Info for Parents on University of Redlands, CA

Parents of college-bound students may find that the University of Redlands is a school full of surprises. The university itself beams like an oasis in San Bernadino County. Its 160 acre tree-lined campus is beautiful and clean, and home to about 3300 undergraduate students. The private liberal arts college offers over 40 undergraduate programs throught their College of Arts and Sciences and School of Business, as well as over 10 graduate programs. Undergraduate students are also able to write their own major through the Johnston Center for Integrative Studies. The University's goal is create "lifetime learners" and seeks to encourage students to think for themselves and foster deep relationships with their peers, professors and others as part of their commitment to learning.

• Estimated Annual Tuition, Fees, Housing, Books costs : $53,532
• Most Popular Majors: Business, Psychology, Liberal Studies
• Acceptance Rate: 64.8%
• Percentage Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid Based on Need: 88%
• Ranking (by US News Rankings, Regional Universities West): 11
• Average Class Size: 19
• Number of Campus Social Groups and Clubs: 120

Parents are of course concerned about helping their student make the transition from high school to college. One of the benefits of going to a private university is that there are usually a number of services available to help with that transition. The University of Redlands provides students with many services, and are extremely motivated when it comes to ensuring that students are successful in their college lives, that they have every opportunity to graduate in four years, and that when they do graduate, that they will have the knowledge and skills necessary to translate their degree into a career. Here are just some of the things that the University of Redlands has to offer that might be of particular interest to parents:

1. Free tutoring is available to all students. Tutoring in every subject is offered at the Academic Success Center. Some departments, such as the math department, also offers tutoring. Students need to be proactive and be willing to ask for help, however, which is sometimes hard to do. Parents who know that their student will likely need extra help, especially in the transition freshman year can encourage their student to request tutoring help right away, before getting behind in a class.

2. Career services are offered. Parents may be relieved to know that 70% of students graduate with a job or are actively seeking a job. The university offers career counseling through the Career Services center. They also host on-campus job fairs and can assist with internships. Students can take advantage of a unique May Term course that helps students prepare for "the real world." Parents may find that their student is more receptive to learning about budgeting, dealing with rental and car-buying contracts, and resume-writing when it is taught in a class and not coming directly from the parent.

3. The dorms range from traditional to themed. And the kids are really nice, too. Each dorm operates like a little community, with quiet study area, lounge, laundry room and community kitchen. Williams Hall is for first-year students. There is one all-female dorm, Grossmont, for 122 women. Most of the dorms are co-ed, and some have special floors for students that share an interest. Anderson, for example, has a floor for music students. Fairmont, with 66 students, hosts a community of students interested in social activism, and Merriam's community theme is green living and environmental awareness. Parents should know that incoming freshman are required to live on campus unless they are living at home or are already married. Rooms are assigned based upon information from the Student Life Application for housing. Parents should have their students fill this out themselves.

4. The food is really good. The cost of the meal plan may seem high compared to other schools, but the value is really quite good. Food service is by Bon Appetit, and most food is made from scratch. Fish is wild-caught, eggs are from free-range hens, and meats are unadulterated by bovine growth hormones. When it comes to student meal plans, parents need to know two things, the first being that the meal plan is required for students living in the dorms; second, when parents purchase a meal plan, their student is given "dining dollars" which are encoded onto the student ID card. The card is swiped each time the student buys food, and the cost is deducted from their dining dollars balance. Parents don't have a view into how much is remaining in their student's dining dollars account, so it's important to have the student keep track.

5. Your student doesn't need a car.The university offers a free shuttle service to take students around the campus, and offers a low-cost shuttle to take them off campus. The off-campus shuttle service goes to shopping centers, the theaters and other locations around Redlands. Currently, the university's Public Safety office also operates a free airport shuttle to and from Ontario airport at certain times during the school year. If you feel your student must have a car, for example, to get to and from work off-campus, parking is free and convenient to the dorms.

The University of Redlands is well-known for several of its programs, such as their master's degree program in geographic information systems (GIS,) School of Business, and School of Music. One of the benefits of attending this small private school is that students get much more attention than they would if they went to a large state college or university. With an average of 19 students per class, parents can rest assured that if their student will have every opportunity for a personal and high-quality learning experience.