Reed means being smart. Smart, in the biggest, most complicated, inspiring, and open sense of the word. Smart in the sense of taking risks, of seeking challenges, and of seeing in any answer an infinite array of more interesting questions. Smart in taking nothing for granted, and asking every day,
| Overall Score (about) | 96.8 |
| Total Cost On-Campus Attendance | $73,207 |
| Admission Success rate | N/A |
| ACT / SAT 75%ile scores | 33 / 1520 |
| Student Ratio Students-to-Faculty | 9 : 1 |
| Retention (full-time / part-time) | 88% / 75% |
| Enrollment Total (all students) | 1,503 |
Legends abound as to the amount and the difficulty of the work at Reed. Some have used the metaphor of boot camp. Those less militaristic and more existential have offered the myth of Sisyphus. Don
For more than ten years now, Reed has openly refused to participate in annual college rankings, a fact that captures the college
The best colleges and universities tend to be very expensive, and Reed is no exception to that rule. At the same time, the college is extremely committed to making its education accessible to students from all economic backgrounds. To do this, Reed offers entirely needbased financial aid that covers tuition, room, board, college fees, and other related expenses, and will meet one hundred percent of the demonstrated financial need of all accepted students. Need is determined by the Financial Aid Office using information from the FAFSA and Profile forms. Over half of current students receive aid, which is composed primarily of grants; it also includes loans and, in addition, gives students the opportunity to use any campus job toward their small work-study contribution. The average aid package is well over $30,000. Another benefit of being a small school, Reed
Reedies
Playing sports at Reed means having fun more than anything else. A few competitive teams exist, most notably the very successful female rugby team, along with Ultimate Frisbee, basketball, and squash. While there certainly isn
Following the spring semester thesis parade, the entire Reed campus celebrates a weekend-long festival known as Renn Fayre. Inspired by the fairs of the European Renaissance, current Reedies transform the entire campus with decorations and continuous activities. Rooms are entirely filled with balloons for your romping pleasure, teams vie to win the softball tournament, and bands play day and night in the student union. Each year, Glo-Opera presents an after-dark performance animated entirely with glow-sticks, a humorous skit that creatively adapts in Reed spirit stories such as Calvin and Hobbes, Where the Wild Things Are, or Harold and the Purple Crayon. Creativity and imagination reign as Reedies pay tribute to the best of a modern Rabelaisian spirit.
One of the greenest, most vibrant, and livable cities in the country, Portland provides an exceptional backdrop to the experience at Reed. The college itself is located in a residential area about five miles from the city center. Downtown, along with the many great neighborhoods around the city, can easily be reached by public transportation. The city has also won awards for being one of the most bicycle-friendly in the world. Opportunities for cultural and artistic activities abound, from opera to Indy-rock, along with an almost endless number of great, inexpensive restaurants. Beyond the city, you can be skiing at Mt. Hood in about two hours, where the college has a cabin that
Reed graduates take on the world with the same intellectual, creative, and open-minded energy that defined their undergraduate education. Success for Reedies means finding satisfaction and fulfillment in the challenges of the world, and little judgment exists as to whether that ought to mean starting your own organic farm, becoming a professor, or making your way in the marketplace. While there are no business or preprofessional programs on campus, many alumni have made successful careers in business, law, and medicine. Nearly ten percent of alumni are practicing artists or have direct involvement in the arts. A large contingent of graduates work for nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations, from international agencies such as the United Nations to smaller community-driven efforts. Most often, Reedies pursue careers in education at all levels and in any manner of ways.
Almost three years after finishing Reed, I am still struck by how transformative an experience I enjoyed while in college. The amount of possibilities I see in the world, the amazing diversity of friends I made who have found such interesting paths to follow, make me realize exactly how Reed empowers your education. The personal rewards of independent thinking, of being critically aware, provide a bridge between the academic and the practical, the theoretical and the everyday. That bridge isn
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