Student Profile
Tara
- Class: Junior
- Major: Psychology
- Gender: F
- High School:
- Transfer Student: N
Big Picture
Best thing about Holy Cross: THe students! Everyone here is so friendly and outgoing, it's easy to feel a part of any social group... there are no real "cliques" and you can easily walk into any party, club or dorm and feel totally welcome. One thing I'd change: The Gym... it needs to be a LOT bigger. School size: I'd say it's just the right size. Small enough for small classes (no classes over 50) but large enough to pack the basketball stadium. How do people react?: Generally, impressed... it's a competitive school to be accepted into, and it has a reputation for excellent. Time on Campus: Most time on campus is spent in the dorms... people leave their doors open and come by to hang out, watch the game on tv, chat about the comedian in the campus center last night, etc. College town: Worcester is a huge city (2nd largest in New England), but unlike Boston it's not the most beautiful city around and it's not necessary easy to find what you're looking for. But if you're willing to look hard enough, it provides so many opportunities for culture, dining, volunteer work, internships, etc. HC Administration: They really care about what students think; student reps are on virtually every Administrative Committee on campus (they have a say in which professors get tenured, on campus construction, etc.) School pride: Also known as purple pride -- yes there is a lot and it's contagious!
Academic Life
Professors: Not only do they know you by name, they know your strenghts, weaknesses, what you got on the last exam, and probably a few things about your life outside of class. Classes are generally very small -- around 18 to 20 students -- so you get to know your professors really well! (It makes recommendations so easy!) Students study: HC students have a reputation for studying HARD and OFTEN. It's tough to do well here, and students are driven to earn high marks... but it's not so much that it completely rules your life... it's a "work hard, play hard" mentality Students competitive: With each other? Not at all... they go out of their way to tutor each other, and are really only competitive with themselves. Psychology major/department: Awesome! You don't have to compete with graduate students for research positions or courses, because we don't have any grad students on campus... it's a great school to be a science major at. HC Academic Requirements: The perfect amount... they don't tell you which classes to take, just areas to study (e.g., Take one art course at some point in your 4 year, but you choose whether you take a Pottery class or History of Islamic Art or whatever you'd like) HC education: Is geared towards learning for the sake of learning, getting a career, and making a positive difference in the world (all at the same time). You feel like you get a lot out of your academics here.
Student Body
Student body: is generally very accepting of all backgrounds, and is constantly becoming more diverse... surprisingly, the student body tends to be slightly more liberal than conservative. "Acceptance" is very important on campus (as seen through the Hate Not Here campaign).
