<p>If you really like short terms, Hiram College (one of the CTCL) has two. The academic year there is 12 weeks with three classes, 3 weeks with one class, 12 weeks with three classes, 3 weeks with one. Hiram is a college seriously worthy of consideration. It's in Hiram, Ohio, a small town but quite close to Cleveland. Beautiful campus. Smart, happy students.</p>
<p>The other thing to consider is that some colleges that offer J term or the equivalent in that time period but it's at an additional cost. Also, some J term courses, or intersession are open to students from other colleges. </p>
<p>If you go to Cornell, for example, which has an intersession, you would have the free time to take courses at a different institution. Cornell's version offers some on-campus classes, but also some trips, off campus courses, and distance learning options.</p>
<p>Just more info!</p>
<p>Add Austin College and Centre College to the list of J-term schools.</p>
<p>I found my winter study courses at Williams to be very worthwhile. Like a lot of things, academic and otherwise, what you get out of such an opportunity depends on what you're willing to put into it. I used the time to take some creative writing courses, which I would never have dared to do in a course graded other than pass/fail.</p>
<p>The option of taking courses pass/fail is a separate issue, unrelated to winter term. There are colleges with no winter term that offer the option of taking some courses pass/fail for exactly the reason you cite. Swarthmore, for example, makes all four courses first semester freshman year pass/fail as an adjustment period, then offers the option of taking up to four more courses pass/fail later on. Pass/fail is a particularly popular option for students taking a fifth course in a given semester.</p>
<p>Then there's Union College, in Schenectady NY. They are on tri-mesters. Kids take 3 classes at a time for 9 weeks. They go Labor Day - Thanksgiving, then have a break. They're back Jan 2 till the 3rd week in March, have a week off, then return from April 1st till mid-June. Not really a J-plan but similar. They run some overseas programs during their winter term.</p>
<p>Dartmouth is on a the same plan as Union, except that they also have a summer term and require all students to spend at least one summer term at college.</p>
<p>Applicants should think about the pros and cons of a "quarter" system such as this, especially viz-a-viz semester abroad programs. This kind of plan could reduce the options considerably, even limiting them to only the limited selection of programs offered by one's own school.</p>
<p>St. Mary's College of California and Whittier College also have Jan-term. </p>
<p>It seems like a fun way to broaden your horizons outside of your major.</p>
<p>One thing to consider also with J-terms is if there are actual requirements regarding graduation and J-term projects. I know at Oberlin that we have to spend 3 winter terms doing something (whether it's an internship, project, class, etc in order) in order to graduate. I've also noticed that a lot of my friends at other schools have ridiculously long winter breaks which are basically the equivalent of time period of my winter break + winter term, they just don't have any requirements for it. </p>
<p>So basically, also consider if you want graduation requirements associated with your J-term. This also might make them more meaningful/productive and less throw-away party weeks.</p>
<p>Just to add to my previous post and respond to Interesteddad's point about pass/fail courses being offered during the regular semester. The difference for me, in tackling something like creative writing, which I did not feel very confident in taking for a grade, was that during Winter Study, there was lots of time to devote to it. That is a significant difference compared to taking a 5th course during a semester on a pass/fail basis. I feel fairly certain that had I taken the same course as a 5th pass/fail course on top of an already busy course load, I would not have been able to put in the time I needed or wanted to get the most out of the course. While students who are intent on slacking during a J-term can surely manage to do so, students who welcome the extra available time to devote to an interesting course can take full advantage of that -- and still have plenty of time to play.</p>
<p>Roanoke College has a May term. All students are required to do one May term before they graduate, many have study abroad attached to them.
Intensive</a> Learning - How the Program Works | Roanoke College | Salem, Virginia</p>
<p>Like Interesteddad (same school, also same as Jrpar), I can't remember what I took in any of those J-terms except one (and it isn't a particularly fond memory). I do remember there was lots of drinking (and drugging - it was the late 60s). Some folks went skiing, or on roadtrips. We use to lose 1 or 2 students each year who would drive off the cliff near North Adams.</p>
<p>Going in, I seem to remember that I thought it would be a big plus, but I can't say it worked out that way, and I would preferred some more real teaching time.</p>
<p>Oh, it was good for writing graduate school applications. But things have moved up much earlier now, so it wouldn't help in that way in the least.</p>
<p>I haven't even mentioned one of the Winter Study projects I do remember -- an off-campus, experiential project. I remember it quite vividly, but it was SO stupid and SO dated that I would be embarrassed to ever talk about it.</p>
<p>I wish I could remember my fourth Winter Study. It may have been a creative writing course. I took a couple, but I don't remember when they were. One might well have been Winter Study. It's also possible I did something with Don Gifford like the Dublin pubs of James Joyce's Ulysses. He had personally visited EVERY place mentioned in Ulysses. Or it may have been on the black novel, taught by Williams' only (non-tenured) black professor.</p>
<p>That must have been back in the 60s.</p>
<p>By the way, id, your figures for the length of the Williams Winter Study Period in post #15 are incorrect - it was 17 days this year (3.4 weeks) and will be 19 days for each of the next three years (3.8 weeks). For your information to be correct or reliable, it looks like you'll have to redo the math.</p>
<p>P.S.: Students at Williams have the option to take a fifth semester course on a pass-fail basis as well (in addition to all WSP courses).</p>
<p>Hmm I remember all 4 of my Winter Study classes. The best was sophomore year when I took "Presidential Campaigns" with Al Goethals, one of my favorite professors at Williams. Junior year I did research which carried through to the summer which I spent in Willliamstown - by senior year I was working pretty intensely on my thesis. I thought Winter Study was a wonderful experience - classes in the mornings with some of my favorite profs, and then skiing nearly every afternoon at Brodie or Jiminy Peak. Social life was active too - it was a great time to get to know people outside your usual social group. When I was 18-21, it didn't get better than that!</p>
<p>But as I posted above, I don't view the January option as a critical factor in choosing a school.</p>
<p>Interesteddad - in post 27 you warn students to use caution at Dartmouth - as options of study abroad are limited by the alternative academic calendar. You may be stunned to learn that Dartmouth has one of the highest participation rates for study abroad, that is 60.9 %, one of the highest rates in the nation!</p>
<p>Vox Home > '07-'08 Academic Year > December 3, 2007 Issue ><br>
Dartmouth Tops Ivies for Study Abroad</p>
<p>In a report by the Institute of International Education (IIE), which tracks the figures in its annual “Open Doors” report, Dartmouth ranks third in the nation among doctoral degree granting institutions in undergraduate study abroad participation, with a participation rate of 60.9 percent. That ranking is up seven spots from the 2006 report. Of other Ivy League schools, only the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton, and Harvard made the list, with participation rates of 34.2 percent, 30.8 percent, and 28.7 percent, ranking 28th, 34th, and 40th respectively.</p>
<p>daffy:</p>
<p>I didn't say that study abroad was limited. I said that being able to take advantage of the better study abroad programs may be limited. Dartmouth is a perfect example. Nearly all Dartmouth students study abroad in Dartmouth's own programs which are:</p>
<p>a) island programs (i.e. moving a group of students and professors en mass from an American college overseas with limited immersion.</p>
<p>b) extremely limited in option in places like S. America, India, Africa, etc.</p>
<p>Actually, schools that count three week January term trips and summer term trips in their study abroad figures tend to have the highest percentages. The three-week trips at the january term schools really pump the numbers up.</p>
<p>Dartmouth study abroad was a turn-off for me. What's the point of studying abroad if you'll be going with a group of students and a professor from your home university? I think it is probably the best way to not leave your comfort zone.</p>
<p>Smith offers classes/workshops in January that, I believe, are of differing lengths and are optional. I don't know if any of the offerings are for credit.</p>