Culver Academies - Review #8

One unique aspect of Culver is the fantastic leadership program. The academics and athletics are great, but the leadership is what sets Culver apart from other schools. The boys' leadership system is military while the girls' is based off of the English prefect system. This allows an equal chance for both sides to become heavily involved in their school. From their freshman year, each student starts mandatory leadership training. This involves everything from conflict resolution to time management skills. As the student progress, leadership positions are available to them in later years. Some are run for while other are decided by faculty and staff. Almost every student is involved in some leadership role as an upperclassmen and regardless of the position, valuable lessons are learned.

At Culver, I really grew as I person. I was always shy and very quiet growing up which would at times damage me. The humanities courses at Culver focus much on Harkness discussions in which part of your grade is having a discussion with your classmates on a book or a certain topic. I at first was very intimidated by these, but by the middle of my sophomore year I was one of the greatest speakers in the class. Building up this confidence in my public speaking transferred to my leadership roles and helped me in becoming captain of the track team and Dorm Chair, the highest leadership position in my dorm. I don't think I ever would have broken out of my shell if it wasn't for Culver.

If I could do anything differently, I would join more clubs. I signed up for a bunch initially, but never really got involved because I thought I should focus more on athletics. However, my senior year I joined Stamp Club and had a blast. We only met once a month, but we would just have dinner then discuss and look through different stamps. It was an interest I thought I never had and ended up being something I truly looked forward to.

What I appreciate about Culver is the community feeling to it. Twenty years later, if I see a classmate who I was not even friends with I wouldn't hesitate to go up to them and start a conversation. I love when people see me wearing a Culver sweatshirt random places and having people come up to me saying their cousin or friend went there. It is truly a connection that you never lose.

When visiting the school, make sure to check out the view from the lake at the library! It is completely gorgeous. Also if you're looking to eat off campus and enjoy pizza, Papa's is delicious.

The academics are challenging, but worth while. There are many different classes to chose from, including AP, so you can find many interesting areas of study. The environment is competitive, but students want each other to do well and push each other to succeed. This is similar with the professors as they are able to discern your potential and they then expect that from you. This means that the work load is difficult, but not impossible. Many hours will need to be spend studying, but Culver gives you the skills in order to manage class, athletics, and any other activities.

Athletics are not mandatory, but if you are not involved in a sport you have to be involved in some sort of intramural program. A great many sports are available and many students end up trying new ones such as fencing, crew, or rugby. The majority of sports teams are very competitive with other schools and even those that aren't still have great camaraderie. The fitness facilities are excellent and there are always great options to work out, including different classes, even if you are not in a sport. The coaching staff is positive and makes a great impact. They help build athletes into team into the greatest the can possibly become.

The facilities are fantastic and the teachers are helpful. You can find many different classes with varying levels of skills. Students are required to have a certain number of art credits so most end up getting to learn new skills as they take ceramics, photography, dance, orchestra, or any other course. The artistic community expands to a great portion of the student body than one would think and many are involved in the arts throughout their time at Culver. They can be seen supporting each other as their work is displayed at the Culver Coffee Company or other venues. Culver believes that art is an important part of society and wants every student to be exposed to it. This is shown by the various Concert Series that are required and the opportunities to go on trips such as Culture in Chicago.

There are endless extracurricular opportunities available. You can be involved in yearbook, Relay for Life, Green Club, Stamp Club, Quiz Bowl, Speech, and if there is not something already in existence that you would like to see, you can start it. On unique offering is the equestrian program. Culver has a stable on campus and you can be involved in various different groups such as the jump team or polo. Students with out any experience can also take an equine class to learn how to ride.

The room set-up is you normal dorm room. Most rooms are doubles with a few triples and singles. Each student has a bed, wardrobe, and desk with a chair. Late night food is available at the Shack on campus and can be ordered from numerous delivery services off campus such as Papa's. The room selection process is done in order of grade level and standing. Seniors with the leadership positions get first pick and it goes from there. Some people do not chose their dorm coming in (especially girls), but it is easy to make a request if you have a specific one. For girls, there is Atrium, Ciel, Court, Tower, Ithika, Linden, and Benson. For boys, there is Battery, Company, Troop, and Band. Transferring dorms or roommates is an easy process if there is any issues.

The dining hall hours are restricted to those around meal times and vary from the weekdays to weekends. The dining hall has long tables that the students sit at and up to three different lines to get meals. There is also up to two serve-your-self salad lines that are set up. There is no assigned seating. The food is generally good and even as a picky eater, you can always find something. There are at least two or three different main hot options with salad and sandwiches also available. There is also a vegetarian line that is always available. The food is not the same every day or every week, but there is enough repeating that students develop personal favorites. There are also different themes such as a Thanksgiving dinner or a New Orleans themed dinner to serve different types of food.

Culver is a quaint town. Students often visit the various restaurants off of campus and there is a delicious selection. There is also a CVS and a grocery store within walking distance if students need different supplies. The walk along the lake is beautiful and many students will just grab a drink at Culver Coffee Company and sit at the park by the lake.

The social life at Culver really brings students together. Students don't have cars so most weekends are spent on campus together. There are always movies or other campus activities on campus which are fun to attend, but some of the best memories are made just playing pool at the Shack or being with your friends on Beason (a senior only house). Students also are really involved in supporting athletics and will always be cheering together at hockey or basketball games.