The professors teach very well here. They have office hours where they will drop what they are doing immediately to help you and even if they're busy they'll generally be willing to give you a helping hand. Most classes are either Monday Wednesday Friday for 50 minutes or Tuesday Thursday for 1hour 15 minutes each. You'll cover a surprising amount of material in that time, believe me. Even if you don't know a professor, if you just introduce yourself to him or her they are more than willing to receive you with open arms.
Do you enjoy the experience at your school?
Ursinus is a friendly place. There's simply no other way to put it. People will hold doors for you and say hi to you even if you've never met them. As one student told me, Ursinus has a serious case of the friendlies. However, there are some things of the environment some students may not like. The cafeteria, for the most part, serves the same food everyday. The hot lunch seems to be the only exception. The campus is small so it's easy to get to know the place and expect to get to know your fellow students and professors. There aren't too many of us.
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
Look, I'm not going to lie. Ursinus is a very expensive school. If you can somehow get the cost down by getting an Ursinus Scholarship or Creative Writing Scholarship, the cost is worth it. However, even if you have to pay the full 50k+ amount to get here, I would still say the education you receive here is worth it.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
You need to like the small town feel. There are maybe 1600 students here; that's smaller than a lot of high schools out there. If you don't like seeing the same people day in and day out and get bored of a structured schedule, this isn't the school for you. It's a good idea to come in with AP/IB credits, as they count for the core requirements and even for the majors. (As of October 2010 anyway.) There are a good number of programs that are offered in many big time universities that aren't offered here and most of the upper level courses are offered on rotation. (As in the class might be offered once every two or three years.) So make sure you have a good idea of what you want to study.
Which types of students will excel at your college?
This is a school for two types of students. If you are that kid who struggled in high school and received mostly low Bs and Cs, this school is going help you become the best you possibly can be. If you put the work in and make an honest effort at improving yourself intellectually, you will be a different person by the time you are a senior.
Ursinus is also for that A-/B+ student in high school who probably took a couple of APs and honors. You might have been in the top 10-15% but you felt like an idiot compared to the kids in the top 5%. This is a place where you can shine. You have all the resources available to you and professors who can help you improve to the same level as those top 5% kids in high school.
If you're a kid who likes taking advantage of great professors who care, then you will love it here. Promise.
The professors teach very well here. They have office hours where they will drop what they are doing immediately to help you and even if they're busy they'll generally be willing to give you a helping hand. Most classes are either Monday Wednesday Friday for 50 minutes or Tuesday Thursday for 1hour 15 minutes each. You'll cover a surprising amount of material in that time, believe me. Even if you don't know a professor, if you just introduce yourself to him or her they are more than willing to receive you with open arms.
Ursinus is a friendly place. There's simply no other way to put it. People will hold doors for you and say hi to you even if you've never met them. As one student told me, Ursinus has a serious case of the friendlies. However, there are some things of the environment some students may not like. The cafeteria, for the most part, serves the same food everyday. The hot lunch seems to be the only exception. The campus is small so it's easy to get to know the place and expect to get to know your fellow students and professors. There aren't too many of us.
Look, I'm not going to lie. Ursinus is a very expensive school. If you can somehow get the cost down by getting an Ursinus Scholarship or Creative Writing Scholarship, the cost is worth it. However, even if you have to pay the full 50k+ amount to get here, I would still say the education you receive here is worth it.
You need to like the small town feel. There are maybe 1600 students here; that's smaller than a lot of high schools out there. If you don't like seeing the same people day in and day out and get bored of a structured schedule, this isn't the school for you. It's a good idea to come in with AP/IB credits, as they count for the core requirements and even for the majors. (As of October 2010 anyway.) There are a good number of programs that are offered in many big time universities that aren't offered here and most of the upper level courses are offered on rotation. (As in the class might be offered once every two or three years.) So make sure you have a good idea of what you want to study.
This is a school for two types of students. If you are that kid who struggled in high school and received mostly low Bs and Cs, this school is going help you become the best you possibly can be. If you put the work in and make an honest effort at improving yourself intellectually, you will be a different person by the time you are a senior. Ursinus is also for that A-/B+ student in high school who probably took a couple of APs and honors. You might have been in the top 10-15% but you felt like an idiot compared to the kids in the top 5%. This is a place where you can shine. You have all the resources available to you and professors who can help you improve to the same level as those top 5% kids in high school. If you're a kid who likes taking advantage of great professors who care, then you will love it here. Promise.