Earlham College

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Students Say - Academics
Quaker influences result in a strong sense of community and cooperation at Earlham College, a small Society of Friends liberal arts school located between Indianapolis and Dayton. "Student input is highly valued" here, and "students address professors (many with the highest degree in their field) by their first names." It's all part of a philosophy designed to encourage students "to discuss difficult issues, such as issues of diversity of religion, political views, cultural identities, etc., and people don't have to be afraid to disagree." Community involvement is another of Quakerism's legacies here; students are "engaged and aware of the world around" while also immersing themselves in "really ridiculously intense and good" academics. As a result, undergrads see both their professors and their peers as "incredible assets to the school. Students are very friendly, and the professors care about their students. The community of Earlham fosters a learning environment that would be difficult to recreate at other schools." Standout programs here include the Peace and Global Studies program, human development and social relations, economics, life sciences, and Japanese studies; "Students at Earlham have a wide range of academic opportunities," undergrads note.

Students Say - Campus Life
Life is pretty low-key but still "a lot of fun" at Earlham, where activity "revolves around campus, as there is little to do in town." Student warn that hometown Richmond "offers nothing [socially]. It is a tomb, a void of nothingness." "Alcohol is easily available" in town, however, allowing some student to indulge in "considerable drinking, given that the school is a 'dry' campus. It tends to be done discreetly and mainly on weekends." While "penalties for getting caught can be strict," undergrads report that the school mostly makes "poor attempts to police the dry campus policy." Many students "play intramural sports and varsity sports," and "most everyone is involved in some type of group, club, or activity. Being involved is considered a plus at this school." Undergrads also "love to play music and have concerts, play soccer or Frisbee," "go hiking, smoke pot," or just "hang out" "in friends' rooms or the various houses on campus." Those seeking conventionally wild college parties will be disappointed here. When Earlham students want that sort of activity, they road-trip: "Oxford [Ohio] (Miami University), Indianapolis, and Dayton are not far, so we can go hang out there."

Students Say - Student Body
The motto of the Earlham student is 'be yourself,' meaning that "kids seem to be on their own wavelength and generally accepting of difference." Students tend to be "liberal, well-traveled, and well-educated" and "like a good protest, a good quiche, and any kind of weird music that the Student Activities Board brings. Most "are middle- to upper-middle class," and "while there are some wealthy students, one would be hard pressed to actually be able to know which ones are and which ones are not." You "won't find many brand names boldly displayed," as "listening to obscure indie music and shopping at Goodwill for the finest of funky polyester clothes" is more an Earlham undergrad's speed. That, or "a sweatshirt, jeans, and some Birkenstocks." Undergrads tend to "find their own groups to run with. Though there are the set groups-jocks, science people, video-gamers, Peace and Global Studies people, etc.-people generally find it easy to intermingle and have friends in lots of different social groups."

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