Antioch College — Local services in Miami Township

I applied (sight unseen) to Antioch College, because I was attracted to their Co-Op educational structure, it's small but not tiny size (not like it is now) and it's EXTREMELY picturesque campus. Back when I applied to Antioch in 1992, the college still had about 1,000 students; and all the bucolic charm a rural campus should have.

I had my interview with an Antioch alum in upstate NY (I'm from NYC), and I was accepted. I turned Antioch down in favor of Hampshire College in Amherst, MA (which was much closer to home for me) and was a larger college than Antioch was -- at 1,400 students.

Hampshire also had the Five College consortium around it (as well as an actual Film Program which Antioch did NOT have back at that time), so there were absolutely more resources and cultural and educational opportunities for me in Massachusetts than there were in Ohio.

During my first year at Hampshire, I met an Antioch transfer student who had left Antioch and transferred to Hampshire BECAUSE of Antioch's smallness and geographical isolation. She was from Yellow Springs (had grown up there), and so, she wanted a change, with more resources and more opportunities in a less isolated place; making me happy I'd had the foresight to choose Hampshire instead.

Went on a cross-country roadtrip out to Oregon and Washington state after my first year at Hampshire, and stopped in Yellow Springs to visit my friend and to tour the Antioch campus (finally!). Well, the campus IS beautiful, but it is very, VERY TINY. I had NO idea how TINY, and Yellow Springs, while a cute and charming liberal town is DEFINITELY isolated and extremely rural. At least the Amherst/Northampton area was within close proximity to Albany, Boston, Springfield, Providence, Hartford and NYC. Dayton isn't exactly what I'd call a bustling metropolis, but it DOES have the nearest airport. Comparatively, Hampshire wasn't isolated, AT ALL.

Whereas, Antioch REALLY is. I don't regret applying and getting accepted to Antioch, BUT, I probably wouldn't have ended up going (especially if I'd visited before attending) there due to those issues. Loved the whole Co-Op aspect of Antioch's educational structure though (which Hampshire didn't have), and that no doubt gets students off that campus and into the larger work world, which I liked as an academic component.

However, with a campus as TINY and isolated as Antioch's, (and with a town like Yellow Springs with such limited opportunities), you'd HAVE to leave just to get some real-world work experience. For myself as an urban student, there were certain extremely specific things I was looking for in a college, and Antioch ended up not meeting my needs.

Initially when I applied to colleges, Antioch was in my top five, behind Hampshire. Emerson, Sarah Lawrence and Reed. Of course, after finally visiting, I think it probably would have fallen to maybe sixth place for me after Bennington, but still ahead of Marlboro and Goddard. Vermont (like Ohio), has some VERY isolated college campuses also. Antioch at least still got my application.

I had to rule Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio out COMPLETELY, also because of how utterly isolated it was (even more so than Antioch) in the TINY hamlet of Gambier. Oberlin was my third Ohio college application choice, but I only got waitlisted there because it's as hard to get into as NYU, Amherst, Williams or Carnegie Mellon and is considered a...

I grew up in Yellow Springs, and have always admired Antioch and its progressive approach to education. Students there are forward-thinking and eager to engage with the community. I have attended many lectures and group meetings over the years and went to many events/performances and shows there, and have interacted with countless people associated with the college. Lots of very interesting people.

The school is known for its progressive approach, which is fantastic. It was on the front-lines for the Civil Rights movement, LGBT rights, and women's rights over the years, and I do hope it continues to push onward in regards to those issues. It also has always provided a great education to its students.

The world needs schools like Antioch, as it has a reputation for transforming lives, as evidenced by the very positive feedback it has received over the years from alumni. They love their school and you can tell they are devoted to what they have gained over the years.

The college has a progressive lean to it, which is a great thing and something I've always been on board with. I love the school and the students and wish it nothing but the best...

Antioch College changed my life. I grew up and went to high school in a tiny village in the upper Midwest and felt stifled by the lack of freedom and open mindedness. Antioch College and Yellow Springs are beacons of light and social justice in mid America. At Antioch College you are treated like an adult and encouraged to pursue your ideas and dreams. I grew up very poor and thought I had limited options for my future. At Antioch College I thrived and was grateful for the freedom to pursue my ideas and dreams. Since I graduated in 1986 I had an extremely succesful career in science and have succeeded beyond my wildest dreams. However, if you decide on Antioch College for your education know beforehand that you won't be subject to a lot of hand holding and rigid ideology and rules. You will make of it what you put into it. The coop program was outstanding. I've seen the world and have become wealthy both financially and in life...