St. Edward's is a private Catholic university that is able to focus its attention on each student individually because of its small class sizes. There are many events on campus that follow and raise awareness about current events as well as multicultural issues. Diversity is a big factor as this university has many international students and is located in the heart of Austin, Texas.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
Unlike most universities, this campus has professors that expect their students to attend class on a regular basis, mainly because class sizes are roughly twenty students at most, so your presence is noticed and appreciated. Most professors expect in class participation and discussion, not only with them but with your other classmates as well. Another big thing for this university is volunteering, they love to host events for students to volunteer in and when applying, it looks good to have participated in volunteering. Although this is a Catholic school, it is also a liberal arts one. While they do have a religious background, they do not require that you attend mass or participate in any religious events of any particular affiliation. They do require that you take one class on religion, however they offer many topics that range from Catholicism to Religion in Harry Potter.
Do you find there’s enough academic rigor at your school?
St. Edward's is a smaller campus so you therefore have smaller class sizes. As a result of this, you are able to talk more with your professors and classmates about questions that you have on certain subjects. Professors also like in class participation, so there is an opportunity to ask questions when you have them. I would say that the classes are a bit challenging, but it is not something to be afraid of because there are so many resources available to assist you. Such as the writing and math centers that we have on campus.
Describe the dorm life at your college.
The campus has several housing options and as a Freshman you are required to live on campus unless you live in Austin. As a Freshman you will be living in a Freshmen-only dormatory, of which there are four. Teresa Hall is the dorm in which I stayed, it is one of the cheaper ones for girls next to East Hall which is an all girls dorm. Teresa's rooms are a bit smaller than the schools website made them seem, but you get used to it as you continue to live there. Honestly, I was told and I agree that Teresa is probably one of the best dorms to live in, mostly because of the fact that is it such a social environment. Yet it is not too social to the point where it is distracting. You even have other students from other dorms coming to hang out in Teresa. People are more friendly here so making friends is not that difficult, even if you are a quieter person. This dorm is also getting remodeled to have tile floors and new cabinets, desks and closets. Teresa also has some of the best RAs.
Describe the food and dining at your college.
Food at St. Edward's tastes really good the first time you are here, but it doesn't change often so if you get bored of the same thing quickly then you might be in trouble. They cook it well and it tastes good, so the food's not bad, it's just that it doesn't change very much so there isn't much variety. There are two dining halls, Hunt and Ragsdale and then you have The Huddle which is a Tex-Mex food place. There is also a little convenient store called Outtakes which is located in Hunt.
What’s there to do for fun at your college?
St. Edward's is located about ten minutes away from downtown Austin, which keeps you at a close enough distance to have fun, but still be able to come back and focus on school in a quieter environment. We are also located near University of Texas at Austin, so whenever they host events you are able to go and join them. Austin has little shops here and there which are good to go explore in, especially one called Lucy in Disguise which is an incredible costume shop. Austin is a musical and different city which is always fun to explore. They also have First Thursday which is a monthly event where people set up boutiques and sell many of their hand-crafted items. Some other fun things are the food trailers that Austin has, ranging from things in crepes, cupcakes, donuts, to bananas.
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
Don't buy a shirt. If you plan on attending this college, then don't buy a shirt at the campus store. You get shirts here like crazy. I was told before that they hand out shirts for anything and everything, they were right. Every event, every club, you can bet you'll get a shirt for it. Especially for their events. It is actually pretty awesome. They give out other smaller items as well, but shirts are one of the main things, along with raffles.
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
There are so many clubs and activities to choose from on this campus, although we don't have any sororities or fraternities. Honestly there are too many clubs to name but in the beginning of each semester they host an event where all the clubs set up booths and you can take a look around and join some. Many of their events are about volunteering or sharing in multi-cultural experiences / traditions.
How would you describe campus safety? Do you feel safe on campus?
Campus safety is something that you don't really have to worry about here, mostly because it is pretty safe. There aren't really any reports of crime, violence or theft on campus and we have our University Police Department (UPD).
St. Edward's is a private Catholic university that is able to focus its attention on each student individually because of its small class sizes. There are many events on campus that follow and raise awareness about current events as well as multicultural issues. Diversity is a big factor as this university has many international students and is located in the heart of Austin, Texas.
Unlike most universities, this campus has professors that expect their students to attend class on a regular basis, mainly because class sizes are roughly twenty students at most, so your presence is noticed and appreciated. Most professors expect in class participation and discussion, not only with them but with your other classmates as well. Another big thing for this university is volunteering, they love to host events for students to volunteer in and when applying, it looks good to have participated in volunteering. Although this is a Catholic school, it is also a liberal arts one. While they do have a religious background, they do not require that you attend mass or participate in any religious events of any particular affiliation. They do require that you take one class on religion, however they offer many topics that range from Catholicism to Religion in Harry Potter.
St. Edward's is a smaller campus so you therefore have smaller class sizes. As a result of this, you are able to talk more with your professors and classmates about questions that you have on certain subjects. Professors also like in class participation, so there is an opportunity to ask questions when you have them. I would say that the classes are a bit challenging, but it is not something to be afraid of because there are so many resources available to assist you. Such as the writing and math centers that we have on campus.
The campus has several housing options and as a Freshman you are required to live on campus unless you live in Austin. As a Freshman you will be living in a Freshmen-only dormatory, of which there are four. Teresa Hall is the dorm in which I stayed, it is one of the cheaper ones for girls next to East Hall which is an all girls dorm. Teresa's rooms are a bit smaller than the schools website made them seem, but you get used to it as you continue to live there. Honestly, I was told and I agree that Teresa is probably one of the best dorms to live in, mostly because of the fact that is it such a social environment. Yet it is not too social to the point where it is distracting. You even have other students from other dorms coming to hang out in Teresa. People are more friendly here so making friends is not that difficult, even if you are a quieter person. This dorm is also getting remodeled to have tile floors and new cabinets, desks and closets. Teresa also has some of the best RAs.
Food at St. Edward's tastes really good the first time you are here, but it doesn't change often so if you get bored of the same thing quickly then you might be in trouble. They cook it well and it tastes good, so the food's not bad, it's just that it doesn't change very much so there isn't much variety. There are two dining halls, Hunt and Ragsdale and then you have The Huddle which is a Tex-Mex food place. There is also a little convenient store called Outtakes which is located in Hunt.
St. Edward's is located about ten minutes away from downtown Austin, which keeps you at a close enough distance to have fun, but still be able to come back and focus on school in a quieter environment. We are also located near University of Texas at Austin, so whenever they host events you are able to go and join them. Austin has little shops here and there which are good to go explore in, especially one called Lucy in Disguise which is an incredible costume shop. Austin is a musical and different city which is always fun to explore. They also have First Thursday which is a monthly event where people set up boutiques and sell many of their hand-crafted items. Some other fun things are the food trailers that Austin has, ranging from things in crepes, cupcakes, donuts, to bananas.
Don't buy a shirt. If you plan on attending this college, then don't buy a shirt at the campus store. You get shirts here like crazy. I was told before that they hand out shirts for anything and everything, they were right. Every event, every club, you can bet you'll get a shirt for it. Especially for their events. It is actually pretty awesome. They give out other smaller items as well, but shirts are one of the main things, along with raffles.
There are so many clubs and activities to choose from on this campus, although we don't have any sororities or fraternities. Honestly there are too many clubs to name but in the beginning of each semester they host an event where all the clubs set up booths and you can take a look around and join some. Many of their events are about volunteering or sharing in multi-cultural experiences / traditions.
Campus safety is something that you don't really have to worry about here, mostly because it is pretty safe. There aren't really any reports of crime, violence or theft on campus and we have our University Police Department (UPD).