Spotlight on Arcadia University

About 25 minutes north of Center City Philadelphia, travellers are often surprised to see a massive stone castle dominating the landscape. This is Grey Towers Castle, a historic landmark and part of Arcadia University in Glenside, Pennsylvania. Arcadia has several strong Masters and Ph.D. programs, but the school's primary focus is undergraduate education. Indeed, both Arcadia's size and curriculum give it the feeling of a small liberal arts college. The university is proud of its 13 to 1 student / faculty ratio and its average class size of 16.

Arcadia University (named Beaver College until 2001) has a national reputation for its excellence in study abroad. Nearly all Arcadia students study abroad, and the University has a long history of organizing study abroad opportunities for other colleges. The Center for Education Abroad runs programs in Australia, China, England, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Scotland, South Korea, Spain or Wales. Even select first-semester first-year students can take a semester abroad in England, Scotland, or Ireland.

Arcadia University was recommended for a spotlight in the College Admissions Forum by Jane, an alumna of Arcadia. You can read her description of her alma mater and share your own impressions here in the Arcadia University discussion thread. Also feel free to make your own recommendations for future college spotlights.