Roger Williams University (RWU)

Roger Williams University is a "fairly small" private school in a suburban Rhode Island community "right on the water overlooking Mount Hope Bay" where the view "can't be beat." There's a nationally renowned program in marine biology, as well as a very demanding architecture program. Beyond the classroom, there are "endless opportunities" for "hands-on" undergraduate research and study abroad. Some students say the administration is "top notch." Others charge that "registration is a complete pain" and call management "extremely, unnecessarily bureaucratic." The faculty is generally "wonderful," "except for one or two who are just boring." Most RWU professors are "always trying to engage students" and are "approachable." "If they can't teach it to you in class, they will try something different outside of class," one student explains. Classes are small and intimate, too. "I like being in small classes where the professor is on a first-name basis with every student," says an English literature major. "This school isn't a Harvard or a Caltech," concludes a biology major, "but it seems to serve its place in the education pecking order fairly well."

Nearly 80 percent of the student body ventures to Roger Williams from out-of-state. "The typical student comes from a suburban New England town" or from the mid-Atlantic region. Many students note that RWU stands for "Rich White Underachievers." "The parking lot is full of BMWs and Volvos" and there is definitely a contingent of "astronomically rich" kids, but "there are many middle-class students" as well. These students "are usually preppy" and "dress fashionably." The architecture students consider themselves "a different breed from most of the students on campus" but virtually everyone comes "from the same mold." It's "a sea" of white "but very tan" students. "I grew up in affluent suburban Connecticut and when I got here I was like 'Wow, it's not very diverse here at all.'" To be sure, "minority students are fully accepted into the college community." It's just there aren't many of them. "It's so homogeneous here, it hurts."

RWU's "breathtaking" campus is "well kept" and "the new buildings are gorgeous." "The food is incredible." "It's healthier than most food at other schools," too. Residence halls are "run down" and "filthy" or "very homey and cozy," presumably depending on where you live. Socially, Roger Williams is "a plethora of fun," where "intramural sports are incredibly popular." "There are nightly programs and guest lectures on campus." A few times each year, the old gym becomes "a nightclub with a theme." There are "tons" of activities-everything from squirrel watching to kayaking. Thanks to the "amazing waterfront location," "many students spend a great deal of time on or near the water." "Choosing not to be a part of [the party] scene does not condemn you to social death," either. However, "a lot of students frequent the local bars not necessarily to party or get drunk, but to be social." Off campus, nearby Providence and Newport are "very popular for evening activities" and "it's a reasonably decent drive up to Boston."