University of Tulsa Top Questions

There are a lot of Middle Eastern students on campus who I have never spoken to. They are almost all studying Petroleum Engineering and they don't integrate much w/ the rest of campus. Besides that group of students, everybody interacts with everybody. There isn't much rivalry between frat and sorority houses because most Greek students have friends in other houses.

the student association is TERRIBLE. since all officers are greek, they blatantly provide more for the frats and sororities on campus, and plan activities that are more of interest towards them. the organization does improve somewhat each year, although it is only marginally less corrupt. the best thing is probably that they provide free tickets to all sporting events. the student body is actually very diverse, and by the end of freshman year, it seems everyone has found their niche. you can find anime/computer nerds, student athletes, religious fanatics, and extreme liberals all on our little campus, you just have to know where to look. in general, everyone is incredibly tolerant, and discrimination is not something i have ever come across.

TU is racially diverse with students of all ethnic backgrounds. There are a lot of ministries on-campus, which a lot of students seem to enjoy ranging from Baptists to Catholics to Muslims. In addition, the LGBT community is active and has a voice on campus. For an incoming freshman, the most likely person to feel out of place would be someone from a small town that hasn't had much exposure to different types of people. Although TU isn't a large campus, it has a lot of diversity that could overwhelm someone not used to people thinking differently from them. However, most of the students are from Oklahoma and the surrounding states (Texas, Missouri). Politics does play a role in the student body, and there is some grating between the right and the left. I would say that most students are moderate because there is an equal balance of conservatives and liberals.

TU has an outstanding student community. With less than 3,000 undergraduate students, the university provides a friendly atmosphere for students to get involved and interact. The Greek system is very positive: there is no tension between the various organizations, Greeks constantly perform higher than the all student average, and Greeks hold the majority of campus leadership positions. We have many diverse religious organizations for students (including everything from a nondenominational chapel to a mosque on campus). Residence Halls frequently offer events and opportunities for students to get involved. During our first annual Service Day, more than 800 students volunteered across the city of Tulsa. Even students from very different backgrounds come together well here.

I had friends from all walks of the student body. I was in the greek system and had many friends in it, I was friends with numerous athletes, I also had friends in the study abroad program, and from just every walk of life. I think any type of person will find a home and wonderful group of friends. Most people at TU are very accepting and sterotypes are not anything like they are in college, in fact that goes away all together. The best way to describe this student body is, diversity.

TU is composed mainly of whites, athletes, and international students. I think diversity could use improvement, but in terms of groups on campus, diversity is great. There is a club for every interest. Students wear jeans and t-shirts to class with sweatshirts on cold days. The four tables at the dining hall include the Honors House (nerds) table, the frat boys table, the Arab (sometimes Saudi, sometimes Kazakh) table, and the theater table, or when they aren't there, everyone else. I think different students do interact, but there are groups of people from different places that stick together. Most students are from around Tulsa, Dallas, St. Louis, Kansas City, or Houston, with a heavy emphasis on the first three. I'd say that though there are some really rich families in Tulsa, most people are from middle-class backgrounds and are on some sort of scholarship. Politically, I'd say TU has a very diverse range of opinions, and I could not situate it on any side. Students do not talk about how much they'll earn one day.

Middle class white students make up the primary demographic. There are a lot of Saudi Arabians, Kazaks, and Africans in the Petroleum Department. The foreigners generally stay to themselves. A lot of students are from Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas, but there are plenty from other areas. Dress is really casual-- sometimes I wear gym shorts. Sorority girls wear dresses on Mondays, which is nice.

wherever you go, you must find people care about race, religion or some other things. However, personally I found very few problems with race and religion. Generally, I have never find BIG issues about that. Neither troubles from students.

I believe that any kind of student would fit in on the TU campus. Whether you are male or female, whatever religion or race, there is a spot for you here. There are many different religious centers on campus, there are many different clubs to get involved in. I believe that anyone can find an aspect of TU that makes them feel right at home. In my experience, it seems that most TU students are from Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas. That said, there are people from all over the world here! We've got a huge international population, as well as people from many of the states. I'm from Seattle, WA; there are students from just about everywhere: Florida, California, Oregon, New York, Chicago, and Arizona, just to name a few places.

Students are active in just about everything. Most students are really there for learning, but there are occasional people who don't care about their education and are only there because A: their parents could pay for it, or B: athletic scholarship. Most students do come from wealthy families, but even then they require financial aid. Most students will hang with people that don't fit their subculture, just because everyone can get along at TU, but still subgroups and clicks are all around, especially when it comes to sororities and different majors. Arts and Science majors tend to have a beef with the Engineering department and sometimes look at Engineers and Natural Science majors with contempt. And it doesn't help that a lot of Engineers seem to think Arts and Science majors are blow off majors. But one thing remains common: everyone thinks the business school is a joke.