The Indiana University of Pennsylvania

I love IUP. That being said, I probably love it because of the people here rather than the institution itself. When searching for my perfect college, IUP seemed to fit my ideal exactly; medium sized (14,000 students), Division II athletic program, an engaging Honors College, and a solid criminology department.

What I found at IUP differed from my expectations although not immediately. The classes were challenging in the Robert E. Cook Honors College, but not so much for the rest of the university. I chalked it up to intro classes that were just there to weed out the kids that didn't want to be in college anyway.

The Honors classes are great and are based on Socratic method teaching for humanities. Basically the students sit in a circle and talk about the previous night's readings and nightly journals. The program is writing based so you will never see tests or dreaded scantrons but you have to be prepared for a lot of writing - a major difference from the rest of classes on campus. These honors classes are limited to 20 students each (100 total for each incoming class) and everyone knows each other because they live in the same building for their first year. It is a very welcoming atmosphere that encourages critical thinking and academic thought.

The rest of the classes varied in academic challenges; I love my department and the professors are interested in who I am as a person and what I want to do after undergrad. Other classes, I have had good and bad professors. Thankfully, I have only had 2 classes stick out as ones that I would not repeat.

What disappointed me the most about campus was the overall apathetic mood from the students. Involvement, especially political involvement, is difficult to come by. For those that are especially active this may come as a shock and should be a consideration when looking at schools. The administration can also be difficult to work with when there are political ideals being expressed (speakers/voter registration etc). The administration is changing right now, and that problem may change.

Extracurriculars, however, are extensive and there are clubs for any and every person. If there is not one that you want, it is very simple and easy to create one. I love IUP's Alternative Spring Break - you go on a week long trip to do various service projects throughout the nation. Indiana, the town, is small. We are in a rural area but only an hour from Pittsburgh. The town is not the most exciting place but combined with campus there is always something to do whether it is a concert, pick-up frisbee games, hiking (we have an outdoor co-op area), watch movies. If you complain about not having anything to do, it is your own fault.

3rd Year Female -- Class 2011

Faculty Accessibility: A+, University Resource Use/ spending: C-

I'm a Biochemistry major at IUP and am a rising senior.
College is what you make it. At every university, there are professors, students, and programs on both sides of the spectrum (the spectrum being good to bad). IUP has its fair share of both. However, if one decides to take advantage of the good and weed out the bad, the college experience at IUP can be a great one. Many of the programs excel in their fields, leading in research and helping students further their education after graduation.

Indiana may be a small town but there is a little of everything if you're willing to search for it. I feel that anyone could find a place to fit in at the university in terms of friends, clubs, and organizations.

There are good professors and not so good professors but you will find that at every university. The key is using the good professors to your advantage, getting to know them, and getting involved in your program. Many of the professors really do want to see you succeed. I have really enjoyed my experiences at IUP and cannot wait for another year.

3rd Year Male -- Class 2011

Faculty Accessibility: A, Useful Schoolwork: B

College, anywhere, is what you make of it. I've taken a spin around the community college scene prior to my three years at IUP, and I find that some students take great advantage of everything that is offered them, while others sit back and complain. If you're willing to come to IUP with a plan to put a little work into the major you choose, you're going to get along fine.

Kids come to IUP to get a solid education without spending the rest of their life in debt. If a student takes advantage of what IUP has to offer, that decision can lead to a great bang for their buck.

The faculty here are phenomenally helpful. There's at least one star in every department who will go out of their way to help you. All you need to do is ask for a little guidance. The particularly smart professors here come to teach and help students -- not to make grad students do their work for them.

Student life isn't bad either. There's a huge mix of students from all backgrounds and walks of life, a decent population of international students, plenty of opportunities to easily join clubs on campus, and a number of club sports and intramurals. The kids who complain are the ones who never consider playing a little frisbee instead of partying every night.I don't want to sugarcoat it, though. The weather in Western Pennsylvania gets a little rainy and cold over spring semester. But the campus is pretty in Autumn and as long as your not looking for Florida weather, the rain's really not all that bad.

3rd Year Male -- Class 2011

Faculty Accessibility: A+, Collaboration/Competitive: F