drink.  They like the outdoor opportunities and the skiing.  It is around 3 hours from any BIG city.

·        Rensselaer is an Engineering college with other majors in Architecture, Management and Arts & Sciences.

·        There is a Media and Performing Arts Center being built.

·        This school prides itself as a place where Technology & Art meet.

·        They are building like mad.  There have been one hundred and thirty-five new hires and the addition of Bio-Technology, Nano-Technology and Physics recently.

·        All areas of study go through the PhD. Level.

·        There are 6.800 students on campus and 5,000 are undergraduates.  In the past it has been 25% female but the entering class of fall 06 will be 32% female.  The average SAT is 1320.

·        The BUZZ at Rensselaer is the Product Design concentration.