Hillsdale College

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School Says - General Information
Hillsdale College is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian institution of higher learning founded in 1844 by men and women "grateful to God for the inestimable blessings resulting from the prevalence of civil and religious liberty and intelligent piety in the land, and believing that the diffusion of sound learning is essential to the perpetuity of these blessings." The College maintains independence from direct and indirect state and federal government aid. Far-reaching private support from a national constituency has enabled Hillsdale to continue its trusteeship of the intellectual and spiritual inheritance derived from the Judeo-Christian faiths and Greco-Roman cultures.

The undergraduate enrollment for fall 2009 was 1,350, of whom 48 percent were men. The College draws students from 47 states and 7 foreign countries. Approximately 40 percent of students are from Michigan. The entering freshman class in 2009 had an average high school grade point average of 3.75 and mean test scores well above the national averages, ACT 28 and SAT 1950.

Special student services provided by the College include a career planning and placement office, academic tutoring, and a health service staffed by a physician and a resident nurse. The Hillsdale faculty is in a 10-to-1 ratio to students and is compromised of 117 full-time members. Each student has a faculty adviser for core and major coursework who direct the program of study and provide academic and career counseling. While teaching is their first priority, faculty members also engage in research and scholarly writing supported by summer and sabbatical leaves funded by the College, and are often invited to comment on the national scene.

School Says - Student Body
Hillsdale's Charger athletes compete in eleven intercollegiate NCAA Division II varsity sports as part of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC). In the past 20 years, the College has produced 180 athletic and academic All-Americans, 24 conference champions, and 17 teams that have finished tenth or better nationally. An active intramural program is also available. Four national fraternities, three national sororities, and more than seventy other social, academic, spiritual and service organizations provide Hillsdale students with a diverse array of co-curricular opportunities. A resident drama troupe and dance company, a bagpipe and drum corps, a concert choir and chamber chorale, a jazz program with big band and combos, instrumental chamber ensembles from string quartets to percussion ensemble, and a College-community orchestra and band constitute the College's performing arts organizations.

School Says - Academics
Hillsdale operates on a two-semester schedule. Two 3-week summer sessions are also offered.

The College believes that a sound classical liberal arts education includes study in the humanities, natural sciences and social sciences, and each student is required to complete a structured core of courses in these areas. All students declare a major by the end of the sophomore year. To graduate, students must complete at minimum 124 hours of course work and fulfill the requirements of at least one major field. Each baccalaureate program is based on the completion of four years of study in the liberal arts. The B.A. program includes a foreign language proficiency requirement. The B.S. program requires additional studies in mathematics and the natural sciences.

The honors program enables exceptionally talented students interested in an interdisciplinary community of learning to develop their intellectual potential through an accelerated college core and honors seminars in the junior and senior years. Discussions, guest lectures and travel opportunities contribute to the social cohesiveness of the group. All Honors students complete a senior thesis on an interdisciplinary topic of their choosing.

The Center for Constructive Alternatives conducts four weeklong symposia during the academic year and is one of the largest college lecture series in America. Each brings to the campus distinguished scholars and public figures of national and international renown in a diverse range of fields. All students are required to enroll in two full seminars for credit prior to graduation.

School Says - Admissions
Admission is a privilege extended to students who will benefit from and contribute to the academic, social and spiritual environments of the College. Students may apply any time after the completion of the junior year of high school. A formal application includes a completed application form, writing samples in the form of essays, a resume of extra-curricular activities, official score reports from the ACT or SAT examination, official transcripts from high schools and colleges from which students have received academic credit, two letters of recommendation, and a nonrefundable application fee of $35 (free if submitted online). An on-campus interview is highly encouraged. Application plans include Early Decision (November 15), Early Action (January 1), and Regular Decision (February 15). Hillsdale College has been distinguished since its founding by voluntarily adhering to a nondiscriminatory policy regarding race, religion, sex, and national or ethnic origin-long before the government began regulating such matters. Transfer applications are evaluated similarly to non-transfers; students must submit a transfer form from the Dean of Students at the college most recently attended. International applicants follow regular entrance procedures in addition to demonstrating a proficiency in English by satisfactory performance on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the Michigan Test of English Proficiency.

All records and forms should be directed to:
Admissions Office
Hillsdale College
Hillsdale, Michigan 49242-1298
United States
Phone: (517) 607-2327
Fax: (517) 607-2223
E-mail: admissions@hillsdale.edu
Online: hillsdale.edu

School Says - Campus Life
Located in rural southern Michigan, the nearly 200-acre stately Hillsdale College campus includes both modern and historic buildings. The Indiana and Ohio turnpikes are each 30 minutes away, and the College is within close reach of metropolitan areas as large as Detroit and Chicago. The town of Hillsdale is a county seat with a population of 10,000. Stores, churches, restaurants and movie theaters are all within walking distance of the campus.

School Says - Cost Aid
Annual tuition for 2009-10 academic year was $19,380, room was $3850, board was $3900, and mandatory fees were $540. Books, supplies, and personal expenses (including travel, recreation, and clothing) are estimated at $2800 per year.Financial aid at Hillsdale is available in many forms. Academic scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis; the application for admission also serves as the application for merit-based aid. The priority deadline for academic scholarship consideration is January 1. Athletic scholarships are also available on a competitive basis in men's baseball and football, men's and women's basketball, track and cross-country, and women's swimming and volleyball. The departments of art and music award a select number of scholarships based on strength of portfolio/audition. To apply for aid on the basis of financial need, students are required to file Hillsdale's Confidential Family Financial Statement (CFFS) in January or February of the year of prospective enrollment at Hillsdale. Grants and loans are available from the College. Students may defer payment of up to $500 per semester while working on campus.

Students Say - Academics
Tiny Hillsdale College "provides a classic liberal arts education" "grounded in the great traditions of Western civilization." Students spend their time "reading dead guys," grappling with "timeless ideas," and "constantly fighting change." A "strong core curriculum" includes the standard liberal arts and sciences requirements as well as mandatory courses on the Constitution, Western civilization, and the "great books" (stuff like The Odyssey and Dante's Inferno). "Writing skills are heavily addressed," and "academics are very rigorous." There is "no grade inflation" whatsoever, cautions a Spanish major. "Here, the 'C' reigns." While professors "demand a lot," "lectures are engaging" and most students have nothing but praise for the academic experience. The faculty is reportedly full of "profoundly enlightening, deep thinkers" who are "always available" outside of class. The administration is "well organized" despite "periodic quirks." The single biggest complaint on this campus involves the "awkward" and "archaic" way in which students sign up for classes. "Hillsdale students are begging for an easier and more efficient registration process." Many rules are severe, too. Management has "no qualms about keeping a close eye on the students." Also, you should be aware that "Hillsdale refuses to accept government money." Every scholarship and financial aid dime is privately funded. Don't worry, though, the average aid package is more than $12,000.

Students Say - Campus Life
Hillsdale's "rural" and "boring" location "almost makes it seem like a secret intellectual getaway," but mostly there's a lot to be desired. Consequently, the "beautiful" campus here "is the hub of social life." Residence halls are "spacious" but there are no co-ed dorms and visitation hours are "strict." During the week, students "don't have copious amounts of free time." "Virtually everyone is studying like mad." Nevertheless, students are "involved in many organizations." "The Greek system is strong." Religious groups are "prominent" as well. Varsity athletics "don't get much support" but "intramural sports are always popular." There are "frequent" concerts and recitals. There's "sledding" and "organized snowball fights." "Everyone loves ideas and good debate" and everything from theology and philosophy to sports and popular culture is fair game. "It is not uncommon to walk to the bathroom, only to get sucked into a three-hour debate on the political ramifications of World War II with someone you have barely ever spoken to," swears a sophomore. "We are not one of those evangelical schools that forbids alcohol," declares a junior. "Kegs and drinking games" are occasionally available. Smaller get-togethers "where people have a few drinks" are more common. For road trips, student often head about 70 miles northeast to the "real college town" of Ann Arbor.

Students Say - Student Body
Hillsdale prides itself on being one of the first colleges to openly accept anyone irrespective of nation, color, or sex. All the same, the population here is almost entirely composed of "white, upper-middle-class" students. "There certainly isn't a lot of ethnic diversity." There are "leftish students" and plenty of people who don't go to church. "There's a good libertarian crowd," too. However, Christianity and right-wing politics dominate. "The typical student is religious and conservative," relates a sophomore. "That's the nature of the college." Students describe themselves as "ambitious" and "clean cut." They are "very sweet, very friendly, and good people" who "love learning and willingly participate in intellectual discussions." Ten to twelve percent of students are homeschooled. You'll find the "little Christian ray of sunshine who studies all the time and goes to bed early." "It's not uncommon to see a long-skirted female posse longing for a beau to court them à la chivalry love," observes a senior. Greeks, athletes, and thespians people constitute the other main cliques. "Overall, people get along and mesh well," but "there tends to be a large rift between the group of overly conservative students and the group consisting of the partying athletes and fraternity and sorority members."

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