Have you ever wanted to serve humanity while surrounded by 14 others your age? Can’t you simply picture the joy of waking up on the most comfortable hay bed and seeing a gorgeous sunset with a rooster screaming in your ear? Well, you don’t have to picture any longer. Deep Spring College provides and as a matter of fact, requires you to participate and undergo these wonderful experiences. Residing 40 miles from Bishop, California, on an isolated farm in Deep Springs Valley, this local college will provide you with a unique experience—one that does not result in an official degree, but does teach students to survive on a farm.
Based on three pillars—academics, student self-governance, and manual labor—Deep Springs College intends to develop good morals in all scholars attending, as well as build character. In exchange for a full scholarship to all attendees (covering tuition, board, and room), the students dedicate themselves to lives of serving humanity any way they can, in and out of school. Since 2018, this has included female students, a huge shift from their previous “male-only” acceptances. While at the school, students are required to perform manual labor benefiting the school for about 20 hours each week, such as cleaning or working on the farm and ranch.
This two-year program does not have majors. Students tend to take approximately 2 or 3 classes every semester, and all classes have around 8 students in each. Once they have completed the program, most choose to transfer and receive a diploma from another four-year program school, ensuring they have an actual degree to accompany their new cowboy boots.
If your life has ever felt like it was just missing a certain something—perhaps cow manure and 13 young adults living in a barn, then this college may just be for you. In the upcoming college application season, consider adding Deep Spring College to your list.