Not true!  There is a wide variety of people at Drexel.  Of course because the school is on 10-week quarters vs.  15-week semesters, a lot of work is crammed into a short period of time.  I think this stresses some students out and cause them to resent the school (this is DEF not a place to go if you want an easy, party, college experience), but anyone with good time management should be fine.

One of the great things about Drexel is their co-op program.  I chose this school because it is one of the few highly-rated programs in the area I was interested in (Music Industry) and it also gave me the chance to work in a competitive industry before graduating.  I feel like I am much more prepared for work after college and have much more experience than my friends who went to state schools.  I feel like I have actual relevant work skills and experience, vs.  learning in classroom and working minimal wage jobs in the summer that don't really help out getting a career.  When I first accepted my slot at Drexel, I was worried about not having a summer vacation.  Now, I don't mind at all.  Remember, you always have the option to take a co-op in your home town if you want to go back.  In addition, the student body doesn't leave during the summer like most schools, so banish the though that you will be left alone on campus, working co-op, and without any friends.

I can only speak for my major, but I think the academics are excellent.  They are really geared towards getting a job and practical skills.  While “Music Industry” students at other colleges are learning music theory and composition, we are learning that in addition to business and management skills, copyright and legal skills, technical skills such as recording, and much more.  Although some of the classes seem slightly outdated (which happens when studying an industry in such flux), I think that Drexel does a much better job keeping our classes relevant than most colleges.  In addition, the professors have all previously worked in the industry and not only provide valuable connections, but also real-world insight.  The one thing to be noted about Drexel is the amount of work.  As previously mentioned, don't go here if you want to be able to slack off in college.  We have midterms by week three of a term!  The academics are “go-go-go” in order to fit everything in a quarter, and you don't get much time before projects and exams begin.

One of the worst parts of Drexel is the academic red tape.  This could be similar to most large colleges, but it is super frustrating.  When I was applying to be a BS/MBA student, I was constantly running around to various offices because of the lack of communication between them.  I've dealt with lost forms, people who are impossible to reach, inconvenient and inflexible schedules on the part of the staff, and different guidelines according to different people (there seems to be no “standard” procedure for anything — or at least not one that the administrative staff are aware of).  If you have a problem, it can get solved, but you can't be afraid of being persistent and pushing them a bit.  As the saying goes “The squeakiest wheel gets the oil”.  I think this would be my one bad point for Drexel.

The student body is relatively diverse.  Most of the students seem to be middle or upper class, but that is the way of most high-priced, private colleges.  There are many international students (I somehow got placed on the international floor of my dorm freshman year - it was great!) and I don't think anyone of a particular race, ethnicity, or religion would feel out of place.  The same goes for political views, sexual orientation, etc.  There are activities, clubs, and niche for everyone.  Within the arts school, there are tons of hip, fashion-conscious type students (but really that's any art school, I think).  However overall, there are many “types” of students at the school; athletes, bookworms, artists, etc...

A common complaint that I hear about Drexel is that there isn't much going on.  WE'RE IN A HUGE CITY!  There are tons of things to do, for any type of person.  The social life is one of my FAVORITE parts of Drexel.  I think the main reason people complain about activities is you really have to go out and find them yourself.  Unlike a school in a small college town where there isn't a lot going on, Drexel isn't going to provide you with activities every weekend.  West Philadelphia is a very vibrant community, especially for the arts (and once you know the city, you know what's safe and don't have to worry about dangerous areas - much safer than Temple!).  I have gotten very involved with the music scene in West Philly, which is very tight and interconnected and allows me to see live music for free pretty much every weekend.  I've made many friends within this community who don't go to Drexel, which is really fun.  I know people from Temple, UPenn, Saint Joe's, Philly Community College, Uarts... This really expands your social life and the things that are open to you.  There are also tons of restaurants, galleries, quirky events in West Philly, you just have to look for them.  We're also very close to center city, which has even more restaurants, clubs, movie theaters, etc. 

Of course there are the regular house parties and frat parties every weekend.  I don't know much about greek life, but it is here if that is what you're interested in getting involved with.  I am person part of Phi Sigma Pi national honors fraternity, which isn't a social fraternity but organizes lots of outings for members (really cool tours, activities, trips, concerts, evenings out, etc). 

I have NEVER had any problems finding things to do.  Most of the time, I'm having more trouble deciding what to do.  I think the key is venturing out into the city on your own, and not sitting around in your dorm room waiting for an event to be publicized by the school.  I am often surprised at how many students I meet at Drexel who have never left campus, have no clue about the geography, landmarks, or how to get around in Philly, and basically have an alarming ignorance of the city they're living it.  I feel it's these kinds of students who complain about not enough activities on campus.

I think the bottom line is: If you're looking for a large state-school, huge party, tailgate before football games, rolling hills, ivy covered buildings, rah-rah school-spirit type college, this is NOT the place for you.  The quarter system and intense academics don't allow for a person to go out every night of the week and waste a whole day being hungover.  The social life is more centered around the city than the school.  Anyone looking for a constant stream of school-sponsored events that don't require you to leave campus (and I know many people like that in a college) would be disappointed.

Bottom Line: Drexel is a lot of work, but in my opinion, worth it for the environment.  I feel like the classes and co-op give me a huge leg up over people at other colleges, and the social life in the city is great.  This is probably not a place you want to go if you're looking for a more traditional, big state college type education.