There are a lot of good reasons to visit colleges in general and St. John’s College in particular, many of which are outlined in this excellent post by Sophia Dillard. But as college application season gets into full swing, I wanted to remind you of some of the best reasons to put St. John’s College on your visit list this fall. So here they are, in no particular order, five of the top reasons to visit St. John’s:
- Observe a class. St. John’s has no lecture courses; instead, our classes feature students and faculty seated together and conversing on largely equal terms. During your visit you can sit in on one or more classes, and you definitely should; the dynamic of a St. John’s class is even better seen than described. If you have to bite your tongue to keep from adding something to the conversation, that’s a good sign!
- See the campus. St. John’s College has two beautiful campuses, one nestled in the mountains outside the art-rich city that is Santa Fe New Mexico and the other in the heart of historic downtown Annapolis Maryland. The virtual tours of the Santa Fe and Annapolis campuses do a great job of showing them off, but nothing replaces coming to see one for yourself!
- Meet with a faculty member. If you choose an overnight visit, you can schedule a meeting with one of our tutors. They love getting the chance to have a conversation with a prospective student—they love conversations in general! Interaction between tutors and students plays a prominent role at the college, in ways both formal and informal. Inviting tutors out to coffee or lunch is common—I myself was introduced to one of Annapolis’s finer pizza parlors by a tutor. You can see what those conversations will be like by chatting with a tutor during your visit!
- Stay in a dorm. During overnight visits, you’ll have the chance to stay in a dorm room on campus (although you can also choose not to). Several rooms are set aside for the use of prospective students. They’re actual dorm rooms—I lived in one of them during my freshman year! Staying in a dorm gives you the chance to a get a feel for residential life at St. John’s, and also gives you the chance on campus after seminar, which is a perfect time to…
- Talk to current students. Johnnies are always excited to meet prospective students, whom they affectionately refer to as “prospies.” They’ll be happy to get to know you and answer all your questions! Whether on the quad, in the coffee shop, or at the dining hall, take advantage of the chance to meet the people who you could be living with for the next few years and hear some first-hand accounts of what it’s like to be a student at St. John’s.
You can find more information about visiting either campus here—we hope to see you soon!
The Chalkboard 