Simon's Rock is truly the most unique place I have ever seen, but it is only a good fit for some. Most students have an extremely outgoing personality and can be very imposing, so shy personalities don't fit in well. Additionally some major programs are much stronger than others - theater, math/science, and literature are, in my opinion, the most well-supported and largest majors there.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
If you at all have the possibility, pay a visit before you enroll. Make sure that you fit in with the current students and if you visit on a Discovery Day that you fit in with the other prospective students; Simon's Rock attracts a very unique bunch and it can be overwhelming if, like me, you're not very outgoing.
Do you find there’s enough academic rigor at your school?
My first semester was a piece of cake - 15 credits, 4 100-level classes and 1 200-level modular class. I got 8 hours of sleep a night and had plenty of time for a social life. BUT my second semester was a nightmare - only 17 credits but I moved up to 1 300-level course, 3 200-level courses, and only 1 100-level course. I made sure not to plan my next semester with at least two 100-levels. Even in the first semester when my work was a piece of cake, the professors really make you think about things, it's not the cookie-cutter memorization and regurgitation of high school, and many of the professors will treat you like grad school students even though you're only a 16-year-old undergraduate. They're all SUPER nice, however, and most want to work with you to help you succeed so if you're not afraid to ask for help, you can definitely get it.
Describe the dorm life at your college.
I only attended Simon's Rock for my freshmen year, and then transferred, which means that I only got to live in the freshmen dorms. From what I can tell, if you stay more than a year the dorm quality significantly improved. I lived in the co-ed freshmen dorm, probably the nicest of the three freshmen houses. The initial roommate matching process doesn't always go very smoothly, the form is pretty simple (just asks if you smoke, if you're neat/messy, if you're a morning bird/night owl), although it does for some, and they WILL work with you to make sure you end up in a situation that is at least mostly comfortable. Additionally the Residence Directors are all fabulous, I can speak for most of them because although my dorm only had one it is truly a close-knit community and I interacted with most of them fairly often. It can be frustrating to live in the dorms, but of course that is expected anywhere.
Describe the food and dining at your college.
The dining hall food usually tastes pretty good, sometimes they get a little adventurous. Personally I'm a plain-and-simple person when it comes to food, I don't like too many spices or extra flavors, etc, so sometimes I found it to be a little overdone, but if you like food that way then great. I'm vegetarian and they do offer great vegetarian and vegan options at all three meals on the weekdays and both meals on the weekends. The snack bar is great, they have plenty of options and can make things for the most part however you like it. I would definitely recommend keeping food in your room unless you can handle two to three meals and day and a snack in the evening on a daily basis - personally I need to eat more often than that and there are vending machines in ONE spot on campus, and they're not always well-stocked, so getting food between dining hall/snack bar hours can be pretty difficult without a car.
What’s there to do for fun at your college?
I like to do the traditional sorts of fun things, if you want to put it that way - I like the movies, bowling, and people-watching. There is a small movie-theatre in town and a small bowling alley. There is plenty of high-end shopping for such a small town. Unfortunately there's not a whole lot to do that's not really expensive, and as a freshmen getting to those things is difficult unless you very quickly make friends with the upperclassmen who have cars. There is a shuttle service to the two sides of town that runs every half an hour but only seats 6 students at a time so can be a pain sometimes.
Which types of students will excel at your college?
If you love to learn and you love to work really hard, this is a good place for you. But if you only want to take particular classes, maybe not - as I said earlier there are particular departments that are much stronger than others.
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
There are quite a few unique clubs and activities, and you can start a club for just about anything that you can get a few people together for and an adult who's willing to be the advisor. Do be advised that not all of the clubs listed in their admissions info still exist -- I tried to join a club just to find out it didn't exist, but it wasn't necessarily a bad thing because then I had the experience of creating and leading the club, which was not only fun but adds to the resume.
Simon's Rock is truly the most unique place I have ever seen, but it is only a good fit for some. Most students have an extremely outgoing personality and can be very imposing, so shy personalities don't fit in well. Additionally some major programs are much stronger than others - theater, math/science, and literature are, in my opinion, the most well-supported and largest majors there.
If you at all have the possibility, pay a visit before you enroll. Make sure that you fit in with the current students and if you visit on a Discovery Day that you fit in with the other prospective students; Simon's Rock attracts a very unique bunch and it can be overwhelming if, like me, you're not very outgoing.
My first semester was a piece of cake - 15 credits, 4 100-level classes and 1 200-level modular class. I got 8 hours of sleep a night and had plenty of time for a social life. BUT my second semester was a nightmare - only 17 credits but I moved up to 1 300-level course, 3 200-level courses, and only 1 100-level course. I made sure not to plan my next semester with at least two 100-levels. Even in the first semester when my work was a piece of cake, the professors really make you think about things, it's not the cookie-cutter memorization and regurgitation of high school, and many of the professors will treat you like grad school students even though you're only a 16-year-old undergraduate. They're all SUPER nice, however, and most want to work with you to help you succeed so if you're not afraid to ask for help, you can definitely get it.
I only attended Simon's Rock for my freshmen year, and then transferred, which means that I only got to live in the freshmen dorms. From what I can tell, if you stay more than a year the dorm quality significantly improved. I lived in the co-ed freshmen dorm, probably the nicest of the three freshmen houses. The initial roommate matching process doesn't always go very smoothly, the form is pretty simple (just asks if you smoke, if you're neat/messy, if you're a morning bird/night owl), although it does for some, and they WILL work with you to make sure you end up in a situation that is at least mostly comfortable. Additionally the Residence Directors are all fabulous, I can speak for most of them because although my dorm only had one it is truly a close-knit community and I interacted with most of them fairly often. It can be frustrating to live in the dorms, but of course that is expected anywhere.
The dining hall food usually tastes pretty good, sometimes they get a little adventurous. Personally I'm a plain-and-simple person when it comes to food, I don't like too many spices or extra flavors, etc, so sometimes I found it to be a little overdone, but if you like food that way then great. I'm vegetarian and they do offer great vegetarian and vegan options at all three meals on the weekdays and both meals on the weekends. The snack bar is great, they have plenty of options and can make things for the most part however you like it. I would definitely recommend keeping food in your room unless you can handle two to three meals and day and a snack in the evening on a daily basis - personally I need to eat more often than that and there are vending machines in ONE spot on campus, and they're not always well-stocked, so getting food between dining hall/snack bar hours can be pretty difficult without a car.
I like to do the traditional sorts of fun things, if you want to put it that way - I like the movies, bowling, and people-watching. There is a small movie-theatre in town and a small bowling alley. There is plenty of high-end shopping for such a small town. Unfortunately there's not a whole lot to do that's not really expensive, and as a freshmen getting to those things is difficult unless you very quickly make friends with the upperclassmen who have cars. There is a shuttle service to the two sides of town that runs every half an hour but only seats 6 students at a time so can be a pain sometimes.
If you love to learn and you love to work really hard, this is a good place for you. But if you only want to take particular classes, maybe not - as I said earlier there are particular departments that are much stronger than others.
There are quite a few unique clubs and activities, and you can start a club for just about anything that you can get a few people together for and an adult who's willing to be the advisor. Do be advised that not all of the clubs listed in their admissions info still exist -- I tried to join a club just to find out it didn't exist, but it wasn't necessarily a bad thing because then I had the experience of creating and leading the club, which was not only fun but adds to the resume.