Visited April 8, 2013.
Part of Cows tour. Ripon is a college that is known for its lack of pretension. The new president is very impressive; he went to Bowdoin, Johns Hopkins and NYU.
Admissions information: 30% are from Wisconsin. Many students are first generation college students. The admissions head graduated in 2002 from Lehigh. They offer a great deal of money. Scholarships start at $10,000 up. Student is invited to compete for Pickert scholarship if he/she has 3.8 gpa and 28 ACT. Rolling admissions begin September 15. There is a two-week turn around when student hears decision. They will offer fly-in visits for scholarships or accepted students day. Average profile — 3.4 GPA and 24 ACT.
Academics: Strong biology program. Long history of communication and forensics. The history department is excellent.
Ripon is starting a $50 million campaign that has just gone public. They are planning to upgrade infrastructure. They will build new athletic facility and redo science building.
This is a very isolated campus that is literally in the middle of the prairie. Athletics are very weak. They do have a mountain biking team.
This is an excellent college for a student looking for a small, supportive environment. There is nothing fancy about Ripon!