Washington Adventist University

Date: Jun 19 2004
Major: Biology (This Major's Salary over time)
Columbia Union College is a small, private Christian college in surburban Washington, DC. It IS denominational (Seventh-Day Adventist), and in general, it is also VERY conservative. The school is a good fit for some and a poor fit for others. None of its programs are highly competitive, so if you are looking for an education marked with cooperation and support from your peers in your respective major, this school may be for you. However, depending on your major, it may not be in your best interest to attend this school. The school is very strong in its nursing and education programs, but not as strong in its other various departments. I have found the chemistry department highly worthwhile; the biology department, however, is a joke. It is a very small school in all aspects, and has a very good teacher to student ratio. This can work both in your favor and against your favor. It allows great potential for individualized attention. However, in some departments there are not many faculty members (biology = 3), and if you do not like a faculty member within your department, it is not possible to avoid taking classes from them for the next few years. The pre-medicine program, however, is strong, if that's what you are interested in. KEEP IN MIND: The school is VERY conservative, and you will NOT get a typical college experience from this school. There are fairly stringent social conduct guidelines and curfews, to name a few of many things. Rules abound here, and those in authority are not always sympathetic to the needs of students. Worship is mandatory..another item to note. Also, if you are looking to find a significant relationship with someone, this is not the school for you. Socially, the campus is EXTREMELY backwards, and not many social opportunities and clubs are available to the students. However, the music organizations are top-notch (they play in Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center). What makes CUC worthwhile are your peers…the students are generally easy to get to know…and the professors, many of whom go out of their way to help you. What is negative about CUC remains the conservative atmosphere (it is almost suffocating at times), the lack of social programs, and the lack of attention to student life. If you are not Seventh-Day Adventist (and I am not…), you would do well to shop somewhere else for a college education.