Bloomingdale High School Counseling Department

 

 

Kalamazoo College is a small school in a small city in America’s heartland. But college subsidies enable the majority of students to go abroad during their years here, making the school a launching pad to the world. In addition to international education, the school’s K-Plan emphasizes teaching, internships (80 percent of students have at least one), and independent research (as seniors, all students complete a senior individualized project, with one-on-one faculty supervision). Students are exposed to a demanding academic schedule and high expectations from faculty. “K is a very rigorous place,” warns one student, “characterized by people who want to do well and are passionate about their work.”

Life on Kalamazoo’s wooded, 60-acre campus centers on the Quad, a green lawn where students ponder their destinies and play ultimate Frisbee with equal ease. With its rolling hills, Georgian architecture, and cobblestone streets, the campus has the quaint look more typical of historic New England than of nearby Kalamazoo, which, with surrounding communities, has 225,000 residents. The Hicks Student Center was recently renovated and awarded LEED Silver certification. The school’s athletic field complex and field house were renovated in 2012.

Founded in 1833 and formerly associated with the American Baptist Churches, Kalamazoo is the oldest college in Michigan. The college operates on the quarter system, and students must spend their entire first year on campus. Still, many freshmen begin the year with a “land/sea adventure,” three weeks of climbing, rappelling, canoeing, and backpacking in the mountains of the Adirondacks. By the end, they’re convinced they can survive anything, including the rigors of a Kalamazoo education and the long Michigan winters. Once safely back on campus, they take a liberal arts curriculum that includes language proficiency, a first-year writing seminar, sophomore and senior seminars, as well as a senior individualized project—an internship, artistic work, directed research, student teaching, or a traditional thesis, basically anything that caps off each student’s education in some meaningful way.

After their freshman year, most of Kalamazoo’s undergrads meet life’s challenges with suitcase in hand, studying wherever their heart takes them, for the regular tuition price. The college offers three-, six-, and nine-month immersive study abroad programs that are available to all students regardless of major; all credit earned during study abroad transfers back to Kalamazoo College. “I studied abroad in Clermont-Ferrand, France, for nine months. I went to a French university, lived with a French family, and was completely immersed in French culture. It was a huge learning and growing experience, and I am very thankful to have been able to do it,” says one student. Eighty percent of students take part in study abroad programs, including those offered by the Great Lakes College Association*. In fact, Kalamazoo offers students the opportunity to study via 41 programs in 21 countries on six continents. Kalamazoo’s Center for Experiential Education is another resource for information on careers, internships, and study abroad.

Kalamazoo aims to prepare students for real life by helping them synthesize the liberal arts education they receive on campus with their experiences abroad. The result is an academic environment that is challenging. “A future student should expect to work hard on school nights,” says a sophomore. The natural sciences are exceptionally good and students heap praise on the psychology and languages departments. “Being a liberal arts school, people are doing very cool and exciting things in all of the departments,” one student says. Professors give students lots of individual attention and are rewarded with some of Michigan’s highest faculty salaries. “The quality of teaching at Kalamazoo is superb. Every professor I’ve had has been passionate about what they teach and accessible outside of class,” says a senior.

“Students are quirky, motivated, and highly involved in their community,” says a senior. “Everybody here has a certain amount of weirdness to them, and we love each other for it,” adds another student. Thirty-eight percent of students come from out of state, and minorities account for 19 percent of the student body—4 percent African American, 9 percent Hispanic, 5 percent Asian American, and 1 percent Native American. Many Kalamazoo students crave more diversity on campus. The administration says it is continuing efforts to educate students on intercultural understanding, and the campus has a decidedly progressive tone. “I think LGBT rights and racial justice are the two biggest issues on campus,” offers one student. Merit scholarships are available to qualified students although athletic scholarships are not available. 

Seventy-five percent of students live on campus. “The dorms are comfortable and a great way to get to know people. Community bathrooms are cleaned every day, and private bathrooms are cleaned once per week,” a student explains. With 200 to 300 students away each term thanks to the K-Plan, a certain instability pervades all activities, from athletics to student government to living groups in the co-ed residence halls, where suites hold one to six students. Dorms are divided by class standing, and three dorms are available for freshmen. For those who tire of campus life, “Off-campus housing is both cheap and located close to campus, so it is a popular option,” says a sophomore. While there are no Greek organizations at Kalamazoo, theme houses offer a more community-oriented atmosphere, including family-style dinners. “The food is great and the cooks are very friendly,” says a student. Students also say campus security is good. “On campus, I have always felt safe and sheltered from danger,” an economics major says.

“Most of the social life takes place within the college community,” a junior reports. “There are movies and events on campus each weekend, but many students attend parties at upperclassmen’s houses off campus.” Students look forward to a casino night called Monte Carlo, homecoming, Spring Fling, and the Day of Gracious Living, a spring day where, without prior warning, classes are canceled and students relax by taking day trips or helping beautify the campus. (One popular T-shirt: “The end of learning is gracious living.”) The city of Kalamazoo is a “fun city with lots going on and many ways to get involved,” according to one political science major. Students volunteer at a variety of local churches and schools. Kalamazoo also offers the typical collection of restaurants, theaters, and bars; Kalamazoo students also benefit from the physical proximity of colleges such as Western Michigan University, where they may use the library or attend cultural events. Students appreciate the city’s proximity to Lake Michigan’s beaches and Chicago’s urban playground.

For those who equate college with big-time athletics, Kalamazoo has something to offer—even if it’s not nationally televised games or tens of thousands of screaming fans. The Kalamazoo Hornets have a long-standing rivalry with Hope College, culminating in the football teams’ annual competition for the “infamous wooden shoes,” where the Hornets are cheered on by fans known as “the stingers.” Kalamazoo also has an outstanding men’s tennis team, which has won conference titles for 75 (!) consecutive years. The Kalamazoo men’s and women’s swimming squads are also top-notch. Fifty percent of the student body participate in intramural sports.

Kalamazoo is best suited for those “looking for a place where everyone is really enthusiastic about learning and thrives in that kind of environment,” says one student. A classmate adds that it can be tough for students to “find a balance between the academic life and recreation.” Despite the isolating nature of the program, Kalamazoo offers students a truly global education.

 

Deadlines & Requirements

Kalamazoo: Early decision: Nov. 10. Early action: Nov. 20. Regular admissions: Feb. 1. Financial aid: Feb. 15. Application fee: $40. Campus interviews: optional, evaluative. Alumni interviews: optional, informational. SATs or ACTs (with writing): required. No Subject Tests. Accepts the Common Application. Essay question.

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