Alfred University

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Students Say - Academics
Alfred University is best known for its unique and prestigious glass engineering, ceramic arts, and ceramic engineering programs ("the best in the nation," students insist). These programs' reputations are well earned, but they occasionally overshadow AU's many other assets, according to undergrads here; as one student points out, "Alfred offers tons of majors and minors within four different undergraduate schools (Art School, Engineering School, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the College of Business)," and the school does a good job of "integrating the four very distinct schools into one cohesive whole, so you can make friends from absolutely every conceivable background while pursuing any course of study." Engineering is among the school's hallmark disciplines, attracting nearly one in seven undergraduates; business studies are nearly as popular. AU offers its breadth of academic options on an intimate scale; explains one undergrad, "The size of the school is a strength. Because the school is so small, students have chances that they might never have had at other schools. Some of the best friends I have made here are upperclassmen whom I probably would not have met had I gone to a larger school. In such a small school, everyone also has the chance to make his or her voice heard in a way that probably cannot happen at larger schools."

Students Say - Campus Life
Alfred University is located "in the middle of nowhere" in "the one-stoplight town" of Alfred, New York. "If the Student Activities Board does not provide it, it does not happen," warns one student. Undergrads fill their spare time with more than "one hundred clubs and organizations" and "crazy stuff" like "snow sculptures and secret sledding (we have snow more often than not)." Students here "are very forward thinking," so many "try to get internships and co-ops during their undergraduate years." Otherwise, there's always the "multiple events and programs each week, especially on the weekends," sponsored by Student Activities, which are "very well-publicized and have great attendance." Such events include "movies, lectures, comedy acts, music shows, art shows, and plays." Low-key activities such as group dinners, watching DVDs, and video gaming are also quite popular. As one student sums up the situation, "Life is quiet for those who like it quiet, but it also offers something for everybody." Party nights "are pretty popular," and "a lot of students from both schools"-Alfred State College, located across the street, and Alfred University-"go out to a party and drink."

Students Say - Student Body
There really is no typical student at Alfred because the "wide variety of majors and minors...attracts such a wide variety of students." The predominant note is "a mix of engineers and art students" (they make up about 40 percent of the student body) with "a smattering of other majors" across a broad range of disciplines, business and psychology most prominent among them. Students report that the population is "polarized among the art school, the liberal arts school, and the business school. Everybody seems to fit in somewhere, though." Engineers and artists tend toward the outer edges of the bell curve, so it's not surprising that "The school is made up of crazies of every variety. If you're a freak in high school, you will fit right in at Alfred. We have everything from people who will fall over themselves to discuss postmodernism to people who make chain-mail bikinis." Most here "are from small towns, although there is also a proportionally high percentage of study abroad students."

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