| April's Featured College: Randolph College By: Clover Lee Home to 715 college students during the academic fall and spring terms, Randolph College lies nestled comfortably in Ashland, Virginia, historically a mineral springs resort. Not many have heard about Randolph College due to its small number, but its philosophy and excellence in academic achievement amongst its humble scholars should not dissuade out-of-state and international interests. Currently Randolph College houses students from over 40 states and 40 non US countries. This shows that Randolph College is widely sought out and internationally acclaimed. But what about the college makes it really extraordinary? Brenda Edson from media relations at Randolph College emphasizes that at Randolph college, “…[we] look for students who are excited about engaging in the educational process in its many dimensions - academic, co-curricular, and social. It encourages students to be open to new ideas and to explore issues and problems that fascinate them.” Clearly the standards at Randolph raise the bar and students who desire to attend an institution where they will be constantly challenged as a whole person, in multiple dimensions, are encouraged to apply. Randolph College is a liberal arts education system. It places emphasis on not only cultural diversity and empathy amongst its students but academic diversity. Randolph College currently supports a wide spectrum of academic interests, 25 majors and 50 concentrations. Many of these concentrations allows students to tap into their creative self and really dig into student’s innate interests and passions, such as art and cultural studies but has a fine balance to some of the more traditional majors, such as the sciences and languages. Students even have the flexibility to attain both backgrounds as the school is small in size, the attention to each individual student is great for ambitious individuals working to better themselves as academically and students who want to be inspired to achieve greatness. Randolph College is largely a residential college, with a warm, tradition-rich community. There is beautiful housing and a wide array of food that accommo- dates students on strict dietary constraints, such as vegans and vegetarians. “Students who enroll successfully at Randolph describe themselves as above average in academic ability, cooperativeness, drive to achieve, leadership ability, intellectual self confidence, self understanding, and understanding of others. Many are creative,” says media relations staff at Randolph College, Brenda Edson. In the college search, consider a school were you are not just a number, but an individual the faculty knows by name. It is a highly evolved institution where your educational drive will be nourished, where you will thrive with other great minds, buzzing to try out new ideas and explore uncharted territory of intellectual achievement in a diverse spectrum of fields. But what is a rigorous academic schedule if there isn’t time to exert yourself? “Inside side every Randolph student beats the heart of the wildcat.” Approximately 20% of the student population is involved in NCAA Division III athletics and compete with neighboring colleges in the same division. In addition, there is a number of intramural sports along with a widely sought out equestrian center that allows you to board your own horse. During the college visit process, those of you who believe to fall under the above stated categories should consider a visit. The average SAT score of enrolling students is 1160 and the average GPA is 3.4 out of 4.0. Visit www. randolphcollege.edu for further inquiries. Photo credits: Randolph College |


