On the Road Again – Guilford College
Beautiful Guilford College is a Quaker institution located on 350 acres in Guilford, North Carolina. With its emphasis on undergraduates, Guilford’s 1200 students benefit from small classes with an average class size of 13. More than 85 percent of Guilford’s students live on campus for all four years. But there are factors that set Guilford apart from other small liberal arts colleges, including the fact that during the Civil War it was a stop on the Underground Railroad. Here are a few more noteworthy points:
Test Optional: While there has been a wave of colleges going test optional in the past few years, Guilford has had test optional admissions for twenty years. Guilford truly practices holistic admissions, placing a lot of emphasis on getting to know the applicant through the essay.
CAPE advisors: CAPE stands for career, academic and personal education. While advisors are college are common, CAPE is different. Students are assigned advisors from day one to help students with questions that go beyond just academic course selection since Guilford is interested in developing the whole person, not solely the academic component.
Type of student: What kind of student is Guilford looking for? The ideal Guilford student is open-minded, collaborative and interested in meeting a heterogeneous group of students reflecting strong socioeconomic diversity. The Guilford Edge is a curriculum for students who enjoy team based, interdisciplinary, experiential projects including research. Guilford supplies funding for students to conduct research. Social justice and a strong sense of community are infused into all programs. There is a major writing component to all of the classes. All classes are discussion based and professors are called by their first name. Particularly in the first semester of freshman year, the college regularly checks in to make sure that the student is doing well. With this caring community, it is no wonder that Guilford is not only part of a group of colleges called Colleges That Change Lives but that the students want to change the world. This is not a college for students interested in Greek life since there is none but rather on-campus inclusive community activities are emphasized.
Popular programs: Guildford’s signature program is justice and policy studies. Health sciences are particularly popular with a guaranteed internship at Cone Hospital in Greensboro. There are multiple pre-vet and pre-physical therapy connections. Sports management is also popular including a one-year international sports management master’s program. In addition, as part of the greater Greensboro consortium, students can take courses at other colleges in the area.
Merit Scholarships: All students receive a merit scholarship typically ranging from $15,000-$27,000 and students receive housing grants to live on campus. Guilford freezes tuition so it doesn’t go up during the four years that a student attends.
Serendipity: Serendipity has been a long-standing tradition at Guilford for over 50 years. It is a week-long celebration in the Spring with art, music, food and fun.
For students looking for a college community that embraces its Quaker values, Guilford is worth a look.
