Established in 1946 by Walter Hendricks, Marlboro College was created to be a different kind of college nestled among the foothills in southern Vermont, where students were not just participants but active contributors to the academic and community life of the campus. Hendricks solicited support from his friend and mentor Robert Frost as the colleges first trustee. Working together, students and faculty helped construct the college by converting old farm buildings into classrooms and dormitories. The first students on campus were mostly World War II veterans on the GI Bill who wanted to join an institution centered on independent learning, community engagement and respect for the individual. Almost 70 years later, Marlboros egalitarian culture and respect for the community lives on and is central to its identity. Students are fortunate to be in a community that cherishes being intentionally small. The student/faculty ratio of 5:1 offers members of the community a voice to be heard, respected, valued and challenged. Students learn through spirited discourse with their teachers and peers instead of lectures. Faculty members dedicated to teaching come to Marlboro from all over the world. They bring extraordinary commitment to their subjects, encouraging lively discussions and intellectual candor. Marlboro College provides independent thinkers with exceptional opportunities to broaden their intellectual horizons, benefit from a small and close-knit learning community, establish a strong foundation for personal and career fulfillment and make a positive difference in the world. At our undergraduate campus in the town of Marlboro and our Graduate Center in Brattleboro, students engage in deep exploration of their interests and discover new avenues for using their skills to improve their lives and benefit others in an atmosphere that emphasizes critical and creative thinking, independence, an egalitarian spirit and community. Marlboro offers Semester at Marlboro programs open to students from other college campuses which typically cover areas of filmmaking, environmental studies and public policy. Through a collaboration with our Graduate Center, students can earn certificates in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and Nonprofit Management.Rather than follow a prescribed academic program, Marlboro students work with faculty advisors to map out an individualized course of study. This approach allows students to study broadly and creatively across disciplines before embarking on a self-designed Plan of Concentration, an in-depth examination of a focused academic area that culminates in a major work of scholarship. By taking ownership of and responsibility for the scope and topography of their intellectual exploration, Marlboro students learn how to define a set of goals, develop a comprehensive plan to meet them and work through obstacles that inevitably arise along the way. They employ initiative and grit throughout the process and emerge at the end with a joyful sense of accomplishment, heightened confidence and invaluable experience. Whether their academic interests lean toward Russian literature, organic chemistry, or contemporary dance, students write prodigiously over the course of their time at Marlboro. Within their first three semesters, students fulfill the Clear Writing Requirement, which involves submitting a portfolio of clear, concise and grammatically correct writing samples for approval by the faculty. Marlboros focus on helping students develop their command of the written word speaks to the colleges underlying focus on clear thinking, which is both a product and reflection of clear writing. Whatever career paths Marlboro students forge, they all benefit from the ability to process complex information, effectively communicate their ideas to others and manage a substantial, self-directed project.

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