East Tennessee State University Top Questions

I really enjoyed my time at ETSU. I made friends that I know I will have forever. I think it has great programs and like every large school sometimes struggles to keep track of everyone - and keep everyone on track. I think it's a great school to learn to have independence and find out who you want to be.

I love ETSU it was my dream school and I got in.

East Tennessee State University is a very encouraging and has many oppertunites to figure out what exactly you want to do in life. I like ETSU very much because they help you with what you need and are in a timely fashion. They also involve their students a lot more than any other schools that i have been to including, sports, events, tailgates etc... Overall ETSU is a great school and would recommend ETSU to anyone looking for a smaller but very good school.

I absolutely love East Tennessee State. Here we are surrounded with beautiful mountains and with hiking trails close, it is a great way to exercise! Not only is the surrounding atmosphere wonderful, campus is beautiful too. My favorite part about ETSU is our unique personality. After a long day in the library there are bluegrass bands that practice around campus, hearing the music is a good way to ease my mind while I walk to my car.

I like everything here. I like all the professors and staff. They are really kind and professional. I found so many friends here and I play music with some of them. We had a concert in Bluegrass music. So it is new experience for me being in United States for the first time and study music in English language. I love it.

I would reccommend ETSU to prospective students if the school has their major. It is a standard college. Some of the teachers are incredible and inspiring while others are out of touch and should probably retire. The president recently retired, and a younger man with little experience will be taking his position. The size of the school is average; classes usually have 15-30 people in them unless they are in an auditorium. Parking is limited, but a 21 million dollar parking garage is being built. Students can take the Bucshot shuttle from distant parking. Most of my time on campus is spent in class or at my scholarship job. The library is large and full of books and computers. My computer was broken for a semester and I was able to get all my homework done in the library. It is classy and quiet. I enjoy the outdoors and often go hiking at Buffalo Mtn., Roan Mtn., and Holston Mtn. I spent a summer working on the Nolichucky River as a raft guide. If people are interested in exploring but having the advantages of living in a town, this location is prime. Johnson City is demographically a college town, but downtown is small and although people get bucwild, the crime rate is low and the town is well-maintained. We don't have a football team so school spirit is not necessarily through the roof. One of the biggest controversies at the school is the smoking policy. The school is supposed to be tobacco free except in personal vehicles, but students and faculty smoke and dip on campus. I think the school should accomodate all types of students by providing ash trays or a smoking area. Smoking has almost become a sign of protest. Throwing butts on the ground is many students' way of saying "fuck your policy" as well as smoking near the entrance to a main building. Our mascot is the buccaneer, in layman's terms, a mountain pirate. In my opinion, the school should begin calling themselves the mountain pirates. I lived in a dorm my first year and had a meal plan. It was a complete waste of money. I recommend living off campus in the historic tree streets neighborhood next to campus. I lived there for two years in a house that was over one hundred years old. Johnson City is an excellent place to live for people who prefer a slow paced yet progressive city. ETSU has been an excellent place for me to meet like-minded people and to get the degree I need and the experience to apply my education.

I love my university, and of course, my university is ETSU. I will admit that I had some animosity towards my major and the school overall when I found out my graduation would be delayed. Almost every department has this problem of not informing students well enough of "ladder classes" that are only offered in certain semesters, and one class will be a prerequisite for another. It's very common to meet students who are going 5 or 6 years for their 4-year-degree just because of some scheduling problem. That being said, I have also learned so much about myself at ETSU. My previous university was Virginia Highlands Community College, and when I first started VHCC right out of high school, I was not ready for the college setting at all. I was able to work on my study skills and buckle down eventually, so when I arrived at ETSU after getting my 2-year-degree from VHCC, I felt ready to really step out into what felt like a "real" college. And ETSU is a real college, make no doubt about it. The best thing about ETSU is the fact that, it is exactly what you make of it. It sounds cliche, but ETSU is fortunately true of this. If you attend class regularly and get to know your professors and put forth an honorable effort, it will pay off for you. The one day you stay after class to talk to your professor might be the one day he/she brings up a potential internship. But likewise, if you become a "face in the crowd" and just float through your classes without ever getting involved, you might do okay, but you won't really progress as much as others. I have seen a lot of students get their degrees and complain of not having any jobs, but ETSU has taught me that nothing is really given to you, and I mean that in the best way possible. I have some great professors who would bend over backwards for me because I have proved to them I am serious about my studies. So I would recommend ETSU to anyone. Are their other universities in the area that are ranked higher? Absolutely -- but ETSU has a pleasant atmosphere, diverse student body, and a variety of majors to go into -- and all of them can be beneficial to you so long as you stick your neck out and work at it. ETSU is great. There is school pride, without a doubt. Driving around Johnson City and even the surrounding cities like Bristol and Kingsport, you will see ETSU bumper stickers and signs reading "ETSU Pride" planted on doors of local businesses. It's fascinating really. Even people who never attended ETSU will still show pride because of how well known the school is. When concerts and other venues come to Johnson City, 90{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of them come to ETSU because it can house such a big crowd, and they know there is an audience for it. Johnson City is definitely a college town, and it's all because of ETSU. Even with schools like Milligan College near Johnson City as well, nothing comes close to the reputation ETSU has.

In my opinion the best thing about East Tennessee State University is the amount of personal interaction that is available to each and every student, due to the fact that ETSU is not a large university. However, ETSU is not a college that would be considered too small either. It is definetly a perfect size for anyone who feels they would not fit well in a school considered to be big. When thinking about what needs to be changed at this university, nothing really comes to mind except the slow pace that is present in the Finacial Aid office. Due to the slowness of this department, students are faced with some complications, but with consistence and the right amount of patience, these conflictions will be worked out. When others are informed of my attending this university; they are curious of its qualities and of course any cons as well, with the intention of themselves possibly attending the college. Most of my time is spent in the classrooms on campus. Being a full-time student, not much time is available for me to spend anywhere else. East Tennessee State University is located in Johnson City which is a considered to be a big college town. This is apparent especially in the summer time when most students decide to go home and not only the campus, but the city itselfs seems like a ghost town. The most recent controversy at ETSU is the lack of ethinc diversity, especially amoung African Americans. Although these ethnicities are present on campus, it is noticable that there is a minmal amunt. But this problem is currently being worked on. What is most unusual about this school is even though it is located in a college town and that it has a pretty successful baskeball team, there is an apparent lack of school spirit. Faculty, staff and city offcials are working to encourage students to show more school spirit with every opportunity available. With the increasing student population, parking is quickly becoming an issue. However many steps have been taken to fix this problem. The whole college experience itself will be remebered long after graduating. The people encounted, the classes enrolled in, the education and experice gained and the school chosen to attend will never be forgotten.

The biggest perk about the school is location, location, location. ETSU has a nice, clean campus that stays well-maintained year-round. It's close to numerous opportunities for outdoor adventures. Your class is canceled tomorrow? Go for a hike or swim. Parking has always been a pain. They built a new dorm building, and while I've heard it's quite the place to live, you know in the back of everyone's mind, they were cursing the school for not building a parking garage. On the bright side, if you have to park 30 miles away, there are a couple of free buses that go around picking up students and dropped them off around campus. Football was discontinued in 2003, and with it went our school pride. We have plenty of other sports, but none generate a following like football would. The fondest experiences I have from school stem from the people I've met while attending ETSU. I've made some great friends, both professors and students.

I absolutely love my school and this is not me trying to sell it. There are tons of student groups and many opportunities for students. Beyond that, the school offers a wide range of classes and majors. We are a bit weak on the graduate classes and degrees, but if you choose the right program and path you will be prepared to seek a graduate degree wherever you want. We are a rather large university with 13-14,000 students, but it honestly feels like a much smaller university which I like. Johnson City is not much of a "college town" but there are plenty of things to keep you occupied including several clubs (if that's your scene) and some amazing restaurants. My favorite thing about ETSU is the student acceptance of diversity. We have organizations for feminists, the LGBT community, African American students, Japanese students, Activists of all kinds, and the normal fraternities/sororities.

Some of the best things about campus are its size. A current student population of about 15,000 people. This translates into a decent class room size thats not too big. One thing I would change would be the overall pride from the students, communitym and overall country for this university. Johnson City is a college town and many people wish for football to make is comeback, yet they won't even support basketball now. Which basketball is our biggest and best team we have. I spend most of my time in the atrium on campus. The school's administration is a group of people you must keep on to get something done. When they do whatever it may be, they are the best, but sometimes one must keep emailing them or calling them. The most frequent student complaint is parking on campus, but we do have parking. The saying goes, "There's not a parking problem here, just a walking problem." To midigate this problem we have a bus system run throughout campus and a proposed building of a parking garage.

I'll start off by saying, I love ETSU! It's the perfect size in a great location. With 15,300 students you get that college feel here without there being so many kids you feel drowned out. ETSU is also located in some of the most beautiful mountains I've ever seen and is really close to ski resorts. It's because I went to school here that I have come to love skiing, something I thought I would never get the opportunity to do. We even have a ski shuttle in the winter that shuttles students to local ski and snowboarding resorts for free. These places are only about 30-45 minutes from campus which is super convenient. ETSU is a very active campus, which is great! ETSU is a growing school, so some people don't know where it is or have never heard of it, but more than not, they will have heard of it, especially since we have the #3 College of Medicine for rural medicine in the country and recently got a Pharmacy school (Quillen College of Medicine and Gatton College of Pharmacy, respectively). ETSU is great if you are going into the health field. You will get so much experience and understanding of the health field here. But, ETSU offers so many majors you really get a great variety. For example, we are the only university in the world to offer a major in Bluegrass and Old Time Country Music. And the students in this program are amazing musicians! Their concerts are awesome! You'll even find them just playing in the dorms for fun. On-campus living at ETSU is good, too. I was able to live comfortably 5 hours away from home in a very cost effective dorm. Dining services on campus, however, are not the best. There are not that many places to eat on campus during weekends, but students are constantly working to get this changed and have made good strides in the past years. Overall, ETSU is a great school for such a cost effective price. Go Bucs!

I have had such a wonderful experience at ETSU. The schedules are flexible and will fit anyone's schedule. The professors and staff are very caring. They want you to be successful, and are there to help you whenever you need help. There is free tutoring for most classes if you need extra help. I am very happy with my experience here.

ETSU is the perfect size. Not too big, and not too small. ETSU is at the very core of Johnson City and has many different options for students. Where else can you major in Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country music, or get your masters in Storytelling? One of the most common student complaints, is that of parking. However with in the next 2 years, this will no longer be an issue as plans are already finalized for a new parking garage!

I love going to ETSU! ETSU was originally last on my list of colleges I'd like to go to. However, once I got on campus and looked around, I realized that it is so much different than I thought. We have a little over 15,000 students currently, so it's not too big, but not too small. The fit was just right for me. Also, the campus is beautiful! The most frequent student complaint is about parking. While there is definitely enough parking spots on campus, they are all not necessarily close to buildings and residence halls. For students who live on campus, parking is not a big deal. For commuting students, it can be a small hike. However, I am a commuting student and I have had no problems with parking. I don't mind walking for 2-3 minutes to get to a building.

ETSU is an amazing place with a very unique culture. What I enjoy most about ETSU is its' adaptability to student needs. I have found that any student that wants to invest energy and time into ETSU they will have a highly rewarding experience. The administration office is deeply concerned about student needs and overall happiness. I spend a great deal of my time working in the Student Government office, doing research for my thesis, planning Homecoming, serving on a variety of committees, or simple studying and attending classes.

Answers to some of the above questions: --Our school is just the right size, we are like a close knit family, but if you are the person that wants to get lost in the crowd, you can do that too. --People think it is awesome that I choose to attend ETSU, and ask me all shorts of questions when I tell them I go here. --I spend most of my time in meetings, mainly the Student Government Office. --We are a college town, but we offer everything just like a small town would at the same time as having all the amenities of a large town. --The school's administration rocks!!! Almost everyone in the higher administration has an open door policy. I have got to know the President of the University very well in my time here. --Our school hold immense history and interesting facts and opportunities. Other..... The decision to enroll at ETSU was and is the best decision I ever made. I now call ETSU home. I was welcomed with open arms and continue to feel like I belong to a close-knit family. I have had the amazing opportunity to serve in many different organizations in many different leadership rolls. I currently serve as the Secretary of External Affairs for the Student Government Association. My job is to organize, plan, and implement all aspects of the Major Event/Concert each semester. I have had the great privilege to serve in many organizations thus far including: Admissions Ambassadors, Preview and Orientation Leadership Organization, Environmental Conservation Organization, Kappa Sigma Fraternity, Relay for Life Committee, Habitat for Humanity, and many others. I am honored to have served with many different student and university leaders. I charge everyone to give it their all, leaders are nothing without their followers. My experiences within these organizations have enabled me to become a part of the ETSU community academically and socially. I believe that you always get out what you put into anything. I encourage everyone to enjoy this time, have fun, and work hard. I live my life by the quote, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.”

Answers to some of the above questions: --Our school is just the right size, we are like a close knit family, but if you are the person that wants to get lost in the crowd, you can do that too. --People think it is awesome that I choose to attend ETSU, and ask me all shorts of questions when I tell them I go here. --I spend most of my time in meetings, mainly the Student Government Office. --We are a college town, but we offer everything just like a small town would at the same time as having all the amenities of a large town. --The school's administration rocks!!! Almost everyone in the higher administration has an open door policy. I have got to know the President of the University very well in my time here. --Our school hold immense history and interesting facts and opportunities. Other..... The decision to enroll at ETSU was and is the best decision I ever made. I now call ETSU home. I was welcomed with open arms and continue to feel like I belong to a close-knit family. I have had the amazing opportunity to serve in many different organizations in many different leadership rolls. I currently serve as the Secretary of External Affairs for the Student Government Association. My job is to organize, plan, and implement all aspects of the Major Event/Concert each semester. I have had the great privilege to serve in many organizations thus far including: Admissions Ambassadors, Preview and Orientation Leadership Organization, Environmental Conservation Organization, Kappa Sigma Fraternity, Relay for Life Committee, Habitat for Humanity, and many others. I am honored to have served with many different student and university leaders. I charge everyone to give it their all, leaders are nothing without their followers. My experiences within these organizations have enabled me to become a part of the ETSU community academically and socially. I believe that you always get out what you put into anything. I encourage everyone to enjoy this time, have fun, and work hard. I live my life by the quote, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.”

Answers to some of the above questions: --Our school is just the right size, we are like a close knit family, but if you are the person that wants to get lost in the crowd, you can do that too. --People think it is awesome that I choose to attend ETSU, and ask me all shorts of questions when I tell them I go here. --I spend most of my time in meetings, mainly the Student Government Office. --We are a college town, but we offer everything just like a small town would at the same time as having all the amenities of a large town. --The school's administration rocks!!! Almost everyone in the higher administration has an open door policy. I have got to know the President of the University very well in my time here. --Our school hold immense history and interesting facts and opportunities. Other..... The decision to enroll at ETSU was and is the best decision I ever made. I now call ETSU home. I was welcomed with open arms and continue to feel like I belong to a close-knit family. I have had the amazing opportunity to serve in many different organizations in many different leadership rolls. I currently serve as the Secretary of External Affairs for the Student Government Association. My job is to organize, plan, and implement all aspects of the Major Event/Concert each semester. I have had the great privilege to serve in many organizations thus far including: Admissions Ambassadors, Preview and Orientation Leadership Organization, Environmental Conservation Organization, Kappa Sigma Fraternity, Relay for Life Committee, Habitat for Humanity, and many others. I am honored to have served with many different student and university leaders. I charge everyone to give it their all, leaders are nothing without their followers. My experiences within these organizations have enabled me to become a part of the ETSU community academically and socially. I believe that you always get out what you put into anything. I encourage everyone to enjoy this time, have fun, and work hard. I live my life by the quote, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.”

I think SGA and the University Administration work hard to make student voices heard. If there is a concern on an issue from a student, then that student has the power to work toward changing it. The diversity is great at ETSU. People want to know more about ETSU when I say I go there. I highlight the area of Johnson City as a whole and the surrounding Appalachian area. Outdoor activities are a must do if you come here; they are so numerous and hard to pass up. The school itself is just a right fit. We are not too big like other schools in the state, but we aren't so small that you see the same people walking around every day. I am honored to go to a school that is safe and our Public Safety department works to ensure everyone's safety on campus. Johnson City as a whole is an extension of the university community. I can't help but notice ETSU Pride signs in yards, businesses, and restaurants everywhere I go. I don't have any complaints really. I have heard students complain about parking, but the university is working to address that with a new parking garage soon. Not enough housing may be a complaint, but the Housing and Residence Life department is working to change that with the new Phase of apartments and residence hall renovations.

My introduction to ETSU was a campus tour on a cold, windy day. The tour guide, tour director, and an advisor in the health sciences were the first people I talked to at the school. All three of them were very friendly, helpful, and genuinely interested in me as a potential future student. I have found those things to be true of nearly all the people at ETSU throughout my three-and-a-half years here. It is the people who set us apart. It is the teachers who learn your name and get to know you and are always willing to help you succeed. It is the faculty of the various offices who are quick to respond to emails and pleasant to meet with face-to-face to answer your questions about registration or financial aid or housing issues. One thing that makes it possible for the people to be so helpful and friendly is the size of the school. We have just over 15000 students but it does not feel that big. The campus is compact, not dispersed in a downtown and most of the student commute from nearby areas so the campus feels like a little community all its own. The average class size is about 24 students which allows the instructors to make the classes challenging and thus encourage learning becasue they can make themselves available to help whomever needs it. It is that kind of community that I most appreciate about ETSU. We are proud of that sense of community and show it by our attendance at our basketball and soccer and volleyball and baseball/softball games. As we do not have a football program, we are very supportive of our other athletes and have therefore made it to conference games with many of our teams over the years.