Before they graduate, all 2,000 or so students at the College of Wooster complete an independent study, a substantial research or creative project that they work on for at least a year. The I.S., as it’s known, might take the form of a studio art exhibit, a music or theatrical performance or a long research paper, supervised by a faculty mentor.
“I.S. really defined my experience here,” says 2017 chemistry grad Rachel Molé, of Jamestown, New York, who examined disinfection systems at wastewater treatment plants in Chicago. She presented her research at a number of academic conferences and is now pursuing a doctorate in environmental science at Baylor University.
When seniors turn in their projects after spring break, they earn modest but highly coveted prizes: a Tootsie Roll and a black-and-yellow pin that reads, “I did it.” At five o’clock, the college bagpipe band leads a parade across campus to celebrate this “rite of passage,” says Jared Berg, a 2017 history grad from Cleveland, who like other students here values the college’s emphasis on undergraduate research and the close-knit community it fosters among classmates and with professors.
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Set on 240 acres in the city of Wooster — population 27,000 — the private liberal arts college is roughly halfway between Columbus and Cleveland. About two-thirds of undergrads come from outside Ohio, including about 12 percent from abroad.
With an 11-1 student-faculty ratio, professors and advisers generally get to know their students inside and outside the classroom. “These are people that really, really care about me,” says Chadwick Smith, a 2017 grad in history and Africana studies from Decatur, Georgia.
He says it’s common for faculty members to invite students to lunch or dinner. He even once housesat for a professor during spring break.
Nearly all students live on campus, so “you get to be like just a very large family,” says Spencer Gilbert, a 2017 grad from Shaker Heights, Ohio, who majored in political science.
Many upperclassmen reside in college-owned program houses, each affiliated with a particular community organization. Residents perform eight hours of volunteer service a month at places like the Boys & Girls Club of Wooster or 4 Paws for Wooster, a service dog group.
During snowstorms, hundreds of students come together to haul snow and fill the arch at the center of the castle -like Kauke Hall, which according to campus legend is supposed to cancel classes the next day. Though most students appreciate the size, the college “can become too insular if you let it,” says Gilbert.
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Students can choose from more than 40 majors, and everyone must complete a diverse mix of courses in writing, global and cultural perspectives, religious perspectives and quantitative reasoning. All freshmen begin with a 15-person first-year seminar, led by a professor who becomes a student’s initial academic adviser until he or she declares a major.
To help them navigate all of the college’s opportunities, many students visit Wooster’s center for Advising, Planning and Experiential Learning, also known as APEX, a one-stop shop where undergrads can meet with advisers and find resources related to landing an internship, career planning, exploring an off-campus program and more.
There are more than 120 student organizations, such as the Black Student Association, the Wooster Activities Crew, the Yoga Club, and WOO 91, the student-run radio station. At Wooster, there is “no certain thing that dominates,” says sophomore Nashmia Khan, a neuroscience major from Pakistan.
On any given weekend, undergrads might hear a poetry reading or play board games at the student-run Common Grounds coffee shop, go to a dance party at the College Underground club/bar or cheer on the Fighting Scots Division III sports teams. Says recent graduate Gina Williamson, a psychology and Spanish major from Twinsburg, Ohio: “I didn’t feel like I was going to have to change myself at all to fit in here.”
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This story is excerpted from the U.S. News “Best Colleges 2018” guidebook, which features in-depth articles, rankings and data.
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Ohio College Road Trip: College of Wooster originally appeared on usnews.com
