I’m a high school student who has had the opportunity to take classes at Salve Regina since tenth grade. I’ve taken classes at several different schools totaling over fifteen courses for credit, but the five I’ve taken at Salve have been both the most challenging and the most illuminating.

I was raised in Newport, Rhode Island, so Salve was very much a presence in my consciousness as I was growing up. When I found out that I had the opportunity to apply for classes at local colleges through my high school I immediately thought of the beautiful waterfront mansions that I had walked past so many times while on my way to the beach.

Salve is considered to be a Liberal Arts University. They have both undergraduate focused programs and a large graduate student population. This mix means a focus on undergraduates as well as great research opportunities for the students.

Enrolling at age fifteen certainly made my experience unique, but the class experience I have enjoyed is pretty much universal. Students I’ve befriended on the campus are almost evangelical in their adoration for Salve, with most people focusing on the very things that I like so much.

Teachers are eminently approachable. Their decision to teach at a student centered university like Salve means that they are predisposed to good relationships with students. Of all the colleges I have taken classes in Salve is the only one where I felt comfortable approaching my professors during their office hours. Teachers love to hear when you share an interest with them, and I have definitely gotten more out of my classes when I have felt comfortable enough to approach the teachers.

It is a physically small school, so make sure that they have a program you are interested in before applying. Salve offers no physics major, no creative writing major, etc. Still, they do have a nursing program, a business program, and even a major in environmental science so it’s likely that you will be able to find a departmental home there.

The food’s good, the kids are great, and it’s almost impossible to find a view in the school that isn’t beautiful. For me it was a no brainer to apply when it came time to choose a school for the next four years, and if you are on the fence I would highly recommend coming to check it out. I doubt there is a campus anywhere that sells itself more effectively.