University of Tulsa Top Questions

One of the things that I cannot wait for TU to finish is the construction. The renovations that the campus is undergoing right now is a bit annoying to the students, but after they are completed, which the administration suspect will be by the start of the fall semester, the campus will look more beautiful than it already is. Tulsa is a beautiful city and isn't really a college town. Everything does not revolve around the university although the college is supported very well by its citizens. I was born and raised in Tulsa. I came from a high school that was just about the size of TU. When I looked for a university, I wanted a small one so it worked out for me. I get to know everyone. Everyone is so friendly here. My parents are very happy that I didn't go far from home. I live on campus this year and I love it. I'm away from home but if I ever need anything my parents are 20 minutes away. When I tell people I go to TU, they are extremely impressed. TU is ranked among the top 100 colleges in the nation.

I grew up about twenty minutes outside of Tulsa, and I decided to come to TU because everyone I graduated with went to either the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University, or Tulsa Community College. Attending TU would make me different and force me to make new friends. I could not have asked for a better school. Though excruciatingly small at times (only 4,000 students currently enrolled!), TU has always had everything I needed. I love the fact that my biggest class has only had about fifty students. My professors know me by name and say hi to me when I see them outside of class. The people here are incredibly nice for the most part, and groups of friends intermingle. I have made some of the best friends I have ever had, and hope to have them for life. I will never forget sledding out on the intramural field on a construction sign at one in the morning! TU is an exemplary place for someone to have the "college experience" without being overwhelmed.

TU's administration is far more concerned with "keeping up with the Joneses" (trying to come off as the "Harvard of the Midwest" or some other such nonsense) than actually serving its student community. Right now they are entrenched in a huge "Front Door" campaign that has made campus a veritable war zone for the past few years, with no end really in sight. Construction projects are started and untouched for months, and then there is a giant flurry of activity and they are done. Construction also begins at 7am or earlier, waking up those of us who are living in the brand new apartments. The good news of it all, though, is that the University of Tulsa Performing Arts Center is on the verge of breaking ground. When approached about ridiculous fees, students are told by those in charge that it's "not as bad as some other schools", when the truth is, rates should not be made in comparison with other colleges, but what is best for the students and the community here. Parking is a major problem on campus, and students should expect to pay as much or more than the flat parking rate ($50) in fines if they need to drive their cars anywhere else on campus than their assigned lots. Tulsa, Oklahoma is not only one of the most racially segregated cities in the country, it is also one of the most religiously fundamental (ORU is in the same town, remember). One can expect to find bastions of Health & Wealth Gospel all over the city, from Guts Church to The Wisdom Center to the very existence of Rhema Bible College and Oral Roberts U. Somehow, TU ranks in the Top 10 for Student Happiness, according to the U.S. News & World Report. The truth is that students frequently feel betrayed and manipulated by an administration that operates far more like a corporation than a university.

I do wish that the TU students were more active and responsive to social events. I love TU and the overall campus and just everything about it is pretty great. The size is just perfect because it's not too large and the class sizes are normal. We get better interaction with other students and the professors as well. It really is a "home away from home". The administration could change their communication skills. I find myself going to one building with one question and they tell me to go to another building to get the answer. Although there isn't a lot of places to go on campus, it is nice to just sit out on the grassy area in the front of campus on a nice day and just read a book or relax. The most frequent complaints I think I hear about are the cafeteria food choices and the shuttles. They need more healthier foods to put in the cafeteria. And the shuttles should drive around all the time instead of having students wait on them not knowing when they will come when we have a class soon that we need to get to. Overall though, I feel that TU is one the greatest universities around!

TU is a great school. I don't ever want to leave! Greek life is awesome as well. TU is a top tier school, and it feels like it. There are a ton of great people here, but it is small enough that I see people I know no matter where I go.

I definitely love the people here. Everyone is so nice and friendly. You know pretty much everyone on campus its great! I like the size of our school but many people may think its a little small. I love the small atmosphere though, its great because you really get to know everyone and I always see my friends I know on my way to classes. Most of my friends back home think I'm crazy for going so far away but they really do not have an opinion either way.

TU is a small Division 1 school with a big feel. The community on campus is incredible. Some may say that TU is too small, but really it is just right, you always will know someone, but there will always be people you don't know too. Majority of my time is spent in my dorm, friends apartments, in the business hall, and our union. Tulsa is not really a 'college town' but I love the city. Our biggest controversy has been the new campus wide wireless internet, still working out some bugs, but its getting faster and better. People are proud to go to the University of Tulsa. We were conference champions in Mens and Womens Tennis, womens golf, mens soccer, womens volleyball, College Basketball Invitational Champions, and GMAC Bowl winners. So we have a lot of good things going for us. One thing that is unique to TU is the amount of diversity we have. There are many students from different countries and places across the US. The thing I will always remember is my first week on campus. Probably one of the most fun weeks, I met so many people and laughed more than ever.

One great thing is the majority of students are on some sort of scholarship. This means they have minimum GPA they need to maintain: while majority of students are all about having fun and being relaxed, most are here primarily to study and take school seriously. Also, everyone is very down to earth and friendly--you don't have too many country bumpkins but you also don't have too many rich snobs. The school size is excellent: small enough that teachers all know your names and can help rearrange things (including courses) for you but large enough that you are always meeting new people and have plenty of activities. Most of the time I stay on campus, especially since I am under 21. There are parties every weekend and plenty of events on campus during the week that you don't need to leave. Everyone on campus is a huge supporter of TU, but most support other schools as well: I, for instance, have my university of texas longhorn sticker on my truck next to my TU sticker. It's fun because when UT plays everyone wears their longhorn gear so you have more rivalry than just TU and non. There have been a lot of construction on campus recently and more to come: I am most excited about the two new engineering buildings that are to come! I will also be living in some of the brand new appartments next year.

The best thing about TU is the people! No matter where I go on campus everyone is welcoming--staff, students, teachers. It was really great, especially as a freshman, because I didn't feel completely abandoned like I had to figure everything out on my own. Also I love that there was not a huge pressure to party and to drink as an incoming student, and even now. While you can always find a party if you want to, no one will ever make fun of you if you don't drink or say you can't go out because you have to study---it is VERY different from high school in the sense that everyone understands that academics come first. It is the people that party all the time, don't study, and fail classes that are the uncool ones now! I have lived on campus every semester and so I have spent a lot of time on campus since I didnt'always have a car. Some of my best memories have been made just hanging out with my friends in the dorms or apartments. Tulsa is smaller than my high school but I still find it is definitely big enough for me. I knew that I didn't want to go to a huge university because I wanted smaller class sizes and i really like walking on campus and always seeing people I know. The actual city of Tulsa is smaller than the city I am from but I like it because it is not overwhelming.

TU is a small, private university, and I think that's the biggest thing you need to know. The student body is pretty small and there are people here from all over the place. I lived with girls from Vietnam and had some friends from Ireland. Class sizes are very small compared to your typical state schools, which is nice because your professors always know you, but it also means most classes have attendance requirements. I don't think there's much of a "campus life", not even close to what I've seen at other schools. If you're looking for a school with an active social scene, I'd skip this one. People are very serious about their studies and that usually takes priority. I spend most of my time off campus. Tulsa is far from a college town, but it's not a bad place to live. There's plenty to do and it really is a city, not the small farm town out-of-staters like to imagine.