I recently visited Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina, where I toured campus and spoke with the admissions office about the latest trends in admissions. Here are some takeaways from my visit:

· Guilford College is a small liberal arts college of just under 1,200 students only eight minutes from downtown Greensboro in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. More liberal than many of its peers, Guilford was founded as a Quaker school and maintains a Quaker ethos of social justice, inclusion, equity and consensus making. The college once hosted a station on the Underground Railroad.

· With just under 300,000 people, Greensboro is the third-largest city in North Carolina, about 90 minutes from Charlotte, 2 hours from the mountains and 3 hours from the beach. Despite its proximity to downtown, Guilford’s campus features 200 acres of wooded area with walking trails and a lake.

· Guilford was one of the original “Colleges That Change Lives” and is known for fostering transformative student experiences. The average class size is 13, and faculty and staff are deeply invested in students. Advisors meet with freshmen once a month to track their progress. Faculty and administration – including the college president – go by first names. Students choose from 41 majors and may also enroll in courses at seven neighboring colleges that make up the Greater Greensboro Consortium. All students must intern or complete a professional development experience.

· A strong sense of campus community is fostered by housing that’s guaranteed for four years, with 85% of students remaining on campus for the duration of their degree. 70% of students come from North Carolina, with most out-of-state students come from neighboring Southern states (although around 10% of students come from the Northeast).

· Notable majors include Sustainable Food Systems, Cyber and Network Security, Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies and Sports Management (students often intern at the ACC’s headquarters in Greensboro).

· 37% of students are athletes, and athletic events on campus are popular. Campus life is very active on weekends. Students also spend extensive time in service-related activities, working to make the world a better place.