College of Wooster was our next stop on the bus tour

Instead of teaching students what to think, the College of Wooster focuses on teaching students how to do so. From the first courses of the freshman year seminar to the final day when seniors hand in their theses, the college paves each student’s path to independence. The college isn't hard to get into, but to graduate takes some work. Set in rural Ohio this 2000 student private liberal arts school is set upon a hill littered with gothic style buildings. 

The required first-year seminar in critical inquiry, limited to 15 students per section, invites students to engage in issues, questions, or ideas around a variety of topics. Recent examples include The History of the Future, The Psychology and Persuasion of Advertising, and Oil, Terror and Political Islam in West Africa: Should We Be Very Afraid? Students enrolled in the First-Year Living and Learning Project not only take the seminar but live together in specially designated housing. Wooster’s curriculum is built around the required Independent Study, which lets students explore subjects they’re passionate about with one-on-one faculty guidance. Independent Study has become such a part of COW that each year seniors celebrate IS Monday—the day they turn in their projects—with a campus wide parade. The strongest programs at the college are biology, economics, and english. 

Wooster social life is campus-based, thanks in large part to the school’s isolated location. The college has no national Greek organizations, but local “sections” draw 8 percent of men and “clubs” attract 15 percent of women. One major weekend hangout is the Underground, a bar and dance club that hosts well-known bands, as well as the campus’s bowling alley, pool hall, and game room. The school’s Scottish heritage can be seen in its bagpipe band, which naturally performs in kilts, and in its Scottish dancers, who trot on stage during the fall’s Scot Spirit Day. The school play Division III sports with Denison and Kenyon as arch rivals. The Scot Center, a 123,000 square foot student recreation center, opened in early 2012 and features four indoor courts for basketball, volleyball, and tennis; a 200-meter track; a fitness center; and new locker rooms, meeting rooms, and athletic department offices. 

All in all, the college provides an amazing curriculum with a nationally recognized Independent study program. Its a great school for anyone who wants a small school feel and doesn't want a big American social scene. 

Here is a link to Wooster's admissions page.