Three quick questions with Albion College

Albion is a school I’d honestly never heard of. Flipping through my Fiske Guide, I think I assumed it’s an international school. But it’s a small liberal arts college in Michigan, and I’m glad I finally came across it and wish I’d payed more attention sooner. If you’re interested in a liberal arts college that wears its passions and purpose on its sleeve (and on a coin in its pocket), then read more.

For Three Quick Questions, I send the same three questions to admissions representatives at colleges all over the country, and then I hope to hear back from them. The three questions are meant to probe some of the things that make a school unique but that aren’t easily captured as a stat to go in a book or web search.

Today’s response is from Daria Bloomfield, Admission Counselor at Albion College in Albion, Michigan.

What is a course, tradition, program or event that is unique to Albion College?

Every single first-year student will step into our Goodrich Chapel on move-in day and go through the formal process of becoming an Albion student. During this event, our students are formally welcomed to the Albion community of scholars by the College’s president, faculty, and upperclassmen. Together they will learn the College hymn, walk across the altar to sign the student pledge, and verbally introduce themselves to our community. After this, they receive their Matriculation coin, which they are instructed to carry with them forever. We call this the Matriculation Ceremony, and it is a memory that all students will remember.

Naturally every college wants to recruit the perfect student--high grades, high test scores, involved in their community, leadership...everything. But what kinds of imperfect students tend to flourish at Albion?

That's a great question! We are a holistic review campus and Albion has a seat at the table for all students. Though the 'perfect student' can be an easy admit, the majority of our students are both perfect and imperfect. I think that a student who is willing to put in effort in the classroom, jump into the Albion community, and take advantage of the many individualized support opportunities on campus, will ultimately thrive.

When people come to visit Albion, what's a place off campus that you recommend they check out while they're there?

In our small town of Albion Michigan, there are a few places that you must stop at during your visit. The first is Albion Malleable Brewing Company. If you are looking for a great burger or some world-class Poutine, Malleable is your place! The second place is the Foundry Bakehouse and Deli. Our whole main street is filled with the smell of freshly baked desserts, you can't go wrong with that!

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, here are three easy things you can do:

1. Share it on your social media feeds so your friends and colleagues can see it too.

2. See which other colleges and universities answered the questions.

3. Is there a school you’d like to hear from? Let me know, and I’ll make sure they get the questions.

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Photo by Angela Elisabeth. [The banner photo is not of Albion. I use the same photo for all Meet the Class posts so you can spot them easily.]

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The Glossary: Colleges that Change Lives

First there was a book. In 1996, journalist and independent college counselor Loren Pope published Colleges that Change Lives: 40 Schools You Should Know About Even If You’re Not a Straight-A Student. The idea was to highlight colleges that weren’t as famous and prestigious as Ivy League universities or other “elite” New England liberal arts colleges but that delivered the same—or better—personalized and life-changing education. It’s now in its fourth edition.

Later came the organization. The 40 colleges named in the book formed a non-profit organization to champion liberal arts colleges and help students find a good fit. It’s an antidote to reliance on rankings and the “prestige anxiety” that often comes with rankings. Even though Colleges that Change Lives was prompted by the book and named for the book, the group is completely independent. It has no relationship with Pope’s estate (he died in 2008) or the book’s publisher. Likewise, all the member colleges of CTCL are independent institutions. They just contribute to the organization.

CTCL does several things. It is a loud and thoughtful voice in the drive to make college admission more about a student-centered fit and less about elitism-centered prestige rankings. It provides resources to students, parents, and schools about making wise college decisions.

Probably the most important thing CTCL does for students is provide profiles of their member schools. It’s a good way to get to know some smaller colleges that you may not have heard of if you don’t live near them. CTCL also offers scholarships for students attending member schools.

Who are the member schools? There are now 44 of them. They are all small liberal arts colleges. Small in that they range in size from around 100 students to around 3,000 students. Most are in the 1,000-2,000 range. They are liberal arts colleges in that they focus on undergraduate teaching. For contrast, think of a flagship public university like the University of Michigan. It has over 30,000 undergraduate students, and it also has 180 different graduate degree programs. Liberal arts college doesn’t mean they don’t have STEM programs, nor does it mean that the college is liberal in terms of politics.

If I talk to a student or client who seems interested in a large, comprehensive university, I don’t try to steer them towards Colleges that Change Lives. Small liberal arts colleges aren’t for everyone. But if I’m working with someone who does seem interested in that kind of school, especially if they’re undecided about a major, then I definitely want them to spend time looking at CTCL and the member colleges. I live and work in a very large city, and most of the students I work with want to be in—or at least near—a metropolitan area. They stay away from the “tiny college in the middle of nowhere” stereotype. But many of the CTCL colleges are in urban areas. And none of them are, in reality, in a spot with nothing but cornfields for miles around.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, here are three easy things you can do:

1. Share it on your social media feeds so your friends and colleagues can see it too.

2. Check out these related Apply with Sanity posts:

   The Glossary: Liberal Arts College

   The Glossary: Public University

   The Glossary: HBCU

   The Glossary: Ivy

3. Ask a question in the comments section.

Apply with Sanity doesn’t have ads or annoying pop-ups. It doesn’t share user data, sell user data, or even track personal data. It doesn’t do anything to “monetize” you. You’re nothing but a reader to me, and that means everything to me.

Photo by Zoe Herring.

Colleges that Change Lives is an independent organization which does not endorse or have a relationship with Apply with Sanity. It neither sponsored nor contributed to this content.

Apply with Sanity is a registered trademark of Apply with Sanity, LLC. All rights reserved.