Emerson College Top Questions

Our campus and student body is pretty small but there is a good range of diversity on campus. We have several groups devoted to diversity, racial, sexual, international, etc. Emerson students come from about 50 countries and about 50 states within America. We are politically aware and active, not all of us are liberals.

Emerson has a great student body. It is perfectly sized and very diverse. Every type of person goes to Emerson - preppy, goth, jock, nerd, theater geek, glamorous...etc. But it isn't like high school - there aren't really cliques. Everyone seems to be friendly with most everyone.

See my above comments, the vast majority are slacker hipster kids who have a false sense of superiority.

as i said, the students are accepting and fun. most of us are going into the poorhouse though becuase it is expensive to go here and they give out hardly any financial aid. mainly we are liberal and many assume you are if you arent.

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When i first came to emerson in 2005 The students were... interesting. Emerson definitely had one of the most diverse student bodies I had ever seen. Its like every genre of human known to culture today, mixed together and painted beautifully into a collage of awsomeness. Seriously i had never seen people of seemingly so many cliques all blending together so seemlessly. It was like high school never happened. But recently, more specifically, since Emerson got rid of its West Side or beacon hill dorms, the student body has been becoming more preppy and less unique. Its not that i know ever single person personally, but people seem to classify themselves more and break off into groups much like cliques in high school. the only bonus still is that there is no jock alpha clique drama that prevents social interactions. So there is still a free feeling of one school sharing a similar ideal, just take everyone for who they are and be cool with that.

Often rich, some snobby, but more often than not lots of good, intelligent and very open-minded people. Lots of weed and drugs, but in a good way.

Emerson's campus is not one of the most diverse I've ever seen. There certainly is a "typical" Emerson student. But it is important to note that for the most part everyone is really friendly and there are many different types of people as well. Emerson is a very liberal campus with very opinionated students.

Sucks...I do like how many potheads there are here tho

Emerson has a pretty sizable LGBT community. There's a nasty rumor going around that 1/4 of the boys here are STRAIGHT, but it's definitely untrue - I personally know lots of straight guys. Everyone here is very accepting of different viewpoints, sexual preferences, and socio-economic classes. However, almost everyone here is a liberal - so be forewarned that you will be in a minority if you are not. Emerson isn't too diverse in anything except for sexuality and socio-economic class - you will find kids from EVERY walk of life here, not just super rich, as I'm sure many will claim. In terms of race, religion, and politics, Emerson isn't too diverse.

Emerson is NOT very diverse. I'd say it's 75{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} white. Also, there is a very large gay population at Emerson. I'm shady on the numbers, but last I heard, 50{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the student body was gay. It's a pretty accepted thing. The student body as a whole has more liberal leanings in regards to politics. There are conservatives as well, but although their numbers are small, they are very opinionated. Kids come from all over the US, but pooling from the people I know, most come from Massachusetts, California, New York, and New Jersey.

Emerson kids are generally a lively and accepting bunch. Since Day One, I felt like I could be myself here--unlike anywhere else--and that hasn't changed over four years. People tend to be more eccentric (whether that means they have five colors of dye in their hair or just wear PJs with gnomes printed on them to the dining hall)--but also more accepting, therefore, and really welcoming. Students come from all over the country--all over the world, really--but seem to gravitate primarily from the East Coast. Most know exactly what path they want to take and declare a major upon applying to Emerson, which makes for a pretty ambitious bunch. Although some students are major moaners, most are very supportive of each other and understand the importance of collaboration, especially on large-scale projects and productions. Emerson has a strong liberal history and attracts a lot of students from the GLBT community, which only makes the place a particular gem. Conservatives are definitely the minority and don't 'cause too many rumbles. Although it may seem from the surface that everyone's a financially "comfortable," upper-middle class white kid, there is actually a good amount of socio-economic diversity, with loads of students taking on loans or successfully working their way through school.

Emerson students are highly aware of the world around them, on a national and global perspective. It helps to be in touch with national and global affairs when you are studying the types of majors Emerson offers.

There's a big LGBT crowd, and the Emerson Alliance for Gays, Lesbians and Everyone is one of the biggest groups on campus. Students are predominantly liberal and Republican students often talk about feeling isolated. There are political groups on campus and at the moment the campus is overwhelmingly supporting Obama. Emerson is so expensive that the only people who can really afford it are those whose parents are pretty well off. You're talking upper-middle class and higher. Many students are style-conscious and dress well for class, wearing high heels, a lot of makeup, and the latest fashions. Students tend to form cliques based on majors but also, like in high school, you have the preppy, style-conscious ones and the more alternative ones who are really into music and dressing differently from the norm. Most students are white. Hispanic students are mostly international students. Religion practially doesn't exist on campus and Emerson was ranked in the 2008 Princeton Review as one of the top 10 colleges whose students didn't know God. There is a Spiritual Life Center but it's small, with one Jewish representative, one Buddhist, one Catholic and one Protestant. A lot of students can seem pretentious, petty, snobby or stuck up. A lot of the girls can display vacuous, shallow, self-involved sides to themselves. Boys and girls alike are typically quite confident, loud and can be aggressively opinionated. Most find going to class a drag. There are the deep thinkers too, but they don't stand out because others command attention. Quieter, shyer students can be overshadowed.

Awesome!

There are NO poor kids at Emerson. Get used to it now if you are one. I'm a poor kid and I may as well be a minority. Speaking of minorities, there aren't any of those either. The Emerson student body is 99{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} rich, white kids, often Jewish. 99{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of Emerson is also gay. Good luck, straight ladies. If boys aren't already gay when they come to Emerson, they will be by the time they graduate. "Gay by May," as the saying goes. It's a little clicky- the musical theater kids only hang out with other loud, obnoxious theater kids, and the acting majors often feel too elite to hang out with other people. Most Emerson students are from wealthy areas in New York or New Jersey. A few kids are from wealthy New England towns. Students are super political and will tell you all about it. I can count the republicans on one hand. They're all friends with each other, trying to find some safety in numbers.

Many peoples' parents pay their way. And pay for everything else. Everyone will pretend they aren't rich though. You will know they are lying because they are ridiculous well-dressed. Most of the guys are gay. Most of the girls are bi. So if you are a straight male you have a very easy time dating around. Unless you are a jock. Which there are a tiny population of. They don't really fit in and probably know it and stick together. All the obnoxious girls with fake tans and uggs are marketing majors. They are rich as well. You can tell a lot about a person by their major. Almost everything about them. Most Emerson people are east coast but there are a lot of Chicago, and California people. No one is conservative. People act like they are aware. Preachy. A lot of people think they are going to be rich.

Emerson College, though it may be super liberal and "tolerant" (we have trans-friendly bathrooms), is quite possibly, the least diverse school in America. Especially for being a campus in a major city. Oh, and they're tolerant to everything except conservativism, and un-pc humor. You'll feel out of place if you've ever been in the military or right-winged. They will scoff at you if you like Fox News. You're beneath them if you're Republican. Even tolerance has its limits at Emerson. When students go to class, they dress as if they are going to Chateau Marmeunt with Mary-Kate Olsen- giant sunglasses, giant bags, leggings- all the latest hipster trends. And guys dress like they're the next scene band- tight jeans, long sideswept bangs, impeccable eyebrows. They compensate for lack of individuality and personality by wearing outrageous, tacky, and loud clothes. Emerson is a giant campus of trust-funders who hide it by wearing Salvation Army clothes. About 90{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of Emerson are white kids whose parents are putting them through college so that they can become the next big actor or E! News correspondant.

I feel there is a large diversity of socio-economic class...but not a lot of racial diversity. there is a good amount of LGBT and I have had good interaction with everyone. I don't think different type of students interact all that much. i feel everyone tends to stick to who they feel is the same as them. Most emerson students seem to be from New England.

Emerson students try so hard to be different, a lot of times they all end up the same...

Emerson tends to be the school where all the outcasts from highschool gravitate towards. It is not uncommon to see a girl covered in piercings and bright pink hair hanging out with a blond in a mini skirt. Everyone is welcome at Emerson and everyone finds their niche. Emerson students tend to dress well at all times, whether it is for an 8:00 in the morning class, or after an all night study session, most students are still dressed well making sure they look good, no matter how they feel.

The biggest minority at Emerson is the gy community. Blacks and Latinos are underrepresented and so are most internationals. Emerson students tend to be a bit ignorant about all countries except for Canada, and the only times they come back with any foreign-land skills is when they return from the castle. The good thing though, is that they're pretty open-minded and accepting of everyone, so once they learn how to pronounce the name of your country you'll probably be great friends with them.

Emerson's student body is really what makes it the most unique college in New England. The pool of students draws from all scenes and types of person. There are large groups of many factions of people (skaters, stoners, gays ect...) but because it is a small school everyone really associates with one another and there are few exclusive cliquey type groups. Everyone is very independent minded and seem to have a firm grasp on who they are and what they want to do with life, which I feel is unusual for my age group in general. There seems to be more students from Conn., N.J., CA, and NYC than other states, but there is a fair mix still. Almost all are liberal and I think I read somewhere that we have something like a 1.3 percent republican student body.

It is not a very diverse school within itself, however Emerson's student body is surely different from most campuses. There are plenty of very liberal kids, few conservative, and a large homosexual population. If you are not tolerant of homosexuality than this school is definitely not right for you. It is never imposed upon you, it is just understood that one should be understanding of all types of lifestyles in order to be a mature individual. Emerson students are typically comedians, who have wisdom beyond many of their peers.

There's not much to say about the student body besides that it isn't very racial diverse. The majority of the students are white. The diversity comes in the types of people. There is a large population of LGBT people in the student body, many different religions are part of the school, and everyone seems to have different and independent outlooks on their lives.

Honestly emerson needs more students of colour, there just aren't enough, and i'm convinced i'm the only student who is directly from the Caribbean in the entire school. now i don't mean 1st generation or moved to the states as a child i mean, left barbados in spetember to attend school and go home to barbados on vacation. and i think that is a real problem at a university. you need to meet different people and unfortunately emerson kids seem to be only exposed to themselves which is no help to them in the larger society.

Anything is possible at Emerson and they will let you know it. Students are super trendy, and all think highly of themselves. If you are really into school, emerson is not for you. We are all about networking and having a good time and using all our friends talents as much as possible to help us out. Most students are from LA and NYC or around Boston. Our international community is growing which is nice. Most students are wealthy with parents already in the entertainment business. The political communication and journalism kids are really into the news and politics, and everyone is an activist of some kind or another. Students dress either really trendy or really chill...everyones personality is easy to see from the eye.

Mostly white middle to upper class liberal students who accept everything, save conservatives. They also generally have a basis in their field of study and produce some amazing work far beyond their years.

Emerson is verty liberal with associations about diversity, religious, musical and film themes to get a bit of every student. Students are very lay back in their clothes and they usually go in jeans and a shirt to class. A large group of students are from around the area or close here and also from California.

I find that most of the student body is from the tri-state area (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut) and the New England area and mainly white, which can be disorienting at times when you've grown up in Queens your whole life. Otherwise, everyone's pretty friendly and likes to do work and have fun. Weekends in the dorms there is always something going on and there is never a dull moment, unless you want it to be. Most students are liberal on campus but everyone still has a voice and everyone is pretty encouraging. There is no racism or any kind of intolerance at Emerson, that I've seen. Most students work, too, whether that's on campus or at a local bookstore.

Different, alternative, vegans, skinny jeans

Emerson is very diverse and I was exposed to ALL kinds of people. Everyone can find their place here (eventually) I've never been surrounded by such a variety of people with such an extensive views on life, academia and the world.

Emerson is a very liberal school. Lots of gay people, and lots of very very open people. Pretty much anything goes here, and there really isn't any judging because no matter how weird you are, there is probably someone weirder here. We all get along great.

we're white, but not racist. everyone is welcome, although there can be a lot of rich snobs that only care about fashion.

Come visit before you come here. Students are extremely active and do what they love to do. However, this may not be your group of people. Come check out the campus before you decide to come here, because what you see is pretty much what you get.

There's really a bit of EVERYTHING. Emerson is working on increasing the diversity, so it's just a matter of time before we see more racially diverse students, and students from lower socio-economic backgrounds (regardless of race). Oh! And single out the students who are known, and try your best to learn from them. The best thing about Emerson is that so many people are willing to help and teach you. (esp. in the visual media arts department)

One major critique of Emerson is that it is not racially diverse. Personally, I think diversity is defined too narrowly as pertaining to race. Like at any college, though, people come from all different backgrounds. Whereas, say, a small-town Christian college might attract a lot of small-town Christians, Emerson has diversity that isn't necessarily racial. I've met people who are gay, straight, and bisexual. I've met people from Los Angeles to Honduras to the town next to me. I've met homeschooled people, private school people. The one thing that is pretty similar is that most people are liberal and nonreligious. This is definitely not the school for you if you're conservative and religious - but then again, there is an Emerson Republicans club and a center for spiritual life (several denominations - even a Buddhist chaplain!). Some Emerson students dress a bit runway-esque for an 8 am class, but I think that will happen at most city colleges.

Emerson presents a very liberal picture, whereas I find most of the students seem very apathetic politically. People spend a lot of time dressing up to look a certain way, so sometimes it feels like you're living in the most cliched/stereotypical TV show ever, which can be annoying sometimes. There are plenty of real people to counter the stereotypes, though, once you take the time to get to know people and once we get past the first few weeks of school when everyone's trying to make a certain impression or whatever.

Lots of diversity here, which is good. Most people are very well-styled and seen in a constant smog of tobacco smoke outside the Walker Building. Very very very left/liberal campus, but as a liberal myself I don't mind too much

Basically straight men will feel a bit uncomfortable at Emerson if they are have never been around gay people before. Most of the kids are rich and white and a lot of people are Jewish. Everyone is a leftist, unless they aren't, in which case it usually seems like they hold their views just to be contrary.

OMG! I am so sick of racial, religious, LGBT, etc. kinds of groups because they are all that matter at Emerson. Emerson has turned me against liberalism because it was in my face so much. I think it is extremely important for college campuses to have these campuses so everyone can enjoy the college experience and feel accepted, but at Emerson these kinds of issues are spoken of to an extreme extent. The kind of student who would feel out of place at Emerson is a Republican or a homo-phobe. Emerson is all about accepting everyone. Emerson Students will wear just about anything to class. One of my alum classmates once said "Emerson is the only place on earth you will see 3 kids with orange mohawks sitting next to each other who all think they're creative". They dress very retro & 80's, classy & chique, like indie rock stars, like metalheads, like Abercrombie...seriously, any dress style is game. I'd say the most common dress styles are 80s, big glasses, curly messy hair, emo/indie/liberal looks. Emerson students come from Everywhere. I have friends who grew up in New England and others that grew up in India, It's an extremely diverse college. One thing is for sure, most of the students (or their parents) are either middle or upper class because of how expensive our school is. Politically Aware is an under statement. Everyone thinks they know everything about everything. Whether it's fair trade coffee or feminism or abortion, Emerson students will always defend their cause and shove it into your face excessively. While I went to Emerson, I fell for the whole liberalism thing they are all in love with, but since graduating, I have gotten my head out of the clouds and realized I have my own causes. If you are extremely liberal, this is the place for you to shine! No one talks about the money they will earn because Emerson students are more likely to join the Peacecorps or volunteer at an aids clinic. It's about being passionate for a cause and dedicating time, rather than the money involved.

Oh man, everyone is accepted at Emerson. There are tons of scenesters wearing nothing but designer clothes, but we've also got cross-dressers, pink-haired punks, slobs, jocks, preps, take your pick. You can get away with anything, especially if you're making a statement. People love to talk about politics, but it's very leftist.

We are a totally open campus to basically everything, you will know if you don't fit in here.

Again, emersonians are mostly snobby rich kids who pretend to live like bohemians.

For the most part, Emerson is a welcoming campus that respects all walks of life.

There's a pretty blaring lack of real religious conviction at Emerson, and the minorities groups are pretty small and kind of stick together. It's definitely mostly upper-class people, and there's a lot of LBGT students (there's a saying "Gay by May" meaning any straight guys left will turn to the dark side by the end of their freshman year), and a lot of the student group are geared towards some sort of cause, like Earth Emerson or Emerson Peace & Social Justice. A really average person (and maybe jocky-type students) might feel out of place at Emerson, as well as people who were kind of unsure about their life choices, because everyone is really determined here. Most students look polished at all times, and pretty trendy, you see a lot of boots and leggings, scarves, that type of thing. I don't really ever see anyone wearing sweats or pj's to class. Different types of students do interact, especially through gen-ed required classes where everyone is lumped together. 4 Dining Hall tables: 1. Super trendy, probably rich film/marketing majors from LA and New York. 2. Thrift store shopping poetry students and their vegetarian plates. 3. The really awkward "I don't brush my hair because I'm different!" kids that other people mostly avoid. 4. The jocks/ alcoholics that make you wonder why they ever applied here. Most students are from the East Coast, New York or Connecticut, there are some from Cali, and some weird anomalies from like, Arizona and Ohio. Students here are mostly politically aware and active, we're all mostly liberals, we had a fake "caucus" this year and Obama took it by a landslide. He also spoke in the Common last semester and almost everyone went. Students here joke about how they'll be living in a box because they picked a major they liked instead of some lucrative business thing, but most people land some sort of job afterwards.

Emerson has a very tolerant student body. There is a large gay community here which everyone not only tolerates but embraces. It is a mostly white student body but again it is very tolerant of all races. The only thing Emerson does not seem to be tolerant of is Republicans, and any right-wing leaning people. The "types" of Emerson students correlate mostly to major. Writing, journalism and film majors tend to stick together. The same goes for any theater majors and then broadcast journalism, marketing and other communications majors. However, the majority of Emerson students are very friendly and open to meeting new people. When I first got here I definitely did not feel too intimidated. Everyone was very concerned with making sure everyone was settling in nicely and making friends.

Emerson's LGBT scene is big and completely accepted. It's true that many of our students are queer-identified, and the campus officials and students embrace that! I don't think many people would feel out of place at Emerson, as there are a lot of diverse groups of people, but generally speaking - conservative beliefs are generally in the minority here, and as much as the school would like to think it contains a diverse ethnic population, it does not. Most students here are rich and white and from New England. It's a fact. This does not, however, get in the way of building friendships as most students don't flaunt their money or feel privileged in any way. As for what students wear to class, it completely varies. Early morning classes see their fair share of sweatpants and hoodies, but casual dress is usually the norm. Jeans and a t-shirt (with a North Face pullover) are most prevalent.

To be as stereotypical as possible, Emerson students are homosexual, white upper-class, liberal, and far too opinionated. Generally, Emerson is the place where all the awkward outcasts from high school have a chance to redeem themselves in a college setting. Students have a tendency to love to hear themselves talk. If you were to walk in the dining hall, you would see the following: the theater majors singing their latest audition piece to their fellow cast-mates at a round table , the few athletes sitting in a long table closest to the food, the writing majors sitting away from everything and everyone in the back, the com disorder majors studying by themselves in a high table next to the window, and the media students sitting wherever there's enough room to talk about their latest script ideas. Mostly everyone talks about how they will be in debt when they graduate, but half of the people saying that really mean "my parents will have to pay my loans while I am living the dream in Hollywood."

Emerson's student body is not as diverse as I would expect. There are very few racial minorities. However, it seems that every single racial, religious, or socio-economic group has alot of community and awareness surrounding it. In other words, no group is silent. I think the only type of person that might feel out of place is someone closed-minded. I would say most of emerson is very left-wing, but that doesnt mean its exclusive. Like i said, most people are open to learn about and discuss new ideas and beliefs.