Ohio Wesleyan University

Date: May 28 2005
Major: Chemistry (This Major's Salary over time)
I'll add my comment as well. Let me just start this by saying that no place is perfect.

OWU has many positives but many negatives as well.

To outline the pros:

1) Wesleyan's academics are really excellent and indeed very challenging! The science departments are just outstanding and if you are truly a hard-working student. Your payoffs at the end will be worth it. The university has been genuinely interested in investing in its science buildings, which has resulted in the new science center.

2) Wesleyan is a very diverse place. There are only a few other liberal arts colleges in the U.S. that have as many international students as OWU. In Ohio and the Midwest, it is certainly a diversity gem.

3) Small community. This you will hear from day one here. So, I can't add anything more than what you have already heard. There are certainly many advantages that come with small size: small classes, more class time dedicated to individual students, no TAs, just full-time PhDs teaching. Plenty of opportunities to do indendependent research with faculty members in your junior and senior years.

4) Location. This may surprise many. Delaware itself is in the middle of nowhere. So, if you are looking for a big city this is not the place for you. It is kind of an idyllic place to concetrate on academics. Also, Columbus is only 20-30 minutes away by car.

5) Study abroad options. Almost 50% of Wesleyan students go abroad. The Office of International Studies has many resources to help you figure out where you want to go and then make the arrangements to get there. Leaving OWU for a semester was one of the best decisions of my life. I felt trapped during the fall of my junior year, and my time in Salamanca was the happiest of my life.

6) This is subjective, but it is true. OWU's student body is incredibly political liberal. While you may not feel too uncomfortable as a conservative both socially and in the classroom, you should know that you will be in a minority here. Something like 80% voted for Kerry in the last elections.

Here come some of the cons:

1) Housing and food.

Student dorms with the exception of Welch, the SLUs, Stuy and maybe even Smith need renovation. Any student on campus knows this. Not to mention that you have to wait until junior or senior year to get decent housing.

The dining hall food is not that great. HamWill has improved lately but there is a lot to be desired. As an OWU student you get to use the points system and can use the campus grocery store. Students are forced to be on a meal plan with about 20 meals per week.

The new WCSA president is very determined to have the university let students use their points off-campus. It seems like it is going to happen in a year.

2) Some students are too sensitive and lazy.

A few years ago, the Pride Organization (organization of gays and bisexuals) wrote in chalk in front of a frat house, "ATO Boys su*k c*ck." The frat boys erased the chalk and the Pride members got all upset and said that this was in violation of their freedom of speech, and they held a forum to discuss it.

3) Administration

They are slow in responding to student concerns. The trustees and the new president are all too concerned about adding to the endowment, increasing the student selectivity by decreasing admission rates, staying comparable to the other Ohio Five schools (Oberlin, Kenyon, etc) So, in the meantime, a lot of energy is going in addressing issues that the administration feels is important.

4) Dating

In terms of "dating," there are "random hook-ups" where you hook up with someone you "meet" at a party and dread running into them at HamWill or the library the next day. Then there are people who are "married" and basically spend every minute of their lives together. There is very little middle ground.