Since Ursinus is such a small school, you get to know your professors a lot better than you would at a larger school. This makes it a lot easier to contact them outside of class, and they just want to see you succeed. So, from my experiences with many of my professors, they'll help you out in ways professors at larger schools wouldn't. You're able to start laboratory research in your second semester of freshman year, and there are ample opportunities for independent study in any field! Professors will often go out of their way to help you find an internship or the contacts to conduct the research you're interested in. The tutoring program is also very good! Tutoring is free for students, and the tutors get paid by the college. I'm currently a tutor for the college, after receiving help from a tutor in a couple courses.
Also, Ursinus has recently started a program called Ursinus is talking about... which features a specific book, play, or other media each semester. Then, throughout that semester, there will be several programs regarding the issues presented in the topic, including lectures, concerts, discussions, presentations, and more. This is sort of continuation of the idea of the common intellectual experience (CIE), which is sort of a freshman forum in a small class setting, which address topics mostly in history, English literature, and philosophy.
Do you enjoy the experience at your school?
The college has several different programs to enhance student involvement on campus. One organization is the Campus Activities Board (CAB), and another is the Student Activities Office (SAO). CAB organizes mostly on-campus events for students, and the SAO organizes many off-campus trips. CAB has organized Casino nights (using play money to win some nice prizes), Bingo nights (again, to win some nice prizes, like a flat screen TV, microwave, etc.), movie nights (projecting a movie outside during good weather or in an auditorium). SAO mostly hosts trip off-campus, and they also reimburse up to $10 each semester per student for off-campus entertainment, like movie tickets. They have also hosted trips to a fall festival (for hay rides, corn maze, apple cider, and picking out pumpkins), annual Ball at the Bellevue (a formal dance that costs only $5 per student held at the Bellevue in Philly), and Dorney Park. Another campus organization is the Resident Hall Association (RHA), which hosts resident activities, like a coolest room competition, best Halloween decorated house, and best snow sculpture competition. Ursinus also has an organization called UCARE, which organizes community service on and off campus. There are many weekly and one-time service opportunities; some of the weekly service opportunities include volunteering at the organic garden, Wismer on Wheels (packaging food to go to homeless shelters), Head Start, and ESL tutoring of hispanic maintenance workers. Other organizations that increase student involvement are greek organizations and sports teams. Ursinus has 8 fraternities and 5 sororities on campus, and has Division 3 sports teams.
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
Ursinus offers many scholarships, merit and need-based. There's a scholarship weekend in the spring for high school seniors to interview for merit-based scholarships. Also, finding on-campus jobs is relatively easier at Ursinus than at many of the schools my friends attend. You can start an on-campus job as soon as you start your freshman year, and you can apply for a job by early August before freshman year. Also, a laptop is provided for all 4 years, including receiving a new one after sophomore year. Laptop insurance is one of the fees charged with tuition. And resident halls are nicer that at many other schools. The freshman dorms are closest to the various campus buildings, and each building has a kitchen, lounge (with big screen TV), and free laundry facilities. And unlike at many other colleges, you can select the specific room you want to live in each year, through a lottery process.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
If you want a campus job your freshman year, you should apply for one as soon as you have access to careernet, around early August.
The meal plan can be a bit confusing, but all freshmen have a 19 meals per week plan. After freshman year, you can choose 19, 14, or 10 meals per week. All of the options cost the same, but an additional amount will be charged if you select additional dining dollars. Dining dollars are like currency that can be used at Zack's, Jazzman's, and the Convenience store. Meal credits can only be used at upper Wismer and Zack's (at Zack's, they're currently valued at $5.25).
When choosing which freshman dorm to live in, BWC has more triples, which has less floor space per person, and BPS has doubles, a couple quads and suites, and a few singles. Suites have two separate doubles with their own bathroom, and quads are just a large room for 4 people. It seems that the quads are only ever assigned to girls because the college seems to think they need less privacy. I lived in a quad freshman year, and my roommates and I started getting on each others' nerves by the end of the year. I would suggest that if you live in a triple or quad, you should schedule privacy times each week when each person can have the room to him/herself.
Try to be open-minded because you have no idea how much you're going to change and grow over the next 4 years!
Which types of students will excel at your college?
I think it's a great school for anyone who would prefer a smaller school. We don't have just one type of student, although we're not very racially diverse, although that's mostly due to the location of the school. I know that I chose Ursinus because it's known for having a great Biology and pre-Med program, and also because I noticed how well you get to know your professors at a small school.
Since Ursinus is such a small school, you get to know your professors a lot better than you would at a larger school. This makes it a lot easier to contact them outside of class, and they just want to see you succeed. So, from my experiences with many of my professors, they'll help you out in ways professors at larger schools wouldn't. You're able to start laboratory research in your second semester of freshman year, and there are ample opportunities for independent study in any field! Professors will often go out of their way to help you find an internship or the contacts to conduct the research you're interested in. The tutoring program is also very good! Tutoring is free for students, and the tutors get paid by the college. I'm currently a tutor for the college, after receiving help from a tutor in a couple courses. Also, Ursinus has recently started a program called Ursinus is talking about... which features a specific book, play, or other media each semester. Then, throughout that semester, there will be several programs regarding the issues presented in the topic, including lectures, concerts, discussions, presentations, and more. This is sort of continuation of the idea of the common intellectual experience (CIE), which is sort of a freshman forum in a small class setting, which address topics mostly in history, English literature, and philosophy.
The college has several different programs to enhance student involvement on campus. One organization is the Campus Activities Board (CAB), and another is the Student Activities Office (SAO). CAB organizes mostly on-campus events for students, and the SAO organizes many off-campus trips. CAB has organized Casino nights (using play money to win some nice prizes), Bingo nights (again, to win some nice prizes, like a flat screen TV, microwave, etc.), movie nights (projecting a movie outside during good weather or in an auditorium). SAO mostly hosts trip off-campus, and they also reimburse up to $10 each semester per student for off-campus entertainment, like movie tickets. They have also hosted trips to a fall festival (for hay rides, corn maze, apple cider, and picking out pumpkins), annual Ball at the Bellevue (a formal dance that costs only $5 per student held at the Bellevue in Philly), and Dorney Park. Another campus organization is the Resident Hall Association (RHA), which hosts resident activities, like a coolest room competition, best Halloween decorated house, and best snow sculpture competition. Ursinus also has an organization called UCARE, which organizes community service on and off campus. There are many weekly and one-time service opportunities; some of the weekly service opportunities include volunteering at the organic garden, Wismer on Wheels (packaging food to go to homeless shelters), Head Start, and ESL tutoring of hispanic maintenance workers. Other organizations that increase student involvement are greek organizations and sports teams. Ursinus has 8 fraternities and 5 sororities on campus, and has Division 3 sports teams.
Ursinus offers many scholarships, merit and need-based. There's a scholarship weekend in the spring for high school seniors to interview for merit-based scholarships. Also, finding on-campus jobs is relatively easier at Ursinus than at many of the schools my friends attend. You can start an on-campus job as soon as you start your freshman year, and you can apply for a job by early August before freshman year. Also, a laptop is provided for all 4 years, including receiving a new one after sophomore year. Laptop insurance is one of the fees charged with tuition. And resident halls are nicer that at many other schools. The freshman dorms are closest to the various campus buildings, and each building has a kitchen, lounge (with big screen TV), and free laundry facilities. And unlike at many other colleges, you can select the specific room you want to live in each year, through a lottery process.
If you want a campus job your freshman year, you should apply for one as soon as you have access to careernet, around early August. The meal plan can be a bit confusing, but all freshmen have a 19 meals per week plan. After freshman year, you can choose 19, 14, or 10 meals per week. All of the options cost the same, but an additional amount will be charged if you select additional dining dollars. Dining dollars are like currency that can be used at Zack's, Jazzman's, and the Convenience store. Meal credits can only be used at upper Wismer and Zack's (at Zack's, they're currently valued at $5.25). When choosing which freshman dorm to live in, BWC has more triples, which has less floor space per person, and BPS has doubles, a couple quads and suites, and a few singles. Suites have two separate doubles with their own bathroom, and quads are just a large room for 4 people. It seems that the quads are only ever assigned to girls because the college seems to think they need less privacy. I lived in a quad freshman year, and my roommates and I started getting on each others' nerves by the end of the year. I would suggest that if you live in a triple or quad, you should schedule privacy times each week when each person can have the room to him/herself. Try to be open-minded because you have no idea how much you're going to change and grow over the next 4 years!
I think it's a great school for anyone who would prefer a smaller school. We don't have just one type of student, although we're not very racially diverse, although that's mostly due to the location of the school. I know that I chose Ursinus because it's known for having a great Biology and pre-Med program, and also because I noticed how well you get to know your professors at a small school.