<p>Does anyone have any information, especially anecdotal, on Hiram College in Ohio? I know about the unique Hiram Plan curriculum, and it's definitely one factor of interest. Hiram would be an uber-safety for me--A student with ~2200 SATs--but although I'm applying mostly to full-need schools, the idea of a full-tuition or full-ride merit scholarship is extremely attractive. How challenging is Hiram academically? Also, the location is a concern--I loved the idea of Kenyon's quaint village (sadly it doesn't offer much CS), but I have also heard that Hiram is more rural than even Kenyon.</p>
<p>No one has any thoughts? (Even if to say that you've never heard of the school, so it must be terrible?)</p>
<p>I don't know about Hiram being more rural than Kenyon. Both are in out of the way places, and neither has much of a town around them. Kenyon might be slightly less rural, but in my view it's too negligible to be a real factor between the two. That said, Hiram is closer to Cleveland than Kenyon is to any significant metro area. </p>
<p>Overall, Hiram is a very good LAC and the students I've met seem very happy there. You would certainly get a very solid education with lots of personal attention from professors, and the students are fairly close knit. If you are interested in small schools of this type, I'd say Hiram is a very good choice for you as a safety selection. </p>
<p>Similary, I'd recommend you take a look at Heidleberg, Wooster, Wittenberg, Ohio Weslyan, and Denison, which also have good merit scholarships. However, I'm not sure about the strength of their CS programs. You'd have to look into that. Good luck.</p>
<p>Impressions of Hiram from someone who knows an alum but has never been there:</p>
<p>Known for a profound culture of friendliness - student to student and student to faculty.
Classic liberal arts curriculum and campus.
A bit smaller than most LACs.
Small town ambience, but within an hour of Cleveland.
You might be the most highly-qualified student there. Pro: That could produce a merit scholarship. Con: The scholarship will be primarily for the purpose of having you inspire your peers - not primarily for you to be inspired by them.
It's one of the limited number of colleges to be the Alma Mater of a President (Garfield).
Hiram would not be a particularly "prestigious" college choice, but it would certainly be a respected choice among those familiar with LACs.</p>
<p>Thanks for the information. Does anyone know exactly how rural the town of Hiram is--e.g. is there at least a Chinese take-out place and a drugstore? (The former is more important to me than it rationally should--Williamstown doesn't have any Chinese food within walking distance!) Also, how "preppy" is Hiram? It's racially and regionally homogeneous, I know, but the type of students is also important and I won't be able to visit pre-application.</p>
<p>Hiram College is not very preppy. A number of my younger co workers went there.
You have easy access to Cleveland by driving or taking the Cleveland Express bus from Hiram to the eastern suburbs (Southgate area) or downtown (Cleveland State area).
I think that there is not a lot in the "town" besides the college, so I am not sure what is in walking distance. Probably not Chinese.</p>
<p>Could you look on Google Earth to get a feel for the area?</p>
<p>We just drove through there this morning, a liitle side trip for DS's benefit on our way to visit DD at GWU. It is very rural, and the hilltop setting of the campus is lovely, especially with the fall colors. I don't know for sure, but would guess no on the Chinese takeout. There might be one in Garrettsville, about 3 miles down the road, where there seemed to be a variety of eating & shopping options.</p>
<p>I won't have a car, and the nearest Chinese restaurant appears to be 3 miles away in Garrettsville; not an inordinate distance, certainly, but not really walkable either. Hrm.</p>
<p>Also, anyone know what housing is like? Condition of dorms, percentage of students living on-campus, etc.? And what is the exact size? I keep hearing 900, which is pretty small, but CB says 1,256 degree-seeking undergrads. 1200 students is about the size of Haverford.</p>
<p>Hiram is definitely not a "terrible school." The very bright daughter of friends graduated from there about 10 years back. Later did grad work at Tulane and Penn. Her equally bright siblings attended better known NE LACs but neither claimed to have had a better college/academic experience than the sister who went to Ohio. </p>
<p>As for the rural character -- yes, it's rural. But it seemed closer to Cleveland to me than Kenyon did to Columbus.</p>
<p>Hiram is definitely "closer to civilization" than Kenyon. Aurora is a southeast suburb of Cleveland, with plenty of shopping, movies, and a wide variety of restaurants. Hiram is 11 miles east of Aurora, a straight shot on Route 82. Add Solon and Twinsburg (other southeast suburbs within a few miles) and you can find anything. You would have to actually go into Cleveland to see the Cleveland Orchestra - or the Indians or the Browns. :)</p>
<p>We drove through it on the way to a college visit to Kent State. No Chinese restaurants (I think I saw one small restaurant within walking distance). The campus was lovely and apparently well cared for, but the school was also tiny. You can find subjective comments/student reviews of Hiram and other schools at by searching for student reviews online (CC won't let us post the link here - sorry)</p>
<p>Is it easy to get to Aurora or Cleveland from Hiram without a car, though? My impression was that Kenyon, though isolated, was more self-sufficient within the village.</p>
<p>The Cleveland Express bus runs from Hiram to the eastern suburbs and to downtown.</p>
<p>Bumping this thread up. If anyone is a current student at Hiram or has a child that is currently there I have a few questions regarding freshman registration. Feel free to post here, or to send a PM. Thank you!</p>
<p>Hiram College (from the princeton review)</p>
<p>Academics:
"Students at Hiram don’t shy away from discussing what most feel to be the best part of the academic experience at their school: the professors. “They genuinely care about their students—I’ve even had a home-cooked meal at a professor’s house,” gushes one. According to another, Hiram is a “loving community where students and faculty are encouraged to talk to each other.” With a great student/faculty ratio, the average class size is small, which allows professors to “push you to your full potential while guiding you carefully along the way” and “speak to you as equals.” Readily available professors “will stop whatever they’re doing to help you out” and students find plenty of opportunities to conduct personalized research projects. Most complaints can be traced back to the administration’s recent belt-tightening: “Just because we are a small school does not justify the cutting of our tennis and track teams and other programs,” asserts a sophomore. A more upbeat undergrad counters that the school “want[s] to have a personal touch with every student, and may sometimes sacrifice other things for that, but it’s mostly a good thing.” Most students swear that the school as a whole lives by its motto of “intimate learning and global reach,” citing strong science programs, a great study-abroad program, and the opportunity to “grow academically inside the classroom and socially outside of it.”</p>
<p>Student Body:
" “There is no “typical” Hiram student,” says one junior, speaking for most undergraduates. “This is because of the small student body and the many varieties that make [that] body up. Different types of people interact with each other everyday.” Nearly all are “outgoing and love to have fun, but able to balance a social life with all of their academic rigors. All students seem to fit in on campus; there is something for everyone here.” The “diverse” student body seems to exist in enviable harmony, with “easygoing” and “open-minded” being common descriptors. Of course, “Like on any campus you have those kids who party a lot and do not care about school,” but undergrads are quick to point out that many students at Hiram “study all the time.” Regardless of what side of the spectrum they fall on, everyone here is friendly: “Our campus is like a little community, everybody knows everybody and they are always willing to help.”"</p>
<p>Campus Life:
"Located in small-town Ohio, Hiram strikes more than a few students as being “in the middle of nowhere.” Some, however, cite the “quaint” and remote location as a plus, allowing them to make closer friends. Social life at Hiram largely revolves around “improvised activities” and a typical roster of events includes “intramural sports, playing music, intercollegiate sports, hanging out, watching movies, and going to bars.” A student-run coffee shop and a swanky new $12.3 million fitness center are also popular on-campus draws. In addition, “Campus groups do a pretty good job of bringing fun things to campus”; student organizations are also big: “You can get involved in as many things as you want, and most people do.” Students are “constantly going from one thing to another—this is a Hiram trademark.” As far as off-campus life goes, “Having a car gives one a huge advantage, as there are plenty of cities and towns in reasonable driving distance.” It also extends one’s culinary options beyond on-campus fare."</p>
<p>northeastmom, what is your question about Hiram, I'm not a student there but maybe I can help you out?</p>
<p>My questions are about depositing and regestering as a freshman, so I would prefer to ask a couple of people who have been through the process. Thanks pierre. Do you know some students there?</p>
<p>The other question I have is how convenient a bus is to get to a mall, a movie, a few restaurants?</p>
<p>oh ok I understand, I don't know any students there so I'll refrain from giving you any info on that</p>
<p>it seems to me that if you want to go places near Hiram, you might need a car....</p>
<p>Thanks Pierre. About the car, that is something I would like to speak with a parent of a current student, or a student about. I have spoken to one parent of a current student who is enjoying freshman year without a car. I would like to find out just how uncomfortable it is not to have a car. That is a deciding factor.</p>
<p>^ The car issue is one that ultimately crossed Hiram off my list (as well as the no-Chinese-food issue), because I will not have a car period and it seems that shuttles are infrequent. I've only heard about a weekend bus to Columbus, which implies students would otherwise be stuck in tiny Hiram (and if it doesn't have a single Chinese takeout restaurant, it must be as tiny as Williamstown, which I visited and is indeed tiny) during the week.</p>