Mark a survey and Inform Staff
Please do not overuse -- this is just intended to notify SR staff of probably invalid surveys. We will not "edit" or censor existing valid surveys.
Existing Review Notes: Administration: Peer Review:
Statistical Analyzer: |
Survey (Identifying information hidden.) |
ACT: AcademicSuccess: Again: Attitude: Competitive: Creativity: ExCuricular: FAttitude1: FAttitude2: FAttitude3: FAttitude4: FAttitude5: FAttitude6: FacultyAcc: Friendly: FromArea: FundingUse: Gender: GradYear: Grounds: Intellect: Maint: MindExpect: MindUse: Programs: SAT: SAttitude1: SAttitude2: SAttitude3: SAttitude4: SAttitude5: SAttitude6: SAttitude7: SAttitude8: Safety: Social: Standing: SurroundingCity: TAclasses: USE_THIS_DATA: Usefulwork: Worth: No/invalid Email Address left Here is the real deal with Loyola. I went there for my freshman year, and the first semester I had a blast. The bar scene in Fells Point/York Rd. is pretty fun when you first get there. That being said, I would be considered by majority of people to "fit in" with the stereotypes/expectations of Loyola male students. My family gave me a lot of money, I had a large group of close friends, most of whom I still talk to. I had a fake, dressed pretty typically of Loyola guys, the whole nine yards. So maybe you don't relate to me very much, but for you guys that do, take this review to heart before you decide on Loyola. First of all, the professors and faculty at Loyola really are great. For the most part, especially for my business classes, I had a really positive experience with my teachers. The work they require is usually challenging and engaging, and staying on top your studies is crucial. Loyola is not a friendly place for students who don't get their work done consistently and keep in good standing with their professors. Getting a grade swayed in your favor starts right from the beginning of the semester; make professors know who you are and see them after class on occasion, and not just for tests. TAs don't exist which is nice, because you are being taught everything directly from a professor, and most of them have their doctorates. I honestly don't have anything negative to say about the academics, but I will say this. The work you will do for your degree is not going to be worth it for most students. Loyola MD has a true visibility problem outside of the Northeastern academic community, and if you aren't in the top tier of your class you will with near certainty have trouble with employers recognizing your school as one of value. Heed this warning.Outside of the classroom, I can honestly say there is a small profile of students who will have a good time socially. They are for the most part privileged, white, and close-minded. Most students care a lot about how they look, and any physical or appearance based faults will leave you out of the loop. Groups are made immediately after school starts, which can be shocking to a lot of students who don't know many people at the school. The reason for this is fairly obvious once you get to know your class more; a lot of students come from northeastern prep schools, and a lot of students know each other before they even get to the campus. I knew about 10 people, many of whom I went to a northeastern prep school with, before I even got there. The friends I made were from all over the northeast area, but we could all trace mutual connections and we were all pretty aware of each other's prep school and its reputation. The point I'm getting at here is that students like and tend to gravitate to others who fit similar molds that they do. And A LOT of students fit this mold. If you don't fit this mold, honestly and seriously consider going somewhere else.Like I said before, the bar scene was pretty fun my first semester. However there were some downsides then, and even bigger downsides now. First of all, fake IDs are absolutely necessary and are difficult to get ones of quality once you are there. The girls are undoubtedly gorgeous and there are a lot of them. But that being said, most girls are looking for a certain type of guy, and not fitting the above mentioned mold will leave you completely off their radar. You will spend a lot of money at Loyola, no doubt about it. Cabs are a necessity, and get expensive. Drinks at bars add up; I usually blew any where from $60 to $100 a night. You figure out when you're there that the cheapest way to go out at night is to get completed annihilated before you even leave your dorm, which is risky in itself. The RAs are complete losers, they love hitting up freshman with alcohol write ups. I figured this was obvious but I'll say it anyway; this school is a bar school. Parties DO NOT happen, and the ones that do are thrown by lacrosse houses and are near impossible to go to without the following requirements: 1. Being a laxstitute, aka complete sluts for lacrosse players, or 2. be a lacrosse player/be best friends with a lacrosse player. The friends of lacrosse players have no self respect, and the lacrosse players themselves generally suck and won't talk to you if your not one anyway. A shocking amount of guys worship the lacrosse players, and will do anything to get into their social group. I guess the benefits are the sloppy seconds of the lacrosse players, but these kids also have no self respect and are complete tools. Don't be one these kids. Also, the team isn't even good, and the only sort of "school spirit" is going to lacrosse games in the spring. There is absolutely zero athletically based student body community; school spirit is a laughable thing. The be all, end all of Loyola is this mediocre lacrosse team.There are some important things to note socially outside of the nonexistence of parties. There used to be some really enticing aspects of the bar scene that got me to go there: Craig's Fest and the freshman bar Reefers. Any incoming freshman should be keenly aware that Reefers is now shut down, sold to some restaurant. Reefers was the best part of my freshman year by the way, so this is a huge blow socially. Also, and this remains true to my knowledge, the legendary event known as "Craig's Fest" did not happen for the first time during my freshman year. I heard a rumor that I think is true as to why this is but that isn't important. The important part is that it doesn't happen anymore, and the bar scene at Loyola is now wholly made up of three bars on York Rd., for the whole school. Murphy's, tiny lax bar that is ultra packed and lame anyway; Zen, really nice but usually juniors/seniors exclusive and really tough to get into underage; and Craigs, the even more packed small ass bar that is fun if you can move around at all that night. The freshman now flood these York Rd. bars every weekend night and the sophomores are back to being denied like freshman. No one seems to go to Fells Point now, making York Rd. really the only place to go. I had a good time here but the bar scene got so repetitive and played out that I just stopped going out altogether at the end of my freshman year. And I had more bar choices then than you will if you go now.All in all, Loyola is a great niche school for certain types of people. There are plenty of kids that love it, and there certainly are some redeeming aspects to it. But for me, this place isn't college. It felt more like a "graduate high school" if that makes sense, and lacks so many aspects of a fun and well-rounded university. The degree is respectable no doubt, but the school has limited visibility, and is virtually unheard of outside the academic community in the Northeast. The amount of work you will do at Loyola truly isn't worth the degree, I spent more time explaining what and where Loyola is then I care to remember. Proceed with caution. |