Ripon College prepares students of diverse interests for lives of productive, socially responsible
citizenship. Our liberal arts
curriculum and residential campus create an
intimate learning community in which students
experience a richly
personalized education.
Ripon College is counted among the country’s best institutions for undergraduate education. While the methodology among ranking systems may differ, Ripon consistently receives high marks for its accomplishments. Here are a few of the highlights for the 2011 ranking season: n The Princeton Review included Ripon in its 2011 edition of “The Best 373 Colleges.” Only 15 percent of American colleges and universities have this distinction. The Princeton Review praises Ripon for its friendly, welcoming atmosphere and intensive preparation for graduate school. n Ripon is a Tier 1 national liberal arts school according to the U.S. News and World Report rankings. In addition to the top tier ranking, Ripon also was included on its “Great Schools, Great Prices” list. n Washington Monthly ranked Ripon College 32nd in the nation for liberal arts colleges. Ripon also received the highest ranking in the state of Wisconsin. The methodology of Washington Monthly rankings focuses on the school’s contribution to the public good in three equally weighted categories: Social Mobility, Research and Service. n Forbes magazine’s “America’s Best Colleges” ranked Ripon in the top 200 schools nationwide. Forbes’ list of public and private colleges and universities ranks the best schools from the students’ point of view.
Ripon students come here to discover and nurture their passions while learning how to apply them to life. For a century and a half, Ripon graduates have demonstrated critical-thinking skills, an extraordinary facility with words, and a greater appreciation for diversity. They leave with vast knowledge of themselves and the world around them. But perhaps nothing is as meaningful as the lifelong friendships formed with fellow students, faculty and staff — ever-present companions on the Ripon journey.
“I have made lifelong friends here.�
Ripon students find that they do much more here than they would at larger schools. The only limits are the number of hours in a day and the willingness to try new things. Varsity football players join the orchestra. Radio show hosts captain an intramural inner-tube water polo team. Students find interests here that they never imagined. The freedom to indulge diverse pursuits shapes who our students are, who they become and how they pursue their dreams and goals.
“An education is something you can never lose … and that is something Ripon gave me. Ripon has allowed me to grow as a student and even further as an adult.” Sam Sondalle chose Ripon College over offers from a host of national research institutions for the academic rigor and the personal attention it offered, as well as the relationships he would be able to build with faculty members. He did not know he was only scratching the surface of an experience that not only would educate him but prepare him for life. In his first year on campus, Sam began independent research with Professor Peggy Stevens on cardiac muscle. He later developed a close relationship with Professor Mas Iimura, who nurtured his love for teaching and inspired him to pursue a joint M.D./Ph.D. program instead of medical school alone. When he wasn’t in Farr Hall of Science, Sam refined his organ-playing skills under the tutelage of Professor Sarah Kraaz. Despite his rural Wisconsin origins, Sam’s life experience now includes playing an organ in Barcelona, Spain; summer research at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute; big-city life on the East Coast; and earning a prized Goldwater Scholarship — one of the most prestigious undergraduate scholarships a student can receive in the sciences. Sam would be the first to tell you that he’s never looked back after choosing Ripon. He also would be the first to say that he has been afforded and taken advantage of every academic opportunity he expected from college. What he didn’t expect was the opportunity to become a lifelong learner. Rare is the high school senior who seeks this attribute in a college, but rarer still is the Ripon graduate whose passion for learning doesn’t follow them all through their life.
“The respect that my fellow students have for me — for what I want to do — gives me the confidence to do more and to be more involved.” Ripon students take pride in being good citizens — locally and globally. Coming from all walks of life, they quickly learn to embrace their differences and bring a multitude of talents and convictions to our campus community. Opportunities to make an impact abound. On campus, numerous student organizations, including Black Student Union, The Network and the Cultural Diversity Club, afford students of diverse backgrounds the opportunity to socialize and work together. Students also have a voice in the decision-making process of the College through active roles in the Student Senate and on standing committees of the Board of Trustees. Involvement in the Office of Community Engagement is popular among students who like to volunteer. Students have gone as far as to run for public office. They are involved and invested in the Ripon community they come to call home. Ripon College is committed to producing informed and engaged global citizens. We are sharply focused on this essential aspect of the college experience. Our students are strongly encouraged to expand their comfort zone and study overseas. Semester-long, off-campus programs are available throughout the world. In addition, Ripon offers three-week programs (Maymesters) that take students to such places as Jamaica, China, Spain and Peru. Immersion in a different culture is a powerful and transformative experience, one that both enlivens classroom discussion and forever changes how students view their place in the world.
“I found my passion here.”
Our liberal arts approach allows students to explore the curriculum and branch out from the standard courses taught in high school. With a focus on communication, problem solving and critical-thinking skills, students leave Ripon prepared to succeed in today’s economy regardless of their academic major.
First Year Studies (FYS) help introduce new students to the type of teaching and academic rigor that takes place at Ripon. Courses are interdisciplinary, with exposure to multiple faculty members — often outside the student’s area of interest. FYS students build relationships with faculty and enjoy weekly speakers and events outside of the classroom.
Senior seminar courses become a culmination of the past four years of work in a particular major. Required for every major, “senior sem” allows for students to do a semester-long research project or internship that gives them hands-on experience in their field and becomes a true resumé builder.
“Ripon’s residential character preserves what we are. It keeps us more together.”
Our residence life philosophy follows the principle that just as much learning should take place outside of the classroom as does inside. Ripon’s residential setting creates the perfect environment for this to happen. Students don’t always realize it at the time, but the social skills they develop living in a residence hall become an invaluable part of their experience. While some students embrace weekends as a time to head home, our students embrace weekends here because Ripon is home.
“The professors here care about what kind of person you are, not just about your grades.”
Ripon’s intimate setting doesn’t attract only students — it’s the reason many talented faculty members spend their entire careers here. They exemplify the principle of lifelong learning and instill this quality in their students. As such, a place where they can develop relationships and interact with students on a daily basis suits them. They relish their students’ successes and console them in their setbacks. Like students, faculty do not come to Ripon to be reclusive and mysterious, hiding behind closed doors. They keep their office hours. They participate in campus activities and groups. Because of frequent student/faculty interaction outside the classroom, it doesn’t take long for students to discover that they have more in common with faculty here than they could have imagined.
“Ripon, the community, shares the same value set as the College – you can’t help but
feel the friendliness when you step foot downtown.”
To join the College community is to join the greater Ripon community. The unique quality of towngown relations in Ripon began in the mid-1800s and continues to flourish. It is something we boast about – not something we hide behind. Whether it’s students
grabbing a late-night coffee at Mugs during a study break, alumni reminiscing over a Roadhouse pizza, or community members singing with Choral Union, the lines between the College and the community aren’t blurred — they’ve never been drawn.
There is no way to know if a college is the right fit for you unless you experience it for yourself. Pictures, brochures, e-mails and all of the other ways colleges market themselves to prospective students can take you only so far in your college search. The real personality of a campus can be experienced only by meeting and talking to the people who give it its pulse: students, faculty and staff. We invite you to experience Ripon for yourself. Sit in on a class that would never be taught at your high school and see how it differs. Chat face-to-face with a faculty member who could be your advisor. Have lunch in Pickard Commons with a student who has similar interests. Stroll from Tri-Dorms to Todd Wehr Hall and feel what it might be like to be a student here — these experiences will help make your college decision much easier. We work hard to make Ripon feel like home for our students, and we believe it could feel like home for you.
“I’m not a gut-feeling kind of person, but I had one when I visited campus – I felt like this place could be home.”
“The professors here are always willing to show you the deeper meaning of things, to take your learning a step beyond. I can go as far as I want here.”
Ripon believes in the education it
you wish to be. Although you can’t
provides for its students and has
put a price tag on the experiences
more than 150 years of outcomes to
and opportunities Ripon has to offer,
back it up. A degree from Ripon is
our commitment to making a private
an investment of a lifetime — one
education affordable to all admissible
that most students get only one shot
students, regardless of economic
to make. Your college years are the
background, has been part of who we
foundation to become the person
are since the College’s founding.
There is no typical Ripon student. Everybody here has a story that is uniquely theirs, and Ripon’s admission counselors take great pride in knowing them. As you near the end of one wild chapter, we’ll help you write the next. Our highly experienced and dedicated staff is here to help remove some of the anxiety that accompanies the college search and replace it with the knowledge of what to expect at Ripon. Our expertise in the field of college admission and financial aid is second to none. To find out more about your specific counselor, go to www. ripon.edu/admission/counselors. We want to hear your story and find out what your ideal college looks like. Maybe it looks like Ripon, maybe not, but until you visit campus you’ll never know.
Where is Ripon?
“We take great pride in getting to know our students through the admission process and finding out if Ripon is the right fit for them. This is evidenced by our first- to second-year retention rates which consistently reach nearly 90 percent.”
The Senior Year Paper Trail September 15 Review of Applications Begins Completed Applications Include: • High School Transcript • ACT or SAT Scores • School Counselor Recommendation • Personal Statement October 1 Financial Aid Early Estimators Begin for Accepted Seniors December 15 Priority Application Deadline • Application Fee Waiver Deadline • Priority Admission & Scholarship Consideration Deadline January 1 Apply for Financial Aid at www.fafsa.ed.gov Mid-February Scholarship Priority Deadline March 1 Financial Aid Priority Deadline May 1 Priority Date for Enrollment Deposit
Character: Founded in 1851, Ripon College is a four-year, private, residential, liberal arts and sciences college; Phi Beta Kappa chapter Location: Ripon, Wisconsin, a friendly, safe community of 7,500, 80 miles northwest of Milwaukee and 180 miles northwest of Chicago; the anti-slavery Republican Party held its first meeting in Ripon on March 20, 1854 Faculty: 97% of full-time faculty members hold a Ph.D. or equivalent highest degree in their fields Students: 1,066 undergraduates from 33 states and 14 countries; 52% female, 48% male; 12% diversity Academic Profile, Class of 2014: Mid-range SAT scores: 980-1270; Mid-range ACT score: 21-28; average GPA: 3.4 Student/Faculty Ratio: 15:1; average class size is 20; 67% of classes have fewer than 20 Post-Graduate Record: 96% of Ripon students are employed, student teaching or enrolled in graduate programs within six months of graduation Campus: 26 buildings on 250 acres include academic, residential, cultural and recreational facilities Residential Life: 92% of students live on campus; theme housing available; guaranteed student housing all four years
Student Life: More than 70 student clubs and organizations include College Days, the oldest continuously published student newspaper in Wisconsin Red Hawks Intercollegiate Athletics: 23 NCAA Division III Midwest Conference teams: baseball (M), basketball (M+W), cycling (M+W), cross-country (M+W), dance (W), football (M), golf (M+W), softball (W), soccer (M+W), swimming and diving (M+W), tennis (M+W), indoor & outdoor track and field (M+W), volleyball (W); 35% of students participate Recreation and Wellness: More than 80% of students participate in 14 intramural sports; 3.5 mile system of recreational trails on campus; aerobics, yoga, other personal fitness programs Comprehensive Fee, 2010-11: $34,851 (includes tuition, room, board and required fees) Financial Aid: More than 95% of students receive some form of financial aid; need-based and/or merit-based scholarships, grants, loans and work-study from federal, state and institutional sources; merit-based awards range from $1,000 to full tuition annually; average need-based aid package for an incoming student in 2010-11 was $28,384
Historically, Ripon College has been committed to the principles of equal rights and equal opportunities and adheres to nondiscriminatory policies in recruitment, enrollment and counseling students. Ripon provides equal enrollment and educational opportunities for all qualified students without regard to gender, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, age, national or ethnic origin or disability.
MAJORS Anthropology Art Art History Biology Business Management Chemistry Chemistry-Biology Communication Computer Science Economics Educational Studies English Environmental Studies Exercise Science School-Based Physical Education Community and Recreation Physical Education Athletic Training Sports Management French Foreign Languages German Global Studies History Latin American Area Studies Mathematics Music Philosophy Physics Politics and Government Psychobiology Psychology Religion Sociology Spanish Studio Art Theatre
UNIQUE MINORS Classical Studies Dramatic Literature Entrepreneurship Environmental Biology Health History Law and Society Leadership Studies Military Leadership Museum Studies National Security Nonprofit Management Physical Science Theatre Production Women’s and Gender Studies PRE-PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS Chiropractic Medicine Dentistry Engineering Forestry Journalism Law and Government Library and Information Science Medical Technology Medicine Ministry Nursing and Allied Health Sciences Optometry Pharmacy Physical Therapy Physician Assistant Veterinary Medicine
Office of Admission • 300 Seward St. Ripon, WI 54971-0248 1-800-947-4766 • 920-748-8337 adminfo@ripon.edu • www.ripon.edu