GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION

The Pikes Peak Region

One of the most common themes throughout the viewbooks is the emphasis on the college’s attractiveness and unique location. According to Harley and Marlow’s study, location features were emphasized in the initial pages of almost every viewbook they analysed and supported throughout in pictures. It is not surprising that Colorado College is trying to represent an idyllic haven by highlighting and showing its proximity to Pikes Peak because it is a common marketing tool for many colleges. However, the mountain, outdoor image that Colorado College fosters since its founding is one of the few marketing tools that Colorado College tries to make distinct from other liberal arts schools. In 1874, Colorado College argued it has the same academic rigor as the east coast liberal arts schools, but the climate and surrounding mountains have something more to offer to the undergraduate than the east. In the 1980’s and into the present, Colorado College connected education to the outdoors more fiercely because they feared that the college resembled a camp, rather than an elite institution. Recently, the school claims the setting cultivates learning and one can take advantage of the mountains, but is not obliged to. Pikes Peak remains at the forefront of nearly every viewbook and students are expected to “move mountains.”

Hartley, Matthew & Morphew, Christopher. 2008. “What's Being Sold and To What End?: A Content Analysis of College Viewbooks.” Journal of Higher Education. 79. 671-691.