Colleges That Change Lives

Hope is among the select number of colleges and universities nationwide listed in the book "Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College," the latest edition of which was released by Penguin Books on Tuesday, Aug. 28. The college has been included in the book since the publication debuted in 1996.

The book's eight-page chapter on Hope notes that "Hope College raises higher education's moral and intellectual levels. It is a place where parents can send children of a wide range of abilities in the full expectation that their talents will be increased, their vision broadened, and their ethical acuity sharpened. The result: graduates who have an expansive view of the world and their place in it and who want to put their talents to good use." The Hope chapter further says, "Every school in this book runs on the power of student-professor relationships; there's simply no other way for a college to do the life-changing work of mentoring and teaching students. But at Hope, more than anywhere else, students mention how much their professors care about them as people, not just as mini academics."

"Colleges That Change Lives" was written by Loren Pope, who also oversaw the book's revision in 2000 and 2006. Pope, who was a former education editor of the "New York Times" and also founder of the College Placement Bureau, a college administrator and the author of "Looking Beyond the Ivy League," died in 2008. The newest edition was revised by Hilary Masell Oswald.

Hope Education Program
Receives Top Ranking from State

The teacher-education program at Hope College has earned a 70, the highest score possible, on the Michigan Department of Education Teacher Preparation Institution Performance Scores Report released this summer.

Hope and the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor had the best performance scores, each with 70, among all teacher-preparation institutions in Michigan for the 2010-11 academic year according to the report, which was reviewed by the State Board of Education earlier this month.

Hope has consistently ranked as one of the state’s top programs, receiving an “Exemplary” rating, in the annual listing since the report’s inception in 2005. The college was one of four institutions ranked second in the previous, 2009-10, report, announced in 2011. Hope was one of two institutions tied for first place in 2007.

“Our program is strong,” said Dr. Laura Pardo, professor of education and chairperson of the department. “We match what we teach to the students to the standards required by the state, and we regularly review our program to assure that we prepare our graduates to be successful as teaching professionals.”

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Hope Highlighted in Fiske Guide to Colleges

The “Fiske Guide to Colleges,” now in its 29th edition, continues to include Hope as one of only about 300 colleges and universities (from among more than 2,200 four-year institutions nationwide) that it highlights as “the best and most interesting institutions in the nation—the ones that students most want to know about.” The guide does not rank the institutions it selects, but instead includes statistical information for each--such as enrollment, test-score ranges and graduation rate--and multi-paragraph profiles that discuss qualities such as the academic and social environments.

The “Fiske Guide” profiles are based on questionnaires sent to administrators and students at the institutions selected for conclusion. The 2013 guide notes that “Hope’s “academic and athletic programs continue to grow and prosper, helped out by an array of new facilities.” One of the students quoted observed that “The academic programs, particularly the research and collaborative opportunities, far surpass those of Hope’s rivals,” while another commented that students “tend to be very involved in academics, extracurriculars, athletics, and social events.”

Hope College continues to fare well in a variety of college guides as the newest editions begin to hit the shelves.

Hope is among the slightly more than 300 colleges and universities highlighted in the 2013, 39th, edition of “The Insider’s Guide to the Colleges,” compiled and edited by the staff of the “Yale Daily News.” The colleges and universities are not ranked but instead are listed alphabetically by state. In addition to providing enrollment information, test-score ranges and other statistical data, the guide features insights from interviews with students and narrative profiles of each of the institutions.

The guide notes that “Hope College provides its students with solid academic programs, the personal attention possible only at a small school, and a warm social atmosphere, all structured around a core of Christian values.”

Hope is one of 650 institutions included in the "America's Top College" guide published by "Forbes Magazine." Hope is 223rd in the "Forbes" listing, which bases its rankings on five general categories: graduates' professional success; how satisfied students are with their college experience; student debt; student graduation in four years; and students' achievement in obtaining nationally competitive awards such as Goldwater scholarships, National Science Foundation fellowships and Fulbright awards, or going on to earn a doctorate. More information, including the rankings, can be found online at: http://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/

Hope is also one of the best colleges in the Midwest according to the nationally known education services company, The Princeton Review. The college is one of 153 institutions that The Princeton Review recommends in the "Best in the Midwest" section of its website feature, "2013 Best Colleges: Region by Region," posted on Monday, Aug. 20, on PrincetonReview.com. For the project, The Princeton Review asks students attending the schools to rate their own schools on several issues, from the accessibility of their professors to the quality of the campus food, and answer questions about themselves, their fellow students and their campus life. The institutions are also rated in six categories by The Princeton Review: academics, admissions selectivity, financial aid, fire safety, quality of life and green.

Hope Named Outstanding Employer

For the seventh consecutive year, Hope College has been named one of the “101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For” in West Michigan.

The competition is a program of the Michigan Business and Professional Association (MBPA). Hope and the region’s other 2012 winners will be recognized during the “West Michigan’s 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For” annual human resources symposium and awards program on Thursday, May 3, at the Pinnacle Center in Hudsonville.

An independent research firm evaluates each company’s entry based on key measures in various categories. They include Compensation, Benefits and Employee Solutions; Employee Enrichment, Engagement and Retention; Employee Education and Development; Recruitment, Selection and Orientation; Employee Achievement and Recognition; Communication and Shared Vision; Diversity and Inclusion; Work-Life Balance; Community Initiatives; Strategic Company Performance; and the Best of the Best Small Business.

The winners represent industries as diverse as the automotive, insurance, hospitality, communications and nonprofit sectors. They were chosen for practicing innovative strategies and representing best practices in human resources, according to Jennifer Kluge, MBPA president.

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Hope's Graduation Rate
Among the Best in Michigan

The rate of graduation at Hope College ranks among the best in Michigan, according to the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research in a new report, "Diplomas and Dropouts: Which Colleges Actually Graduate Their Students (and Which Don't)."

The study of nearly 1,400 colleges and universities was in response to a challenge from President Obama that America have the highest proportion of colleges in the world.

The Institute conducted its study using the classifications of the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education and admissions selectivity scheme from "Barron's Profiles of American Colleges."

PDF of the complete report

Recognized as an exemplary program by the Association of American Colleges and Universities, the Phelps Scholars Program takes a holistic approach in linking academics and residence life for first-year students interested in studying issues related to diversity. Although across its first decade the program has earned praise from students on many counts, one stands foremost among the others: the enduring, strong network of friendships that they form as participants. Pictured from left to right above are Diane Hawke, Rebekah Chew, Esther Moon, Mikella Bryant and Joshua Williams.

Phelps Scholars Program Recognized
as Exemplary Diversity Program

The Hope College Phelps Scholars Program -- an academic/residential program for students interested in race and culture -- was recognized in 2009 by the Association of American Colleges and Universities as an exemplary diversity program in higher education.

Hope College is one of 32 institutions featured in the AAC&U publication "More Reasons for Hope: Diversity Matters in Higher Education." Others among the featured honorees include the University of Michigan; DukeUniversity in Durham, N.C.; EmoryUniversity in Atlanta, Ga.; and WheatonCollege in Norton, Mass.

Read the announcement about the recognition

Learn more about the Phelps Scholars Program

Hope Highlighted as a Favorite

Loren Pope’s Looking Beyond the Ivy League: Finding the College that's Right for You highlights Hope in a chapter titled "A Few Favorites."

"Hope, in Holland, Michigan, is another that merits a lot more attention than it gets, raising higher education's moral and intellectual levels. It is a place where parents can send children of a wide range of abilities, knowing that their talents will be increased, their visions broadened, their ethical acuities sharpened, and they will be prepared to prosper in a changed and changing world."

Hope Remains Rated in the Top Tier among National Liberal Arts Colleges

Hope College continues to receive accolades from editors of college guides as the newest editions of a variety of the publications debut in tandem with the advent of the school year nationwide.

Recent guides that list Hope among the select number of institutions they single out for praise include the 2012 "America's Best Colleges" published by "U.S. News & World Report," the 2012 "Fiske Guide to Colleges" and the "America's Top Colleges" guide published in August by "Forbes Magazine."

The annual rankings compiled by "U.S. News & World Report" have once again included HopeCollege among the 100 best liberal arts colleges in the nation.

The college is 94th out of 280 institutions that are considered national liberal arts colleges in the rankings.

In addition, Hope also continues to be included among the institutions that the publication recognizes for providing outstanding undergraduate research/creative project opportunities.

Learning the Hope Way

Book features Hope as an example of a college that gets it right.

Hope is one of only 10 church-related colleges and universities nationwide highlighted in Putting Students First: How Colleges Develop Students Purposefully, which argues “that an effective and ideal undergraduate college education is one that centers on holistic student development, including the search for meaning and purpose in life.” Published by Anker Publishing Company Inc. of Bolton, Mass., the book was co-authored by Dr. Larry A. Braskamp, Dr. Lois Calian Trautvetter and Dr. Kelly Ward. Learn more

Hope's Academic Programs
Earn National Accreditation

Hope is the only private, four-year liberal arts college in the United States with national accreditation in art, dance, music and theatre. Hope also has accredited programs in Athletic Training, Chemistry, Education, Engineering, Nursing, and Social Work. 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.