Elmira College in Elmira, NY - a Place to Learn and Grow

Elmira College, a small private college in Elmira, NY is a college that offers amazing opportunities and experiences that you will take with you for the rest of your life. With under 1500 undergraduates, a small school may not be the perfect fit for everyone, I only attended Elmira College for two years because the small intimate setting was not the experience I was looking for, but many people love it.

Elmira College was founded in 1855 and was an all women's college but has now been transformed into a co-ed liberal arts school. Although it is a co-ed school, the ratio of women to men is 7:3. The faculty there is amazing, they are always willing to take the extra step to help their students understand the material, many professors that I had went as far as giving the students their home phone number, telling us that if we ever needed help to feel free to call them.

All first year students are required to live in the dorms unless you are living with your legal guardian within 60 miles of the school which is just one aspect of the unique freshman experience Elmira College provides. Another distinct aspect of your freshman year at Elmira College is Saturday morning classes. Yeah, you read that right. Every first year student is required to take a Saturday morning class to encourage new students to stay on campus instead of going home every weekend so they can form a community, family-like bond with other freshmen. The thought is worse than the actual experience, you get used to it quickly and you only have to do it for the first semester.

There are many organizations which you may partake in, ranging from the Iris Yearbook staff to the Student Activity Board to community service groups to religious groups. No matter what you're interested in, there is a very good chance that you will be able to find a group to join and share your interests. Elmira College also have several sport teams which you can join, they have both intramural and intercollegiate teams and compete in many sports, except tackle football. Ice hockey is one of the most popular sports for both men and women at the school to play.

Elmira College offers many travel experiences as well, although you have to pay for them out of your own pocket, it is definitely worth saving your money for. I personally spent four weeks traveling through Australia and had the time of my life, the best part was that I was also earning college credit at the same time without sitting through actual classes. Some of the other trips Elmira College students have taken include visiting Russia, Spain, France, and the Bahamas, and new opportunities are available every few years.

If you don't mind the small close-knit setting, Elmira College is a great school with an incredible amount of opportunities and experiences that help you grow as a person. The faculty are great and always there to help you with your needs. If you're looking for a small liberal arts college in upstate NY I would definitely take the time to visit Elmira College.