Manchester, NH: Located on a small hill off of St. Anselm's Drive, St. Anselm College has a lot to offer. When I visited this college in August, I was greeted by 400 beautiful acres of rolling trees with 35 buildings carefully scattered throughout the trees.

Founded 100 years ago by the Order of St. Benedict, St. Anselm College is a co-ed, private Roman Catholic four-year college that tries to enroll a student body which reflects a variety of religious, racial and cultural backgrounds. Recently there were 1,833 undergraduate students (565 freshmen). It offers its students an extensive program of studies ranging from biochemistry to theology. St. Anselm's has earned a great reputation as a premier small New England liberal arts college.

Its Humanities program is nationally acclaimed and offers an "eye-opening experience" that many past and present students boast about.

St. Anselm's has several new additions to its campus. The Poisson Computer Science Center, which opened in 1983, provides the school community with access to almost unrestricted computer use. The Davis Hall Dining Center has been called one of the most beautiful and spacious dining centers in the country. This center, which opened in 1987, serves to meet the needs of the student community as well as the needs of individuals. Other buildings of note include the Maurus Carr Center which serves the recreational, intramural and all nonvarsity needs of the student body. The Dana Center is one or the school's greatest assets. It houses the Humanities Program and a 700-seat auditorium and theatre.

The environment at St. Anselm is compatible to learning. The college atmosphere is a long way from the hustle and bustle of a big city. Although the college might seem very isolated, downtown Manchester is only a few miles away and has lots to offer.

110 full time and 35 part-time professors staff the faculty at St. Anselm's. The library contains 168,000 bound volumes and 52,000 titles on microfilm.

I only stayed at St. Anselm for a day but my visit was enjoyable. The students who were on campus seemed pleasant and willing to help a stranger who could not find his way. St. Anselm's is a school that, in my opinion, is definitely worth the time and energy to visit.




Reviewed in 1990