Hendrix or Earlham?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Hendrix College
1

<p>My son was accepted to both of these wonderful schools with scholarship $$ to Hendrix, waiting on Earlham for money.These two schools are the top two contenders at this point. Any thoughts on either?</p>

<p>Here's son's data:a b average student who has, to date, worked in fits and starts at school. He wants to play in the orchestra and jazz groups, hand drumming groups, interested in environmental issues and community service. Considering teaching or social work as a career. Son is shy and not quick to seek out help when he needs it in academic areas. Has lived away from home every summer at music festivals so adjusting to dorm life most likely will not be an issue (adjusting to college level work and dorm life will). He has a small circle of friends that he is close to but building this kind of network takes time. He is the kind of kid that never gets teased but is easily overlooked.</p>

<p>Other academic interests-psychology, world religions, history.</p>

<p>Any input on how responsive Hendrix is if a student starts to struggle academically?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>Fresher at Hendrix. Looked into Earlham and Wooster as well summer before senior year, but fell in love with Hendrix on first visit.</p>

<p>Hendrix is really awesome about support. Sometimes it feels like they want you to succeed more than you do. They’re that ambitious about offering academic support. Professors will email you if you are struggling/missing class for whatever reason and ask what’s wrong, are prompt about responding to emails, and will generally do anything to help you out.</p>

<p>We have tutors for any subject, a writing center with students willing to proofread your academic papers and help you improve your writing skills, and one person whose entire job is to help you with time management.</p>

<p>Halfway through the semester, they’ll notify the parents and student about any academic problems teachers report at midterms. You’re expected to visit your academic adviser (a professor assigned to you in charge of your schedule and academic plans) and discuss the problem. If you get below a 2.5 at semester, you have to visit your adviser and discuss how you will improve. Not sure the line for academic probation, but academic probation requires you to visit academic support, your advisor, etc. on a regular basis and discuss how to do better.</p>

<p>What has also surprised me about Hendrix is how much of a support system friends can be academically and socially. If you don’t go to class, people will ask. Unless your friends are complete slackers who will be gone at semester, they will usually ask to do homework with you, form study groups, or ask about what you have to do. If you stay in your room too much, people will try to coax you out. Kids in college are much more accepting and friendly than highschoolers, I’ve learned.</p>

<p>The exception to this is if you just stay as a complete shut-in all year. Even those kids people try to be friends with, but there’s usually some deeper issues and they often leave school by semester. (My parents thought this would be me since I was shy and quite a bit of a shut-in in high school, but I blossomed into a social butterfly. My current roommate started out as a moderate shut-in and shy girl, but is pretty sociable now.)</p>

<p>The impression I’ve gotten after a semester here…Hendrix has a strong sense of community. It’s really, really easy to make friends, and everyone feels a much stronger sense of accountability to their friends. We really look out for each other.</p>

<p>Based on this, being shy and often overlooked in highschool won’t be the case in college. He doesn’t sound like a complete shut-in like the exceptions I’ve seen, so I’m sure he’d easily make friends here. We have a pretty neat music program, but I don’t know how much it offers. Good psychology program. Education program is kind of weak, but I’ve liked my experience with the anthropology/sociology department so far. Lots of community service and environmental activities too.</p>

<p>It still depends on him going to his professors and academic support and getting that help for himself. That’s unavoidable for any college, but they do make it as easy as possible to talk with them.</p>

<p>Yes, I know how biased this post is. (You either love being at Hendrix or hate it. I love it.) I visited Earlham, but I don’t know too much about academic services there.</p>

3

<p>Thanks fresher for all of the good information!
This is exactly what I needed to hear. S is not a total shut in. At the music festivals, he had been coaxed out to have fun but once out enjoyed himself-he’s still dating a girl he met last summer at one-lots of long drives on the weekends to visit her. He loves to have fun and has a couple of male buddies that he does at times study with. It sounds like he would find his niche at Hendrix. Sister is at Grinnell, was also a bit of a shut in high school and loves college. Sounds like Hendrix has a very similar type of student-accepting and wanting to do well. </p>

<p>I like your comments about the academic support. You make a very good point about the student needing to want the academic support.</p>

<p>Anyone else with thoughts?</p>