Depauw University
Depauw University creates a supportive, insulated community for students in the rural, small town of Greencastle, Indiana. Every student must live on campus, whether in a traditional residence hall, Greek house or on-campus apartment. Freshmen ease into college with the help of the Depauw Mentor Program, which assigns an upperclassman to guide a group of first-year students. Students with a specific career path in mind can enroll in the Management Fellows, Media Fellows or Science Research Fellows programs, which pair academics with semester-long internships and series of speakers. Depauw also has an Information Technology Associates Program for computer-minded students who wish to balance a liberal arts education with hands-on, paid technology work throughout campus.Depauw, which is affiliated with the United Methodist Church, operates on a schedule of two regular semesters and a four-week winter term, during which students can complete short internships, trips abroad or on-campus coursework. After class, students can get involved in more than 100 student organizations, and nearly 70 percent participate in Greek life. The Greek system, which has about 25 fraternities and sororities, has existed since 1845. The Depauw Tigers compete in the NCAA Division III North Coast Athletic Conference and share a longtime football rivalry with Wabash College. For a break from Greencastle, major cities like Indianapolis and Bloomington are less than an hour's drive away.Depauw has an on-campus Nature Park, where students can hike 10 miles of trails, catch a show in the outdoor amphitheater or perform ecological research. The Nature Park is also home to the Prindle Institute for Ethics, where students, faculty and visiting scholars can debate moral decisions in a serene setting. Notable alumni include Fox News anchor Bret Baier and former Vice President Dan Quayle.