Academics
A small, Christian college located within the heart of Kansas, Sterling offers an intimate educational environment. Undergrads applaud the fact that “the professors and administration actually take the time to get to know you.” Importantly, professors “know each and every student as individuals and…want all of them to succeed.” The majority are also “always available through e-mail and by phone,” and “some even have students over for dinner or club activities.” The “school administration has gone through an extensive amount of change over the last three years,” acquiring a new president along with a number of new deans. While some regard the changes as compromising “the excellent community and heritage of the college,” others have a more positive outlook. As one junior asserts, “Sterling is…weeding out the bad, keeping the good, and striving for the best.” And an optimistic senior concludes “within the next 10 years, Sterling will be [an] even better place.”
Student Body
The “faith oriented” students of Sterling College are a passionate and busy lot. Indeed, by their own admission they are “overcommitted and over-involved.” This is understandable given that “as a small school, it’s easy for everyone to be a part of something.” However, one senior does admit that “at Sterling there are two major groups: student athletes and…artists/intellectuals.” Fortunately the “students accept each other very well,” and “everybody fits in here somewhere.” Undergrads tend to agree that the typical Sterling student is “white, from Kansas, and from a Christian background.” Nonetheless, another senior assures us that “for the most part, there aren’t students who are so conservative that they refuse to befriend someone who is not a Christian.” Importantly, the student body is “extremely friendly,” and “there is little conflict.” This sentiment is best underscored by a sophomore who shares “everyone on campus is like a brother [or] a sister.”
Campus Life
The college is located in “beautiful” Sterling, Kansas, “a small town in the middle of nowhere.” Though it possesses a “picturesque downtown,” Sterling doesn’t provide much in the way of entertainment. Of course, that’s just fine for this “community-oriented campus.” Undergrads can partake in the normal gamut of activities such as “movie night, bingo, pool, ping pong, [and] intramurals.” These enterprising students also “make our own fun.” As one junior reveals, “We have a slip ’n’ slide in the basement.” Another popular activity is “campus golf—golfing with a tennis ball around campus”—but be careful, we’re told “it’s intense.” When students are anxious to get off campus, they often head to Hutchinson “about 30 miles away.” Hutchinson offers “movie theaters and basic shopping (like Target and Wal-Mart).” Those students anxious for a longer road trip can visit Wichita “about 70 miles away.” Among Wichita’s many attractions are a “symphony, opera, semi-pro baseball, [and] a variety of restaurants.”
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