Clarkson University Top Questions

What is your overall opinion of this school?

Andrea

I think the majority of students that attend Clarkson have a love-hate relationship with the school. There are many things that we complain about, but at the same time we love going here. Unfortunately, there's not a huge amount of school pride, except when it comes to the hockey games. The best thing about the school is the academics and the opportunities you're provided with, as well as the career placement. Our school is high up on many college rankings, such as #1 in internship experience, top 20 in mid-career and starting salaries (ranked higher than Harvard for starting salary!). The "college town" is very small, with little to do. There are a few bars and restaurants, but you don't have many choices when you want something to do otherwise. The nearest big city is Ottawa, Ontario which is 90 minutes away, or Syracuse which is 2.5 hours. One nice thing about the smallness of the town is everything is inexpensive and there is not a lot to spend money on, as opposed to city schools. There are four colleges within a small area including Clarkson. The other three are SUNY Potsdam, SUNY Canton, and St. Lawrence University.

Matthew

Considering the other students on campus, staff and administration, dining halls, and residence buildings --- it is clear to me that Clarkson University was the right choice. One factor that may consider when evaluating Clarkson is job placement. Even during current economic times, numerous friends of mine who are senior have received job offers before the end of the first semester. Clarkson graduates are highly desirable to employers – the numbers do not lie.

Kayla

The Best part of Clarkson is definitely the community of students and faculty. It's a small school so you'll get to know a lot of people really well because your'e likely to run into them in many classes or live in the same dorm. You'll get to know your'e professors pretty well as well because of small class sizes. Most professors really do care about their students and want them to do well, they offer extra help and guidance whenever we need it. The one thing I would change about Clarkson would be adding more landscaping and generally making the campus look prettier, Some buildings are not very pleasant to look at, but Clarkson is changing that with ongoing renovations to most buildings and are adding more decorative landscaping. Most students complain about the amount of work they have here. Professors give out a lot of work and expect a lot out of their students, it's a challenging school to attend. Most people will be impressed that you go to Clarkson, because of the level of excellence and difficulty the school is known for. Employers will love all the experience and knowledge you will get by attending Clarkson. Potsdam is a very small town located in a very, very rural area, however there are 4 Universities within 15-20 miles (Clarkson, Saint Lawrence, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY Canton) so there are a lot of college students, making Potsdam a huge college town.

Ashley

Personally, I love Clarkson University! I love how the classes are small, so the professors often know everybody by name. Everyone is approachable and helpful. Clarkson also has a great reputation. Whenever I tell anyone that I attend Clarkson they are almost "proud," even if they are a random person in the grocery store. There is always something to do on weekends which is one of my favorite things about Clarkson. Comedians, hockey, musicians, etc. It's an overall, positive environment, all the time!

Scott

The best thing about Clarkson University is the community and setting of the college. Located in small-town Potsdam, NY, the enrollment at Clarkson barely goes over 3000 students. This provides a small and personal environment in which everyone gets to know everyone; professors are able to maintain stronger and first-name basis relationships with students to encourage the growth of their education and success. While most people have heard of Clarkson University, it is in a location that often surprises people based on their ignorance as to how big or small the school actually is. Once visited though, Clarkson's institution is a memorable experience that is further strengthened through the support of the town. Potsdam gives students a community that can be considered 'their's during the school year; restaurants, businesses, and bars are largely supported through the student body. They provide the entertainment life that while is unmatched by that of a larger town or city, is good enough for Clarkson students. Clarkson has great student and community pride in our Golden Knights' Division 1 male and female hockey teams. The home games are always filled with local and far away fans, and a student body that is unrivaled in the ECAC league. Clarkson unfortunately has some flaws, ones that have bugged me personally yet have managed to work through. Their food service, Aramark, in my opinion is absolute garbage, which seems to be a common theme among many of the students. I feel that for the amount of money we invest into a meal plan, the quality should be better. As a technological school, we face many unexpected problems such as slow computers and internet. Our school's website only got recently upgraded to the new and clean version it is now (compared to the outdated old version it had been for years), yet is slow to load even in off-campus locations. The campus is not the prettiest, and many of the buildings are outdated structurally and aesthetically. I personally recognize the many benefits of Clarkson, and I also acknowledge the flaws that are present. However, I would have to say that if I had the opportunity to start over and pick a different school, I wouldn't change anything.

Christian

There are some genuinely intelligent professors teaching at our school, some of which are also brilliant at conveying the information you need to know to succeed in learning. I would like to see the professors who are using their lecture notes a little bit too much stop using them so heavily, it makes for a more interesting lesson if they are able to present without reading the slides. Not all professors read from their slides, but I think that there is some room for improvement in everyone's presentation ability. The size, I think is just right. I wouldn't as for any bigger because I like the intimate teaching environment at Clarkson. It does get to be a lot of work at times, but I should like to think that all the hard work will pay off since Clarkson has such a strong alumni base and some real power houses recruiting at our career fairs. The biggest followed sport on campus is our D1 Hockey team, which if you like hockey then your in luck because we are quite good. Some years though we are better than others though. My first Break at Clarkson was great. I met some great new friends the first semester, went on a road trip north in the state, then turned around and headed back south for another night staying in Lake Placid area. When we were in Lake Placid, it really had the small town feel, even though it was the location of the 1980 winter Olympics, and that was my first time going cliff hopping as well. This was one of my most fond memories.

Libby

Clarkson is a fantastic school. Yes, it's small and in the middle of nowhere - but snow and ice definitely can't keep me away from the close friends I've made and the experiences I've had. There is a LOT of school pride when it comes to Hockey, but not many other sports. On campus, the Student Center has become the social hub since its construction. The town is small, but there are good restaurants (that all take student cards) and there are three other schools around (SUNY Potsdam and Canton, as well as St. Lawrence U) that have social events as well. This is definitely a college town, and life in the town revolves around the college activities. There are street festivals when we come back, and quite a few events in town revolving around kids. People complain that there's 'nothing to do'... but you just have to go out and find it!

Casey

My overall opinion of the school is great. It's a top rated school, with great job placement, and I always have something to do. Theres a lot of school pride at hockey games. The administration is always available to talk to, and it's really easy to get settled in here.

Chelsea

I've taken classes at A LOT of different schools, but classes at Clarkson were the most challenging. Because of this, I feel like I learned a lot and so my time (and money) spent at Clarkson was worthwhile. There is an interesting mix of students at Clarkson- from international students to townies, rich kids to scholarship students. And everyone who goes to Clarkson is really motivated and passionate about something at school, whether its hockey or COSI, the computer science club. At a lot of other schools, it seemed like students were just putting in their time but they weren't really passionate about anything they were doing.

Andrew

Best thing - Greek life. One thing you'd change - the parking situation size - Just right. Reaction - Either they know of it and say "oooh, that's a good school," or they say something a long the lines of "Where's that?" to which I have to go into detail about it being about as far north in the US as possible. Spend time on campus? - Brand spankin' new student center. College town? - Most definitely. three relatively close schools neighbor the surround the town of Potsdam. School administration? - Very personable. Biggest recent controversy - I protested the atrocious prices at the late night dining services. school pride? - medium, nothing too amazing, but I'm still proud to rep my school sweatshirt back home. unusual? - The internet connection is very poor. and it's a technical school...? One experience - freshman year. All of it. Frequent complaints - Internet and parking.

Peter

The thing that I like the most about Clarkson is that as a student body, there is a real feeling of camaraderie.This can be said about any alumni as well. Students at Clarkson feel the same ups and downs with exams, sports teams, and the weather. I also like the fact that we are located in the Adirondacks, and enjoy taking advantage of all that the area has to offer. Within a small 10 mile radius, there are 4 universities, giving the area a real college town feel. Being the Activities Chairman of the University, I try to create events that the entire student body would like to participate in furthering a feeling of togetherness.One of the most frequent complaints from our mostly male populated school is the gender ratio. This is something that the administration has looked into, and over the past few years, due to different advertising techniques, the ratio has slowly improved.

Junie

Clarkson University is in middle of no where. However, being in such town allow students to be less distracted as of if they are in the cities. I think the school's size is perfect for meeting people. So in my opinion, for those who are looking into competitive learning and like to be social, Clarkson is a good choice for you

Michael

The best thing about Clarkson University is that before graduation you will have multiple job offers. Clarkson University has a 99{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} job placement. The only thing I would like to change about Clarkson is that it is composed of only 40{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} women. Clarkson Universities undergrad population is approximately 3,500, which for me is just right. People know Clarkson is a great school, so when I tell them I go there they are very happy for me. I spend most of my time on campus in the three million dollar student center or in the library. Clarkson University is located in Potsdam, New York which is a small town around 30 minutes south of Canada. The schools administration truly cares about its students as they host many free events open to students, for example comedians come to campus frequently to act in the student center. Students also attend their division one mens and womens hockey games for free. There is a large amount of school pride at sporting events and the Mr. Clarkson pageant where male students sing, dance, and do whatever they can to win over the crowd and become Mr. Clarkson for a year. The most unusual thing about Clarkson is that since it is in norther New York and it gets very cold and windy in the winter, the president of the college had all of the academic buildings connected by tunnels on the second floor. One experience I will always remember is becoming a member of Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity. I am currently the vice president of my chapter and it has been an unforgettable experience as I have become a part of a brotherhood and countless cherished traditions. The most frequent student complaints regard the lack of women that attend Clarkson.

Abigail

I absolutely love Clarkson University. It has a reputation of intelligent students that truly care about the education they are receiving. There is a comfortable mix between work and play, which I was quite concerned about due to the workload that courses give, but I find time to do all of my work and hang out with my friends. At first it seemed like quite a small school, only having about 3,000 students, but it has become like a second family. Often my friends and I say we want to go "home" when we are on breaks, and the home we are talking about is at Clarkson. The only thing I would change is the location of the school. When I first heard about the university it seemed as if there would be nothing to do at all because of the location, but that has been proven wrong. The town of Potsdam, NY is a perfect little college town that thrives during the school year.

Leonel

The best thing about Clarkson is that as a student you get the chance to know your professor and the school's faculty, something you can not experience at many colleges. Clarkson is a small school which has its advantages and disadvantages. It's easy to get around campus but there is not much to see, in some people opinions. When people hear Clarkson University they think extremely cold weather, Clarkson students main complaint is the harsh winter that Clarkson experiences every year. Another complaint about Clarkson is the town they are located in. Potsdam is a very small town with not many stores. Though this can be viewed as a flaw, some see this as a peaceful town with much room to relax in. Like the town it is located in, Clarkson is peaceful with very little controversy. Because it is a small school, Clarkson student body has much school pride, especially with the schools champion hockey team. Clarkson is a very unique school that has a lot to offer.

Katherine

I absolutely love Clarkson! I have a great group of friends who share my interests and we have always seem to have a fantatsic time together. The school provides a lot of social activities for the student body and Clarkson is really dedicated to supplying a good time for its students. As a skier, the location is oppurtune; with Whiteface, Jay Peak and Titus all within a 3 hour drive, you are able to experience some of the best skiing on the east-coast during a weekend trip to the slopes. The Clarkson ski club runs trips to the nearby mountains, providing carpool communication as well as gas reimbursements and great deals on tickets and passes! Academically, Clarkson is really something special. The professors are great and really know their stuff. While the courses are demanding, there are so many oppurtunities for success that drive you to work hard. The Career Center is also phenomonal, as they do everything in their power to help you land any job/internship/coop that you want. The bi-annual career fairs are fun and a really good learning experience for everyone who shows, and there is no hiding the fact that the employers all love Clarkson students. One thing to keep in mind though, is when looking into studying at Clarkson, it is important to weigh out your priorities. Clarkson is a very small school (2400 students, primarily men) and is in the middle-of-nowhere, NY. Knowing this, you must have the academic motivation and dedication to stick to the heavy course-load, as well as the will to spend most of your college career studying. Clarkson is not like most schools, where you will have free time during the week to go clubbing or partying. The redeeming value in this is that everyone at Clarkson is working just as hard as you, and when Thursday nights roll around, the entire student body is ready to forget about classes and have a great time, whether it be at the frat houses, house partys, or bars downtown.

Kendra

Clarkson University is a great school, I love that it is relatively small so you are in small classes which allows for a more interactive education as opposed to larger schools. I also like that you get to know pretty much everyone on campus. It is located in Potsdam NY which is basically your average small college town. The University has a great relationship with the community and the overall atmosphere is really close knit. Clarkson also has a prestigious reputation both nationally and in the local community which makes me proud to be a Golden Knight. Speaking of the Golden Knights, Hockey is a huge deal up here in northern New York. We have a division 1 Hockey team and the games are by far one of the biggest weekly events during the season. Everyone heads over to Cheel Arena to support our team. There is a lot of school pride!

Monique

Clarkson is a great friendly community. I love the location, it really gives students an opportunity to see what the Adirondaks is all about! Bring from around here I think the town is just perfect although it may seem small there are so many things to do in this "college town." I think the size of the college is just right, with all the academic buildings being so close it makes it very easy to find your way around and be just where you need to be at the right time! I don't really think I would change much about Clarkson, being a third year student here I really have enjoyed my time!

Monique

Clarkson is a great friendly community. I love the location, it really gives students an opportunity to see what the Adirondaks is all about! Bring from around here I think the town is just perfect although it may seem small there are so many things to do in this "college town." I think the size of the college is just right, with all the academic buildings being so close it makes it very easy to find your way around and be just where you need to be at the right time! I don't really think I would change much about Clarkson, being a third year student here I really have enjoyed my time!

mari

best thing: no excuse to get a bad grade, if you ever need help you never have to go looking far change: ratio react: like you're a nerd, or surprised that you're not weird time: on campus: in my room or studying in the ERC or student center....off campus: frats. college town: potsdam's really small but there's a few good things. and state is right down the road adminstration: no contact unless theres a problem controversy: the gauntlet, for the first physics I exam of the year upper classmen used to line the path and through condoms and change of major papers at you, the dean stopped it for the first time this year school pride: one word; HOCKEY. unusual: for a small school there are 892374287 clubs and activities. experience : someone on the third floor lit themselves on fire and had 2nd degree burns, a girl got AP and chipped her tooth, RIBS, tina peed on the floor...sober. complaints; RATIO. get over it.

Carlos

Clarkson is a place where students have to work hard to get the full experience of being a student here. You can chose to be the student that studies all the time and locks himself in a dorm and have no social life but I would recommend you do that at a Community college instead and not waste your parent’s money. In order to succeed as a student you have to utilize the facilities, your peers, and faculty and put your name out there. There are a lot of opportunities here at Clarkson but they won’t just show up at your dorm room while you are playing videogames. While the classes aren’t extremely challenging students end up supper busy with their social and extra-curricular activities outside of the classroom. Clarkson students have the opportunity to utilize what they learn in the classroom by being involved in the student body government or by starting their own clubs and/or business. While it may be true that kids are a little obsessed with videogames we also have a good majority that know how to separate playing time with working time. As cheesy as it sounds we work hard and party hard as well. Once at Clarkson you will get used to liking Hockey whether you watched it before or not, at some point you will paint your face and go cheer for our D1 Hockey team. During the weekends you will find students that are busy with meetings, and students that party from morning till dawn. Greek life is somewhat prominent in our campus, but I would attribute that to our size (3500 undergrads) and to the lack of things to do during the weekends around the Potsdam community. Greeks don’t dominate the campus but you can’t help but notice that a good amount of the leadership positions on our Campus are held by Greeks. In all we are an evolving school with a somewhat diverse student body with a challenging academic life and extracurricular life.

Chris

The rigorous academics, as well as the small campus feel at Clarkson University is what originally attracted me to the school. From the minute I set foot on Clarkson's campus, as a high school senior, I knew that is where I would go in the fall. After taking a tour of the campus I knew that it perfectly matched my personality as well.

Alex

I believe Clarkson is perfect size, its not a huge university, if you want to go to a huge university then pick a different school, but also Clarkson isn't tiny. It feels just right, small enough to get to know your professors and other members of the faculty. It is nice to be remembered by name instead of by a number. Clarkson is in a nice rural location so we get plenty of fresh air up here. If you're interested into hiking and skiing on the weekends nature is not that far away.

Jennifer

The best thing about Clarkson would definitely have to be the people. Everyone from the upperclassmen to the professors are very friendly and genuinely want to help you. It is also very easy to make friends at the school with the comfortable atmosphere of the residence halls and the activities that Clarkson holds for freshman at the beginning of the fall semester. Clarkson is a good size school where you get to know a lot of people within your year, especially those that share the same major as you. The many clubs and organizations that Clarkson has is another opportunity for students to make friends with upperclassmen and learn about professors, classes, etc. that they will be dealing with in the future. The town in which Clarkson is located, Potsdam, NY, is a quaint little college town with coffee shops, a few nice restaurants and most recently a Super Wal-Mart. I sometimes find myself wishing that there was a nicer mall closer to Potsdam but most students typically do not have a problem with the types of restaurants and stores that Potsdam offers. A frequent complaint amongst students is the food, we can't use meals anywhere on campus past 8:30 pm, and can only use one meal at a time. So if we have 4 meals left over at the end of the meal cycle, instead of being able to buy the food we want and save it for later the meals are simply wasted.

Tyler

Clarkson University is a small, private school located about 15 minutes from Canada. The work is hard, and the surrounding town is bogus. Social life isn't very impressive, unless you join Greek Life, in which case you'll never be at a loss for parties of extra currics. Its very cold here, so if your from the south, think twice. The work here is hard like I said, but the job placement rate out of here is something like 99{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}. Every single one of my brothers that are graduating this year have gotten several job offers, and each of them has accepted one paying over 60k a year. Strait out of school. Pretty Sick. Hockey is really big at Clarkson. The students get real into it, and there's a bar right in the Arena, making games against Harvard and Yale interesting, as 1000+ students lose any trace of respect or decency, screaming " S-H-I-T, that spells IVY ! "

Will

The best thing about Clarkson is probably the size. You WILL get to know at least a few of your professors pretty well, given that by second year classes have no more than 30-40 people in them on average. It is one of the largest reasons I came here, and the graduate program being so close is nice. If you ever want to get a chance to fool around with graduate equipment, most of the faculty are absessed with their work and more than willing to show it off. That aside, there are a few rumors I would like to bust. For one people say the library is awful, but all libraries today import and export books like no mans business, and the only thing this library is lacking is fiction. It is brimming with manuals and indexes, frankly the only thing anyone here is ever going to read anyway, if anyone decides they don't think the internet is good enough. Second, people say there is nothing to do. Clarksons party reputation aside, there are three colleges within a 10 minute range full of students also looking for things to do. If you can't find anything to do, your not leaving your room. On a third note, the career center is awful, and if the school brags about it do not listen, because anything you do on your own is 100X more valuable, and the career center will just throw you into a massive corporation like Lockheed Martin. The school actually has VERY good pride, and shows it by verbally abusing two or three other colleges when ever they get the chance.