Western Michigan University (WMU)

Large, "highly affordable" Western Michigan University offers some 140 majors and a "wide range of courses." The aviation program is among the largest in the country. The education program is "very good." "We have our own engineering campus," adds a computer engineering major. Overall, the academic amenities here are pretty modern. "The newer buildings are amazing, comfortable, pleasant," and they have "a lot of the latest technology." While the honors college here is small and intimate, "large lecture halls" are common for students in ordinary lower-level courses. Like at pretty much every big state school, "the professors are hit-and-miss." "You just have to cross your fingers and hope you get lucky." Without questions, there are "some really awesome ones" who "work extremely hard to get students to be energized about the material" and are "available outside of class." "There are plenty" of "pretty bland" or just "completely unintelligible" professors as well. A big complaint among students is the fact that many teaching assistants "have an extremely hard time speaking clear English." Also, the "out of touch" administration has few fans.

These undergrads hail overwhelmingly from the state of Michigan. Many choose Western because it is "close to home." There are also "tons of people here from other states in the Midwest." "I see a lot of license plates from Illinois," observes a junior. Beyond geography, this school is "extremely diverse." "We have all types of people," declares a senior. You'll find "your average 18to 25-year-old." "There are a lot of nontraditional students," too. "Some people are extremely into their majors; some people are more relaxed about school. There are people who party all the time, and there are people who would never touch drugs or alcohol." "Some are athletic; some are creative." "Everyone finds their own niche." "It just takes a little initiative to find where and what suits you." Once students find their element, though, they often "don't socialize much outside their formed groups of friends."

The main campus "is beautiful enough to warrant taking a leisurely walk around," "especially during the fall." You will see a lot of "brutalist architecture" on your tour, though. Also, students almost universally agree that "parking is the worst." Social life at WMU is basically what you make it. "There are more than 300 registered organizations on campus, so finding something to do isn't really difficult," says a junior. "It really just comes down to what your interests are." Musical and theatrical performances happen all the time. Sporting events are popular, and there is "wonderful school spirit" despite the fact that the teams sometimes aren't very good. "The gym facilities are good" and "always full." "Quite a few people" pledge fraternities and sororities. Many students tell us that "there's a huge partying crowd" at Western. They say this place is "a big drinking school especially on the weekends." According to other students, "WMU's reputation as a party school is overstated." "It does not define us," insists a junior. "Yes, we do like to party and have a good time," acknowledges another junior. "Who doesn't in college?" Defenders of the surrounding town of Kalamazoo call it "cozy" and a "nice place to live." They also note that the downtown area "has some pretty cool restaurants and shops." Critics contend that Kalamazoo "should be a college town" but really isn't.