Marquette University (MU)

A highly regarded Jesuit, Catholic school, Marquette University "seeks to provide a wellrounded education based upon excellence, faith, leadership and service." Undergrads here truly value how the university is able to seamlessly integrate "the classroom [with] the greater Milwaukee area through applied programs, service learning, and social activities." Marquette also manages to foster "great relationships with many companies in the area (and in other states) and those companies come [here when] looking for interns to hire." As if that wasn't enough, the university's size is also a fantastic asset. A biomedical science major explains, "There's a real sense of community. It's a big enough school so you don't know everyone, but small enough so that you feel important."

Academically, the school's physical therapy, physician's assistant and business programs are all quite "strong" and very "highly" regarded. Fortunately, no matter your major, Marquette undergrads are privy to "enthusiastic" professors who seem to "genuinely care about [their] students." A nursing student agrees adding, "I've seen professors send students home to rest when they are sick, offer study sessions outside of class, lend students a book if they bought the wrong one, etc." Many professors also have ample professional experience. Therefore, they're able to bring "real world" insight directly into classroom. Overall, though "classes are difficult," professors "push you to do your best and you definitely come out learning a lot."

Given Marquette's location, it's not surprising that the majority of students hail "from the Midwest" with "a [hefty] number...from the Chicago area" in particular. And though "many students come from wealthy families, there are a large portion of people that attend Marquette due to generous scholarships." Thankfully, no matter your geographic heritage or economic status, undergrads assure us that you'll find a "friendly" student body. And though it's a Jesuit university, "Marquette welcomes students of all backgrounds [and] promotes unity among students of all faiths and cultural communities." More importantly, when pressed to describe and define their peers, undergrads assert that their fellow students are "down to earth, kind, funny [and] hardworking." They are also extremely "concerned about others and about social issues [as well]." Additionally, most students tend to be "very upbeat and passionate about everything that has to do with Marquette." Lastly, a political science major gushes, "This place felt like home right away because of how many genuine people are here."

If there's one notion that undergrads here make abundantly clear, it's that there is never a shortage of fun to be had at Marquette. Whether it's "a sorority or fraternity event, a gettogether at your friend's, a concert at the Rave...a school-sponsored event such as discounted tickets to the Broadway musical showing downtown, or free admission to the Olympic training ice rink off campus (skates included!)-there is ALWAYS something to do." Naturally, given that Marquette is part of the Big East Conference, the campus maintains a healthy "basketball culture." Students also love the fact that there are "a multitude of opportunities to get involved with community service." Additionally, Marquette offers groups "for everything from knitting to dancing to sailing...[as well as] club sports...[and] various martial arts and quidditch." During the warmer months, it's not uncommon to see students simply "studying [outside] or playing catch/Frisbee [on] the quad." Finally, undergrads love the fact that the campus is a mere "five minutes away from downtown [Milwaukee]." This makes it easy for students to explore all the city has to offer from restaurants and shops to museums and cultural festivals.