Goshen College recognized as a College of Distinction

 

GOSHEN, Ind. – Goshen College continues to be nationally recognized for offering an outstanding education, adding the title of College of Distinction to a list of honors that includes rankings in U.S.News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition and Barron’s Best Buys in Education.

By invitation from Student Horizons Inc. – an organization formed in 2001 by a group of concerned parents, educators and admission professionals to help good high school students come together with colleges that specialize in undergraduate teaching – Goshen College was added to the list in 2004.

Colleges of Distinction is a college guide with a unique approach that asks not about the richest or most famous schools, but which colleges are the best places to learn, grow and succeed – going “beyond the numbers” to the heart of what makes an excellent education. Schools included in the list, such as Wheaton, Smith, Macalester, Grinnell, Knox, Seattle Pacific and Kenyon, have an excellent reputation among high school guidance counselors and education professionals as well as employers and graduate schools. Whether prominently known or “hidden gems,” all are named Colleges of Distinction. Their classrooms are among the most exciting in the country; their programs are some of the most innovative.

A Web site and accompanying guidebook by Colleges of Distinction includes resources for college-bound students, parents and guidance counselors and specifically offers information about four areas that “make great colleges great”: engaged students, great teaching, vibrant community and successful outcomes.

Goshen College Vice President for Institutional Advancement Andrea Cook said it is an honor to be listed among the excellent colleges and universities that make up the Colleges of Distinction. “This is a resource for students and parents that really considers how learning happens in the classroom and in unique campus programs, and helps distinguish important aspects of a college experience that make a difference in the success of its students,” she said.

As a College of Distinction, Goshen College possesses the following criteria: nationally recognized by education professionals as an excellent school, strongly focused on teaching undergraduates, home to wide variety of innovative learning experiences, an active campus with many opportunities for personal development and highly valued by graduate schools and employers for outstanding preparation.

In research on campus and through interviews, Colleges of Distinction determined that graduates of Goshen College are servant leaders with a sense of purpose, nurtured by the combination of real-world programs and a commitment to service and peace: “Education at Goshen College extends beyond campus boundaries; through its international and service abroad programs, students gain critical multicultural experience in an increasingly interconnected world.”

One of the first liberal arts colleges in the nation to require international education, over three-fourths of the Goshen College student body chooses to participate in Study-Service Term (SST). Through this program, students live in another country for a 13-week term – the first half of which is spent in a major city, studying the culture and language. During the second half of the term, students live in rural settings and fulfill service requirements, often relating to their majors.

The colleges and universities listed in the Colleges of Distinction book include schools from all over the country, varying in size from universities of 7,000 to small liberal arts colleges of 1,000 or fewer students.

More information about Colleges of Distinction can be found online at http://www.collegesofdistinction.com/ .

Goshen College, established in 1894, is a four-year residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, Kaplan’s “Most Interesting Colleges” guide and U.S.News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit http://www.goshen.edu/.

- by Melanie Histand

 

Editors: For more information, contact Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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