I've been getting some flack for the release of this statistic: Yes, my little old undergrad university with its approximately 2,300 students tucked away in nowhere Indiana ranks with the big boys in terms of partying.

But before you write DePauw off your list, let me try to balance the scales a bit.

1) You may not know that DPU ranks in the top tier of America’s national liberal arts colleges, according to US News & World Report’s 2004 rankings.
2) The report also ranks “Great Schools at Great Prices,� and again this year rates DePauw as among the best values in its category. Using a formula that factors in the ratio of quality to price, the percentage of all undergraduates receiving grants meeting financial need, and average discount, DePauw is 22nd among national liberal arts colleges.
3) 72% of DePauw classes have fewer than 20 students enrolled (I could go on for hours about the benefits of this statistic).
4) US News also notes that DePauw is second among all of America's colleges and universities in the percentage of students who study abroad (89%). (I can't express how much value I received from international travel.)
5) DePauw is ranked eighth among over 800 liberal arts colleges as the source of top business executives, according to Standard & Poor's.

So, all I'm saying is, take some time to look past one statistic when picking out a college. I wanted a place that allowed me creative freedom, a place that would kick my ass in the classroom, and a place to let loose.

DePauw was all of those things and more. Work hard, play hard.

Posted by Lawren at September 24, 2003 01:04 PM

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