University of Kansas

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Students Say - Academics
The University of Kansas-KU for short-"can offer an unbelievable education but can also provide the quintessential college sports and party scene if the student so chooses. It is a school where the student chooses [his or] her own experience." For those seeking them, the school "provides numerous, wonderful opportunities to every student" through "the integration of tradition and new media...to form a new level of excellence." University resources allow KU to excel in a broad range of disciplines, from business to biology to social welfare to art to engineering to architecture, and, thanks to state sponsorship, can do so "at an affordable price." Universities mean research, of course, and "KU has great undergrad research opportunities. Since it is such a big school, there are some great facilities and a lot of funding. Also, the professors are very interested in helping undergrads, and not just graduate students, start working on research." For those up to the challenge, the Honors Program "is an unbelievable resource" that "offers fabulous classes...[and] plenty of opportunities for students to connect with each other and faculty."

Students Say - Campus Life
Life at KU is extraordinary, undergraduates gloat. "From going downtown to Mass Street to attending basketball and football games, there is always something to do in Lawrence." Division I athletics "are fantastic" here; "a certain awe seems to radiate throughout Allen Fieldhouse as an energetic student section cheers for their team," according to one die-hard Jayhawks fan. Greek life attracts a substantial number of KU undergraduates, and the Greek houses serve as a center of weekend fun. Students "work hard to get through classes and activities and work during the week so that they can party hard on the weekends. It's pretty easy to find several frat parties or keggers and go party-hopping." KU's first-rate recreation center is also "a popular place, offering a huge climbing wall, basketball courts, equipment, and other programs," and the campus is home to "every club imaginable.... If you like something, someone else does too. If the club does not already exist, you can start it." Hometown Lawrence "has a pretty nice bar scene, and there are enough bands that come through and local concerts to keep things entertaining. One thing that is great about Lawrence is the city really supports local business[es], so there are several local restaurants, coffee shops, etc. It has a unique feel to it." Lawrence is "halfway between Kansas City and Topeka as well as Omaha and Wichita, [so] even if you can't find something to do in Lawrence, you can head to another city and catch a concert or show or just go on a road trip."

Students Say - Student Body
The typical KU student "would be from one of the big suburbs in Kansas such as Overland Park, Topeka, or Wichita," but "because the university is so big with many different colleges, there is a place for everyone." On this campus you'll find everything "from international students from across the globe to white Republicans to gays and lesbians." The student body divides into "two distinct categories: the Greeks and everyone else. There is no animosity between the two groups but they don't intermingle very much." They are also divided by their devotion to academics. As one student explains, "There are those who come to KU, take large lecture classes (which they sleep through), party on the weekend, and catch every basketball game. Then there are those who have three separate majors, two internships, four jobs, and no sleep. The rest of us fall somewhere between those two extremes." "Lawrence is very liberal," at least by Kansas standards, and many students follow suit, although "there are some very conservative students here" who "are generally accepted and their views respected." Wondering what the uniting factor is among this diverse student body? Most everyone "is a loyal Jayhawk," passionate about KU sports.

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