Wooster - Small Time School, Big Time Education

Introduction
Small schools simply don't attract a lot of kids because they don't have big names. Sure, Wooster is no Ohio State or University of Michigan in terms of size and reputation, however it is a quality education with a lot to offer the student population. I mainly chose Wooster because I received excellent tuition benefits. I also liked the idea of smaller classes and and close relationships with professors and other students. However, I feel that students who are looking for the big time party scene, D-1 athletics, and easy classes should not apply. Wooster is challenging, but a good place to be.

Campus Life and Social Life
Sports at Wooster are good. They invest a lot into the sports programs and the teams for a Division III level are good. Men's basketball is constantly in the top 5 every season. Men's football is a leader in the NCAC conference and many other programs have competitive seasons. There are fraternities and sororities but they have no national affiliation - which can be bad and good. The Greek system isn't exclusive and all of the parties are open to the whole campus. Friday nights consist of a lot of drinking and a lot of people go to the on campus club, The Underground. There is a DJ and beer and it's a good social spot. There isn't much to do in the town of Wooster, OH so if you're not doing something on campus, you have to leave Wooster. That's kind of a pain. Still, there is stuff going on: Saturday's are sports events and frat/sorority parties are Saturday night. Advertisement
Academics
Academics are pretty intense. For example, the Communication Department is not easy here - it's rigorous and demanding in all of it's majors, however it is very rewarding to graduate with a Comm. degree from Wooster. All departments are challenging... History and Philsophy continue to be the (relatively) "easy" majors. All students are required to do a Senior IS (independent study), which is like a thesis paper. It's really intense and takes a lot of time but definetley looks good on Grad School applications. Professors are very easily accessible and often times get to know students very well. I have felt comfortable asking for recommendations and help from all of my professors. TA's do not teach classes at Wooster, that's what the professors are for. Some classes have TA's but mainly they are used to provide help outside of the classroom. Intro. classes can run anywhere from 25-55 people; 55 being the absolute biggest class I have seen. Most classes are kept smaller with about 20 students

Student Body
Most students are from middle-upper class backgrounds. There are a lot of students from Ohio, however it seems like there are more and more students from out of state each year. Wooster has an 11% international population, which is great for a college this size. Diversity is increasing on campus - slowly but surely. The lack of diversity is mainly due to the location (Wooster, OH doesn't exactly draw a lot of people) and the challenges of bringing diversity to an un-diverse campus. It is a friendly campus, accepting of everyone and eager to be surrounded by new people and experiences.

In Closing...
Wooster provides amazing off-campus experiences as well. My junior year I did a semester in Philadelphia where I was an intern for the Philadelphia 76ers NBA team. I was able to meet Allen Iverson and many of the players, as well as have hands on experience in a field I was very interested in. Students can also go abroad to many different countries or study here in Washington DC, New York, and Philly. So even if you don't get the big city experience in Wooster, you can always do it for a semester or a year!