The College of Wooster

The College of Wooster is a private liberal arts college in Wooster, in northeast Ohio, about an hour from Cleveland and Akron and 90 minutes from Columbus. Its first president, Willis Lord, was inaugurated in 1870.

Students choose from more than 80 areas of study in the liberal arts and sciences and can combine majors and minors. Classes average 13 students. The defining feature is Independent Study (I.S.): in their senior year every student completes a year-long research or creative project on a topic of their choice, mentored one-to-one by a faculty member. Paid internships, research opportunities and study abroad are also available. The libraries hold nearly 700,000 volumes.

About 98% of students live on campus for all four years. There are more than 90 student organisations and 23 NCAA Division III teams. Applications are test-optional and can be made through the Common Application, Coalition on Scoir or the Wooster Priority Application; the admissions office has a director for international recruitment. According to the college, nearly all students receive financial aid, and merit scholarships range from partial to full tuition.