It is safe to say this place does not attract your typical college student. The school is a 2 year private college that only accepts men (for now). Just last year, the board of trustees has voted to admit women. The campus is very isolated. The near
est town is about an hour away. However the college thrives on that isolation. They have created a very close knit community where their 26 students mix academics and labor. The average class size is only 8. It is not uncommon for a professor to hold a class session in his/her home.
Since the class sizes are so small they all have a seminar style setting. The college strongly believes in self-governance. There are only 2 required courses, composition and public speaking. Everything else is up to the student.
Their website states:
"Courses at Deep Springs are intensive and interactive seminars. The average class size is eight, so every member must come prepared to contribute to the discussion. As a result, students devote a great deal of time and energy to their assignments, and discussions often achieve a depth uncommon at the undergraduate level."
Professors cannot hold tenure. There are only 8-9 of them and they hold 3 year long term professorships. Students have very strong relationships with their professors.
"Professors, both long- and short-term, are encouraged to take an active role in the community. Professors labor with students, teach them practical skills like bread making and knitting, hold impromptu poetry readings and stargazing sessions, and organize chess and Ping-Pong tournaments. Education is a reciprocal relationship at Deep Springs."
The typical students that go to this college are very career minded and independent. Just like Eugene Lang students, they do not need an advisor to tell them what to take. These students are also hard workers. At Deep Springs their required labor includes jobs such as cook, irrigator, butcher, groundskeeper, cowboy, etc. In addition to academics and labor, each student is required stand on one of the college's committees. The students have faculty have created a self-sufficient community. The college supports itself with food and energy.
Student dorms do not have cable or television. There are no sports or fraternities. I guess it can be said that the college is a fraternity itself. Each dorm has a "boneyard" of previous student clothing and supplies for free use.
There is no real tuition at Deep Springs. Students only pay for things such as books. Every student that is accepted is on a scholarship that covers about $50,000. For this reason, the application process is rigorous.
"Applicants must submit ACT or SAT scores as well as a number of essays in stage one. In stage two, their initial application is reviewed and voted on by a number of readers. If applicants pass the first stage, they are invited for a three to four day stay on campus to observe the life, write further essays, and interview. Final decisions are then made in the spring."
What I found most interesting about these college is what their students do when they leave. There is the option of getting an Associates Degree but most students do not take it. They go on to larger universities. 2/3 of their students get graduate degrees and over half of their students eventually get a doctorate.
The website is extremely plain. There is not much design to it. It seems to be there simply to supply information. Not visually appealing at all.
The website has a quiet simplicity that actually works well. I get that sense of isolation and the small college with a close knit, down to earth group of students.
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