<p>Okay...so, I'm a senior now, have mostly As with a couple Bs and a C or two freshman year. I take honors, AP, DE, with SAT 1310/1600. I think I can get into Guilford, and when I went, everyone was SO NICE and the campus was so beautiful that I fell in love, but have some reservations.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I've read/heard that the academics aren't very rigorous. Can somone offer some insight into these claims?</p></li>
<li><p>How many grads go on to (good) graduate schools? ARe most graduates of Guilford happy they went there? Are they successful?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>My son goes there, social sciences. He loves it. In his case I’d say they were generous in letting him in, they seem to believe in second chances; they worked with him when he struggled. He found it more demanding than he expected. Though Guilford tuition is expensive for us, we are happy with the results. Son is now a senior and seems to have matured emotionally and intellectually beyond his friends who went to other schools with similar entrance requirements. It is TINY and that helped him stay focused. Lots of his friends are planning on grad school, but I don’t know how to judge those numbers.</p>
<p>If you liked Guilford, by all means apply. If you are concerned about rigor, consider applying to Earlham as well. It has a similar vibe/niche, but is more rigorous. I believe it does better at grad school admissions as well, based on NSF data.</p>
<p>As you know, it is a Quaker school, although most students are not Quakers. Quakers have a long history of providing challenging schooling. I loved it when I visited with my son. He got in, but decided not to go. But I do remember hearing that they had good acceptance rates as graduates schools</p>
<p>A friend of my D goes to Guilford. He’s not thrilled with it, thinks the academics aren’t very rigorous and most of the students aren’t very serious. At least that was his report after his freshman year. Apparently he’s enjoying it a bit more after getting into some more advanced classes in his sophomore year. I still get the impression he wouldn’t recommend it highly, though. He could have gone to Earlham which has a much stronger academic reputation; probably a mistake not to go there.</p>
<p>The cream always rises to the top. With a 1310 SAT you are plenty intelligent. You can find rigor from most any college by focusing on the bright students and hanging with professors and doing special projects. Lots of people attend colleges from a tier below their SAT scores. They do it for lots of reasons, including money. </p>
<p>Guilford is laid back and mellow. Its the Quaker thing. Its also liberal and artsy. </p>
<p>If you want intensity then go to Wake Forest or Elon. I am very big on Elon…fine school. </p>
<p>But if Guilford is what you love, then go there. If you are concerned about rigor, then go back and talk to professors directly. If you can’t do that, then contact them by email.</p>
<p>As to your question about grad school, I’ll also chime in with a recommendation that you look at Earlham. It’s one of the best schools in the country at producing graduates who eventually get PhDs.</p>
<p>I’ve visited Guilford on several occasions and as mentioned already they have a caring administration and outstanding admissions department. My impression is that as a Quaker school they concentrate on service and admit a wide verity of students including adult students attending evening classes on campus. </p>
<p>Are classes very rigorous - Because Guilford has a wide verity of students, I think you are likely to find a wide range of class involvement and rigor. But classes are taught in the a more open and questioning style that allows lots of interactions with leaders (Professors).
So you may have the opportunity to ask and explore next level questions. I’ve heard that rigor also varies by department. </p>
<p>How many grads go on to (good) graduate schools? - You should check but my impression was that going directly to grad schools was not a big concern for most Guilford students. I’m not saying that some (maybe many) students may not eventually go on to grad schools, just that the going from schooling to schooling to schooling might not be the traditional route for most Guilford / Quaker School students… On the other hand - I think having a good GPA from Guilford, good test scores, and life/industry experience would not keep you out of “good” grad schools.</p>
<p>As for your “everyone was SO NICE and the campus was so beautiful that I fell in love” comment… Welcome to North Carolina…</p>
<p>Guilford has a lot to recommend it, but like any school it’s not for everyone. I agree with ghostbuster and would highly recommend you look into Elon University.</p>
<p>I would dispute the “Quaker school” part of this. Other colleges founded by Quakers—Swarthmore, Haverford, Bryn Mawr, Earlham—have outstanding records in producing grads who go on to Ph.D.s or advanced professional degrees. Very, very few schools can match them on this score. Guilford is just not in the same category.</p>
<p>Well bclinton…I see your point. But in the Catholic Schools category, the same can be said/emphasized if you look at BC Georgtown Notre Dame, which would then leave a false impression that other Jesuit colleges and catholic universities dont send kids to grad school.</p>
<p>Fordham had 14 Fulbrights a year ago. </p>
<p>So emphasizing the Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore’s and Haverford’s of the world, is a false impression. I wouldnt put Earlham in the same category as them either, frankly. But I am not one to be elitist and snobby. In fact I encourage kids with high stats to look strongly at schools that aren’t in the USNWR top 25.</p>
<p>^ No, I’m not saying Earlham is of the same caliber as Swarthmore,Haverford, and Bryn Mawr. But Earlham nonetheless does have an extremely impressive record of sending its grads on to Ph.D.s and advanced professional degrees.</p>
<p>I’m not sure the Catholic schools analogy is apt. There are dozens, probably hundreds of Catholic colleges and universities. There are NOT hundreds, not even dozens of Quaker-founded colleges. Besides Swarthmore, Haverford, Bryn Mawr, Earlham, and Guilford, there’s Whittier, in California, and 5 or 6 small regional colleges. So Swarthmore, Haverford and Bryn Mawr make up a very large fraction of the total.</p>
<p>My kids have several friends who attend Guilford and love it. Much of the class work involves writing, even the science classes, and therefore, the rigor is often what your make of it. I encouraged my son, with similar stats as the OP to apply and I think it would have been a great fit. Fiske guide describes it as a “hidden gem” and doubt you would have any problems getting into grad school after a thoughtful education at Guilford. The students I know who go there appreciate the comprehensive education in which they are taught to think about the material as opposed to the “running on a treadmill” feel that my D gets at her elite LAC. </p>
<p>Quakers would be appalled at people trying to “rank” their institutions. Most are not officially affiliated anymore. Love the fight song: “Fight, fight inner light. Kill Quakers kill.”</p>
<p>Yes, that’s probably right. And even at Swarthmore, Haverford, and Bryn Mawr there’s probably still enough of a remaining Quaker ethos that bragging over their US News rankings would be seen as unseemly and inappropriate. But you know they’re watching their rankings like a hawk and being very selective in their admissions and strategic in their institutional decision-making, in part with an eye toward maintaining or improving their rankings.</p>
<p>Thank you so much, everyone! And while I want rigor, I don’t want to be stuck in the library studying 20 hours a day, I just want a challenge (no A for Attendance, etc.). It doesn’t really matter to me if a ton of grads go to grad school, or even if they go to the best schools, I just don’t want a graduate school (I’m thinking occupational/speech therapy) to see “Guilford College” and turn me down because of it. </p>
<p>Markbright, if a lot of your son’s friends are planning on going to grad school, that’s a good sign and I’m not too worried.</p>
<p>bclintonk, does your D’s friend take honors classes, or is he just more pleased because sophomore classes are (obviously) more challenging than freshman classes?</p>
<p>I’ve looked into both Earlham and Elon, and they both seem like great schools, Earlham seems a little off for me (I don’t know why). Also, it’s a little far. Elon seemed good, I just wasn’t really that interested for some reason.</p>
<p>I know Guilford is in the CTCL, but that was published quite some time ago and I have heard that Guilford is going through some major changes.</p>
<p>I think there is a fair chance Guilford won’t be challenging enough for you. Not being challenged is actually a common cause for students dropping out and/or getting bad grades. That being said, I love the atmosphere. If you go there shoot for straight A’s each semester because it’s likely possible for you. Did you look at Oberlin? It’s Guilford’s rival and more rigorous academically.</p>
<p>It would seem like the vibe between Oberlin (uber liberal/gender bender) and Guilford (service/family/calm Quaker) would be more than a little different. And if Earlham is too far from home, ditto Oberlin.</p>