While the University of Puget Sound is a college that will appear on the radar of very few Christ Church Students, it is a highly selective college that offers many great aspects for their small student body.

The University of Puget Sound is nestled between the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges near the city of Tacoma, Washington. This setting provides ample outings for city-dwellers and nature-lovers. Tacoma is appealing to urban dwellers because it is near the vibrant city Seattle. The mountain ranges surrounding the campus provide beautiful hiking, kayaking, and rock climbing opportunities. Even though there are many off-campus opportunities to have fun at Puget Sound, many nights students will stay on-campus because of all the fun clubs and activities offered.

The college offers a wide range of clubs and organizations for students of every creed, political leaning, and interest. These clubs range from VAVA, which works to end violence towards women, to Nerf Squad to Underground Jazz, which is a vocal jazz group.

Even though the Puget Sound students are always busy with clubs and student organizations, they do not let their academic lives go on the back burner. About 1,200 courses are offered every year, so there are many opportunities for the small school’s students to explore all of their academic interests. This liberal arts’ school is the only one of its kind in the Northwest that offers a degree in business. In addition to their business program, Puget Sound offers other traditional Liberal Arts degrees, including Theatre Arts, Gender Studies, and Comparative Sociology.

There are also three graduate programs at the University of Puget Sound, which include a School of Education, a School of Occupational Therapy and a School of Physical Therapy. These graduate students are included in the total of 2,600 members of the student body.

Though Puget Sound is a selective university, it is not as challenging to get into as many other selective colleges. The acceptance rate is 52%, and 18% of those that are accepted chose to attend Puget Sound. The University values standardized testing, and their SAT Verbal ranges from 570 to 680, their SAT math ranges from 560 to 670, and their ACT Composite score ranges from 26-30.

This school is a member of the group “Colleges that Change Lives,” and Puget Sound is praised by the organization. “Colleges that Change Lives” describe Puget Sound as, “a bright spot on the map of American high education. Students searching for thoughtful professors, a lively interdisciplinary vibe, friendly classmates, and a beautiful setting ought to add the university to their short list.”

Though Tocoma is quite a distance from Greenville, around 2200 miles, Puget Sound is a great college to consider. The interesting campus, wealth of opportunities, and unique course load makes Puget Sound a unique school in a beautiful area.