A Word to Parents of Incoming Students

Welcome to Houghton College!  We realize that you are first and foremost concerned with the safety and wellbeing  of son or daughter.  Please be assured that we will do all we can to make their time at Houghton fruitful and filled with good memories. 

As you are undoubtedly aware, when your son or daughter comes to Houghton, it will not be like attending grade 13 in high school.  There will be some major changes as they make the transition from teenager to adult.  It will not be uncommon if your child experiences some initial adjustment problems, especially if he or she has never lived away from home for an extended length of time before.  There may be a period of anxiety and home sickness.  These things are perfectly normal and generally temporary. 

It is probable that your son or daughter will also develop some new habits here, compared to being at home (regarding study, sleep, eating, and so on).  There will be no curfew imposed by the college.  If he or she has never shared a room, that may be different too.   

Most students adjust very well to the different course of life at Houghton.  The student body is generally friendly and comes from almost every state, most Canadian provinces and over a dozen countries (the incoming first year students alone  for 2008-09 come from at least 30 different states and eight other nations).  This culturally diverse atmosphere enriches the entire campus. 

Houghton is a very safe campus.  To see how safe, please check out our Safety & Security website.  Our 24-7 Safety and Security Department, combined with our rural setting and Christian community lead to a very low rate of crime. 

All in all, we want you to feel that choosing Houghton is not only a wise choice academically, but also a wise choice for personal development and safety reasons!