Kalamazoo College

Academics

Kalamazoo College, also more familiarly known as K, is private liberal arts college in Michigan that brings a personalized approach to education through a flexible, open curriculum featuring real-world experience, service learning, study abroad, and an independent senior year project. This small, nationally-recognized institution “allows students to really develop personal relationships with their peers and professors” and is “a campus run by and for the students.” The open curriculum means “students have more time to explore exactly what they want to learn, rather than being required to take classes in which they have no interest,” and the school motto of “More in Four” not only describes how much students will learn in their time at K, but “also that this institution will try as hard as possible to get you to graduate in four years.” As for post-graduate plans, alumni are “very easy to contact and willing to help.” As one student puts it, “Through alumni interaction and my experiences at Kalamazoo, there is a huge culture of giving back to the school and being there for each other.”

Full-time professors here, 94 percent of whom hold a PhD or the highest degree in their field, “present challenging information and generally work to achieve camaraderie with students.” They “definitely understand that classes may be difficult and really, truly want to help students learn the best they can,” and also view students “as equals and peers, and are open to listening to everyone’s ideas in classes.” Professors “demand quite a lot, but only from a desire to teach the material effectively”; they also “message their departments with internship opportunities quite regularly.” Most students have only three classes at a time (the school is on a quarter system) “because each class here tends to be more intense.”

Student Body

Kalamazoo College students are generally “very open-minded, unique, liberal, and quirky,” and “you will never find any two students that are the same here.” This is mostly a campus of “socially conscious liberals who are predominantly white,” though there are a fair number of people with conservative ideologies. While many admit Kalamazoo “needs more diversity in race,” students say it is a “very open campus community for people of different gender identities and sexualities.” Each student is able to find their niche quickly due to the smallschool environment, thus “everyone is always engaged in some kind of work they truly care about.”

Campus Life

Academics are a universal student priority at Kalamazoo College, and “missing classes or letting work slack for social lives and hangovers doesn’t happen often.” Many times residence halls will host community building events that provide “good food and fun activities,” and the school puts on numerous events for the students such as Friday night movies and “Zoo After Dark,” and offers a wide variety of programs and clubs to join, and “all are accessible to students who want to pursue them.” There “isn’t a lot to do” in the surrounding area, but those that are 21 can hit a few bars or clubs and those with access to a car can drive to nearby malls and cities. There “is not a lot of time to have fun on weekdays since things move quickly,” but people make time for hanging out. Athletics are popular and “easy to get into”; some teams are more competitive than others, “but for the most part, if you played in high school, you can play in college.” Most students study abroad at some point in their K career (typically junior year).