When researching colleges we try to match up the student’s goals and interests with the offerings at various institutions. But what if students could pick the institution and then customize their studies there? With Ripon College’s self-designed major, it seems they could do just that!
When I visited Ripon College’s beautiful historic campus for the fall open house, I learned a lot more about this small residential college near the Fox Valley area of Wisconsin. As a suburban liberal arts institution with approximately 800 students and a focus on holistic student development, they have some unique offerings. I loved hearing about their self-designed majors for students who have special interests and the motivation to design their own unique major. These self-designed majors are structured from courses across academic disciplines and with independent study components. Some of the many examples include Sports Psychology, Disability Justice, and Music Entrepreneurship.
Ripon’s core curriculum encourages exploration across academic departments and they have services in place to help undecided students unlock hidden talents and define the issues that matter most to them. Beyond fostering creativity and curiosity, they encourage students to create their own meaningful education.
They are also expanding - this fall they opened a new 157,000 square foot on-campus stadium and hosted the first women’s soccer and football games on the day I was on campus - Go Red Hawks! In addition, they’ve broken ground on a new science center which is slated to open in Fall of 2024, complete with labs, classrooms, a makerspace, and advanced physics labs, and also supporting their new engineering program.
If your student is considering a smaller, customizable college experience in a friendly town with four seasons, this may be a good match! 100% of the students receive some type of financial assistance, students have a voice in campus projects and can be involved in study abroad, student research, and many co-curricular activities. The focus is on developing critical thinkers, strategists, and leaders, and many students have double majors or two/three minors as they delve into a variety of interests. One last claim to fame for Ripon College is that actor Harrison Ford is among their notable happy alumni!
There are so many colleges and universities to choose from! Every student has their own unique needs and interests and Confident College Planning guides families along the college selection journey. Whether you’re just starting the process and need some guidance on steps to complete, would like help researching colleges for your specific interests, are looking for funding strategies, or need help fine-tuning your application and essay – we can help! Contact me today at nancy@confidentcollegeplanning.com to set up a meeting and find out more about what I can do for you.
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