Some colleges have established themselves as the ultimate geek culture centers. These are institutions where students get to live out their nerdy sides in a, well, nerd-friendly environment! Make no mistake about it, these students are some of the smartest you’ll find anywhere. Here are 5 colleges whose identity is largely defined by their geeky culture:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
MIT is the kind of college where students engage in scavenger hunts. They have a tradition that happens every year, with scavenger hunt puzzle races. The student body also has a tradition known as ‘hacks’, where they play practical jokes. At one time, the institution’s Green Building was transformed into a enormous game of Tetris.
Reed College
Imagine writing and recording poems about nitrogen. At Reeds College in Portland, Oregon, that’s something they dedicate an entire day to. Not the poems, but to nitrogen. Reedies (as the students here are known as,) celebrate an annual Seventh Annual Nitrogen Day. During the festivities, there’s free food and a chance for students to recite their poetry pieces on nitrogen. The school terms nitrogen as “one of the world’s most important, yet under-appreciated elements.” Reed College has been on many occasions been recognized as a nerd paradise, and geeky is definitely the new black here.
College of William and Mary
If you thought your school had too many clubs, hold that thought. At the College of Wiliam and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia students have more than 400 clubs to choose from. Wondering what all those could possibly be about? Well, there’s one called Wizards and Muggles, a 200-member organization for Harry Potter fans. There’s even a club for Macintosh users. The Mac Club apparently helps users have more fun and productivity in using their computers. The students themselves are well aware that their school trounces many geek levels and refer to themselves as ‘TWAMPS’, meaning ‘Typical William and Mary Person’. Students here also happen to have a perfect balance between play and work.
Drexel University
Your school definitely had a mascot, but…did you have a name for it? Too geeky? Well, meet Mario the Magnificent, Drexel’s dragon mascot. At this university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, you’ll find engineering students building snow mazes and castles during the winter. At any one time, you may also comes across students on the quad engaging in choreographed lightsaber fights. Away from the adorably fun and geeky stuff, the Materials Science and Engineering Department at Drexel University was named as the eleventh best in the country by the National Research Council.
Carnegie Mellon University
If you thought muggles couldn’t partake in the wizardly Quidditch game, you need to pay a visit to Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Here, you’ll find students running around on broomsticks with their own versions of Quidditch balls on the soccer field. It goes without saying that only the geekiest of geeks would go to that extent. This university produces some of the highest paid computer scientists in the country. When they’re not pulling all-nighters you can also find them playing Humans Vs. Zombies.
