Academics
At Hope College in the 鈥渓ovely place鈥 known as Holland, Michigan,鈥 the 鈥淐hristian culture,鈥 鈥渃hallenging academics,鈥 and 鈥11:1 student/faculty ratio鈥 combine to form a 鈥渨onderful social and community atmosphere,鈥 with 鈥渟mall class sizes鈥 that 鈥渁llow for collaboration in research鈥 and 鈥渇ocused learning.鈥 鈥淭here is no question鈥 that Hope鈥檚 faculty is 鈥渋ts biggest asset.鈥 Professors 鈥渃are about and support their students,鈥 and 鈥渟erve as mentors鈥 until well after graduation. 鈥淥ur professors all teach very differently,鈥 offering myriad opportunities to expand students鈥 perspectives: 鈥淚 am very satisfied with the various ways I have been taught at Hope,鈥 says one student, explaining that among her classes, some professors 鈥渄id not have a single lecture the entire semester,鈥 some would 鈥渓ecture 80 percent of class time,鈥 鈥渟ome held class half the time to give us personal time to work on our research, and some had 鈥渟tudent presentations for the majority of class time.鈥
Overall, the school 鈥渂oasts great academic programs that are lead by professors that typically care about your whole personal development.鈥 The pre-med, science, engineering and music programs are all 鈥渆xcellent鈥 and are both 鈥渃ommunity-focused鈥 and 鈥渇ocused on global learning.鈥 Hope has one of the 鈥済reatest undergraduate research programs in the nation and it shows.鈥 Students get 鈥渋nvaluable experience outside of the classroom here.鈥 There are strong 鈥渙ff campus study programs, both internationally and domestically,鈥 鈥渁rts programs,鈥 and students praise the 鈥渁uthenticity and sincerity of staff鈥ffering resources for whatever needs you could have.鈥
Student Body
The 3,500 or so students at Hope are 鈥渒nown for the friendliness.鈥 Although the school is 鈥渁ffiliated with the Christian Reformed church, students are encouraged to find their own religious and spiritual path.鈥 The majority of students claim Dutch heritage. There is 鈥渘ot that much diversity, but 鈥減eople are helpful and genuinely care.鈥 A few students said that they would 鈥渓ike to see Hope become a more welcoming place for people of different ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds, and religious backgrounds.鈥 Despite the relative homogeneity, another student says there is a 鈥渕ix of liberal and conservative values on campus, where you鈥檙e 鈥渏ust as likely to find a protest for pro-life as you are pro-choice.鈥 Hope students, 鈥渋f nothing else, are over-involved,鈥 taking on 鈥渟econd and third jobs regularly,鈥 鈥渏oining multiple clubs,鈥 and still having 鈥渢ime for social lives.鈥 鈥淏eing uninvolved is being out of sync with the campus,鈥 says one student. Not only do students 鈥渨holeheartedly pursue academic success, but they put an equal amount of effort into service and leadership.鈥 The student body 鈥渁s a whole is very community-oriented.鈥
Campus Life
The 鈥渂eautiful campus鈥 in Holland is 鈥渋n proximity to Main Street, which makes the college feel more connected to the city,鈥 and quite close to Lake Michigan. Downtown Holland offers bars and 鈥渢hree excellent coffee shops where everyone goes to study,鈥 as well as 鈥渕ultiple parks and green spaces for students to use freely.鈥 鈥淭here are many places to go within walking distance. It is about forty minutes away from Grand Rapids, and about ten from the nearest beach.鈥 Students 鈥渉ammock in the Pine Grove,鈥 go for 鈥渨alks or bike rides鈥 to the beach to see the sunset, go 鈥渟ledding鈥 in the winter, and 鈥渉iking鈥 in the summer. The Student Activities Committee 鈥減lans events on the weekends that are very popular among students, including movie nights, trips for roller skating, dodgeball, 鈥erform[ances], bubble soccer,鈥 and so on. Plenty of students enjoy intramural sports, and 鈥渟ororities and fraternities are popular.鈥 There is a large 鈥渇aith community鈥 at Hope, and accordingly, the college offers 鈥渃hapel services three times a week.鈥 These aren鈥檛 by any means required, which students approve of as it 鈥渕eans that everyone who is there wants to be there, which makes a lot more passion.鈥 Hope has 鈥渢he best D3 athletics in the nation,鈥 and students find the basketball games 鈥渁 ton of fun.鈥 There 鈥渋sn鈥檛 much of a party culture鈥 on campus, though on weekends, 鈥渕any students go to parties in the campus-owned off-campus cottages,鈥 and 鈥渁bout once a month, there is a no-alcohol dance party put on by a few students who cook delicious waffles and pancakes, paid for by Campus Ministries.鈥
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