<p>IMO, the colleges that scored most highly on this question are often underrated and under considered by students looking for top colleges. But clearly something positive is going on at these colleges that indicate a high level of regard/interaction between students and faculty.</p>
<p>Wake Forest (79% say faculty involvement is better than most) is a college that I think often gets short shrift on CC and it definitely is unloved by the academic elite (witness its shockingly low PA score of 3.5). But I think that the students responses are a very strong testament to the relationship that Wake Forest breeds between its students and the faculty. The school’s nickname is “Work Forest” and with justification I’m told, but the students seem to revel in that and are very proud of their institution. The high caliber and grounded nature of Wake’s graduates is well known to employers. My impression is that a lot of that is attributable to the tone and the substance offered by the faculty. </p>
<p>Notre Dame (73%) is another college that gets modest love on CC and again is not a favorite of the academic elite (low comparative PA of 3.9-is there a pattern here?). Yet, Notre Dame students seem to think very highly of their relationship with their faculty. Like Wake Forest, ND grads are generally well-trained, very strong fundamentally, and work well with others. And like Wake, not many prima donnas in the bunch. Again, the faculty likely have played a role in developing/nurturing this and the students’ responses reflect this and appreciate their work. </p>
<p>One other interesting statistic about these two colleges is their percentages for students of color. These two rank at the bottom of the USNWR Top 30 for total number of minorities as measured by Black, Asian, and Hispanic. If you are one of these races and interested in an undergraduate experience that places a high premium on student/faculty interaction, then you may want to take a closer look at Wake Forest and Notre Dame.</p>