Back to School(s): 7 Cross-Registration Programs that Let You Study at Multiple Colleges
September 11, 2015
Ahh. A touch of crispness in the air, the chance to buy brand new notebooks—or notebook computers—and the return of pumpkin spiced everything. Yup: Back-to-school season has arrived again. And while heading off to college is always exciting, heading off to colleges? That might be even cooler.
Thanks to these seven cross-registration programs, students aren’t only able to study at their home institutions; they can register for classes at nearby schools, too. Reap the rewards, then, of having even more awesome courses to choose from…and tell your parents that you’re really making the most of those tuition fees.
1. THE CLAREMONT COLLEGES: Located east of LA in sunny SoCal, the Claremont Colleges together form one of the best-known college consortiums in the country. While undergrad students register for one of five schools—Pomona, Claremont McKenna, and Pitzer for liberal arts; Harvey Mudd for science and engineering; and Scripps, an all-women’s liberal arts institution—they have access to the resources and shared campus space of all of them. It’s a model that was inspired by the Oxford-Cambridge system. Jolly good!
Image courtesy of Claremont Colleges
2. THE FIVE COLLEGE CONSORTIUM: Amidst the leafy scenery of Western Mass, the Five College Consortium has fostered a spirit of shared education since the 1960s. Amherst, UMass Amherst, Mount Holyoke, Smith, and Hampshire together offer cross-registration for classes and share libraries, departments—even theater auditions. An inter-campus bus links the various institutions (not to mention, ahem, Zipcars).
Image courtesy of Smith College
3. COLUMBIA AND BARNARD (AND BEYOND): Given that Columbia University and Barnard College have historic links—and are right across the street from one another—it only makes sense for the two to join forces. Students can take classes at both institutions, eat in both cafeterias, join mutual extracurricular clubs—even share student housing. Columbia also offers joint programs with other Manhattan schools, including the Jewish Theological Seminary and Juilliard.
Image courtesy of Columbia University
4. THE BOSTON AREA CONSORTIUM: When it comes to college towns, it’s hard to beat Boston. With more than 50 colleges in the metropolitan Boston area alone, it’s hardly surprising that a good handful of Beantown’s schools decided to join forces. The Boston Area Consortia includes links among BU, Boston College, Brandeis, Tufts, and Hebrew College. You could study abroad, but when there’s this much choice at home, it’s almost tempting to stay put.
Image courtesy of Boston University
5. THE TRI-COLLEGE CONSORTIUM: Just a hop, skip, and a zip outside of Philadelphia, the Tri-College Consortium (or Tri-Co) unites liberal arts havens Haverford, Swarthmore, and Bryn Mawr. Bryn Mawr and Haverford, just a mile apart, are linked by a student Blue Bus and share everything from classes and lectures to clubs and parties. Though Swarthmore is slightly farther afield, it also co-hosts a number of academic programs. And another bonus: A separate program with UPenn means Tri-Co students can even dash into the city for some book learnin’, too.
Image courtesy of Bryn Mawr
6. BOSTON PROARTS CONSORTIUM: Cross-registration programs aren’t just limited to the liberal arts. For Boston-area students pursuing literal arts degrees, the Boston ProArts Consortium (have you ever seen the word “consortium” this many times in your life?) groups up a number of the city’s top artistically minded institutions, from Berklee College of Music to Emerson College and the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. We recommend investing in a solid guitar case or paint box—you’re gonna be toting those supplies around town.
Image courtesy of Wavebreak Media/Thinkstock
7. CONSORTIUM OF UNIVERSITIES OF THE WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREA: Whew, that’s quite a name. But it’s only fitting, considering that this particular consortium (there’s that word again!) groups up a whopping 14 different colleges and universities in the D.C. metropolitan area. From American University and Georgetown to Howard and George Mason (and that’s just for starters), you’re gonna have plenty of classes to choose from. You might want to get a head start on skimming those course catalogues.
Image courtesy of Alexis Glenn/Creative Services/George Mason University
1. THE CLAREMONT COLLEGES: Located east of LA in sunny SoCal, the Claremont Colleges together form one of the best-known college consortiums in the country. While undergrad students register for one of five schools—Pomona, Claremont McKenna, and Pitzer for liberal arts; Harvey Mudd for science and engineering; and Scripps, an all-women’s liberal arts institution—they have access to the resources and shared campus space of all of them. It’s a model that was inspired by the Oxford-Cambridge system. Jolly good!
Image courtesy of Claremont Colleges
2. THE FIVE COLLEGE CONSORTIUM: Amidst the leafy scenery of Western Mass, the Five College Consortium has fostered a spirit of shared education since the 1960s. Amherst, UMass Amherst, Mount Holyoke, Smith, and Hampshire together offer cross-registration for classes and share libraries, departments—even theater auditions. An inter-campus bus links the various institutions (not to mention, ahem, Zipcars).
Image courtesy of Smith College
3. COLUMBIA AND BARNARD (AND BEYOND): Given that Columbia University and Barnard College have historic links—and are right across the street from one another—it only makes sense for the two to join forces. Students can take classes at both institutions, eat in both cafeterias, join mutual extracurricular clubs—even share student housing. Columbia also offers joint programs with other Manhattan schools, including the Jewish Theological Seminary and Juilliard.
Image courtesy of Columbia University
4. THE BOSTON AREA CONSORTIUM: When it comes to college towns, it’s hard to beat Boston. With more than 50 colleges in the metropolitan Boston area alone, it’s hardly surprising that a good handful of Beantown’s schools decided to join forces. The Boston Area Consortia includes links among BU, Boston College, Brandeis, Tufts, and Hebrew College. You could study abroad, but when there’s this much choice at home, it’s almost tempting to stay put.
Image courtesy of Boston University
5. THE TRI-COLLEGE CONSORTIUM: Just a hop, skip, and a zip outside of Philadelphia, the Tri-College Consortium (or Tri-Co) unites liberal arts havens Haverford, Swarthmore, and Bryn Mawr. Bryn Mawr and Haverford, just a mile apart, are linked by a student Blue Bus and share everything from classes and lectures to clubs and parties. Though Swarthmore is slightly farther afield, it also co-hosts a number of academic programs. And another bonus: A separate program with UPenn means Tri-Co students can even dash into the city for some book learnin’, too.
Image courtesy of Bryn Mawr
6. BOSTON PROARTS CONSORTIUM: Cross-registration programs aren’t just limited to the liberal arts. For Boston-area students pursuing literal arts degrees, the Boston ProArts Consortium (have you ever seen the word “consortium” this many times in your life?) groups up a number of the city’s top artistically minded institutions, from Berklee College of Music to Emerson College and the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. We recommend investing in a solid guitar case or paint box—you’re gonna be toting those supplies around town.
Image courtesy of Wavebreak Media/Thinkstock
7. CONSORTIUM OF UNIVERSITIES OF THE WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREA: Whew, that’s quite a name. But it’s only fitting, considering that this particular consortium (there’s that word again!) groups up a whopping 14 different colleges and universities in the D.C. metropolitan area. From American University and Georgetown to Howard and George Mason (and that’s just for starters), you’re gonna have plenty of classes to choose from. You might want to get a head start on skimming those course catalogues.
Image courtesy of Alexis Glenn/Creative Services/George Mason University
