Clark University Quad on the first warm day of Spring
After a winter of thinking deep thoughts and researching academic options, we are starting again to visit possible colleges for #1 Son. Clark University, in Worcester, MA caught our eye on a recent early Spring visit. Although the school’s location in Worcester’s gritty Main South area is less than perfect, the obvious enthusiasm that “Clarkies” have for their school is noticeable.
With 2,200 undergrads and about 800 graduate students, Clark bills itself as the country’s smallest liberal arts research university. The school is particularly well known for its programs in psychology and geography. It has also made a name for itself by offering students who maintain a B+/A- average the opportunity to complete one of serveral fifth year Master’s programs tuition free! Mom and Dad like this option.
The Library/Commons building is a busy place at Clark
Everywhere we went on campus we saw students actively working either together in groups, or on their own. The students at Clark were clearly energized by their studies.
#1 Son took advantage of the opportunity to sit in on a class and have lunch with a student. We also attended a Q&A session with the admission staff and current students and of course, took the tour.
The students we spoke to were an eclectic bunch who seemed particularly interested in international affairs and social entrepreneurship. They obviously care about the world around them and enjoy the diverse campus culture. Many students participate in service learning programs locally in Worcester and abroad via interships and overseas study programs. After college plans ranged from business, to graduate school, to work for non-governmental organizations around the world.
Wright Hall freshman dorm room
Clark is a Division III school for athletics but we got the sense that sports are not a big part of the campus culture. As far as we could tell there are no fraternities. Campus housing is available for four years.
Our tour included a visit to the recently renovated Wright Hall which features a number of lounges and even networked group study rooms with large screens for working collaboratively. We thought the standard freshman doubles were a tad larger than many we have seen.
The compact campus is highly walkable. We were told the grounds crew did a great job keeping up with the 90+ inches of snow that fell there this past winter. (A normal winter sees more like 67 inches so this is definitely a school for teens who like winter).
Wright Hall
Overall, Clark has a lot of what #1 Son is looking for in a college – small class sizes, an engaged student body, an active campus where most kids are around on the weekends, and the opportunity to combine political science and business. The geography program also caught his eye. This isn’t a major he has thought about up until now but the opportunity to focus on community development and environmental issues and work with world recognized researchers is something he wants to explore further. The journey continues, but Clark is looking like it will be on the list come fall.
