Hope College is a Christian college. It's not a secret. There are many preconceived notions about Christian universities. People say that because Christian universities only accept Christians into their schools, they do not tolerate people from different walks of life. People have the idea that students at Christian colleges are pious and only attend their specific school because no other school is Christian enough for them. People think that those students don't care about academics or take their studies seriously; all they care about is being a devout Christian. All of these generalizations have given Christian colleges a bad name. I have to admit that I sometimes find myself believing in these stereotypes. But I don't think any of these things are true of Hope College or its students. Since I began my time at Hope, I have seen countless examples of how Hope is not like other Christian universities. When I read Hope's Philosophy of Education, I could see what made Hope so different, but not without some additional research. I read Bethel University's Philosophy of Education. There were some aspects similar to Hope's, but for the most part it was very different. A passage from Bethel's Philosophy of Education states: “As a Christian learning community, we honor God through how we work together in our calling. We rejoice in discovering the character and glory of our Creator as we explore His creation. As people who bear the image of God, we pursue the truth of His revelation. That revelation comes to us in the person of Christ, in the wonder and beauty of creation, and in the Spirit-directed words of the Bible" (Bethel University, Philosophy of Education) Compare this to an excerpt from Hope's Philosophy of Education.... .. middle of paper ......ian college. all the benefits of a Christian college – moral values, supportive and compassionate faculty, a caring Christian community – plus all the benefits of a liberal arts school about developing the person as a whole, not just spiritually, not just intellectually. I am confident that by the end of my time at Hope, I will be the "informed, sensitive and competent" member of society that I was meant to be faith because the environment that Hope promotes is that of Christian communion. Hope aims to produce students who are morally healthy, spiritually strong, and intellectually skilled. Students are independent thinkers, not confined to a single school of thought based on religious beliefs. All of these things make Hope more than just a Christian school and more than just a liberal arts school. Hope College is a special place.