Why I Chose Hillsdale: Emily Land

Having attended public schools my whole life, a public university seemed like my predetermined next step as the college search swung into gear. Even visiting anywhere else felt like a waste of time, but my dad, in his wisdom, insisted we take a visit to a small, private, liberal arts college called Hillsdale in southern Michigan. It was the exact opposite of the college life I was dreaming of, but he was convinced it would be the perfect fit, so I reluctantly agreed. We took a tour of campus, and afterward, the ideas I heard at Hillsdale stuck with me: Formation of the soul? Pursuing the good, true, and beautiful? I needed to know more.

I couldn’t shake the memories of my Hillsdale visit, and reluctant as I was for the first, I needed a second. I decided to give Hillsdale another chance and visited for a whole weekend. It was just what I needed to give me a new sense of direction. Hillsdale became the subject of all my wishful thinking, but turning this new dream into a reality raised new questions: Would I fit in? Would I even get in? Receiving a call from my admissions counselor with word of my acceptance gave me some reassurance and changed the trajectory of my life forever, but my worries hadn’t yet subsided: Would a Hillsdale education be too far over my head?

At a lecture during our first days as freshmen, Dr.Arnn, Hillsdale’s president, asked his newest students questions about Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics. Every hand in the room seemed to shoot up in an immediate, beautifully choreographed motion, all correct answers. I sat in fear, worried I had chosen the wrong place, and feeling inferior to the intellectual peers around me, but much to my surprise, Dr. Arnn immediately addressed my concern: “…and if you don’t yet know the Ethics, then I envy you, as you have the greatest enlightenment lying ahead.” Dr.Arnn? Envying ME? It seemed like a stretch, but this was the first realization (of many) how seriously Hillsdale values and delights in learning for its own sake. As our motto states, “strength rejoices in the challenge.” I was about to accept the most rewarding challenge of my young life.

With my first year at Hillsdale drawing to a close, I’ve begun to think myself empty, read myself full, and set myself free. I’ve discovered true friendship and learned that cultivating the soul is just as important as educating the mind. I’ve failed repeatedly, and grown exponentially.

Although Hillsdale wasn’t where I initially thought I might end up, I can’t now imagine the person I would be becoming anywhere else, and while I’m still being challenged every single day both inside and outside of the classroom, I now find myself confidently raising my hand in class to answer questions about the Nicomachean Ethics.

(Yes, if you’re reading this, dad, you were right.)

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Emily Land comes to Hillsdale from Fremont, Indiana and studies Marketing/Management. She works in Admissions encouraging prospective students with her own Hillsdale story. You might run into her at Rough Draft coffee shop in town ordering a favorite bourbon vanilla latte.