After doing some research, I realized that Indiana boasts nearly 50 colleges and universities. Wow! We all hear about the obvious IU (I'm a Hoosier), Purdue, Ball State, Rose Hulman, etc, but there are literally dozens of smaller schools across this state that might be a great fit for your student.
Although I have several friends who are Hanover College graduates, I have never actually been to Hanover College. I decided to begin there. As with any college or university, it is always a great idea to begin on their web site. I dug through all they had to offer online, made an appointment with an admissions counselor and scheduled a tour.
After driving through rural Southern Indiana for about an hour, I arrived at Hanover. The sprawling rural campus overlooks a bend in the Ohio River which is breathtaking. For having a small population, t his school is packed with amenities. My tour guide, a sophomore from a large high school in Indiana, showed off his campus with pride. He chose this school because he had attended a very large school and wanted to go to school some place smaller where he could get a fresh start with a whole new group. He shared his favorite activities with me: attending a small Bible Study, working at the Rivers Institute, pick up games of basketball at the Horner Health and Recreation Center and more. I was particularly interested in what caused a kid from such a large school to attend a college with little more than 1100 student sin rural Southern Indiana. The question was answered when he showed me a typical classroom. With a dozen chairs set up in a rectangle around a conference table, a big part of my question was answered: one-on-one attention from professors. Jane Stormer, the associate director of admissions, shared with me that it is "impossible to become isolated on this campus." My tour guide affirmed this when he shared a story about missing class during a recent bout of the flu. His professor called him from class on a friend's cell phone to tell him the importance of the content of this particular class. He offered to meet with him later or suggested he get to class. Obviously, this professor at Hanover is working hard to ensure success for his students.
In my opinion, one of the great gems of Hanover is the Business Scholars Program. Simply stated, you choose a liberal arts major and add on this business program. Students must decide by the first semester of their sophomore year if they plan to join the program in order to finish all the coursework. The summer before their senior year, students in this program must complete a paid internship. It seems like such a great opportunity to boost a resume with applicable skills.
Another surprise for me was the number of students taking advantage of studying abroad. Hanover encourages this by offering Global Scholars Scholarships to make it possible for students to meet the financial obligations of studying abroad. 68% of their students will travel off campus for study before graduation. 25% travel off campus more than once.
Finally, if Hanover's goal is to make you feel at home, they are succeeding. From the moment I arrived at admissions until I left, I felt super comfortable. The staff was friendly and warm everywhere I went.
Small liberal arts schools are certainly not for everyone, but if you are looking for a homey environment with plenty of opportunities to get involved on campus, a trip to Hanover would be worth it. If you want a more anonymous college experience, Hanover is probably not for you.
***As always, this post represents impressions I have of this school based upon visiting the school. This is not an endorsement of Hanover College for every student. For more information about Hanover College, please visit the school. To arrange your own visit to Hanover College: http://www.hanover.edu/admission/visits
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