HSU Insider

HSU Named a "Best in the West" University

• By Janlyn Echols Thaxton
• Posted July 30, 2009 9:21 AM
• 0 Comments

The Princeton Review says HSU one of "2010 Best Colleges" in Region by Region Report

Hardin-Simmons University is one of the best colleges and universities in the West according to The Princeton Review. The education services company selected the school as one of 123 institutions it recommends in its "Best in the West" section on its website feature 2010 Best Colleges: Region by Region that posted July 27, 2009.

Says Robert Franek, Princeton Review's V.P., Publishing, "We chose Hardin-Simmons and the other terrific schools we recommend as our 'regional best' colleges primarily for the excellent academic programs. We also work to have our roster of 'regional best' colleges feature a range of institutions by size, selectivity, character and locale. We choose the schools based on institutional data we collect from several hundred schools in each region, our visits to schools over the years, and the opinions of independent and high school-based college advisors whose recommendations we invite. We also take into account what each school's customers - their students - report to us about their campus experiences on our 80-question student survey."

The 123 colleges The Princeton Review chose for this year's "Best in the West" designations are located in fifteen states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming, The Princeton Review also designated 218 colleges in the Northeast, 141 in the Southeast, and 158 in the Midwest as best in their locales on the company's 2010 Best Colleges: Region by Region section on its site. The 640 colleges named "regional best(s)" represent only about 25% (one out of four) of the nation's 2,500 four-year colleges.

The Princeton Review does not rank the colleges in its 2010 Best Colleges Region by Region website section. The Princeton Review survey for this project asks students to rate their own schools on several issues -- from the accessibility of their professors to quality of the campus food -- and answer questions about themselves, their fellow students, and their campus life.

"Life at Hardin-Simmons is pretty easygoing," observes a junior on the 80-question survey. The report also says of HSU, "Despite the emphasis on religion, students tell us that belief in God 'is not shoved down anyone's throat.' Athletics are also really big. The football team in particular has a storied tradition. Mostly, goofy fun abounds, 'like bringing pillows and sleeping bags out to the campus lawn and watching movies.'"

"The theology and ministry programs are tremendous. Offerings in music, education, physical therapy, and the hard sciences are reportedly excellent as well."

"The school's administration and professors work hard to be available to students," boasts a psychology major. "Financial aid is ample and the 'HSU Commitment' is definitely worth noting." As long as you stay enrolled for consecutive semesters, and don't flunk, Hardin-Simmons guarantees that your tuition will not increase.

"The classes are the perfect size," says one undergrad. "I love that the professors know my name," adds a sophomore.

The report also says, "'HSU is friendly towards homeschoolers,' according to one sophomore, 'that's a big reason I applied and came here.' On the whole, these students identify themselves as 'very religious' and 'fairly conservative.' Most of the kids here are 'friendly, normal students who hold open doors and say hello.' They are like typical students elsewhere, only minus the rampant partying."

The Princeton Review www.PrincetonReview.com is known for its tutoring and classroom test preparation courses, books, and college and graduate school admission services. Its corporate headquarters is in Framingham, MA, and editorial offices are in New York City. It is not affiliated with Princeton University.