CONNECTICUT COLLEGE

Overview

New London servers as host to Connecticut, a woodsy campus that overlooks the tidal marshes of the Long Island Sound. The college grounds are laced with hiking trails and double as an arboretum to which tree huggers beeline. But birches aren't the only thrill for those who give peace a change. Connecticut College's relatively lax test-taking policy has also snagged a well-rounded crowd. Lackadaisical the college is not; its prestige and academic rigor have earned its ''Little Ivy'' status.

            Founded to answer nearby Wesleyan's decision to cease admitting female students, Connecticut College continues to cater to a more heavily female student body. Festivals like the catchall Festival further exemplify the school's inclusive spirit. Occasionally this love-in feel can seem sappy. Graduates are presented with an actual pine sapling upon receiving their diplomas. The school boasts attractive bearing in the Northeast, as students have only a two-hour drive to Boston or New York City. Connecticut College also offers a tightknit student body in a slower-paced but friendly environment.

Academics

Connecticut College profs often go by their first names. They also teach all classes on campus. This move for closer faculty-student relationships translates into most classes having no more than 20 students. ''I don’t have any class with more 25 students," say a student, ''and one of my classes has only five students.'' Connecticut College has 57 major, and it excels in such departments as botany, English, and psychology. The school completion of a General Education core, which includes a freshman fall seminar that matches one class in each of seven areas (from creative arts and mathematics to philosophical and religious studies). Those interested in prelaw or premed programs should not gloss over the college. Nearly four-fifths of those who graduate Connecticut College and then apply to law school or graduate programs in the health professions are accepted.

            The college's Honor Code allows students to schedule and take their own tests individually and at their convenience. ''At firsts it seems like a lot of responsibility to administer your own exam, but after a while it is just so much more convenient,'' states a students. Five interdisciplinary academic centers offer programs in international studies, the environment, arts and technology , public policy  and community action, and the study of race and ethnicity. Student may also participate in honors study and complete an honor thesis working one-on-one with a faculty member. ''It's a lot of extra work to do a thesis, but it's rewarding to work with a professor on a year-long project and produce a thesis as a result, ''says a student.

More than half of the student body studies abroad. The award-winning program shuttles students anywhere from Morocco to Mongolia, and the college's formidable language study curriculum ensures that they master the local lingo. A semester through Study Away/Teach Away brings up to 20 junior to mingle closer and personal with a professor and his or her line of study. Economics in Rome and Spanish in Oaxaca are also offered. Connecticut College successfully supports its seniors with ''life-changing,'' bountiful internships, often financially backed by the office of Career Enhancing Life Skills(CELS). In addition to assisting students with career planning, the office also guides them in applying for fellowships. Connecticut College has been a top producer of Full bright Fellowships for the past three years.

Student life

A night in New London certifies the claim that crickets haunt the campus. It's a fact: their sad music chirps throughout the sleepy town. Most student enjoy Friday free of classes but that just means three potentially blasé day off. Luckily the Big Apple isn't too far away and organized trips to New York City are scheduled once a month. Once the other weekends, students must rely on the restaurants and bars that are available in town. The campus does offer a series of Friday Night Live concerts, which features bands from both on and off the campus. Wintertime free-for-all Festivus celebrates, well, everything, and concert- packed Floralia enlivens the spring.There are 55 student organizations on campus but no fraternities of sororities. ''we are small enough that we are practically our own fraternity or sorority,'' laughs one student. ''purely recreational '' intramural sports teams keep 1,000 participants busy. ''more than half the school does intramural sports, '' remarks a student. ''it's more about having fun  that  who wins. ''A New 10,OOO-square-foot fitness center was opened in 2009. In addition to ''leading-edge exercise equipment '' it offers a view of the Thames River. The college has 28 Division 3 varsity teams, with the women 's volleyball  teams an especially strong standout.

Student generally  choose  between  either  of a pair of housing options. The North, home to the souped-up ''Plex'' residence, has a reserved feeling upon entering the complex, Kesha clones and clubbers boogie on the more outgoing South Campus. No matter your locale, you'll lick out with a single in your junior and senior years. Male and female students elbow each other as they floss and coif in the co-ed bathrooms.