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10
COLLEGES WITH HAPPIEST STUDENTS
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| 1.
DePaul University |
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The
student population at DePaul notes that little disappoints
them. Students come here for, and receive, rock-solid pre-professional
instruction, taught in small classes by expert profs, all
for a tuition that's about 33 percent less than what the Ivies
and other big boys charge. To boot, DePaul's campus is smack
in the middle of a true Chicago land urban paradise! What's
not to love?
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| 2.
Pomona College |
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Pomona
scored second in The Princeton Review's list of the most accommodating
administrations. Combine that with its standing among the Top-20
dormitories and you have a high academic and extracurricular
quality of life, leaving Pomona undergrads thrilled with their
lot. Students also rave about the caring, easily accessible
profs, the vibrant social life (abetted by activity on the Claremont
College system's four other campuses), and the proximity of
all types of fun in Los Angeles, the beaches, and the mountains.
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| 3.
Dartmouth College |
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Dartmouth
ranks fourth on The Princeton Review's "Best Quality of
Life" list and ninth on the "Toughest School to Get
Into" list. That's a winning combination--students appreciate
how lucky they were to get in here and how good they have it
once they arrive. Having the nation's ninth most beautiful campus
and the tenth most active Greek scene doesn't hurt either. Bonus
points for the abundance of great skiing nearby.
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| 4.
William Jewell College: |
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William Jewell undergrads tell us that "the faculty and
staff put their hearts into our education." This, combined
with a singularity of purpose (Jewell is a Baptist college,
and both students and faculty happily adhere to its prescribed
conservative, religious lifestyle), helps explain why Jewell
students are so doggone happy with their school. While hometown
Liberty "is so small there isn't much to do," nearby
Kansas City offers a ton of diversions, many of the acceptably
wholesome variety.
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| 5.
Whitman College |
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Beloved professors and a hopping extracurricular scene (the
arts and intramurals are both huge here) help offset the drudgery
of hometown Walla Walla to make Whitman's student body the fifth
happiest in the nation. Mostly it's the inspiring faculty that
keeps Whitman kids exultant. One writes, "How many schools
do you know of where kids cut their vacations short just so
they can go to a professor's house, drink tea, and talk about
ways to lead a life based on ideology instead of money? I've
got my ticket to go back to Whitman and do just that--I love
it.”
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| 6.
Stanford University |
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With
its gorgeous campus, clockwork-like administration, diverse
but unified student body, stellar academic reputation, and easy
access to hipster paradise San Francisco, Stanford's number
six ranking might seem a little low to some. Chalk up its sixth
place ranking to the students' over-exacting standards or to
their dislike of Palo Alto, "a yuppie town that shuts down
at 8 (or maybe earlier)" and that "was clearly built
for old rich people. “
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| 7.
New College of Florida |
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New College isn't for everyone, but for the demographic that
best fits in here--intellectual, sports-hating, left-leaning
"weirdo's," by students' own admission--it's a paradise
of learning, with a healthy dose of sun mixed in. Students love
the academic freedom and academic rigor that their school demands
of them. "The school is not for the weak-willed,"
undergrads warn, "but for those up to an intense quest
for knowledge, New College is a jewel." An added bonus:
It's a state school, so tuition is low for Florida residents.
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| 8.
Washington and Lee University |
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Face New College of Florida and turn 180 degrees; you should
now be staring directly at Washington and Lee, a very conservative,
Greek-dominated campus where beer flows like water. It's not
all frat parties and College Republicans meetings here, though.
Academics are "very challenging," although "small
classes and group discussions make it very easy to participate
and learn." Students especially love W&L's Honor System,
which allows students to schedule their own unproctored exams;
this system "is a large part of what makes [W&L] so
special.”
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| 9.
Wesleyan University |
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Wesleyan
is "a place in which anyone could find a niche and be happy,"
regardless of whether one's passions run toward the arts, athletics,
public service, partying, or leftist activism. (Granted, if
your passion is leftist activism, yours will be an especially
large niche.) Academically, Wes excels at "letting you
blaze your own path with the help of highly skilled staff,"
which the school's independent-minded students regard as a major
asset. Undergrads praise their classmates as "super intelligent,
but they also understand how to have fun. “
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| 10.
Brown University |
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"The
concentration is truly on the undergraduates" at Brown
and that distinguishes this prestigious Ivy from most of its
peers. Students appreciate the difference; they also love the
open curriculum, which imposes only the bare minimum of requirements.
One student explained, "It's like the administrators have
one motto: It's your money, why should we choose your classes?
Being at Brown means you will never again have to take a class
you don't want to." The school "lets you love learning
without being strangled by it," so students breathe easier
and smile more often. |
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