As Dordt University is in a town of around 7,000 people, many students wish it was in or near a larger city. However, the diversity of students here is great in proportion to the size of the town. Students from all around the United States (and the world) give Dordt a beautiful complexity, and they prove the value of Dordt's community as they travel from urban communities or alternate cultures to this rural corner of Iowa. Professors here serve the community with humble but professional and advanced servant leadership. Also, despite my presumptions about Christian colleges, Dordt provides encouragement for critical thought and an openness to discussion between opposing ideas. It is a blessing to have opposing thought in the first place, and Dordt walks students through it in a very healthy, Christ-like way. Truth is taught to be a goal which is strong enough to deal with doubts and questions.

Dordt, in many ways, is like a lot of other universities and colleges: great academics, great community, great campus. Where they go above and beyond is in their faculty. I chose to come to Dordt initially because it was the best financial decision for me; I chose to stay because of the professors and mentors that I found in my studies. My professors have helped me when I'm struggling, encouraged me when I'm doubting, and kept me laughing and engaged in the classroom. I personally believe you can get a quality education at almost any college or university if you put the right effort in, and Dordt's faculty will absolutely encourage you to do your best. But this isn't a five-star review, and no, it's not because of the sometimes-lack of parking. It's because Dordt has a problem with transparency. Like all institutions, Dordt has an image to maintain and a brand to promote, and I appreciate their efforts to do that. But when Dordt advertises the safety of their campus and fails to warn students about dangers that exist on campus, there's a problem. Dordt is located in a small town and a safe community, but that doesn't mean common college safety issues like sexual assault, drug use, and alcohol abuse don't occur on campus. It wasn't until my second year at Dordt that I saw any literature regarding consent posted around campus, and there's still an atmosphere in the community that things like that just don't happen here. But Dordt is improving. They did put up posters about consent, and they make it very easy to report issues. So I'm hopeful that they'll continue to improve, even after I leave the school, and I'm hopeful that they will become more transparent about safety issues on campus in the future. If you're considering Dordt, I'd encourage you to visit. When you visit, you can talk to professors and current students who will answer your questions honestly--they don't have an agenda to promote, and they won't pressure you to come here.

I've attended Dordt for four years, and I'm better for it. The education is great, the professors are all fantastic and the community is amazing.