<p>I think it's sad that in a country of 3oomn people there's no longer room for alternative education. The pressure to conform is, evidently, unstoppable. I guess these days wearing a flag pin in your lapel is what passes for idealism.</p>
<p>jkojkl, there are plenty of "alternative" schools, depending upon your definition of the term. Take New College in Florida, or Deep Springs as examples. Both are dramatically out of step with the standard, yet show no sign of going anywhere. And they have dozens of peers that are also abnormal yet not on the verge of collapse. The problem with Antioch is that given the poor educational quality and reputation of the school, the cost of attending makes it an unsound option for most. Being alternative simply for the purpose of non-conforming is not a good strategy. And that is exactly what was going on at Antioch. At most of the other non-traditional schools, such as the great books only St. John's, there is a clear purpose and logic to their different nature. They don't seek to stand out from the mainstream as much as they do cultivate an environment that facilitates high academic achievement through abnormal emphasis. Frankly, I hope Antioch never re-opens. And I'd like to see a few of other schools (ex: Bennington, Warren Wilson) follow suit.</p>
<p>Wow. Lot of hate on this thread. None of it really gets to the heart of Antioch's problems: the decision to dilute their endowment by creating branch universities all over the country. Always follow the money.</p>
<p>Ah, the original story of those professors nearly brought a tear to my eye，but after reading bartleby‘s article，Antioch sounds kinda gross</p>
<p>gprime, while I agree with what you said, I'm not sure what you meant by
Deep Springs and New College "not going anywhere." This could be interpreted in two ways. If you meant it in the sense that they are here to stay, then you're right. Both are fantastic colleges, as evidenced by their feeder rates. Deep Springs grads tend to transfer to the most selective colleges in the country. When I was a student New College, I met a graduate from Deep Springs who was quite brilliant. </p>
<p>Let's remember that alternative curricula and grading systems exist even among the most elite schools: Berkeley, Yale, and Stanford law schools do not use traditional grading systems. When a professor of mine (who was also a New College alum) did his Ph.D. in Philosophy at Princeton, he was not assigned letter grades. Reed College is arguably unmatched in its Ph.D. production rates, and they are quite alternative as well. </p>
<p>Antioch's collapse, as interesteddad noted, seems to have more to do with their sloppy financial decisions than their contrarian approach.</p>
<p>I did indeed mean in the "here to stay" sense. While neither school is quite my cup of tea, their results speak for themselves. They are fantastic examples of "alternative" institutions, and deserve far more credit than is typically given to them.</p>
<p>Have you actually ever visited Warren Wilson College, gprime (to back up your claim that it should be shut down similarly to Antioch)? The college isn't a perfect fit for everyone, but I was pretty seriously considering it, toured, and talked to faculty. I was impressed with what I saw there.</p>
<p>Would anyone shed a tear if one of the ultra conservative colleges that do not accept federal HAD to close? </p>
<p>Aren't the ultra liberal professors not supposed to be the smartest? Was it that hard to decipher the signals that the days of the hippies are gone?</p>
<p>"Would anyone shed a tear if one of the ultra conservative colleges that do not accept federal HAD to close?"</p>
<p>Definitely. Patrick Henry College is a credit to this nation.</p>
<p>Leah, since my funds are limited, I've only really visited two non-local schools, and only after I'd agreed to matriculate there. So no, I've not physically been to Warren Wilson. I just happen to, having read about it, come to the conclusion that I dislike it, and would not give a damn were it to cease operating. Of the WCC schools, it is the only one that still costs $30k a year. Couple that with their extreme eco-liberalism and there is very little to applaud. I'm sure it has some things going for it. But it must be judged on the whole, in which case it fails to pass muster.</p>
<p>When I was applying to colleges I had to hear ad infinitem about how my dad was thisclose to attending Antioch. Then mom would chime in that grandpa threw a gigantic fit and made dad attend H (where he met mom.) The lesson? Follow the money, because none of grandpa's was going to Antioch.</p>
<p>Yellow Springs is definitely a quirky town. You have the hippie culture associated with Antioch and all the little coffee shops juxtaposed with Young's Dairy and its family atmosphere. Then you have cops quick to pull any speeders over (goes from 35 to 55 in one spot which is a cop favorite) while the marijuana culture lives strong.</p>
<p>I agree with the previous post. Antioch doesn't have the best reputation around culturally and socially conservative Ohioans. I know people who have gone there in the past, but not many, and I came from that area.</p>
<p>I don't really understand the animosity in this thread either. I'm very sad to see Antioch close, and I think it's rather wonderful and dedicated of the professors to carry on teaching.</p>