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The international studies department was phenomenal. The professors and advisers were great within that department. The good ends there. The rest of the school, the administration included feel unorganized, unprofessional, and rather unhelpful. The academic advisers for general studies are students who often misled students and were not held responsible for their actions. I didn't transfer solely due to the fact that once I was involved in my departments courses I truly enjoyed the work and the insight... Read More from the professors.

I just finished my sophomore year in the international studies major; most of my professors have been anywhere between good to fantastic, truly caring about the students. Also, the campus is pretty, with a lake in the center. Beautiful flowers bloom on the trees whenever spring comes. Unfortunately, Cedarville often seems fake. Other students may try convincing you that theyre the perfect Christian or act like they cant relate to you if you struggle with depression, like me. Cedarville requires 5-day-a-week... Read More chapel attendance. I have repeatedly heard (in chapel) the message that depression/anxiety is sinful/the result of lack of faith. One chapel condemned the use of medication for depression. Some of the Cedarville administration is, in my humble opinion, sexist. When the university's current president began that role, all of the women professors in the Bible department were laid off, and the 25-member board of the university reduced its number of women members to one. According to a news article on this faculty shakeup, President Dr. White said Our position is that we dont train women to be in the office of pastor, elder or bishop. The idea that they shouldnt be elders is insulting, as elders are often important voices in the church who vote on various church decisions and issues. The position that women should not be pastors does not surprise me, as it is common among baptists. Personally, I have no problem with women being pastors. (I am a woman, if youre wondering). What bothers me is the hypocrisy: Cedarville encourages all students to join a local church, as their position is that university chapel does not count as church. Cedarvilles position is that women should not lead in the church, but leading in other areas of life is okay. The hypocrisy comes from the fact that Cedarville now will not allow women to lead as professors at an academic institution, nor will they allow women to teach theology in chapel, which, by their own admission, is not church. Officially, women who speak in chapel are only allowed to share testimonials (personal stories), but they cannot teach theology because that is seen as exerting authority over the men in the chapel, which, in my humble opinion, is bull crap. Ive encountered a fair amount of sexism in my interactions with certain male students, although that that could be a problem at any university. If you have any opinion that does not align with Cedarvilles particular brand of conservatism, chances are, you may be judged if you choose to share it. A couple chapels in the year were purely political messages, without referencing God, which bothered me, because the students were basically a captive audience for someones political agenda. Although Cedarville frequently emphasizes that it is not legalistic, I find that actions often do not support these words. Cedarville can be so overbearing that they treat the students like children rather than adults. Students are required to sign a contract that promises that they will not consume alcohol as long as they attend Cedarville, even if they are of age, off campus, or on break. There is a strict curfew (midnight during the school week and 1 oclock during the weekend) that will result in a fine charged directly to your student account if violated. Women are not allowed into the mens dorms and vice versa except at designated times. Cedarville monitors everyones internet activity, and several websites are blocked from access. Every computer in the Stevens Student Center building has a little plaque on it to let you know that internet activity is being monitored, so do all that you do to the glory of God. Good intentions, maybe, but a little Orwellian, in my humble opinion. Cedarville has what its students call a ring by spring culture, meaning that everyone is seriously rushed to get married, for whatever reason. I am 20 years old and know many already-married-Cedarville-students my age/younger. The university has married housing for them, so its not just a handful of people who get hitched ASAP. I considered transferring from Cedarville earlier in my sophomore year, but many of the credits would not transfer to another university. Cedarville requires everyone to get a Bible minor, too. I am almost done with that, so that would also be wasted. Cedarville also is very particular about accepting credits from high school AP classes. If you transfer to Cedarville and already have taken Gen-Ed science classes, youll still have to take science classes at Cedarville, because their courses are different in that they offer the evolutionary perspective and the creationist perspective. On the bright side, though, I have discovered that not everyone is the same there. If you look hard enough, you will find some pretty cool people, and people who think for themselves rather than blindly accepting everything that the university feeds them in chapel. These hidden-gem friendships have truly made school bearable. I think critical thinking is an important part of faith. I say all this partially to vent, yes, but also because I would have liked to have known all this myself before I committed to Cedarville.

In terms of class size, Southwestern was amazing for one-on-one time with professors. Students can really connect with professors and develop an educational network that has led many undergrads to pursue higher education. In fact, a large majority of SU students go on to work towards a Masters/PhD right after graduation. Classes at SU were largely discussion based, so you really get to know your classmates. The school also organizes a semester "symposium" that invites speakers to give extremely interesting... Read More lectures based on the year's theme. In terms of social life, clubs and Greek life are easy to join and participate in. There are also many student-organized cultural events that go on during the year! Student athletes make up a good percentage of the student body and the school recently started participating in eSports (Golden Pirates team)!

West Point provides one of the broadest degree programs where, regardless of major, all students (called cadets) are required to take core classes in everything from English, Math, Science and History to IT, Psychology, a Foreign Language and even Engineering. Then tack on a major in a subject that interests you (or two); there are over 40 to choose from. Rounding out the program you cannot forget the Military Science classes or the Dept. of Physical Education graduation requirements. And did we... Read More mention this is just the academic day that runs from 0730-1600? Days begin much earlier and end much later for cadets. The West Point experience is not something that can be rivaled and is one you truly have to experience, but it is not for the weak of heart. All graduates commission as 2nd Lieutenants in the US Army after graduation. But it is a proud tradition and one that is held dear by members of the Long Gray Line (what grads call the link between all graduates of the institution reaching back to its founding in 1802). Duty. Honor. Country.

The instructors were very helpful and you learn a lot. The issue is with the program that I chose Law and my second program of political science have difficulty finding jobs. When i find jobs they want me to have two years of experience or more which would be a great if I had the time and money to afford to do more of longer unpaid internships. the major requires you to do an internship but the internship that they set you up with do not prepare you for the field as well. The issue is financial unless... Read More you have a scholarship that pays for most of the expenses I would suggest this school only for science majors. I should have stayed in the field of science for my major and greatly regret switching my major. I do intend on doing a masters to see if that increases my job opportunity as many employers require a masters degree now. Overall with career services being inexperienced and no help with finding a job and knowledgeably undergraduate academic adviser I would suggest a different school or only attend if you are a science major.

Emory University was a top 20 nationally ranked private university at the time I attended, 2009-2013. I attended because it was close enough yet far enough from my home in Orlando, FL to give me a sense of independence. The campus was immaculate, with white marble buildings, an impressively enormous libary, and within the bustling city of Metropolitan Atlanta. These three facets of campus life would be what sustained me through the most trying, most demoralizing, and most institutionally racist experiences... Read More of my life.

Freshman year, I learned the meaning of institutional racism through Emory's selective enforcement of the Office of Student Conduct's anti-hazing policies. I regularly witnessed evidence of hazing on "Frat Row": white boys streaking, white boys parading campus wearing skirts, CVS cotton balls strewn on the front lawn of a black fraternity with the vandalized message "Pick up cotton, ns". Never did I hear of those fraternities being suspended, investivated or barred from campus for a number of years. I joined the freshman step team to make friends and get involved with the black student body. Stepping requires stamina and physical fitness. After a lengthy investigation and interrogation process, Emory disbanded and banned the step team, my first foray into student activity, within 3 months, due to what they called "hazing".

The following year, I was days from my official initiation ceremony for a high profile black sorority, one my mother and family friends were travelling to attend. On the day of my ceremony, we got news that Emory had instructed this sorority to "cease and desist" all membership intake procedures. It was like a bad case of deja vu: again, I was selected as a 'witness' and pursued for interrogation as part of Emory's investigation into this sorority. After another lengthy process, this sorority was disbanded and barred from campus for 5 years, effective immediately. My hopes and dreams of creating a sense of community, pride, and love of my university were dashed into the dust on that day. I've never felt like more of a criminal than these interrogations. My GPA suffered, my sense of belonging suffered.

After that, black fraternities and sororities were routinely removed from Emory's campus. I did not notice any hazing allegations being investigated or punished among the white Greek organizations. Not even the one that pulled the racist, vile 'pick up cotton' stunt.

Nothing, however, could prepare me for what was supposed to be the final spring semester of my undergraduate career. Tuition was about $53,000+ my first year, that amount grew significantly each year. The financial aid and grants they offered me was substantial my freshman year, that amount quickly shrank to almost nothing by my senior year. I was blocked from enrollment in my final semester: I only had two classes left to get my BA degree, and I could not enroll due to insufficient funds. I met with and pleaded with Financial aid and Student Financial Services officers. They were beyond apathetic, they blamed me for picking a school my family could not afford.

All in all, I would not recommend students of color or students that will rely heavily on financial assistance from the government or the institution attend this university. I should have gone to Spelman, a school with just as rigorous a curriculum, but of much more limited financial resources. If I knew then what I know now, I would have chosen a school that goes out of its way to foster community, pride, and a sense of belonging in its students.

Hope College is not only a school where you attend to earn an education, it is also a school that strongly encourages students to be successful in all areas of their life. Hope provides many resources for students to become involved on campus as well as connect with alumni to further those connections outside of Hope. When a student graduates from Hope, they leave with a feeling of success and are equipped to be leaders in whichever field of work they choose. My overall experience at Hope was amazing... Read More and I would highly encourage students to attend.

The University of Arizona was overall a positive experience for me. My advisors were very accessible and helped me finish a semester early despite changing my major halfway through my college career. There were tons of clubs and organizations to be involved in and I even started my own organization because they make it appropriately convenient to do so. For the most part, I had good experiences with professors, nothing different than you would expect at other colleges. I actually felt the adjunct... Read More faculty were some of the most caring people I ever met in my life. My negatives would include the large greek life (it is more of a party school than I ever expected and it can make you feel left out), as well as some safety concerns and lack of diversity. Many minority students felt a lack of support from administration and administration did not attempt to remedy it, also there is a clear Caucasian majority and I would have liked a more diverse population. In terms of what I mention with safety, the school is slow to let students know about sexual assaults and certain crimes, but will update us via UAlert about other less serious matters. The campus is surprisingly beautiful and Tucson has more to offer than one may assume from first impressions. Overall, I recommend the U of A for its involvement opportunities, good faculty, and flexibility.