Ripon

College prepares

students of

diverse inteRests

for lives

of productive,

socially responsible

Citizenship.

Our liberal arts

CuRRiCulum and

Residential

campus create an

intimate learning

Community

in which students

expeRienCe

a RiChly

peRsonalized

education.

Ripon College is counted among

the country’s best institutions for

undergraduate education. While the

methodology among ranking systems may

differ, Ripon consistently receives high

marks for its accomplishments.

Here are a few of the highlights for the 2011 ranking season:

n The Princeton Review included Ripon in its 2011

edition of “The Best 373 Colleges.” Only 15 percent

of American colleges and universities have this

distinction. The Princeton Review praises Ripon for

its friendly, welcoming atmosphere and intensive

preparation for graduate school.

n Ripon is a Tier 1 national liberal arts school according

to the U.S. News and World Report rankings. In

addition to the top tier ranking, Ripon also was

included on its “Great Schools, Great Prices” list.

n Washington Monthly ranked Ripon College

32nd in the nation for liberal arts colleges. Ripon

also received the highest ranking in the state of

Wisconsin. The methodology of Washington

Monthly rankings focuses on the school’s

contribution to the public good in three equally

weighted categories: Social Mobility, Research and

Service.

n Forbes magazine’s “America’s Best Colleges” ranked

Ripon in the top 200 schools nationwide. Forbes’ list

of public and private colleges and universities ranks

the best schools from the students’ point of view.

“I have made lifelong friends here.”

Ripon students come here to discover and nurture their passions while learning how to apply them to life. For a century and a half, Ripon graduates have demonstrated critical-thinking skills, an extraordinary facility with words, and a greater appreciation for diversity. They leave with vast knowledge of themselves and the world around them. But perhaps nothing is as meaningful as the lifelong friendships formed with fellow students, faculty and staff — ever-present companions on the Ripon journey.

Ripon students find that they do much more here than they would at larger schools. The only limits are the

number of hours in a day and the willingness to try new things. Varsity football players join the orchestra.

Radio show hosts captain an intramural inner-tube water polo team. Students find interests here that they never

imagined. The freedom to indulge diverse pursuits shapes who our students are, who they become and how they

pursue their dreams and goals.

“An education is something you can never lose … and that is something Ripon gave me. Ripon has allowed me to grow as a student and even further as an adult.”

Sam Sondalle chose Ripon College over offers from a host of national research institutions for the academic rigor

and the personal attention it offered, as well as the relationships he would be able to build with faculty members. He

did not know he was only scratching the surface of an experience that not only would educate him but prepare him

for life.

In his first year on campus, Sam began independent research with Professor Peggy Stevens on cardiac muscle. He

later developed a close relationship with Professor Mas Iimura, who nurtured his love for teaching and inspired him

to pursue a joint M.D./Ph.D. program instead of medical school alone. When he wasn’t in Farr Hall of Science,

Sam refined his organ-playing skills under the tutelage of Professor Sarah Kraaz. Despite his rural Wisconsin origins,

Sam’s life experience now includes playing an organ in Barcelona, Spain; summer research at the Harvard Stem Cell

Institute; big-city life on the East Coast; and earning a prized Goldwater Scholarship — one of the most prestigious

undergraduate scholarships a student can receive in the sciences.

Sam would be the first to tell you that he’s never looked back after choosing Ripon. He also would be the first to say

that he has been afforded and taken advantage of every academic opportunity he expected from college. What he

didn’t expect was the opportunity to become a lifelong learner. Rare is the high school senior who seeks this attribute

in a college, but rarer still is the Ripon graduate whose passion for learning doesn’t follow them all through their life.

“The respect that my fellow students have for me — for what I want to do — gives me the confidence to do more and to be more involved.”

Ripon students take pride in being good citizens —

locally and globally. Coming from all walks of life, they

quickly learn to embrace their differences and bring

a multitude of talents and convictions to our campus

community.

Opportunities to make an impact abound. On campus,

numerous student organizations, including Black

Student Union, The Network and the Cultural

Diversity Club, afford students of diverse backgrounds

the opportunity to socialize and work together.

Students also have a voice in the decision-making

process of the College through active roles in the

Student Senate and on standing committees of the

Board of Trustees. Involvement in the Office of

Community Engagement is popular among students

who like to volunteer. Students have gone as far as to

run for public office. They are involved and invested in

the Ripon community they come to call home.

Ripon College is committed to producing informed and

engaged global citizens. We are sharply focused on this

essential aspect of the college experience. Our students

are strongly encouraged to expand their comfort zone

and study overseas. Semester-long, off-campus programs

are available throughout the world. In addition, Ripon

offers three-week programs (Maymesters) that take

students to such places as Jamaica, China, Spain and

Peru. Immersion in a different culture is a powerful

and transformative experience, one that both enlivens

classroom discussion and forever changes how students

view their place in the world.

“I found my passion here.”

Our liberal arts approach allows

students to explore the curriculum and

branch out from the standard courses

taught in high school. With a focus on

communication, problem solving and

critical-thinking skills, students leave

Ripon prepared to succeed in today’s

economy regardless of their academic

major.

First Year Studies (FYS) help

introduce new students to the type

of teaching and academic rigor that

takes place at Ripon. Courses are

interdisciplinary, with exposure to

multiple faculty members — often

outside the student’s area of interest.

FYS students build relationships with

faculty and enjoy weekly speakers and

events outside of the classroom.

Senior seminar courses become a

culmination of the past four years of

work in a particular major. Required

for every major, “senior sem” allows for

students to do a semester-long research

project or internship that gives them

hands-on experience in their field and

becomes a true resumé builder.

“Ripon’s residential character preserves

what we are. It keeps us

more together.”

Our residence life philosophy follows the principle that just as much learning should

take place outside of the classroom as does inside. Ripon’s residential setting creates

the perfect environment for this to happen. Students don’t always realize it at the time,

but the social skills they develop living in a residence hall become an invaluable part

of their experience. While some students embrace weekends as a time to head home,

our students embrace weekends here because Ripon is home.

“The professors here care about what kind of person you are, not just about your grades.”

Ripon’s intimate setting doesn’t attract only

students — it’s the reason many talented faculty

members spend their entire careers here. They

exemplify the principle of lifelong learning and

instill this quality in their students. As such,

a place where they can develop relationships

and interact with students on a daily basis suits

them. They relish their students’ successes and

console them in their setbacks. Like students,

faculty do not come to Ripon to be reclusive

and mysterious, hiding behind closed doors.

They keep their office hours. They participate

in campus activities and groups. Because of

frequent student/faculty interaction outside the

classroom, it doesn’t take long for students to

discover that they have more in common with

faculty here than they could have imagined.

“Ripon, the Community, shaRes the same value set as the College – you Can’t help but

feel the fRiendliness when you step foot downtown.”

To join the College community is to join the greater

Ripon community. The unique quality of town-

gown relations in Ripon began in the mid-1800s and

continues to flourish. It is something we boast about

– not something we hide behind. Whether it’s students

grabbing a late-night coffee at Mugs during a study

break, alumni reminiscing over a Roadhouse pizza, or

community members singing with Choral Union, the

lines between the College and the community aren’t

blurred — they’ve never been drawn.

“I’m not a gut-feeling kind of person, but I had one when I visited campus – I felt like this place could be home.”

There is no way to know if a college is the right fit for you unless you

experience it for yourself. Pictures, brochures, e-mails and all of the other

ways colleges market themselves to prospective students can take you

only so far in your college search. The real personality of a campus can

be experienced only by meeting and talking to the people who give it its

pulse: students, faculty and staff.

We invite you to experience Ripon for yourself. Sit in on a class that

would never be taught at your high school and see how it differs. Chat

face-to-face with a faculty member who could be your advisor. Have lunch

in Pickard Commons with a student who has similar interests. Stroll

from Tri-Dorms to Todd Wehr Hall and feel what it might be like to be

a student here — these experiences will help make your college decision

much easier. We work hard to make Ripon feel like home for our students,

and we believe it could feel like home for you.

“The professors here are always willing to show you the deeper meaning of things, to take your learning a step beyond. I can go as far as I want here.”

Ripon believes in the education it

provides for its students and has

more than 150 years of outcomes to

back it up. A degree from Ripon is

an investment of a lifetime — one

that most students get only one shot

to make. Your college years are the

foundation to become the person

you wish to be. Although you can’t

put a price tag on the experiences

and opportunities Ripon has to offer,

our commitment to making a private

education affordable to all admissible

students, regardless of economic

background, has been part of who we

are since the College’s founding.

Where is Ripon?

“We take great pride in getting to know our students through the admission process and finding out if Ripon is the right fit for them. This is evidenced by our first- to second-year retention rates which consistently reach nearly 90 percent.”

The Senior Year Paper Trail September 15 Review of Applications Begins

Completed Applications Include:• High School Transcript• ACT or SAT Scores• School Counselor Recommendation • Personal Statement

October 1 Financial Aid Early Estimators Begin for Accepted Seniors

December 15Priority Application Deadline

• Application Fee Waiver Deadline• Priority Admission & Scholarship

Consideration Deadline

January 1Apply for Financial Aid at www.fafsa.ed.gov

Mid-FebruaryScholarship Priority Deadline

March 1Financial Aid Priority Deadline

May 1Priority Date for Enrollment Deposit

There is no typical Ripon student.

Everybody here has a story that

is uniquely theirs, and Ripon’s

admission counselors take great

pride in knowing them.

As you near the end of one wild

chapter, we’ll help you write the

next. Our highly experienced

and dedicated staff is here to help

remove some of the anxiety that

accompanies the college search

and replace it with the knowledge

of what to expect at Ripon. Our

expertise in the field of college

admission and financial aid is

second to none.

To find out more about your

specific counselor, go to www.

ripon.edu/admission/counselors.

We want to hear your story and

find out what your ideal college

looks like. Maybe it looks like

Ripon, maybe not, but until you

visit campus you’ll never know.

Character: Founded in 1851, Ripon College is a four-year, private, residential, liberal arts and sciences college; Phi Beta Kappa chapter

Location: Ripon, Wisconsin, a friendly, safe community of 7,500, 80 miles northwest of Milwaukee and 180 miles northwest of Chicago; the anti-slavery Republican Party held its first meeting in Ripon on March 20, 1854

Faculty: 97% of full-time faculty members hold a Ph.D. or equivalent highest degree in their fields

Students: 1,066 undergraduates from 33 states and 14 countries; 52% female, 48% male; 12% diversity

Academic Profile, Class of 2014:Mid-range SAT scores: 980-1270; Mid-range ACT score: 21-28; average GPA: 3.4

Student/Faculty Ratio: 15:1; average class size is 20; 67% of classes have fewer than 20

Post-Graduate Record: 96% of Ripon students are employed, student teaching or enrolled in graduate programs within six months of graduation

Campus: 26 buildings on 250 acres include academic, residential, cultural and recreational facilities

Residential Life: 92% of students live on campus; theme housing available; guaranteed student housing all four years

Student Life: More than 70 student clubs and organizations include College Days, the oldest continuously published student newspaper in Wisconsin

Red Hawks Intercollegiate Athletics: 23 NCAA Division III Midwest Conference teams: baseball (M), basketball (M+W), cycling (M+W), cross-country (M+W), dance (W), football (M), golf (M+W), softball (W), soccer (M+W), swimming and diving (M+W), tennis (M+W), indoor & outdoor track and field (M+W), volleyball (W); 35% of students participate

Recreation and Wellness: More than 80% of students participate in 14 intramural sports; 3.5 mile system of recreational trails on campus; aerobics, yoga, other personal fitness programs

Comprehensive Fee, 2010-11: $34,851 (includes tuition, room, board and required fees)

Financial Aid: More than 95% of students receive some form of financial aid; need-based and/or merit-based scholarships, grants, loans and work-study from federal, state and institutional sources; merit-based awards range from $1,000 to full tuition annually; average need-based aid package for an incoming student in 2010-11 was $28,384

Historically, Ripon College has been committed to the principles of equal rights and equal opportunities and adheres to nondiscriminatory policies in recruitment, enrollment and counseling students. Ripon provides equal enrollment and educational opportunities for all qualified students without regard to gender, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, age, national or ethnic origin or disability.

MAJORSAnthropologyArtArt HistoryBiologyBusiness ManagementChemistryChemistry-BiologyCommunicationComputer ScienceEconomicsEducational StudiesEnglishEnvironmental StudiesExercise Science

School-Based Physical Education

Community and Recreation Physical Education

Athletic TrainingSports Management

FrenchForeign LanguagesGermanGlobal StudiesHistoryLatin American Area StudiesMathematicsMusicPhilosophyPhysicsPolitics and GovernmentPsychobiologyPsychologyReligionSociologySpanishStudio ArtTheatre

UNIQUE MINORSClassical StudiesDramatic LiteratureEntrepreneurshipEnvironmental BiologyHealthHistoryLaw and SocietyLeadership StudiesMilitary LeadershipMuseum StudiesNational SecurityNonprofit ManagementPhysical ScienceTheatre ProductionWomen’s and Gender Studies

PRE-PROFESSIONALPROGRAMSChiropractic MedicineDentistryEngineeringForestryJournalismLaw and GovernmentLibrary and Information

ScienceMedical TechnologyMedicineMinistryNursing and Allied Health

SciencesOptometryPharmacyPhysical TherapyPhysician AssistantVeterinary Medicine

Office of Admission • 300 Seward St.Ripon, WI 54971-0248

1-800-947-4766 • 920-748-8337adminfo@ripon.edu • www.ripon.edu