You've probably heard people say that
Hope provides an excellent academic environment for serious students
who want close contact with faculty and
a solid liberal arts education. Below is more concrete evidence of Hope's
academic strength. You can also visit Faculty,
Staff & Student Achievements, Current
Press Releases, and Hope
Today for more information.
In the "American's Best Colleges 2008" guide published by "U.S. News and World Report," Hope again appears in the top tier among the "National Liberal Arts Colleges" category. A total of 266 liberal arts colleges are considered on the national list.
For the fourth consecutive year, in the category "Undergraduate
Research/Creative Projects", Hope is again recognized among only 65 other insitutions as a national
leader by "U.S. News and World Report".
In former New York Times education editor Loren Pope's book "Colleges That
Change Lives", Hope is listed as being one of 40 schools that are "a well
kept secret in a status industry" and one that outdoes "the Ivies and research
universities in producing winners."
Graduate school acceptance rates are remarkably high
at Hope.
85% of those graduating seniors registered with
the prelaw advisor are typically accepted into law schools.
90% of applicants with grade point averages
of 3.4 or above have been accepted by medical schools over
the
last
10 years.
Over the same 10 year period, 87% of applicants
with grade point averages of 3.2 or above were accepted
into dental
schools.
In 2006 students passed the state nursing licensing exam at a higher rate than both the state and national average.
The percentage of accounting majors passing the
C.P.A. exam is above the national average.
Hope ranks in the top five percent of colleges in
the nation in producing future Ph.D. holders, according to a Franklin
and Marshall College study of 914 institutions. In the sciences, Hope
ranks in the top four percent, and in chemistry, the top one percent!
See how Hope compares to private, four-year
institutions.
Hope College: "Recognized Excellence"
Received a $2 million grant from the Lilly Endowment,
Inc. for its CrossRoads
Project, "A Program for the Theological Exploration of Vocation."
Hope's Van Wylen
Library received the "Excellence in Academic Libraries Award" in 2004. The award recognizes library staff for quality services and
resources to further the mission of the institution. Criteria include
creativity and innovation in meeting the needs of their academic community,
leadership in developing and implementing exemplary programs that
other libraries can emulate, and substantial and productive relationships
with classroom faculty and students.
Hope has 183 students in the science doing collaborative research with faculty. Many of these students are supported by grants through the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (NSF-REU). In fact, Hope is
among the liberal arts colleges leading the nation for NSF-REU grants
received.
The Templeton Guide: Colleges that Encourage Character
Development recognized the college's First-Year Seminar, Campus Ministries
and Senior Seminar programs for providing leadership in character
development.
Hope has many honor societies, including a Phi Beta
Kappa charter granted in 1971. Hope is one of only 255 institutions
in the U.S. able to grant this distinction. Many individual departments
offer honor societies, including Education, which was the first in
the nation to offer a student chapter of the Association for Supervision
and Curriculum Development (ASCD), and dance, which established the nation's
first honorary society for dance students.
The 2007 Fiske Guide to Colleges includes Hope as one of "the country's
best and most interesting institutions in the nation," observing that "While the college has pride in its Christian roots, it also provides a place for the less religious and more liberal. High marks are given to Hope's science programs and students activities, as well as the personalities on campus," and further praising the professors "for their teaching and accessibility."
Hope is the only college or university
in Michigan where business students can participate in the George
F. Baker Scholars Program, which provides a wide range of
real-world experiences beyond the classroom.
Hope is one of only 10 church-related colleges and universities nationwide highlighted in the book Putting Students First: How Colleges Develop Students Purposefully. The institutions were included specifically for being "individually and collectively distinguished and distinctive in fostering holistic student development."
Hope students frequently make presentations concerning their research. Prominent venues during 2006-07 included the National Celebration of Undergraduate Research in California; the "Posters on the Hill" session in Washington, D.C., organized by the Council on Undergraduate Research; and the annual meetings of the Michigan Academy of Science, Arts, and Letters, and of the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
