News & Publications
One of the Best
St. John’s College is once again among the Princeton Review’s “371 Best Colleges in America.” The educational services company features both St. John’s campuses in its annual college guide. Only 15 percent of America’s 2,500 four-year colleges are profiled in the book, which includes detailed profiles of colleges with school rating scores in eight categories, plus ranking lists of the top 20 schools in 62 categories based on student surveys.
Many Johnnies are bookworms and “eyeglasses are common,” the Review reported of students in Annapolis. One student mentioned that at St. John’s, students don’t feel pressure to fit in. And the Review quoted another student as describing the Annapolis student body as “an amazing conglomeration of artists, mathematicians, jocks, role-playing enthusiasts, poets, iconoclasts, activists, and some who are all of these.”
In Santa Fe, students praised the rigor of the Program and describe most faculty “as insightful, brilliant, and dedicated.” As the guide quoted one student: “Virtually all of [the tutors] are ‘absurdly accessible’ as well.” Campus life in Santa Fe, the guide pointed out, offers a rich variety of activities including skiing, hiking, and rafting. Intramural sports are popular, although there is “no pressure to participate.”
The guide also points out that social life on campus is an extension of life in the classroom, as one Santa Fe student reported: “A typical dining hall conversation might cycle between Star Wars, the Roman Empire, various videogames, Socrates, world religions, and the nature and existence of divine truth.” Students rated the Program and their tutors very highly. On both campuses, they rated the quality of the academics at St. John’s as 99 out of 100.
The Review’s “Inside Word” has this particular praise for the college’s Admissions offices: “St. John’s has one of the most personal admissions processes in the country. The applicant pool is highly self-selected and extremely bright, so don’t be fooled by the high acceptance rate—every student who is offered admission deserves to be here. Candidates who don’t give serious thought to the kind of match they make with the college and devote serious energy to their essays are not likely to be accepted.”