Culver Academies - Review #11

I found Culver to be unique, in comparison to other boarding schools, for two main reasons: the Academy's setting and the emphasis placed on individual growth as a leader in one's community. Foremost, Culver's setting is spectacular. At first I was skeptical of the experiences I could partake in attending a school in rural Indiana. However, I was soon proven wrong. Culver is located on Lake Maxinkuckee, which is beautiful all year long and also offers students unparalleled opportunities to learn aquatic sports that are not available at other institutions. The campus, golf course, and woods surrounding Culver are great for running, walking, and are utilized by Culver's many sports teams. Furthermore, a true community sense is created not just on campus but abroad, as Academy is closely linked to the quaint town of Culver and the surrounding county. The second unique aspect of Culver is its emphasis on leadership. The classes all students take and participation in the leadership system teaches students how to foster their own individual gifts to become better leaders not only at Culver but beyond. I can personally attest to the improvements Culver made on my own leadership skills which have greatly aided me in my life after graduation.

Now as a student in college I can fully appreciate the experience Culver gave me. Reflecting on my time at Culver, the best part of it was the relationships I made there. There is an unparalleled sense of community at Culver, not just among students but also professors. Some of my closest friends today are my classmates, dormmates, and teammates.

The best advice I could give about Culver is to get involved as quickly as you can. The great thing about the Culver is that you do not have to be an athlete to be apart of a team or group of people. There are a wide range of intramural sports to participate in, academic clubs, and religious groups to become members of. The sooner you become involved the closer you become with your peers.

The best part about Culver is the relationships you make during your time there. Without experiencing it, it is extremely hard to describe. As a Culver student you will meet incredible individuals in the classroom, dorm, and athletic field who will change your life and help you grow as an individual.

Visit the Coffee Company on the main drag in the town of Culver. Its a great place to grab a muffin, scone, or cup of hot chocolate/coffee any time of the year!

The academics at Culver are certainly rigorous. However, I never found the course load to be overly demanding. As you move through Culver from your freshmen to Senior year there are more expectations placed on you as a student, but the professors do an excellent job of preparing you to meet those future expectations. Every class I took at Culver was engaging and seemed to find new and exciting ways to teach the material. I believe this directly relates the the background diversity of the professors and their unique abilities to teach. Every professor I had was committed to my success and learning as a student. I enjoyed attending classes and was fully prepared for the expectations of college academics.

I was highly involved with athletics at Culver. From my experience, the coaching staff at Culver is knowledgeable, committed, and caring. Culver has fostered a fantastic camaraderie behind all sports competitions and places great esteem on athletic success. The athletic facilities at Culver are some of the best I have encountered. In particular, the fitness center, which as been recently renovated offers students a wide range of cardio and weight equipment even if you are not a member of an athletic team. Furthermore, the athletic training staff is highly qualified and is committed to keeping Culver's athletes healthy and competing.

Culver's commitment to the arts is certainly exemplified by its renovations to a new visual art, performance, and music facility. Its theatre program is highly impressive and hosts several productions for students to attend during the school year. In addition, Culver funds a concert series that consists of five or six show put on by outside productions for students to attend.

Culver has a wide range of clubs and activities for students to get involved in. Every aspect of life is represented at Culver through these various activities. Some examples include: spring break missions trips to various countries, equestrian programs, religious groups, and cultural diversity clubs. By virtue of the ethnic, religious, and background diversity of its student's, the activities available offers all students something that applies to their personal interests.

As for the girls' side of dorm life, I had a fantastic experience as a student of Culver. Each girls dorm consists of roughly fifty girls, a live in Residential Assistant (known by many girls as their "dorm mom"), and a dorm councilor. The adults present in the dorms are approachable and often take the role of family figures for many of the girls. As for the members of the dorm, they often become your closest friends at Culver because of the activities you participate in with them. In this sense, dorms at Culver are very united and evolve into close family cohesions. Sophomore year and beyond and Culver students have the option of choosing their roommate(s) and room for the following year.

The dining hall at Culver does an superb job of various food options. Each meal has a hotline, diverse salad bar, pasta bar, and array of soups and sandwiches. Although it may not be home cooking, the quality of food at Culver is quite good.

The town of Culver is quite small, but does offer students great restaurant and cafe choices. Most students take advantage of this opportunity by eating in town with their friends on the weekend or grabbing a quick coffee on their way back from CVS. There are not any clothing shop options at Culver, but the Academies provides transportation on selected weekends to larger towns outside of Culver for students to sign up for shopping trips.

Most socializations on the week days takes place within the dorms themselves or during dinner time. However, during the weekends students hang out in the day and evening on campus with friends. There is a curfew for all students to be on campus and a second curfew for all students to return to their dorms. This curfew is strictly enforced.