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| Quite Bright | I graduated from UDel, and my son is a current student - in his second year. I really hate to submit a negative review of Delaware, because I loved my years there, but the fact is that this campus has a HUGE crime problem that the administration and the City of Newark are refusing to address. I'm not talking about stolen laptops; I am talking about armed robberies and home invasions of student housing near the campus. I am on the email list to receive notice of crimes on campus and the surrounding area, and the frequency of the emails is frightening. Students have been robbed at gunpoint, or at knifepoint, or beaten up just for a cell phone and a few dollars. They do have an escort service, but most of the guys refuse to use it. It has come to the point where I am constantly fearing for my son's safety, and I wish he had chosen a different school. My fear is that a student will be killed before some serious action is taken. The City and Campus police spend more time ticketing vehicles and busting kids for underage drinking than they do dealing with the MAJOR crime problem. There are a lot of wonderful things about Delaware, but unfortunately, they have all become overshadowed by the violence on and around campus. The good things just don't make it worth the risk to my son's safety. Because UDel remains popular and there is never a lack of applicants, I think the University has no incentive to deal with the problem. I am writing this review in the hope that, if more people learn about their little secret, they will have to address it and make the campus safer. If you still decide to go to Delware (or send your child there), I have some advice regarding residence halls -- stay away from West Campus, especially Rodney. It's beyond disgusting. You will notice that West Campus is NEVER included on the campus tours for prospective students. There is a reason why. Again, it pains me to say anything negative about UDel -- there are some great things about the school, and some of the best years of my life were spent there, and there are things my son loves about it. But, really, come on, if your kid isn't safe, then what else matters???? | Preparedness: F, Reputation: F |  | |
| | Nov 30 2007 | Alumna Female --
Class 2000 | | Blog it!Blog about this comment from your webpage or Blog, or MySpace account:
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| Bright |
Coming to this school was one of the best decisions I have ever made. This is a fantastic university for those students who want the perfect balance between a challenging academic curriculum and an active social life.
That being said, don't think that this school is going to be four years of partying - the school hates the reputation that it has as a party school and has cracked down so hard on the social atmosphere that finding a party that won't be broken up by the Newark police is as difficult as passing one of the notorious business school accounting exams. Be prepared to face a demanding curriculum, particularly if you are a business, engineering, or biology student.
The workload can be tough. If you are looking for a school that will provide a gentle transition from high school to college level curriculum, look somewhere else. They expect you to be able to handle heavy course loads literally from day one, so don't think you can ease your way into your classes. The professors have no tolerance for students who are unable to jump right in, and expect challenging projects, test, papers that are due by the third week of school.
The quality of the dorms is lacking, and the food is marginal at best. Most students move off campus after freshman year, and there is no lack of places to rent.
The campus is awesome. It has an entirely New England feel to it, and the buildings and grounds are absolutely pristine. The city of Newark, however, leaves alot to be desired. Get outside of the campus, and there isnt much to do outside of getting harrassed by townies. The good news is that Wilmington is only a half an hour away and can be very fun, and Philly is only an hour, as is Baltimore. If you plan on leaving campus, I would head to one of these places.
If you are not from New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, or Delaware, the students can be a little intimidating. Expect to see lots of polo shirts and hair gel, and lots of Audis and BMWs on campus, as most of the students seem to appear to come from upper class roots. There are plenty of social opportunities for everyone, but if you fit the above description, you will have a better shot of fitting in. It definitely doesnt seem to be the most diverse college in the country.
The professors are generally excellent when it comes to expertise in their subject matter. However, for every professor you find who is accessible and open to student interaction, there is a professor who seems to disdain actually having to talk to students outside of class. Be prepared to deal with some stand-offish professors who seem to be struggling with the fact that they feel as though they should be teaching at UPENN. The good news is that I can only remember a few low level classes that were taught by a TA.
The administration is pretty good. I have no stories to tell of classes getting dropped or the finance department screwing up billing or anything like that. Just make sure to think carefully about what you sign up for in between semesters and make sure to talk to your guidance councellors.
The bottom line is that this school has gotten to be a pretty tough school academically over the last ten years, and it has been burning up the rankings because of this. UD grads are considered attractive commodities on the east coast, where I reside, and I even find that people in the Midwest are aware of the reputation of the school, especially when it comes to business and engineering. Be prepared to put in an effort socially and educationally, and you will be well rewarded in the future with the friends that you make and the career that you enjoy.
Go Hens! | Starting Job: financial advisor, Preparedness: B, Reputation: B+ | | |
| | Mar 21 2009 | Alumnus Male --
Class 2000 | | Blog it!Blog about this comment from your webpage or Blog, or MySpace account:
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| Quite Bright | This school is perfect in every aspect. My classes are engaging, at least my smaller ones, and even my 200 Chem class feels as if the professor is talking to me. If I need help, they're there. The campus is amazing and I believe it was voted top 10 most beautiful in the country. There are some complaints about dorms...the freshman ones that were built in the 60's and 70's are ugly and are falling apart, but the ones on the green, which are the majority, the towers, and the huge new complex are really great. Downtown has everything and I never go hungry there. Dining hall food is surprsingly good. I can get a fried egg for breakfast or an omlette with fresh fruit...so the options for food are pretty good. However, I have encountered alot of snobby people and jocks. The girls are pretty arrogant, just talking on their cell phone, with their huge sunglasses and a popped collar. The guys (at least in my dorm) are all jocks and I don't know one that isn't obsessed with sports, which sucks because I don't really follow sports 24/7 like they do. Other than that, everyone else seems pretty laid back and friendly. It's pretty competitive here too...the first day of classes everyone was all ready to take notes and probably studied before class, and before calculus the next day, people were studying their notes. Get an A in your core classes because the competition is ROUGH...especially if your going into the popular majors like pre-med, engineering, business, etc. The work has been challenging so far...first day of classes and I already had alot of work to do. Just be careful how many classes you take because if you can't handle it, drop one...you won't regret it. Just take it during the summer or winter session.
As much as classes can suck and there always seems to be work, the weekends are amazing and there are parties everywhere, so have a good time, but work sort of hard. | Faculty Accessibility: A+, Useful Schoolwork: B+ | | | |
| | Sep 05 2007 | 1st Year Male --
Class 2010 | | Blog it!Blog about this comment from your webpage or Blog, or MySpace account:
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| Quite Bright |
I just graduated the University of Delaware this past May (2007) and look back on my four years as a very positive experience. While freshmen year was a bit challenging, I found myself in the swing of things by my sophomore year. It was hard to leave a close knit group of friends/community and start new, but the university provides many opportunities to meet new people. Through several campus run activities (hillel, habitat for humanity, gamma sigma sigma, scpab) I was able to build up a group of lifelong friends in no time.
I was also very satisfied with my classes. I recieved a Bachelor of Arts in music, which I like to describe as a general studies major with a concentration in music. This program gave me the opportunity to persue my talents as well as explore many other subjects. While there were some courses that were a dissapointment (boring teacher/content), I was easily able to drop them within the first two weeks and had many other options. I can look back and list professors that were truly inspirational. The sort of classes you look forward to going to. I found the criminal justice, sociology, and italian departments to be particularly noteworthy.
I also took advantage this Universities great study abroad program. I traveled to Siena, Italy during the 2005 Winter and have not stopped talking about the experience since. The staff that traveled with the program were so down to earth and showed a real interest in all of us. This can also be said about the professors we met in Italy. While the classes were still quite challenging (which I hear isnt the case on all study abroad trips) I still had plenty of time to explore the country with my friends.
As far as security goes, I can say I felt generally safe at all times. Throughout my four years there were some horrific events that took place on campus, but they over shadowed the overall day-to-day safety. The problem, I think, is Newark gives the feeling of a small town. People put their gaurd down. I have walked across the campus at night numerous times by myself (which I probably shouldnt have done) and did not experience any problems. Crimes do occur, but that happens everywhere. The dorms are a particularly safe place to live because of the card access system. Only those who live in the building can enter...unless someone holds the door open for the person behind them.
As far as complaints go, it is impossible to go four years without them. I think they could improve upon campus transportation. There are buses that run throughout campus, but it would be helpful to have more late night transportation that reached off campus locations. The dinning hall food was not so great, but tolerable. Public safety gives out way too many parking tickets. Oh, and the train running through campus can be quite annoying if you're running late to class.
Class sizes were great - small when they needed to be, not overwhelming for the large lectures. Professor accessability was never an issue for me. I often met with professors after class for additional tutoring. Plus, many departments offer free tutoring services.
Also, the campus is beautiful!!... especially in the spring time. | Campus Aesthetics: A+, Education Quality: B+ | | | |
| | Aug 22 2007 | 4th Year Female --
Class 2007 | | Blog it!Blog about this comment from your webpage or Blog, or MySpace account:
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