Many students at St. Thomas have heard of the Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities program, but most have never used it. About 250 students out of more than 6,000 undergraduate students take advantage of the ACTC program each semester, according to the Registrar’s Office website.

All students should take at least one course at another school through the ACTC program during their four years here at St. Thomas.

The ACTC program is a collective of five private Twin Cities colleges. Schools in the ACTC program, in addition to St. Thomas, include Augsburg College, Hamline University, Macalester College and St. Catherine University. Formed in 1974, the program allows students to enroll in courses at any of the five colleges, as long as the course isn’t offered at St. Thomas.

As a freshman, I knew I wanted to major in communication and journalism at St. Thomas, but during my sophomore year I decided to add a graphic design major. Unfortunately, St. Thomas does not offer much in the way of arts (a discussion for another time), and I did not want to transfer to another school. Then my adviser recommended I look into the ACTC program.

I realized completing a graphic design major at St. Catherine University was the best option. After filling out forms and having them approved, I was on my way to a graphic design major.

I have found there are several benefits to taking classes through the ACTC program. First, to register for a class, students fill out a form from the Registrar’s Office and turn it in, and the office does the rest. No waiting anxiously until your registration time and date; you are automatically signed up for the class.

Second, you have the chance to meet people from other area schools. Never been to Macalester? Enroll in a drawing class there. This will give you the opportunity to get off campus and meet new people, which is always a rewarding experience.

You also can take classes you otherwise would have been able to take at St. Thomas. For example, St. Kate’s offered an English course called six degrees of Harry Potter last spring. Get out. Try something new.

A shuttle service runs between the five schools all day, so spending money on gas isn’t an issue. You can even take your bike or walk to the schools, but I would not recommend biking on a minus-5-degree day like I did once. Unfortunately, waiting for the bus does take up some time because of the bus schedule, but you always can use a little downtime for relaxation anyway.

And don’t worry, you pay the same amount of tuition at another ACTC school as you do at St. Thomas. Even scholarships transfer.

Overall, the ACTC program is one experience that should not be missed during a student’s time at St. Thomas.

Maggie Clemensen can be reached at clem0427@stthomas.edu.