Kansas State University

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Students Say - Academics
Underrated and tremendously affordable Kansas State University is "a big school with a small-school feel." Agriculture will always be prevalent here, but there are nine colleges and "more 250 majors and options." Other "marquee programs" include engineering, the hard sciences, and a "grueling" architecture program. The library is "amazing." The faculty is "a mixed bag." "Some instructors you'll love and some you won't be able to stand," says a microbiology major. Intro and general education courses can be on the large side. They're "awkward and usually just rehash information from the textbook." "We struggle with graduate teaching assistants, especially those whose first language is not English," notes a political science major. In upper level courses, "it becomes easier to cultivate a relationship with your professor." Administratively, "the school is a pretty well-oiled machine." Management is full of "gifted people who genuinely love K-State;" and "students have a large say in everything the university does." Also, the top brass is ultra-accessible for such a large institution. In some areas, though, red tape is unavoidable. "If you change your major here," cautions a junior, "you're pretty much screwed as far as trying to graduate on time."

Students Say - Campus Life
The residence halls could use some sprucing up and some buildings "are about to crumble" but this "very compact" campus is "easy to navigate" and "beautiful in every season." KSU offers a "laid-back atmosphere" and "an extensive variety of clubs." "Movies on the lawn are fun." "Greek life is also huge and is responsible for a multitude of events." Hordes of students are "sports crazy." Intramurals are popular and "cheering on the 'Cats is a must.' In the fall, "people are obsessed with K-State football." "During game day weekends, the whole town is dressed in purple." "I do get tired of hearing about the football team 24/7," admits a senior, "but whatever." Beyond campus, Manhattan is a "great college town." It's "just big enough and everything you need for college life is available" including "a decent party scene." House parties and frat parties are common but most students head to Aggieville, the Little Apple's "famous" bar district. K-Staters call it "four square blocks of fun" and "one of the greatest places on Earth." Watering holes are "usually full on the weekends" and, "a lot of times, a weeknight at the bars can be even more fun." "Every college student should experience Aggieville," recommends one proud junior.

Students Say - Student Body
The "hardworking and honest" students at K-State tell us they bask in "country hospitality." "The students are the friendliest in the country," asserts a senior. "You cannot walk through campus without people smiling or acknowledging you"-"not in that creepy, stalker way, but the way that makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside." The "typical Midwestern" population here mostly comes in two varieties. There are the "yokels" and "farm boys from small towns in Kansas." There are also the kids from "suburban white neighborhoods" in Kansas City and Wichita. You'll see "punk rock kids," "cowboys in Wranglers," and "the occasional hippie," but "they form their own weird groups." For the most part, the vibe is "very homogeneous" and "hopelessly vanilla." "The vast majority of the students look, dress, and act the same." Politically, K-State "tends towards conservatism." On the whole, though, these students "generally represent the middle of the road in nearly every American way of thought." As for minority enrollment, it's pretty low, and many K-Staters lament "the lack of diversity."

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