Gustavus Adolphus College

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Students Say - Academics
Gustavus Adolphus College, "a school that fosters a close community between the students, staff, and faculty and strives to prepare the students academically and vocationally for the post-college world," gets high marks from undergrads for its "demanding, yet encouraging" professors who are "there to help you learn, not just to give you a grade." As one student explains, "each year I become more and more impressed with how devoted members of the faculty and administration are to the students. My professors always bend over backward to meet with students who have questions and work with them on problems related and unrelated to course material." Although professors have "high expectations," the "extra guidance" that is offered helps students achieve "far beyond graduation." Expect to be challenged by classes that are "rigorous and discussion- based." Small class sizes allow for "great interaction with professors" but will leave your "empty chair sticking out like a neon sign" if you are absent. Unique opportunities here include the Curriculum II general-education program, an integrated series of courses that, together, provide a survey of Western civilization, with supplemental study of non-Western cultures for context and comparison. Enrollment is limited to 60 students and typically attracts some of the college's brightest undergrads.

Students Say - Campus Life
Gustavus boasts "a very academically strong student body" that is also "known for our athletics, specifically tennis, hockey, and soccer." Students "attend a lot of sporting events" as well as "parties and social events on campus and off" over the weekends, when campus is "a great place to be...because very few people go home. We are certainly not a suitcase college." Besides the aforementioned activities, "shows, concerts, and basketball games" are "especially popular," as are the "free movies on Fridays and Saturdays" and the "on-campus student dance club 'The Dive.'" Most students choose to unwind with "a good amount of partying and drinking," but while alcohol and parties are easy to find on campus, abstaining students "never feel any pressure to do either." Being located in a small town is no problem for most; students tell us that "the town is supportive of Gustavus and thankful to have the college in town" and explain that "there are always things going on at school," so the lack of big-city fun isn't that much of a drawback. Students who get cabin fever can head to nearby Mankato and its "excellent mall and restaurants" for entertainment. Although the Minnesotan winter may be long, things heat up during the January "Interim Experience" when a light course load gives students a "chance to take a class outside their major" or just "hang out with friends." When students really want a thrill, they'll "borrow a tray from the cafeteria and sled down the many hills behind the dorms" in a Gustavus tradition called "traying."

Students Say - Student Body
Gustavus "is known to have a very [close-knit campus] consisting of students who not only achieve academically but are [also] very involved in their community and school. There are more than 140 student organizations on campus. For a student population [of] approximately 2,600, that is a lot." "Virtually everyone here is white and of Scandinavian descent," and "of these, roughly half seem to come from small rural towns in Minnesota or surrounding Midwest states (Iowa, Wisconsin, North and South Dakota, etc.), and the other half from well- off suburbs of Minneapolis-St. Paul...Most tend to have some Christian affiliation, but not necessarily a strong one, and there are a fair amount of non-religious students, which is refreshing." Students are polite in a way that seems unusual on the coasts but less so in the Midwest; it has been said that if students visit the campus, "they don't have to hold any doors because the students are so friendly and welcoming," one student reports.

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