Worcester, MA: The process of finding the right college can be difficult and often overwhelming. As a junior in high school, I have just begun the search for my future school. Keeping in mind that a "perfect college" most likely does not exist, I have some criteria I set for each school I look at. I take into account all academic, athletic, and social aspects as well as the school's general environment. My first tour of a college was at The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. Although I would not classify Holy Cross as my "dream school," I would definitely consider attending this establishment.

Holy Cross was founded in 1843 by the Society of Jesus. The college's purpose is to expose students to a varied curriculum in liberal arts and it seems to offer many challenging courses. For instance, one of the tour guides on my trip was majoring in Spanish, while the other was a Physics major. Both students praised the varied courses offered their freshman year. The guides also said that they were never denied any of their course selections. The college tries to accommodate each student and will willingly create more classes in a particular course if there is great interest.

The students said that, at Holy Cross, they were definitely challenged academically, but not overly so. The classes make students think and work hard to achieve an A, but they are not overburdened with schoolwork. There is a pleasant balance between social time and study time. When one does need to hit the books, there are many libraries in which to study. Each department has their own small library offering a plethora of material. The main library has a wide variety of useful sources readily available to the students. The tour guides also spoke positively about the availability of professors. They said their teachers were almost always available for extra help.

The College of the Holy Cross also has a pleasant social environment. Someone interested in a small school would like the campus. All the students are very friendly. There is an activity center with a newly renovated restaurant and game room. Many students also attend the showings of current movies and special entertainment guests. Athletic and special interest clubs are also popular at Holy Cross. About 90% of the students compete on some type of sports team. Although the teams are not overly competitive, Holy Cross boasts good teams in the Division I Patriot League.

Another reason Holy Cross appealed to me was its general environment. The old stone buildings are well-maintained and quite beautiful compared to the modern buildings some colleges have. It is a small campus, but it contains sports facilities comparable to most other colleges. The dorm rooms are also very cozy. They are small, but seem to accommodate two students with adequate personal space. The location of the college is also convenient. The city of Worcester offers many places to venture to, and Boston is only a short distance away.

Holy Cross has been praised by many and I agree that this college has much to offer. The guided tour, although not as informative as I would have liked, showed the friendliness of the students. The tour guides both claimed they chose Holy Cross mainly for that reason. They consider the faculty and students a supportive family on whom they can depend to help them through this difficult stage of life. f




Reviewed in 1996