Connecticut College offers its students a lot of choice in their studies through its Connections curriculum. There are still some required courses though, such as a first-year seminar and two semesters of foreign language courses. Nearly all undergraduates are expected to live on campus.Students can have plenty of fun at the schools annual events, like Camelympics, a competition among residence halls aimed at creating a spirited rivalry. There is no Greek life on campus, but there are more than 80 clubs and organizations, and students with a creative idea can start their own group, too. The school has more than two dozen varsity sports teams and is a member of the Division III New England Small College Athletic Conference.The Connecticut College campus, overlooking the Thames River and the Long Island Sound, is situated in an ideal part of the state for road trips. Its a 15-minute drive to the Mystic Seaport maritime museum. Providence, Rhode Island, is about an hours drive away; Boston is two hours away; and New York is about a three-hour car trip. Notable alumni of Connecticut College include Tim Armstrong, CEO of AOL; Jay Lauf, publisher and president of Quartz, an online business publication; and Kim Williams, executive vice president and chief financial officer at Warner Bros. Entertainment.

For students who attend Centre College, three things are definite: If they want, they will be able to study abroad, complete an internship and graduate in four years. The school, located in Danville, Kentucky, guarantees that all students who follow academic and social guidelines will be exposed to each of the three key college experiences. Many students choose to partake in the Centre Commitment, as it is called; for example, more than 85 percent study abroad at least one time. Never traveled outside the country? Centre College will buy a passport for every student who doesn't have one. Back in Danville, students can check out more than 100 clubs on campus. About 40 percent of students join the school's popular Greek system, which has a handful of fraternities and sororities. Student athletes can play for the Centre Colonels, varsity teams that mainly compete in the NCAA Division III Southern Athletic Association. There are dozens of performances, from ballets to book readings, on campus each semester, and all full-time students must attend at least 12 per year. All students must live on campus, unless they commute from a parent's home nearby or are married. A limited number of seniors who apply to move off campus will be permitted to do so. All students are allowed to have cars, which is a good thing for outdoor enthusiasts; without venturing far from campus, students can play frisbee golf at Henry Jackson Park, canoe at Cummins Falls Marina or explore the Central Kentucky Wildlife Refuge. Longer car trips will take students to Lexington, Kentucky, in 40 minutes; Cincinnati in two hours; and Nashville, Tennessee, in 3.5 hours.Students at Centre College are encouraged to take on experiential learning projects, be it through an internship or research with a faculty member. All students can showcase their creativity, experiments and projects at the Centre RICE Symposium, held on campus each year. Notable Centre College alumni include Isaac Tigrett, founder of the Hard Rock Caf and House of Blues chains; John Ellison Conlee, a Broadway actor famous for his role in "The Full Monty"; and Fred Vinson, former chief justice of the United States. Vinson is still a revered figure on the Centre College campus today; a portrait of Vinson, known as Dead Fred, is toted along to every home football match and big campus events.