Saint Louis University has made a top-100 list again, but this one is of a slightly different breed. Not the best colleges, or the most affordable, but instead the most obscure yet most worthy.

Jay Mathews, a columnist for The Washington Post, created a list of “colleges that deserved a second glance,” which was published on April 1, 2003.

Mathews made a call to his readers a year ago looking for, “the hidden gems, the lesser-known jewels, the wallflower colleges that students fall in love with only after they get to know them.” SLU made number 61 on the list, and was lauded for its business and allied health programs.

“If we can get them on campus, they definitely fall in love. Then it might take them time to see if it’s the right fit,” said Iris Tabb, admissions counselor for SLU.

Sarah Simmons, a senior and a presidential scholar agreed. “I fell in love with the campus. It wooed me.” She added, “It can take time to find your spot, but once you do, it’s home.”

Paul MacPhee, a freshman from California, didn’t visit SLU before he enrolled last fall. “I’m a spontaneous person,” he said. MacPhee heard about SLU from a friend of his family. “I wish more people knew about it though because it’s one of the greatest schools in the world.”

When asked why he chose SLU, MacPhee said that he closed his eyes, spun his finger around a map and “SLU popped up.” He feels that he lucked out. “I love it. The people here are the nicest I’ve met, so that makes it even better.”

Tabb explained that because SLU is located in Midtown, “the rumor is that SLU is in a bad area, but if we can get them on campus we can show off the green space.”

She added that SLU is “is lesser known at this point, but we are able to compete with other programs, in the Midwest specifically.”