“Serious. Quirky. Rigorous. Laid back. Classical. Liberal. College guides grapple to define the Reed College experience, but they all tend to agree on two points: Reed is one of the most distinctive colleges in the nation and it is not for everyone.”
That is a quote from Reed College itself describing the college. Located in a residential area of Portland, Oregon, Reed’s well maintained campus comprises approximately 100 acres of wooded property divided by a canyon.
Reed ranks among the top 3 colleges in the country in the percentage of students that go on to earn a PhD. They also have very strong placement of their students in medical and law programs around the country.
Reed is often mentioned in the popular press as the school that has refused to participate in the U.S. News college ratings issue. When U.S. News first rated colleges Reed was rated one of the top 10 colleges in the country. However, in 1995 Reed stopped providing information to the magazine in part because of concerns on the methodology used. The results from the magazine were swift. In the year following their refusal to provide information, the magazine rated Reed in the lowest tier of colleges. Despite such treatment, Reed has continued to refuse to provide information requested by the magazine even though they provide a great deal of information about Reed on their institutional research page.
Reed is a college with a very strong personality that is not for everyone. But for the student seeking not only strong academics but also other students who are focused on getting the most out of their education, Reed can be a great choice.
For more information about Reed College, check their admissions website.