Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU)

To some, Ohio Wesleyan University offers the best of both worlds: the "smaller school" experience of a "liberal arts education" along with the "fantastic financial aid," "scholarship money," and "opportunity to play a collegiate sport" available at a "global" university. OWU offers pre-professional majors in areas like pre-medicine, pre-engineering, and prelaw, along with "enriching" programs called out by students in "psychology," "economics," "Black World Studies," and others. In addition, the university facilitates special programs like "the undergraduate research program, SSRP, which allows only Ohio Wesleyan students to work with a professor over the summer," and which entrusts undergrads with "a rare opportunity to get paid to do research almost always one-on-one with a PhD, where at any other school you'll be working with lab techs and graduate students." Connection Grants challenge students to design their own project applications "for grants through the school that allow you to do your own research [and] travel to gain new experience." Similarly, OWU's "Travel-Learning Courses" create "many opportunities to go abroad" for students with intellectual wanderlust, and with such a global focus, OWU also attracts "many international students" to its Ohio campus. The faculty participates in this global citizenship as well: "The professors are very diverse, like the students here, bringing different perspectives and knowledge to campus." They're also committed to their students, who find that professors are "good at engaging the student in classroom discussions" and "will go out of their way to help you. I have had numerous professors support me in applying for grants, applying for research experiences at other universities, as well as jobs." Students report that "a major benefit of going to a smaller school is that I am on a first-name basis with multiple professors, and even text them if I need help with something," and that they've "had professors stay until 6pm just to make sure I understood a concept." An OWU education also builds a foundation for the future: the university boasts "strong career services," and "OWU alums are very dedicated to helping provide employment to students post-graduation."

OWU is populated by enthusiastic joiners of all different stripes, and students love the "very culturally diverse" atmosphere of the school. "I've never met so many people that are religiously and culturally different in a single place. It's amazing!" Because "students and faculty alike push for acceptance of everyone," it's "very easy to make friends in this type of environment." Students extol each other as "friendly and smart," as well as "outgoing, overcommitted in student organizations, and driven," and love that "it is impossible to judge or peg people" because "everyone here is from all over with different backgrounds." At OWU, "everyone fits in somewhere."

OWU's "close knit community" is forged through common-interest bonds: "Most students are nerds/passionate about something. They usually fit in by finding people interested in the same things they are." The prototypical OWU student is "extremely involved in clubs/organizations," but has lots of choices of what to join: there's an "amazing club and Greek life," "varsity sports," "jobs on campus," and "SLUs (small living units)," described as "intentional communities centered around various mission statements." All of this adds up to a robust "overall community" and "great campus culture" that "make OWU an even better school to attend. The majority of students stay on campus because of the community and friendships that they have formed." That said, a lot of students "go to class and study during the week like its [their] job," "and every night do homework followed by Netflix." "In general, everyone is in study groups during the week and watching movies with friends when free"; then "weekends are spent with friends at a frat, sorority, or sport house." "Drinking does occur, as does drug usage," but "it's not a huge party school," and "many people are devoted strongly to their academics."