Ripon College
300 Seward Street
P.O. Box 248
Ripon, WI 5971-0248
920-748-8115 or
800-94RIPON
e-mail: adminfo@ripon.edu
http://www.ripon.edu
ENROLLMENT
Full-time:
640 (men & women)
Part-time:
29 (men & women)
Graduate School:
N/A
FRESHMAN ADMISSION
PROFILE (1997-98)
Number who applied:
452
Number accepted:
404
Number enrolled:
135
Average SAT scores:
1110 (combined)
Average ACT score:
25/75th percentile
Average GPA:
N/A
Freshman retention rate:
79%
2001-2002 COSTS:
Tuition:
$19,500
Room and Board:
$4,600
Fees, books, misc.:
$500
FINANCIAL AID:
Freshmen receiving aid:
90%
Average financial aid package:
$16,025
FACULTY:
Full-time:
69
Part-time:
19
Ph.D.:
90%
Student-faculty ratio:
10:1
IN ADDITION
Because a personal education is fundamentally a better education, we warmly invite you to learn more about Ripon:
• How will a liberal arts education prepare me for a career?
Because you need to think critically, speak convincingly and write clearly to be prepared for the world of work. Companies are looking for college graduates who can deal not only with change, but who can also write, use modern technology with confidence, communicate and make a contribution to a team. These are skills you will learn — and learn well — at Ripon College.
• Why do small classes matter?
Because there's a strong relationship between the size of your classes and how much you learn. Ripon's classes average 10 students. There are no teaching assistants. No pencil-coded exams. No cavernous auditoriums.
• Does a residential college really make a difference?
Yes, because students here do more than go to class: They live, work, play and learn in the same setting.
• Why is Ripon College a smart investment worth making now?
Because your future depends on the choices you make today. Choosing a college is an emotional and an economic decision. You want to go where it feels right — but you also want to choose a college that provides a high return on your investment. Ripon ranks in a tie for tenth place among national liberal arts colleges for having graduates who accumulate the least amount of debt, according to U.S. News and World Report. Ripon awards financial aid to 90 percent of its student body.
Ripon College
300 Seward Street
Ripon, Wisconsin 5971-0248
Hands-on learning within a personal environment
is the cornerstone at Ripon College. With an
average class size of 10 students, Ripon College
provides the best possible interaction between
professors and students.
College Description
There are more than 3,500 colleges and universities in the country. Why consider Ripon College? One key reason: Ripon offers an intensely personal undergraduate education. Ask any senior who has done research with a faculty member, any junior who has gone jogging with her biology professor, any sophomore who has been over to his English professor's home for dinner, or any first-year student who spent two hours going over a paper in a faculty member's office, and they'll tell you — we take your education very personally. Since 1851, Ripon has provided a personal liberal arts education that makes a remarkable difference in the lives of students. There's an open feeling to the setting of Ripon College — 250 tree-lined rolling acres adjacent to downtown Ripon (pop. 7,500), a charming turn-of-the-century community known for its historic charm, and a short drive from Green Bay, Madison and Milwaukee.
Academic Life
Change is all around us. Companies are looking for college graduates who can deal not only with change, but who can also write, use modern technology with confidence, communicate and make a contribution to a team. These are all skills that you will learn — and learn well — at Ripon College. Since its founding in 1851, Ripon has been a liberal arts college, meaning our students have the opportunity to study all fields of human knowledge — the social sciences, natural sciences, humanities and fine arts. We call them the "liberal arts" because having a breadth of knowledge "liberates" us. While other colleges have become increasingly specialized, Ripon has remained steadfast in its belief that the liberal arts are the key for a life of both personal and professional success. Ripon, fully accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, runs on two 15-week semesters and an optional three-week "Maymester."
Campus Life
Ripon is a residential college, meaning that the majority — 90 percent in fact — of students live on campus. At larger institutions, most students live off campus. Ripon's off-campus program can send you to places like Italy, Germany, England, France and Costa Rica, to study for a semester. You're in college to learn. And at a residential college where students remain on campus after classes have ended, learning occurs around the clock. Broadcast a jazz show on the campus radio station, chair a Student Senate committee, plan a Martin Luther King Day celebration, or learn yoga. While experience might be required at a large school, it's not at Ripon.
Facilities and Resources
Ripon's campus combines the best of both historic and modern architecture. The college's three original buildings, constructed between 1851 and 1867, are still used for office space and classes. The Farr Hall of Science, which recently received a $4.4 million addition, holds a planetarium, greenhouse, ample laboratory space and state-of-the-art equipment. On the west side of campus The C. J. Rodman Center for the Arts and the J.M. Storzer Physical Education Center face each other. Together, the buildings house a recital hall, theatre, art gallery, sculpture garden, multipurpose gymnasium, pool, racquetball courts, free-weight and Nautilus rooms, and aerobics rooms. Adjacent to the Storzer Center is the Ceresco Prairie Conservancy, 3.5 miles of recreational trails and 130 acres of restored native habitat.
Ripon's student center, Harwood Memorial Union, holds a lecture hall, the Pub, game room, radio station and student organization offices.
Athletics/Sports
Ripon fields nine teams each for men and women, including volleyball, tennis, cross-country, football, golf, swimming, baseball, softball and soccer. Proving Ripon's success in building quality athletics within a stringent academic environment, the Ripon Red Hawks achieved success in many areas last year. The men's soccer and basketball teams won Midwest Conference championships; the women's soccer and tennis teams and men's football team came in second in the conference; and the men's tennis and baseball teams came into their seasons as defending champions in the Midwest Conference and North Division, respectively.
Financial Aid
Ninety percent of Ripon students receive financial assistance, with the average financial aid award equaling 71 percent of a student's total costs. Ripon's extensive scholarship program is designed to recognize and reward applicants for their talent and ability. Currently there are 17 types of scholarships available.
Admission Requirements
The minimum requirements for admission are: graduation from an accredited secondary school (or GED equivalent), completed application form, secondary school transcript, results of standardized tests (SAT or ACT), and the $25 application fee. Students applying for fall term consideration are encouraged to apply early. Notification of fall term admission will occur within two weeks of the completion of the students' application for admission. Students applying for spring term consideration should submit applications by December 15, and notification will occur shortly thereafter. Ripon College application forms are available from the admission office. Ripon participates in the Common Application Plan. We are pleased to accept a photocopy of the Common Application form in place of our own application form. These forms are available in many secondary school guidance offices. Ripon also accepts applications made through the CollegeLink program.