<p>Looking at these 2 schools soon with DD. She is interested in International Development/ International Service/Spanish. I appreciate any insight from those who are familiar with both schools as to the academics, religious life, diversity, service opportunities on campus. Also, would either of them be considered suitcase colleges. Also wondering what anyones experience has been with merit scholarships; DD has a 30 ACT and 4.3 gpa, top 3% class rank.</p>
<p>They are both schools and she will definitely get into both colleges. I plan to attend Calvin College because it's in Grand Rapids, it's computer science program is accredited, and it's tuition is much cheaper. The diversity at Calvin isn't that great but I don't mind, it's mostly whites with dutch inheritance and i'm asian. Calvin also has lots of great international study programs tries to be diverse in different cultures. Either way, she can't go wrong either choice, Hope or Calvin. She should also consider Wheaton College in illinois about 1 hour west of chicago. It's is ranked much much higher and more prestigious.</p>
<p>Hoosier Mom, Calvin and Hope have some important differences. Calvin belongs to the Christian Reformed Church, and requires its faculty (but not its students) to be members of a Christian Reformed congregation. Hope doesn't have such a requirement (it belongs to the Reformed Church of America); it is more religiously diverse than Calvin, in both its student body and among its faculty. Calvin therefore has more of an openly shared ethos that shapes the college's life. Your daughter might thrive at either (or neither, of course). Calvin has worked hard recently to develop programs in international relations and the like; I don't know about Hope in that regard.</p>
<p>Firecube, both Calvin and Hope have accredited CS programs. I think you are referring to Calvin's B.C.S. degree, which is accredited by ABET (but the BA and BS are not so accredited). All these schools and their programs are accredited by the regional accrediting bodies; some programs are further accredited by select professional agencies, such as ABET. The BCS requires a lot more coursework in the sciences and in math, and somewhat lessens the options for electives that you have. </p>
<p>As for tuition, Hope's tuition is not quite $2000 more this year than Calvin's; but Hope does have significant merit aid for good students too. Our student has a Presidential Scholarship at Calvin. Her stats were about what your daughter's are (she had a slightly higher ACT, if I remember? and she wishes she had taken it again ....).</p>
<p>Hope that's some help.</p>
<p>Oh thanks Zetesis, one more thing which I keep hearing: Grand Rapids is much more conservative than Holland. I think what this means is that Calvin College has strict rules such as dancing policies, drinking, smoking and late night parties. So Hope is a bit more liberal though, they do allow such things (perhaps to some extent). Maybe for your daughter it can be a preference of being at whether in a city or a beautiful big land.</p>
<p>Zetsis, are you a professor or student at Calvin College?</p>
<p>Most of this information about Calvin is actually wrong. They do allow dancing, and have on campus dances even; they also allow smoking -- outside of buildings; they don't allow alcohol in dorms or on the campus, but they do allow students do drink -- assuming, of course, that students are of age to buy either cigarettes or alcohol. They expect you to abide by the laws of the state.</p>
<p>I'm a parent of a Calvin student.</p>
<p>Hope is in Holland, which as you can imagine is mostly Dutch with a sprinkling of asians. It's a great little town though. I don't know much about the school, but Holland is a very wholesome, cute town.</p>