Seattle University Top Questions

If there's one thing I realized after coming to college, is that one of the most important factors in choosing a college should be where it is located, and Seattle tops the charts for me. Set in a city that's big, but not too big, has a million things going on all the time with diverse neighborhoods which are easily accessed right off of your campus is the best thing in the world. You will never be bored at Seattle University. The community is very strong and active with many opportunities for service and learning. And the quarter system allows you to learn and focus on three classes at a time, so that you never feel totally overwhelmed. The faculty and staff truly want you to succeed and help you, and you never have that feeling that everyone is out to destroy you and your grade. It's a great school if you want to learn, but equally want to have new experiences and meet new people, which the school's administration actively promotes.

Seattle University is all about location. The mission of Seattle U is to educate the whole person and that includes getting involved with the community. Seattle U is located a few bus stops away from the middle of downtown Seattle. The culture of Seattle U is very influenced by the city of Seattle. There are so many programs that immerse students in the neighborhoods around our campus that we can see the two sides of Seattle. There is downtown, which is great shopping and seeing tourists. Then there is the people and the residents of Seattle that you can volunteer with or tutor. Our campus is very small and in some ways that is great. I have been to every building and can walk the length of our campus in ten minutes. Our school blends in with the city itself.

Downtown Seattle is great, amazing places to eat, diverse, many clubs and shows and concerts. safe city, just need to have common sense, don't be stupid. Seattle U. is ideally located right by downtown and also the funky Broadway street, with its gay vibe. The school is missing a sense of community among students. Students are dispersed into Seattle, people aren't active in attending events and supporting causes. Very little school pride. The atmosphere is one of restriction. Students aren't crazy and partying and being random and living life. All the college fun has to go under the radar of the school's enforcement. The feeling of SU is if you didn't get a lot of scholarship than why are you going here. UW is a more logical choice for Washington residents who want to be in Seattle. I spend time studying at Starbucks right by SU or hanging out in my friend's room. The most recent controversy on campus is SU's crackdown on off-campus parties. In the majority of student's opinion, enforcement has gone too far. Let us have fun! Also, SU is increasing tuition to move to a higher division in sports, when most students could care less about SU sports and just want lower tuition. The administration can be very inflexible. Housing and meal plans are difficult to negotiate, as are classes. For the tuition paid at SU, one would expect better. Lounge TV and VCR setups don't work on half the floors, the dorm kitchens need major renovation, the food service is overpriced and has poor hours, projectors don't work, teachers can hardly speak english or teach, the school is so hyped up on being "green" that the campus was overrun with gnats spring quarter because of the lack of pesticides...

The best thing about Seattle University is that it is located right in downtown Seattle. While being in the midst of the city, SU is a kind of sanctuary from the bustle of town. If I could change one thing about SU it would be to stop the rapid expansion of the campus. The school is admitting more and more people every year and there is just no place to put them all. And while I wouldn't mind having a bigger campus, I like the small community. I am from California, so the first thing that people say when I tell them that I go to Seattle U. is "Doesn't it rain all the time?" And my response is: "yes, but you go about your business anyway." Most of my time on campus is spent in the business school club office. I am part of the business fraternity and we have an office where we hold meetings, eat lunch, do homework and hang out. The Seattle U. administration always has the interest of the students at heart. And while many things may seen like an inconvenience and a bother, all you have to do is talk to someone. The campus community is so open and friendly, you can make an appointment to talk with the Dean of the business school and he will be more than happy to hear what you have to say. The most recent controversy on campus involves a law enforcement career fair and members of Seattle U. as well as the surrounding community holding a protest of the fair on campus. The protesters called into a local radio station to voice their opinions but did not argue their point very well and the host commented on the education being received at Seattle U. Seattle U. is not as big on sports as many other schools (even though we are going to Division 1 athletics next year). Some people chose Seattle U. because it wasn't big on sports. But the greatest source of school pride comes out at basketball games and soccer matches. One of the most frequent student complaints is about the food. While it is very edible compared to most other schools, prices keep rising and the food quality remains the same. Not to mention that eating the same kind of food every day gets rather boring. One experience that I will always remember from Seattle U. is when I got the opportunity to go to Italy for three weeks one summer with a class. I got to know my professors very well and because of this, I can always talk with them about anything at all.

Seattle's biggest perk is the academics in my mind. It has the best creative writing bachelor's program that I've come across in all of my college searching and comparison. It is also rather small, which gives you a much easier time getting around it, and fosters a sense of community. You can get to know people easily because of this situation, and the small class sizes, typically less than 30 people, and usually only around 20. The professors will actually know your name and expect you to participate in classes. SU is not without some downsides though. The ratio of girls to boys is 60:40 and the gap is growing. It also doesn't help that, here on Capitol Hill, there is a large homosexual population. So there's not a lot of dating opportunities out there. There is only one cafeteria, which offers a lot of healthy options, but the hours aren't that conducive to people living on campus and not going home for the weekend. However, the dorms here are far better than any state school I've ever visited (read: they have carpet). In general though, Seattle is a great city to go to school in, with lots of stuff to do and lots of things going on. The Dalai Lama recently visited the city, as did John McCain and Barack Obama during legs of their campaigns.

The location of Seattle University is amazing. There is so much diversity in the area. It's right between Capital Hill, Downtown, and the International district. I love the size of the school. The small size make classes much more engaging and allow for a personal relationship with your professors. Everyone is really involved in social justice issues which is really exciting, knowing you're part of a community that really cares and is trying to make a difference. For a Jesuit campus, the administration is surprisingly open minded as far as the programs and speakers allowed on campus. It's a great school!

The things that bother me so far about SU are that sometimes the school feels a little too small and that the party scene on and around campus is somewhat hidden; you have to make an effort to get out and meet people if you want to party because its not necessarily going to come to you. SU has an odd mix of really rich people and people who are only going to this school because there received a lot money through loans and grants. SU prides itself on being ethnically diverse, but the term is relative based on where you're coming from. The nice thing about SU is that it is in the center of Seattle, so there is always so much you can do if you feel like getting off campus. The most recent controversy that I cared about had to do with the administration not allowing Barack Obama to speak on campus because they were afraid of coming across as supporting one candidate over another.

I think Seattle U is a good size, but unfortunately the administration is expanding and growing our university. The best thing about SU is by far the small classes and personal relationship to profs, but we are definately growing, and plan on keeping it that way. It is a great place, but it is expensive.

The students are for the most part extremely nice and friendly. I'd heard that before I got here, and didn't believe it, because my high school was extremely divided and cliquey. But it's true- people are really open here and everyone is pretty laid back and easy to get along with. We are right in the city so there is always something to explore, but you can also stay really busy just going to all the events on campus- social events, guest lectures, dances, banquets, etc. When I tell people I go here, a lot of them think I'm talking about Seattle Pacific U, so I guess Seattle isn't as well known. Also, a lot of people hear "Catholic" and think a bunch of old nuns with rulers. It's not like that. I've actually never seen a nun here. The Jesuits are pretty well known, but the Catholic part is more of a heritage which affects the social justice mission of the school, and by far the majority of students aren't Catholic, so don't let that scare you off. People complain that tuition is expensive and keeps going up. It's true, but they give good financial aid, and I think that any private school with small classes is expensive.

The best part about Seattle is that it's a relatively small school in a big city. It doesn't get much better than that. The city is amazing and especially being downtown there is always something new to do. The school is small enough so that you don't feel overwhelmed, but it's big enough so that you can meet new people constantly. The class sizes are perfectly sized (about 15 students per class) and the teachers are really helpful one-on-one. Also being a Jesuit University, they don't stress Catholicism and are just really interested in giving each student a well-rounded education. I love the humanities aspect of the school and it's mission of creating a just and humane world is really shown in classes. It's not really a college town but I like that because it forces you to be more independent and experience a big city on your own. All of the classes are really close together and you don't have to walk far for anything - it takes about 7 minutes to walk from one side of campus to the other. Also the campus, even though it's open, feels really safe at night and we have a great public safety program. There isn't a lot of school pride, but everyone here is just really interested in getting the best education possible, so everyone has that shared interest, making class discussions really interesting. Also, the food is great!