If you know what you want to study, take the time to visit that specific department. This is good advice regarding any college. Do your best to learn about the research interests of faculty and graduate students in the department, but at the least, ask the undergraduate advisor what makes the department at the UO special. I was lucky that that linguistics department at the UO is a hidden gem, and I am so grateful now that I didn't get into Brown University, which was my top choice school. While the UO is a big school, if you want to take your studies seriously, you can. It is also worthwhile applying to the honors college. While the honors college may not be as tight-knit as the brochures try to tell you, the classes and the professors there are very interesting, and there are many advantages to being in the honors college--from a private, cozier library to the chance to write an honors thesis, which will look great when applying to grad schools.
Do you enjoy the experience at your school?
The University of Oregon campus is beautiful, and there are a lot of great things to love about Eugene. Being from Arizona, I find the Pacific Northwest to be a very welcoming place. Besides the number of places you can visit a short drive out of town, Eugene is a nice place to live. The people are quirky, and it's easy to make friends. The only thing I don't like is the downtown, which is severely lacking. Eugene is a smaller city than I expected it to be. Also, food in the Northwest is very bland for someone from Arizona, and you won't get a lot of good Mexican food up here.
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
I think the UO is worth it--if you can get some scholarships. It is more expensive for me to go here because I am an out of state student, but I have been awarded the Western University Exchange Award, partially because I am from another west coast state, that enables me to pay only 150% of resident tuition. However, it is still very pricey if you are from out of state. I don't regret even for an instant that I went to school in Oregon instead of Arizona, but maybe my bank account will in a few years! I believe it is a variety of things (such as the friendly people and my outstanding department) that make the price tage relatively worth it for me.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
Again: visit the department of the major you're interested in. If you just have a few in mind, visit all of them. Apply to the Honors College. Though it has a different curriculum which can sometimes be a pain, it's worth it. Also, make sure to look into clubs and other extracurricular activities at the UO. Don't just look at the academic programs! If there are any events (lectures, etc.) going on on campus when you visit, go to those too! You might get an idea of what sorts of interesting events will be taking place on campus.
Stick around for more than just the tour. Visit the art museum on campus! Don't be afraid to explore the campus or ask questions to strangers.
It is not the most difficult school to get into, so I really don't think tips for the application process would be very useful. It's more important to know how to evaluate a school, to see if it's right for you. Keep in mind, though, that you have the ability to make yourself happy almost anywhere.
Which types of students will excel at your college?
I really believe that almost anyone could find a niche at the UO. Wealthy or not, ambitious or not, sporty or not. The only thing someone might not want to be is very politically conservative, but even republicans will not have much difficulty finding friends and activities at the UO.
If you know what you want to study, take the time to visit that specific department. This is good advice regarding any college. Do your best to learn about the research interests of faculty and graduate students in the department, but at the least, ask the undergraduate advisor what makes the department at the UO special. I was lucky that that linguistics department at the UO is a hidden gem, and I am so grateful now that I didn't get into Brown University, which was my top choice school. While the UO is a big school, if you want to take your studies seriously, you can. It is also worthwhile applying to the honors college. While the honors college may not be as tight-knit as the brochures try to tell you, the classes and the professors there are very interesting, and there are many advantages to being in the honors college--from a private, cozier library to the chance to write an honors thesis, which will look great when applying to grad schools.
The University of Oregon campus is beautiful, and there are a lot of great things to love about Eugene. Being from Arizona, I find the Pacific Northwest to be a very welcoming place. Besides the number of places you can visit a short drive out of town, Eugene is a nice place to live. The people are quirky, and it's easy to make friends. The only thing I don't like is the downtown, which is severely lacking. Eugene is a smaller city than I expected it to be. Also, food in the Northwest is very bland for someone from Arizona, and you won't get a lot of good Mexican food up here.
I think the UO is worth it--if you can get some scholarships. It is more expensive for me to go here because I am an out of state student, but I have been awarded the Western University Exchange Award, partially because I am from another west coast state, that enables me to pay only 150% of resident tuition. However, it is still very pricey if you are from out of state. I don't regret even for an instant that I went to school in Oregon instead of Arizona, but maybe my bank account will in a few years! I believe it is a variety of things (such as the friendly people and my outstanding department) that make the price tage relatively worth it for me.
Again: visit the department of the major you're interested in. If you just have a few in mind, visit all of them. Apply to the Honors College. Though it has a different curriculum which can sometimes be a pain, it's worth it. Also, make sure to look into clubs and other extracurricular activities at the UO. Don't just look at the academic programs! If there are any events (lectures, etc.) going on on campus when you visit, go to those too! You might get an idea of what sorts of interesting events will be taking place on campus. Stick around for more than just the tour. Visit the art museum on campus! Don't be afraid to explore the campus or ask questions to strangers. It is not the most difficult school to get into, so I really don't think tips for the application process would be very useful. It's more important to know how to evaluate a school, to see if it's right for you. Keep in mind, though, that you have the ability to make yourself happy almost anywhere.
I really believe that almost anyone could find a niche at the UO. Wealthy or not, ambitious or not, sporty or not. The only thing someone might not want to be is very politically conservative, but even republicans will not have much difficulty finding friends and activities at the UO.