<p>I looked on the website, but does anyone have a little more insight as to why Goucher is part of the Colleges that Change Lives?</p>
<p>Despite being a mid-ranked LAC, it still contains generous financial aid to lower-income families and decent programs for its standing. Also, its visionary leadership had made it one of the up and coming powerhouses in the Liberal Arts College community, making it ranking among Grinnell, Bowdoin, and even Colby in terms of academic strength and undergraduate talent.</p>
<p>I think CTCL also puts a lot of emphasis on the quality of interaction between faculty and students, and this is perceived to be an area of strength for Goucher. (How well the perception matches reality I don’t know, but our son is about to find out. :))</p>
<p>CTCL is actually the author, Loren Pope’s, second book. Before that he wrote “Beyond the IVY League”. His premise, in both books, is that everyone seems to apply to the same big name schools. They overlook (or don’t know of)the many smaller, relatively unknown schools, that can offer excellent educational experiences. The books have been out a while now, so some of those schools are no longer as unknown. Goucher was in both of the books, which is where I heard of it. My son just finished his first year, and loves it.</p>