Shimer College

Shimer College changed my life for the better more than any other experience I’ve had. (You can read about one way that it did here:
) The reading and writing load is demanding, perhaps far more than most colleges in the country. You not only have to read a ton of difficult material, but you are expected to engage in discussion about the reading and write solid papers for every class. But because the community is so small, the professors are able to give every student the attention he or she deserves, which enables students to vastly improve their academic thinking and writing. Shimer is known for producing graduates that ace the GREs and LSATs and find grad school unexpectedly easy.
The tight knit community and enthusiasm for learning is unparalleled: Shimer is the only school I’ve ever attended or heard of in which students excitedly look forward to classes starting again after Spring Break or summer vacation.
Unlike other great books colleges, Shimer does not read just the classics, but also contemporary works by a diverse body of authors. And unlike traditional liberal arts colleges, every class is discussion-​based — no lectures at all. This part of the experience was perhaps the most rewarding for me because it taught me how to learn cooperatively and communicate effectively about complex ideas. It can be daunting to have to explain something you’re just beginning to understand, but it teaches you how to think and you learn better in the process.
I don’t idealize Shimer or think it’s inherently «better» than every other school. If you want to take tons of highly specialized classes, for example, then this may not be the place for you. But Shimer is a unique place. There is a reason why people have such great passion for such a tiny school. If the great books and traditional method of education at Shimer interest you, then check it out and see if you think it’s a good fit. It may be the best decision you ever made.

For whatever reason, basically every positive review has been filtered, while the two negative reviews and mine stand (thanks a lot Unilocal).
I suggest you read the filtered reviews in addition to the unfiltered ones to get a better idea of what Shimer is about. I have no idea why 25 of the reviews (many of which are from friends of mine) are hidden.

So, take this with a grain of salt as I’ve been attending Shimer for hardly a month as of now, but this is a fantastic place to go to school.
Known as the «other» Great Books school, (St. Johns being the primary) Shimer has a culture and a community all its own that sets it apart from all others. Reading and discussing the Western canon with a group of people who are passionately interested is what Shimer promises — and delivers. Perhaps it is really the quality of the group of people one has class with that makes the most difference in the educational benefits one receives at Shimer, but the added element of a generally friendly and open-​minded character that permeates the school is what makes it special to me.
While I wouldn’t say that this school is good for everyone, I believe that for the people it IS right for, it is an invaluable experience. If you love to read and dialog, and you crave that «aha!» moment of understanding, chances are Shimer would serve you well.

I have left Shimer College after 3 semesters for another university in the city. While I would not outright dissuade anyone from considering this college, I will say that I left because I was unhappy with most aspects of the school.
The student body is limited both in size (less than 100) and diversity of any sort (racial, political, ideological). For the price of approx. $ 24,000 there is no real campus and resources are severely limited. Student services are next to nonexistent although efforts are being made to change that.
Academically it is hit-​or-​miss. As with any school one must ultimately take charge of their own education. Some of my experiences here did a great deal to foster my growth as a critical thinker and I appreciated the emphasis on reading original source material…
However, the academics of this school are a bit overrated by its supporters. I felt that too many of the students at the school seem to have found a home at Shimer because they are curious but lack the academic ability for a more rigorous school. At a small school, w/​small discussion based classes, that negatively impacts everyone’s educational experience.
Professors teach all subjects regardless of their background. Someone who’s academic pedigree is in literature will be teaching your science classes.
I found the administration to be quite dysfunctional.
A brief, unscientific survey of students who have graduated immediately before and during my time at Shimer finds a sizable number (greater than 40%) unemployed, underemployed, or working for the school as labor. This speaks to those, like myself, who want a solid, liberal arts education but plan on a career outside academia. If one does attend Shimer and later decides to transfer to another school, be forewarned that coursework here does not easily transfer to other institutions.
Caveat emptor

Absolutely, positively THE worst college I’ve ever attended.
The ideas and mission behind Shimer are very noble and quite rare in America’s education system. If you’re unfamiliar, Shimer is a «Great Books» college — basically this means that students study source material (i.e. actually reading, say «The Republic», rather than what someone else wrote about it in a textbook) and classes are discussion-​based. This is a great way to learn as the student is the one forming opinions and interpreting data, rather than parroting what a professor tells them is the «right answer». And, it works — the students and teaching faculty are extremely knowledgeable and kind.
Unfortunately, tuition at Shimer is VERY high and, other than its unique education, the student receives little to no help or assistance. Contrary to how the college wants to portray itself, once the student has graduated, there is no support — no continuing education dept., no job hunting assistance, and very little help with any loan issues.
And there WILL be loan issues as Shimer consistently screws up financial aid packages and does little, if anything, to fix them. Myself, family, and friends who have attended Shimer all have problems with incorrect loan amounts being entered, back tuition that immediately goes into collections, etc.
I wish I could rate Shimer higher but it seems like, once you’re out the door and they’re no longer bleeding you dry monetarily, they’re of no help.