My Best Advice to an Incoming Freshman from a Hope College Senior

From a Hope College Senior writing to an incoming Freshman, this is my best advice for you:  Fight the urge to compare yourself to other freshmen. Every upperclassman I know can recall a moment when they called their mom on the phone and said or felt some version of, “It just feels like everyone else …

The Reality of Campus Visits

I love Anchor Days–the sea of visiting students who can’t quite figure out the least awkward way to hold their bright orange folders and the parents buzzing with excitement, pride, and nostalgia, all while simultaneously feeling directionally challenged and overstimulated. I love visit days, not just because of the extra energy at chapel or the …

Living Away From Home

In my four years at Hope, I have met only a handful of people that are more obsessed with their hometown than I am. I’ve been more and more aware lately of how early in my first conversation with someone I tell them, “I’m from Petoskey!” The love I have for the little laketown I …

Dear Parent of an Incoming Freshman

Dear Parent of an Incoming Freshman,  Whether you’re on your tenth college visit or you’re on your very first one, I’m confident you’re rolling through a number of emotions–the excitement for your son or daughter to undertake new adventures of their own, a slight awkwardness realizing that you feel older than you hoped to feel …

Senior Experiences

Whenever I see visiting students walking around campus or in chapel, I always make an effort to welcome them or help them with directions, etc. I remember my visit days oh too well–trying to mask how freaked out I was, unsure about how to hold the massive orange folder on my campus tour, and sitting …

Transformed By Hope

As I approach my last semester at Hope College, I have spent more and more time thinking about my experiences at Hope, what I’ve learned in my classes, and what I’ve learned about life. The other day I was at chapel and the speaker said, “Guys, I don’t know if you’ve realized this, but college …

Looking Back on my Faith at Hope

I distinctly remember my first class at Hope College. Dean Frost, my professor for my Freshman Year Seminar said, “What you seek to find at Hope, you will find.” He elaborated that if you seek to further your faith, you will have the opportunity to do so. If you want nothing to do with a …

Working as a College Student

As an incoming Freshman, I knew I needed to find ways to financially contribute to my tuition and living costs, but I was concerned about how to balance college-level academics, social commitments, and a job simultaneously. As I began to look into part-time employment in Holland and attended an on-campus career fair, I was excited …

Hope College Senior Reflects on Why She Chose Hope

“Why Hope?” A common question throughout my last four years. My answer always danced between a number of responses: a flood of unsolicited Hope propaganda from extended family, a phenomenal admissions rep, or Hope’s Christian-based education. Although all of those answers are true, none of them encapsulate the root of my decision to come to …

Life in Holland

Among the many attributes of Hope’s location that set it apart from other schools in my college search, one particular attribute caught my attention: Hope is exactly 13 minutes from the beach.  And boy, have my friends utilized this asset. From last-minute runs to watch the sunset over Lake Michigan to a quick beach day …