Is New College for You?
Choosing the right college involves finding a school that matches your lifestyle and personality, as well one that offers top quality academics.
Here are a few reasons that U.S. News & World Report, The Princeton Review, Colleges That Change Lives, Kiplinger’s and The Wall Street Journal consistently rate New College among the nation's best.
Academics
Academic life at New College is designed to promote depth in thinking, free exchange of ideas and highly individualized interaction with faculty.
Working directly with professors, you will map your own intellectual journey. There is no rigid core curriculum required of all students. That doesn’t mean there are no prerequisites or requirements, but to a remarkable degree you’ll choose what to study based on your own academic goals.
And guided by our expert faculty, you’ll have the opportunity to design a course of study and do research that parallels your interests.
Independent Study & Research
A cornerstone of the New College experience is your ability to work with faculty to design your own independent study and research projects.Each January, during our four week Interterm, you will work one-on-one with a faculty member or as part of a small group on a research project, lab experiment or scholarly paper. Alternatively, you can use this time to study abroad –from Antarctica to the Amazon-- take part in an off-campus internship, or even put together your own art exhibit or performance.
During the summer recess, students are often engaged as paid summer research assistants or participate in internship programs at leading businesses, graduate schools and scientific laboratories.
Evaluations and Contracts
At the end of each semester, you’ll receive a narrative evaluation, written by the instructor, for each course you complete. Unlike letter grades, these evaluations provide detailed feedback on your specific strengths and weaknesses.
Instead of simply measuring you against your peers as traditional grading systems do, our system looks at your work in terms of your own abilities and experience, as well as your professor’s expectations.
Complementing our narrative evaluations is our academic contract system. These contracts are the written agreement you make each semester with your faculty advisor about your academic goals and the work you will do that term.
Because these contracts are based on your own academic interests, each one is unique and personal, with your progress certified every step of the way.
Senior Thesis
During your final two semesters at New College, with the support of a faculty thesis advisor, you will research and write a senior thesis --a substantial, original project in your area of concentration.
Besides providing excellent preparation for graduate school, your thesis marks the culmination of your New College experience.
Once accepted, your thesis is bound and placed in the Jane Bancroft Cook Library, where it will represent your intellectual journey for generations to come.
