Clarke College

Statistics

Students Say - Academics
Clarke College, a small Catholic liberal arts college on the eastern border of Iowa, offers "a mixture of quality learning and high school rumor mills wrapped in an incredibly small, estrogen-crazy campus" to its predominantly female student body ("three girls for every guy," one student tells us). Religion and pragmatism intertwine so that the curriculum "prepares students for the professional world and encourages students to grow in their spirituality" at the same time; an emphasis on "real-life experiences in your chosen field" ensures the former, while the presence of the "BVM Sisters" (short for Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary) with "their belief in themselves to do God's will as well as their value in freedom, education, charity, and justice" ensures the latter. Health-science-related fields stand out here; Clarke "has a great physical therapy program" and "its professors in the nursing department are fabulous." In all areas "You get a lot of one-on-one interaction" because of the school's small size. One student reports: "Most of the time you don't have to go hunt down your instructor after class for clarifications on questions, because they can be addressed right in class."

Students Say - Campus Life
"If you come here, prepare to make your own fun," Clarke students report, warning that there is "very little to do close to campus." True, campus activity organizations "provide a lot of activities on the weekends, there are athletic competitions to attend, theater productions, musical performances, and so much more," but "No one really goes to events. They're not all that bad, but the students are just unmotivated to get out of their rooms. Making your own fun is big, be it drinking, watching movies, playing Dance Dance Revolution, or compulsively checking Facebook." Things are especially slow on weekends, as "This is a suitcase campus. Don't expect people to hang around unless they are from Dubuque," and "those that stay often party off campus on weekends. Many upperclassmen live off campus." Arts enthusiasts note that "There is also an active arts community in Dubuque, including art exhibits at the Dubuque Museum of Art, local galleries, and special exhibits in Dubuque's Warehouse district." Others feel it important to point out that "Clarke is only an hour from Madison, and three from Chicago. It's all about the location and opportunity it provides."

Students Say - Student Body
"Most students at Clarke are very friendly and welcoming," although "everyone has their own little cliques" when it comes time to socialize. Many "have a Catholic background and are from the Chicago area." Notes one student who is neither, "As a Protestant from a small town in the middle of Iowa, I'm welcomed by the students, administrators, and professors." Clarke "seems to attract artsy types, which while it is not necessarily a bad thing means you get an eclectic student body not very devoted to athletics." The school is nearly three-quarters female; their poster child is "a white Catholic girl who dates boys from Loras or UD."

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