William Jewell College is located on a hilly, 200-acre campus just 20 minutes from Kansas City. Founded in 1849, it is one of the oldest colleges west of the Mississippi. In the past, it has been named the “Liberal Arts College of the Year” by Time magazine, and U.S. News and World Report calls it one of “America’s Best College’s.” The experiences I had during my recent visit made me a believer.

I was thoroughly impressed by the quality and rigor of academic studies at this small, selective college, where the average GPA is 3.7. The students I spoke with were articulate and interesting, and after sampling a typical classroom presentation by one of their political science professors -- Dr. Gary Armstrong, an Enid native with a Ph.D. from Georgetown (I can see why). His colleagues hail from such prestigious institutions as Berkeley, Princeton, Stanford, Oxford, and Yale. These instructors are at Jewell because they take a special interest in the intimate setting where they can draw out the best from each student and hold them to the highest standards. With a ration of about 14 students to each faculty member, students are guaranteed plenty of one-on-one interaction and numerous opportunities to excel.

Several features set William Jewell apart. Many of the programs it offers, such as the Oxbridge Honors Program, the Pryor Leadership Studies Program, and the American Humanics Nonprofit Leadership Program, are unique, even to otherwise comparable schools. Furthermore, the First-Year Experience Program is recognized by U.S. News and World Report as one of the country’s top 10 programs for first-year students.

Only for the most determined, self-reliant student, the Oxbridge Honors Program is like graduate school for undergraduates. On top of the general ed classes required of all freshmen, Oxbridge students take classes in small groups as well as in the British-inspired method of in-depth, one-on-one tutorials with a professor who creates a syllabus, assigns readings, and evaluates work, and the student then works independently to reach his or her goals.

Only about 20-25 students are accepted annually to the Oxbridge Program, but those who are receive a $9,000 scholarship each year. The highlight of the program is the year spent studying at either Oxford or Cambridge. Many of the students go on to pursue higher degrees. In fact, of those applying to medical school, 100% get in. And future attorneys are their single largest group.

Students don’t have to be part of the Oxbridge Program to study abroad, however. Currently 35% of William Jewell students study abroad at over 30 different locations around the world.

Another internationally recognized program is the Pryor Leadership Studies Program, a three-year program focusing on leadership theory and practice, which includes an Outward Bound experience in the Florida Everglades and both volunteer and vocational internships. William Jewell also offers a major and a minor in Nonprofit Leadership through American Humanics, a national alliance of colleges and nonprofit organizations such as the Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, and Special Olympics.

With national fraternities and sororities as well as sports teams and other organizations, there is an activity to meet every interest. Students can also attend world-class performances in Kansas City for free. Clearly, students from William Jewell can and are doing great things. And did I mention it’s right outside of Kansas City? Less than an hour by plane, and about five hours by car, it’s an exciting location and a great school, and definitely worth a look.

Note: Cynthia Brown is associate director of college counseling at Heritage Hall School in Oklahoma City. She attended Jewell's Spring Counselor Summit in February 2006.