Worcester, MA: The summer before my senior year arrived, and much to my displeasure I was forced to start the college search. Fortunately, I stumbled upon The College of the Holy Cross very early. I was looking for a liberal arts education and Holy Cross promised to have all I wanted, plus much more.

After reading a brochure on The Cross, I took a tour. Holy Cross is a beautiful institution. Situated on a hill, The Cross exhibits beautiful landscaped greens and handsome buildings. I really got the feeling that this school was very proud of its land, since it was immaculate. One of the best views is from the top of the hill. Standing there (in front of the recreation center), I could see the whole city of Worcester.

More important than the setting of the school was the inside, where the educational aspect drew me in. Holy Cross is strictly an undergraduate school, which means that all classes are taught by professors. Holy Cross is a member of the New England Consortium for Undergraduate Science Education, a group of 16 of the area's most prestigious institutions. Another credit to The Cross is its ranking in the top four percent of 877 private, four-year colleges that send students on to earn their doctorates.

The Cross offers a variety of academic courses suited to a liberal arts education. They offer all lab sciences, a variety of languages and various interdisciplinary concentrations, such as African-American studies and women's studies. Another aspect of The Cross that makes it academically appealing is its four course load. Students are limited to taking four courses per semester, which enables those courses to be probed into great depth.

Competition for admission is tough at The Cross, with more than 75 percent of all accepted graduating in the top 20 percent of their high school classes. Although it is tough to get in, once in, there are a variety of clubs and activities to join. Many students write for The Crusader, the campus newspaper. They also take part in many international groups.

If you are not interested in joining one of the campus activities, you may decide to play on a varsity sport. The Cross offers many varsity-level sports such as softball, basketball, baseball and its football. What makes their program so special is its participation in the Patriot League Conference. It is a competitive, yet academically inclined league. No student-athlete receives any form of scholarship to play at The Cross. This means that no games or road trips are planned during finals or reading period, which enables the student-athlete to excel in both sports and academics.

The most prominent feeling I had as I left Holy Cross was one of spirit. All of the students I talked to love The Cross. They had nothing but positive things to say about their school, and thoroughly encouraged new students to attend.

If you are looking for a liberal arts education, look no further than The College of the Holy Cross. Situated on top of "the hill," Holy Cross will give the liberal arts mind a challenge, or as they say at Holy Cross, "a different course to excellence." I strongly recommend The Cross. n








Reviewed in 1993