Boston, MA: Early last March I visited Emmanuel College, a private Catholic women's college located on the Fenway in Boston. I spent about an hour and half on campus, which included a short interview and a tour of the school.

Emmanuel is a small college, founded in 1919 by the Sisters of Notre Dame and was the first Catholic women's college in New England. The campus consists of a few large brick Gothic buildings that give the campus an old-fashioned appeal. There are also some newer buildings.

Despite its small size, the college has a lot to offer. In addition to a complete variety of liberal arts courses, the school offers several special programs. For example, political science majors can intern at the State House or spend a semester in Washington, D.C. at Trinity College, and a physics major can cross-register with Northeastern and Wentworth Institute of Technology. One fact I found impressive is that Emmanuel has produced more women judges than any other woman's college, including Radcliffe.

Emmanuel's dorms are coed since they are shared with students from other colleges in the area. There were both men and women socializing in the large dining room. The menu in the cafeteria was diverse and the food seemed to be well made.

The classrooms were of adequate size and both the students and professors seemed very serious about what they were doing. The science facilities were impressive with a roof-top greenhouse for biological study and several research labs.

Emmanuel offers plenty of sports including basketball, softball, tennis and volleyball. The school shares a swimming pool with neighboring Simmons College, but has its own basketball court.

The college staff was friendly and cheerful, and the student members of the Key Club (who help in the admissions office) were well-informed and able to answer all our questions. The only thing I didn't like about Emmanuel was that I thought that its library was a little small. This isn't really a problem, though, since the students are allowed access to the libraries of twelve other colleges.

If you're looking for a small women's college with a lot to offer and a personal feel, then Emmanuel College may be for you. n




Reviewed in 1991