Reed College

Reed College can be thought of as an alternative liberal arts school. Though just as prestigious as its fellow top-ranked liberal arts colleges, Reed has some rather unique features. Not least among these is a student-run nuclear reactor, a required senior thesis and extensive exposure to the Classics. Reed’s academics favor discussion-based learning. The college’s student-to-faculty ratio is about 10:1, and most classes are small to encourage student-teacher interaction. Reed offers more than 40 majors, some of which are dual-degree programs with over institutions. College life at Reed is somewhat unusual, as well. Greek life is absent from campus, and NCAA athletics aren’t as important as they might be at other colleges. Student life is governed by the Honor Principle, which stresses the importance of an ethical campus community. Reed College’s financial aid program is need-based, offering a variety of solutions to meet its students’ demonstrated need. Grants, loans and student employment are some of the programs in place to help reduce the cost of tuition. For regular freshman admissions, Reed College has an application deadline of January 15. The deadline for Early Decision I is November 15, and December 20 for Early Decision II.

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