Albion is a school I’d honestly never heard of. Flipping through my Fiske Guide, I think I assumed it’s an international school. But it’s a small liberal arts college in Michigan, and I’m glad I finally came across it and wish I’d payed more attention sooner. If you’re interested in a liberal arts college that wears its passions and purpose on its sleeve (and on a coin in its pocket), then read more.

For Three Quick Questions, I send the same three questions to admissions representatives at colleges all over the country, and then I hope to hear back from them. The three questions are meant to probe some of the things that make a school unique but that aren’t easily captured as a stat to go in a book or web search.

Today’s response is from Daria Bloomfield, Admission Counselor at Albion College in Albion, Michigan.

What is a course, tradition, program or event that is unique to Albion College?

Every single first-year student will step into our Goodrich Chapel on move-in day and go through the formal process of becoming an Albion student. During this event, our students are formally welcomed to the Albion community of scholars by the College’s president, faculty, and upperclassmen. Together they will learn the College hymn, walk across the altar to sign the student pledge, and verbally introduce themselves to our community. After this, they receive their Matriculation coin, which they are instructed to carry with them forever. We call this the Matriculation Ceremony, and it is a memory that all students will remember.

Naturally every college wants to recruit the perfect student--high grades, high test scores, involved in their community, leadership...everything. But what kinds of imperfect students tend to flourish at Albion?

That's a great question! We are a holistic review campus and Albion has a seat at the table for all students. Though the 'perfect student' can be an easy admit, the majority of our students are both perfect and imperfect. I think that a student who is willing to put in effort in the classroom, jump into the Albion community, and take advantage of the many individualized support opportunities on campus, will ultimately thrive.

When people come to visit Albion, what's a place off campus that you recommend they check out while they're there?

In our small town of Albion Michigan, there are a few places that you must stop at during your visit. The first is Albion Malleable Brewing Company. If you are looking for a great burger or some world-class Poutine, Malleable is your place! The second place is the Foundry Bakehouse and Deli. Our whole main street is filled with the smell of freshly baked desserts, you can't go wrong with that!

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Photo by Angela Elisabeth. [The banner photo is not of Albion. I use the same photo for all Meet the Class posts so you can spot them easily.]