Shimer College

Date: Nov 01 2011
Major: Philosophy (This Major's Salary over time)
Shimer is for those who want to learn. It's rigorous—150 pages a night (sometimes per class) of original sources isn't unusual. Classes are discussion-based, so you can't skate by on Cliff's notes or pure ego. There's a lot of writing. You're expected to think.

We have no professors, only facilitators: that's what they do, they facilitate discussion. They do teach, wonderfully, but they learn from us too.

And even when you dislike someone, even when you disagree with them on everything, dialogue has a way of bringing you together. It humanizes your classmates and facilitators. When you dialogue that intensely, searching for truth, learning from each other, you really can't keep seeing them as the "other."

Nobody tells you what to think. That's your problem. And it's a beautiful, wonderful problem to have! You want to get involved? Great, the student-, faculty- and staff-run Assembly has a say in anything important, and committees are crucial to the running of the school. There's committees for everything from quality of life to faculty review to admissions, and students are on all of those. Students are voting members of the Board of Trustees.

There was a scandal recently, largely involving new big-money donors, trustees and the former president trying to change that about the school, trying to make Shimer more neo-conservative and keep the students and Assembly out of the decision-making. That failed.

The community is amazing. Small, yes, a blessing and a curse. I decorated the admissions counselor's Christmas tree, there's parties and casual get-togethers every night, you can have tea at a facilitator's house, and you'll be sick to death of everyone about once a semester. So go explore the city, hang out with IIT friends, or take a little time to yourself.

Being on the IIT/Vandercook campus means you can take any engineering or music classes you want, you can join student groups, and you can make use of a (hideous, thanks Mies!) larger campus. There's friction, but also friendship.

They also send a portion of the upperclassmen to Oxford, UK, to study one-on-one with Oxford professors. Even students at Oxford don't get that kind of opportunity! Tutorials have included everything from Proust to druidism to accordion…everything and curry chips.

It can be crazy liberal, but if you're respectful and you support your views, then you'll be listened to. There's a lot of partying, but very little pressure; most parties involve sober folk alongside people who are blitzed, and you'll see your friends simultaneously dancing like madmen and discussing Hegel. There's no money, but our fin aid dept is run by a wizard. The faculty and staff are gems.

If you can, come for Shimer history day. You'll hear tales of Shimerian shenanigans, faculty voting themselves pay cuts in order to keep the lights on, and how the Assembly began.

I left Shimer after 2 years. It was partly financial, partly the city, partly the ethos. Nevertheless, I respect and love my school. I'll always be a Shimerian.

If you come here, you must be able to read, write, think and listen. Without that, dialogue simply isn't possible.

You have to be willing to be involved in your education, and in the world around you. We have no armchair philosophers here.

Visit. There's a 99% chance it's not for you. But if it is, you'll know.