Culver Academies - Review #16

The Culver Academies is a safe and nurturing environment for students to discover who they are and what they want to become. Culver not only allowed me to excel academically, but my involvement in many extracurricular activities taught me how balance my life. In addition, Culver allowed me to make life-long friendship that I still nurture to this day.

The best thing that happened to me at Culver was graduating with Honors in Science. I had to single-handedly conduct and present an independent study on the effects of hemispheric brain dominance on pitch discrimination. There were so many trials and tribulations that I had to overcome, but in the end when I presented my findings at Notre Dame and to the Culver Science department, I felt a great sense of accomplishment. This ability to work hard, and strive for distant goals has carried over into my career.

My best advice for someone going to boarding school is to get out and experience as much of the school as possible. You will eventually find what and who you like, but you can't do that sitting in your room/dorm all the time. Boarding school is like any other endeavor in your life, you only get out of it what you put in it.

Overall, I liked Culver's ability to develop a whole person - mind, body, and spirit. Their motto seems so cliche, but I feel like I would not have developed at the rapid pace I did, had Culver not prepared me the way they did. I would HIGHLY recommend this school to any family who wants their child to have a foundation in education, social ability, and leadership.

Make sure you actually walk around the whole campus. There are so many things to see! Also, visit the Shack!!! They have the best snack food.

The academics at Culver are taken very seriously. While at Culver, we were required to study from 7:30PM - 9:30PM Sunday through Thursday. I am thankful everyday for having this kind of structure in my life so young because when I went to college, I could impose a schedule on myself to ensure that I would make good grades and still be able to go out with friends. In addition, the professors at Culver really do go our of their way to make learning as easy and as fun as possible. Luckily, most of the professors live close to campus, and they are willing to meet any student at anytime to help with assignments. Through this process, I have gained life-long relationships with many of my professors.

The athletic program at Culver is a lot larger than I expected initially. In fact, many of the sports that are offered at Culver, I had never experienced before (i.e. Lacrosse and Polo.) During my tenure at Culver, I played volleyball and ice hockey. I could not have asked for anymore from these experiences. The athletic facilities are held to professional standards, and even though we are a private school, we still got to experience the fun of going on road trips and seeing other places.

During my tenure at Culver, I was heavily involved in the music program. I was a member and vice-president of the Chapel Choir, a member of the Trouvere Choir (Honors Choir), and I took private voice lessons. Chapel Choir practice was held almost everyday, and we performed at either Catholic or Protestant service. However, my most enjoyable experience was the opportunity to try-out and be a member of the Indiana State Choir. I feel like my experiences in the Culver Choirs, as well as private voice lessons, allowed me to perform at the state level.

I was heavily involved in extracurricular student organizations the last leadership rotation of my senior year. As a result of having the Dorm Chair position, I was a member of the Culver Girls Academy Council (Council that governs CGA), the Common Council (Council that govern CGA and CMA), and I had weekly meetings with the Dean of Girls for CGA. At Culver, the faculty do merely oversee the day to day running and decision making process of the students as they govern their own school.

I loved dorm life at Culver! As many people know, living with another person is not always easy, but dorm life taught me how to be more responsible, patient, and empathetic. Dorm inspections were done daily by the Resident Assistant. We had to make sure that our bed was made, clothes were off the floor, and the room was in general order. Also, I decided to do my own laundry, which many other girls did as well. Just a little side story, but I remember that I did not get along with my Resident Assistant when I first arrived at Culver, but we had become so close by the time I graduated that I cried when I had to leave her!

The dining hall at Culver was not only beautiful, but they made pretty good food. I think my favorite part of the dining experience was getting variety. Toward the end of my tenure at Culver, the dining hall was becoming very health conscious. In fact, they took out the soda machines, and made a conscious effort to make food with better nutritional value. In addition, the dining hall made an effort to accommodate all the students different schedules. For example, my hockey practice time could be anytime between 4PM and 9PM. The dining hall always made sure that we were taken care of, even if it meant making boxed dinners and delivering them to us.

The town of Culver is a small, safe town to visit. To go to town, the students walk a trail from the campus to the main road. There is a movie theatre (that plays one movie a week,) many restaurants, and few places to shop. The most gratifying part about going to town is that it is a privilege. Your class, academic standing, and disciplinary standing, determine how many times a week a student is allowed to go to town.

The social life at Culver was enjoyable. The school sponsored events that the students could attend (i.e. concerts, dances, Friday night athletic games.) Although, the school is located in a small town, there always seemed like there was something to do. Like I said before, Culver is where I made my life-long friendships, and I am sure that the social life Culver provided my with that opportunity.