Gonzaga University Top Questions

No everyone at Gonzaga is welcoming and friendly

Gonzaga is a Jesuit university, so it is Roman Catholic, but most of the time, you don't even notice. The students here are of a wide variety of faiths and some are atheist. You are required to take religious courses, but only three and they're usually enlightening anyway.

Absolutely not! Gonzaga is filled with people who have passion and joy for others. Some are Catholic, some are Protestant, some are Agnostic, some are black, some are white, some are everywhere in between. We may not have a lot of diversity, but that is not due to a snobbish superior mentality, for Gonzaga students truely care about all people. This idea is practiced regularly in our community service and in our everyday lives.

Partially, I am not that way but is hard to meet other students that I have common interests with.

Well, most of the kids there are pretty wealthy since it's a private school, but there's still plenty of partying that goes on. If you wanna study and relax, you can. If you wanna have fun and go to parties, you can. GU's not as uptight as it sounds.

Yeah

All of the stereotypes that I had or have heard of for Gonzaga have all been proven wrong, other than the students that attend Gonzaga are bright students who are dedicated to their work. Other than that I would say that the stereotypes of Gonzaga and its students are not accurate by any means.

These stereotypes are remarkably accurate. Most students and faculty members I have encountered have all been very passionate about the school, and involved due to a sense of religious obligation (and yes, socialists as well).

You will find these types of students at ANY college, but the cool thing is, you will also find a great group of friends that are just like you! You might find them right away, or it might take awile, but believe me they are there!

Pretty Much

No

Yes

Yes....very accurate :)

to an extent

Yes, except not all students are wealthy

Pretty much.

This is largely false. Although, the university is founded on Jesuit traditions and ideals and attracts many students that hold those same values. The Gonzaga student body is only about 40{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} Catholic, leaving 60{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of students engaging in alternative religious activities or none at all. In this way, the campus culture is not preoccupied with theology, but instead thrives on students' exploration of all academic genres, perspectives and diverging ideas.

No. Everyone at Gonzaga is friendly and really laid-back.

Nope, there is a diverse range of students as well as faculty at GU

Yes, and it creates an atmosphere that pushes you to be your best.

Yes the students do seem to drink in excess. Not every kid here is rich though financial aid is pretty good.

yes

The stereotype regarding all of Gonzaga's students being uber-rich is not true AT ALL. In fact, over 80{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the students that come to Gonzaga receive financial aid in some form or another. Personally, I received many scholarships from Gonzaga, as Gonzaga is pretty generous with their financial aid, and I am most definitely NOT funding my education without financial aid... In terms of the stereotype that all Gonzaga students are Catholic or very religious, this is not true either. Although about 50{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the students that attend Gonzaga are Christians, Gonzaga houses a very diverse range of religious beliefs. On top of that, because Gonzaga is a Jesuit university as well, it is almost the opposite of the stereotype. The Jesuits here at Gonzaga ENCOURAGE you to look deep into your faith to find a religion that fits you, if there is one that does (not everyone at Gonzaga is religious, which also very much counters the stereotype). I have many friends who came to Gonzaga as atheist/agnostic, and ended up finding Catholicism, but that doesn't apply to everyone. If you come to this school as atheist/agnostic/non-Christian, you are completely accepted in our community - no one will try to convert you. If you ARE religious, there are many opportunities to practice your religion, but it is in no way forced upon you. The stereotype that I DO believe to be true, however, is the stereotype about the quality of Gonzaga's education. I feel like I am getting a top-notch education here, and I am certain that I am being intellectually challenged. That is definitely something I want in a college education.

Gonzaga tries very hard not to be full of rich white kids and sometimes it works. For instance, a lot of people I know are paying for school themselves between loans and workstudy. However, there is no denying the complete and utter lack of diversity on campus. Basketball is very important to the school, both in terms of school spirit and in terms of generating income for the school. However, the vast majority of the people here did not choose it for the basketball team. It's just an added bonus.

Somewhat.

No, while basketball is big here it is a very good school. Its acidemics are also super.

no

Faith is a big part of life at Gonzaga, even though we are accepting of all religions. There are some wealthy students who attend this school, but for the most part Gonzaga students are very friendly and welcoming.

I definitely think this is true.

No stereotypes are ever completely ture. There are many people here who are completely supported by their parents money and have no financial cares, but there are others dealing with the finances all on their own. Some of the students who have less cares about money do seem to constantly spend it on alcohol and partying, but there are also other ways to have fun and many people who do not do that. I think many people do come to have fun and get a degree but learn a lot about life and learning on the journey. Some students are sexually active and groups seem to highly accept casual partners, but there are also many people saving it for the right person. This school is a majority white and there is racism present. The many white people don't seem to see it though. There are also awesome students from all over the world. Most students here I think are very nice and very well intentioned, but there are also some strong opinions around here that tend to clash. There are many "Catholic" students here, some who just call themselves that because their family is, others who practice occasnionally, and others who a very devout. Many people do a lot of soul searching here and either find religion or don't. There are also many other Christian denominations, and I have had Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, agnostic, and sthiest friends.

Some of the stereotypes are accurate (I did ask for a fleece for Christmas after my first semester) as there is a vast majority of white, upper middle class students. However, as a personal example, not all students are Catholic. Despite some of the stereotypes, regrettably being true, there is another positive stereotype in the open mindedness and overall acceptance of the Gonzaga Community. There is a great call from the students for a more diverse student body, and the administration is responding to these requests. In addition, there is a great diversity in thought and opinions of the students which constantly manifests itself into interesting dorm room and class room conversations.

Yes and no, half of the student population is from the Seattle area, and most students are from the Northwest. Since so many students are from the same area of the country, it's mainly white upper-class. But there are quite a few international students as well.

For about 90{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the Gonzaga population.

yeah pretty much

Some are accurate. Gonzaga has little diversity amone its students. However, not everyone is Catholic and those that are aren't too pushy about it. I am not Catholic and really enjoy this school. Gonzaga is small, but not everyone knows everyone else. I am always surprised when I meet new people. However, rumors do fly and they travel quickly, very quickly. Spokane is a great city. It is no metropolis, but it is big, about 400,000 people. There is a lot to do in the downtown area, it is growing, and there are some great neighborhoods and shops and coffee places if you are not afraid to venture outside of the campus area.

At times, yes, but on the whole no. Almost everyone I have met has had some serious life experience, and they are truly happy with who they are.

With some students.

Unfortunately, most of them kind of are. A significant portion of the student population is white. There is very little ethnic diversity in that regards. Socio-economically, however, Gonzaga is very diverse, consistently giving out generous need-based scholarships for those whose parents cannot afford to send them to a private university. Also, there are a lot of party people on campus, but no more than any other college campus, and you can avoid that crowd pretty easily if you so choose.

I dont know any

Most GU students are either middle or upper middle class white kids. However, there are plenty of kids who struggle to put themselves through school here and have to take out lots of loans. Others do not have much trouble putting themselves through school because their parents can afford to pay for them. The school is Catholic, but it is more liberal than some Catholic schools because it is Jesuit. It's still not Berkely, though. There's a fair number of both liberals and conservatives, believers and non-believers, Christians and Catholics, on campus. Many of the upper-middle class kids have been privately schooled all their lives. However, there are plenty of kids here who went to public schools. There is a strangely large concentration of kids here from certain private schools around the country. Jesuit High School in Portland, Oregon is one. It's hard to see how much kids from these schools stick together when they get to college. From what I can see, they go separate ways. The academics at Gonzaga are not bad, but neither are they VERY RIGOROUS. Finding challenging and good professors can be challenging, but we have them. Our Economics program is very small. There are very few options for which classes to take. Political Science is a large concentration here, but there are few challenging Polisci profs. There are one or two straight-up bad polisci profs. My experience in the English and Philosophy departments have been significantly better. Our men's basketball team IS quite good. So is our women's basketball team. Baseball attracts a lot of fans in the spring, and the same with men's and women's soccer in the fall. There are a lot of intramural teams, however short the intramurals seasons can be in the spring. It can be cold in Spokane. Frequently there will be months on end where the temperature stays between 10 and 20 degrees. It's cold. Spring and Fall are much nicer in terms of weather. Some years we have longer Springs than others. This year it was still snowing (though not sticking) on April 21. Other years, March ushers in an early summer and the whole campus comes out of doors to sunbathe. In the Fall, it usually gets cold and snowy by mid-November.

I believe so. I have only attended Gonzaga for one semester but comparing it to my previous schools, they seem to be accurately depicted above.

yes

yes

Not at all, there are a lot of people here who aren't very religious at all - we have tons of denominations. Additionally, most of the Professors are also extremely open minded when it comes to religion and politics. No one is going to try to force any ideas.

Most of the students from what I've seen are probably from middle to upper-middle class families. There is diversity I think although I have minority friends that say there is very little. I don't know....The kids I hang out with know how to have fun....but it is very quiet normally.

The girls do not have crabs.

It depends. As for being entirely catholic, located in horrible spokane, and being filled with rich kids coming on their parent's dime, they are untrue. We're really diverse (except racially...it's 95{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} white), and almost everyone i know is like the typical college kid struggling with money and holding a job to make it work. People don't go here because they can afford it necessarily, they go here because the atmosphere is amazing. Spokane may be a little crummy at times, but we're located in the worst, poorest part. Going downtown or over to the South Hill is an entirely different experience, and Spokane has a lot to offer. So yes, the fact that it is an entirely welcoming campus filled with the nicest people you will ever meet IS true. The atmosphere is laid back - none of those stuck up kids who base everything on looks. North face and sweats are typical and accepted! Last but not least, the party stereotype. True, very true. While there are those who don't drink (i'd say at least 50{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of students), those that do do it often and well. Drugs however are rarely seen with the exception of marijuana.

Nope, half our school is non-religious and some of us have money but some of us work REALLY hard to be here

That's definitely not true. Only one of my close friends goes to church regularly, and most aren't even Catholic. One of my best friends is the daughter of a protestant minister, and this was the only college she applied to.

Of course this isn't accurate, there are students like that, but it's not that common. I think a lot of students are here on scholarships and are gifted in that they are academically and/or extracurricularly and/or athletically excelled at what they do.