Choosing a college to attend is incredibly difficult for anyone, but especially for those who are introverted. In many people’s minds, the “college experience” is going to parties, joining Greek life, and attending football games—settings that extroverts thrive in. However, if you’re more on the shy side, thinking of participating in these events might make you feel more nervous than excited. Forcing yourself to be someone you’re not at college will only make you uncomfortable, so you’ve come to the right place to find a college fit for your personality.
This article will cover:
- Both universities and colleges
- Locations in different states
- Schools with little emphasis on Greek life and/or sports
- Small student bodies
- Large campuses
- Specific programs to get yourself out there
- Warm, welcoming orientations
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore is in Pennsylvania, and the campus is over four hundred acres big. If you love nature, this campus has beautiful lawns for picnics, reading a book under a tree, or taking a walk to clear your mind on one of the hiking trails. Rather than being in the heart of a city, Swarthmore is much calmer in its park-like environment. It also has a relatively small student body of less than two thousand people. If being in large lecture halls makes you more likely to retreat to your shell, Swarthmore has a student to professor ratio of eight students to one professor. You’ll be in small classrooms where you get to know each one of your peers well over the course of the semester.
Image courtesy of Swarthmore College.
St. John’s University
Despite being in New York City, St. John’s has a large, serene campus that used to be a golf course. If you’re from the city but consider yourself to be a bit timid, Queens is lively without getting too overwhelming. The beauty of St. John’s is that there’s something for everyone. There’s a bunch of social gatherings like basketball games, Greek life, and clubs. However, the school does not revolve around sports or Greek life, so if going to games or rushing isn’t your thing, you won’t feel like an outsider. Also, the school has a huge commuter population, so if you generally enjoy hanging out but feel like your social battery is running low sometimes, you won’t be the only one coming and going from campus. New York in general is great for independent people because every place is walkable or accessible by subway or bus. If you don’t want to be stuck on campus, you just have to walk a bit to get an outlet at a nearby deli or park. It’s not unusual to be alone on campus or at the library because the culture of the school is not cliquey. The student body is just made up of friendly individuals who enjoy company, but also feel secure in doing their own thing.
Image courtesy of College Vine.
Vassar College
Vassar College has an average class size of only seventeen people, which is great if you’d prefer small groups over meeting a lot of new people at a time. It is in Poughkeepsie, New York with a lot of space solely dedicated to the campus—one thousand acres, to be exact. There are nearly two thousand five hundred students, but the school does not have any forms of Greek life. This can be good for introverted students because the student body does not rely on fraternities and sororities to serve as the main way to meet people. A school culture that is not attached to Greek life could be best for a shy student who prefers meeting people one on one and on their own terms, rather than at tailgates or through rushing.
Image courtesy of Vassar.
Drexel University
Drexel University has a unique program called Cooperative Education, which is based on giving students training and real life experience in their career field of choice. Sometimes taking part in job interviews and making connections can be incredibly scary if you typically take a while to open up. However, Drexel helps you get your foot in the door at a dream job and gives you the extra push with mock interviews during school. Dominique Shatkin, a Drexel student, wrote an article describing how her co-op program changed her life and showed her the meaning of community, despite her being a self-described loner.
This might sound like the last thing you want to do, but Drexel gives you a more comfortable transition period between college and professional work. It’s a lot easier to handle than being thrown into a job search for the first time after graduation. While it might be hard to stomach at first, Drexel will positively challenge shy students and leave them feeling much better about working alongside peers, meeting potential bosses, and establishing themselves in their career of choice.
Image courtesy of Drexel University.
Boston College
Boston College has a beautiful, calm campus and a professor to student ratio of one to ten. Plus, even before you start classes, Boston College helps you settle in. Moving away for college can be one of the hardest times of your life if you struggle around loads of new people. However, Boston College’s 48 Hour Weekend Experience allows incoming freshmen to listen to advice from upperclassmen. Not only will this ease a lot of stress about being a first year student away from home, but it will also give you an opportunity to meet some peers and gain some familiar faces before the first day of classes.
As hard as meeting new people might be for you, everyone else is also incredibly nervous and lost. Helping each other out and talking through your first few days of college together is one way you’ll make strong bonds at school. Boston College allows you the time and space to connect with other first year students through this unique weekend experience.
Image courtesy of Ivy Coach.
Tufts University
Tufts University has a unique initiation for first year students on their first night called the Illumination Ceremony, where freshmen light candles together on the school’s hill. This is a wholesome, low pressure way to meet your peers before classes start, and it is an easy way to gain a sense of community early on. Tufts’ love for its traditions is a huge binding force that brings its students together year after year. Other traditions include the Tufttonia’s Day carnival in the beginning of spring, painting the cannon throughout the year, the Spring Fling concerts in late spring, and taking photos at Bowen’s Gate anytime you want. Also, the majority of classes are less than twenty people, which naturally encourages a close knit environment between you and your classmates. Participating in small classes will also be easier than speaking in front of many people, so you will be more comfortable asking questions about material and making an impression on your professors.
Image courtesy of LinkedIn.
Amherst College
Amherst College has less than two thousand students and a seven to one student to teacher ratio. To top it off, over eighty percent of classes are made up of thirty or less students. This is perfect for introverts who thrive in small circles of people rather than large crowds. Also, for those who’d like a calm, empty campus rather than a loud, crowded one, Amherst is one thousand acres. The size is impressive, but especially when you take in the fact that five hundred acres out of the thousand make up a wildlife sanctuary. If being in nature calms you down, Amherst is perfect for you. It also has a good balance, with peace and quiet on campus and enthusiasm and spirit at events. They have several NCAA titles, many clubs, and students who usually dorm on campus. If you like big events but also like your space, you’ll have the best mix at Amherst College.
Image courtesy of Amherst College.
Those are our Colleges for Introverts!
Regardless of where you choose to apply to school and eventually attend, you’ll make the most out of it. This list may help guide you, but at the end of the day, there’s no one right choice on where to attend college. Trust your instincts, visit many campuses, and pick the school that resonates the most with you and your values. Good luck and have fun; this next chapter is full of great memories that you’re yet to experience and kind friends that can’t wait to meet you.
