Mobile,AL: "Educating mind, body and spirit," tiny Spring Hill College is oneof only a few Jesuit universities in the United States, and the only one in theSouth. Even though I am not Catholic, this school appeals to me because of the"holistic" approach to education. So, off I went to visit thecampus.

Spring Hill is everything it boasts. It is beautiful, and with itslocation on a pristine, historic golf course, it feels more like an old citypark. The buildings are small, but the Admissions Office looms like an oldplantation house. The chapel is most remarkable and awes all into silence.

The wonderful professors go out of their way to make you feel welcome,and will do anything to get you involved.

When I was there, students wereheading to the school-sponsored, secret-locale Mardi Gras Ball. The college isnot one of the toughest schools in the nation to get into because they are moreinterested in you than your grades, but a degree from Spring Hill is highlyregarded. It is also relatively inexpensive for a private liberal-arts college inthe South, especially compared with Agnes Scott and Emory. If accepted, theOffice of Student Aid will work with you to give you as much aid as your familyneeds for you to be able to attend.

The vibrant city of Mobile may be inthe deep South, but it has a decidedly liberal "we want to have fun"attitude. Just minutes from Pensacola, FL and a few hours from New Orleans,Mobile even has the (reportedly) oldest Mardi Gras celebration in the nation.Believe me, this crawfish-and-gulf-shrimp town knows how to letloose.

Spring Hill has exceptional programs for pre-law, internationalstudies, mathematics and natural sciences, among others. It also has a veryinvolved student body. The campus ministry claims they will hunt you down to makesure you get involved in something, anything (legal), at the college.

Though the food was not great and I didn't get to visit the dorms, I fell in lovewith Spring Hill. Maybe you will, too. I suggest visiting it or any collegebefore you make your decision. Speak to the students, meet your admissionscounselor, stay in a dorm - whatever it takes for you to get a feel for theschool. If Spring Hill intrigues you, visit shc.edu for more information.


Reviewed in 2003