Gonzaga University Top Questions

What is your overall opinion of this school?

Kate

It is a great college

Mike

As a non-traditional transfer student, I was extremely picky in the selection process for my four-year transfer. In the mix, I had some large state schools in Colorado and a few private schools in California. I ended up settling on Gonzaga because they had the smallest class size and ended up giving me the best financial aid package. I couldn't be happier. Because of the small class sizes, you can be sure that every professor will know who you are, and many of them are world-class. While the business program doesn't receive as much attention as it should, I feel this will change as the school grows in size. I will say that as a non-traditional student, it has been slightly more difficult adjusting to the social scene of the school, since there really are very few true "peers." That is starting to change in my third semester however, so I'm withholding judgment on that for now. Finally, if you weren't a basketball fan when you went in, you will be leaving. You owe it to yourself to go to as many games is possible. all are a blast!

Alex

I love going to Gonzaga because of the school size. It is the perfect amount of students. Not too big or too small. You can recognize faces in the cafeteria and have some of the same people in your classes which helps make friendships.

Cameron

Gonzaga is one of the smaller schools, although it is increasing these days (my freshman class was the largest they've ever had). If you go to Gonzaga, know anything about Gonzaga, or are even remotely aware of Gonzaga, you know that there is a TON of school pride. Our basketball games are always packed and some teams refuse to play at our stadium because of the fans, who are high energy and noisy. The reaction I get when I tell people I go to Gonzaga is either "Whoa! Think you could get me tickets to one of the basketball games?" or "You go to Gonzaga? Wow, you must've really done well in school to go there!" One of Gonzaga's perks is that it's a small school, as mentioned earlier. It's located in the middle of Spokane, but it's most definitely not a college town.

Kelsey

The best thing about Gonzaga is something simple, something that most people will glance over and not really notice. It is the fact that everyone holds the door open for everyone else. Something that takes two seconds that really shows how much we care. Honestly, i have walked around many other campuses and it has felt so cold and unfamiliar, especially when you are carrying a ton of stuff and the door gets slammed in your face. GU is welcoming and i can't walk from one side of the campus to the other without seeing 3-4 people i know and LOVE to talk to. I love GU cause it feels like home, even though it is in the middle of spokompton. School Pride is a must and Basketball games make you realize how incredible GU is!

Emily

The best part of the gonzaga experience for me has been the academics. I have been in small classes with teachers who really care if I succeed in their classes. The rigorous Chemistry program has helped me earn a sense of accomplishment in terms of home work and test grades.

Matt

Gonzaga's been great the two years that I've been there so far. It's got small class sizes (especially my broadcasting classes) and most of the professors are great. Spokane's an ok city to live in. It's got a pretty nice mall and movie theater, but it can get kinda shady downtown after dark, and the city itself isn't as clean as Boise (my hometown), at least in my opinion. The basketball games are a blast, and it's really easy to meet new people at school. Some of the dorms are pretty rundown, and the school tends to spend too much money on "campus beautification." I'm a broadcast major, and we desperately need more cameras for our department, but instead our school spends over a million dollars on a shitty reflecting pool/statue and a walking path that virtually no one uses. My only other quarrel with GU is the COG. The COG is the cafeteria at Gonzaga. The food is awful. You will rarely eat everything on your plate, you will spend a lot of money at Pita Pit instead of using your block meals, you will constantly look at COG food and ask yourself "What is that?", and you will most certainly get diarrhea. Yes it sounds nasty...because it is. Every student has to get a meal plan for the first two years, so choose the bronze plan or any other plan that gives you more flex and less COG meals. Any other GU student will recommend this.

Terry

Gonzaga is a pretty fun school. Most people are pretty chill and there are usually things going on. It feels almost like a big coffee shop. Most people like being here, but Spokane is a pretty weak city and the off-campus activities are lacking.

Danielle

I am a transfer student. I transferred from the University of Redlands in Southern California and the adjustment from Redlands to Gonzaga was difficult for me, but what made it easier was the generousity of the students and faculty that understood the transition that I was going through. When people hear that I attend Gonzaga they tend to be impressed and ask a lot of questions about the difficulty of my studies and how hard I work. I got those questions when I was at Redlands but the reactions are much more impressive now that I go to Gonzaga. Something that I will always remember about Gonzaga is the openness of the student body and the friendly atmosphere provided by the faculty. My advisor is one of my good friends and a previous professor of mine. I'll never forget that the staff knows your name even if you took a class from a professor a year ago, they still remember you and they are always excited when a students just drops by their office to chat about school or something else. Spokane is not a college town, since Gonzaga is close to downtown you get this city life feeling but campus is quite large and the neighborhood is quiet so you also get a sense of a small town. The business' around Spokane are dedicated to Gonzaga, the students and the basketball team and that is something that makes such a large area feel like a tight-knit community.

Devin

Gonzaga is a very welcoming place. It's a very tight-knit society to those who fit in to the typical mold. However, someone just concerned with academic matters will likely find this an unsuitable school. The core curriculum is simply insane and does little to help students, especially science majors, to succeed. We, (as in all students), are required to take four years of philosophy, two of religion and history (a VERY limited selection of courses available), as well as a social justice course (hence the socialism part). The administration has set in place a variety of absurd expectations that are aimed at supporting the school and its various departments. For example, they take a students' obligation to purchase a meal ticket for two years as serious as the student's academic obligations. This is the only way that they can support campus dining (yes, it's terrible).

Ian

Some might be turned off to go to school in Spokane, but the whole city loves Gonzaga! It's not too small where you feel like there is nothing to do, but not too big where you feel like you might be lost like New York or LA.

Alex

The Gonzaga campus is beautiful and extremely well-kept; even during the harsh Spokane winters. It's a good sized medium school, though it tends to have a rather homogeneous student population. If you like to work out, Gonzaga may be your ideal match; with its two story gym that boasts over 50 cardio machines, the gym is nothing short of spectacular. The Dorms are decent. The city of Spokane, in truth, leaves a lot to be desired. Downtown Spokane is fairly nice, but the rest of Spokane is a city without soul and extremely industrial. All the bars are sports bars and their filled with complete dead-heads (and I don't mean the old hippies who used to follow around the Grateful Dead which would be a lot cooler). One thing that's for certain though, those dead-head Spokies sure love Gonzaga University. Everyone from the local gas station guy to Spokane Policeman proudly proclaim their Bulldog pride. All in all Gonzaga's a good school, unless of course you're looking for an artsy type liberal college...Gonzaga is, in essence, the anti-UC Berkeley.

John

Gonzaga is a school that prides itself on its commitment to community service, and alot of the students are doing some really good volunteer work. In some cases, however, volunteering and public service become a front for fraternity-like organizations and behavior, as in the case of the Knights and Setons. I would tell a prospective student interested in serving the community that you will find ample opportunity to do just that; however, I would caution you that the altruistic slogans and idealistic rhetoric displayed prominently all over every publication that GU produces are little more than empty words. Your experience at Gonzaga will be what you make it.

Cass

The best thing about Gonzaga is the community. It's just the right size where you can have a great group of close friends and still know a lot of other people. It's hard to just blend in on this campus too, professors really try to get to know their students. While I'm on campus I usually spend a lot of time in the library or in the basement of Crosby. Of course, if you live on campus you definitely will spend a lot of time in the dorms, most of which are pretty old, but really? Everyone's outside all of the time and you're with such great people it doesn't really matter if they are that bad. Part of the draw for me to Gonzaga was the pride students have in their school, this can be seen through the two weeks of camping out a lot of students did before one of the big basketball games this past year.

Kendall

Gonzaga is a place where you will always see someone you know walking through campus. Even people you don't know will say "hello" and throw a smile your way. This is something that is so special about Gonzaga. Where are a commmunity, this is my favorite thing about Gonzaga.

Sara

The people and community are great. I just meet so many good people while at school and developed friendships that will last throughout my life. I experienced great personal growth while at Gonzaga. And as corny as it sounds they really do educate the whole person. The school was a great size. You knew everyone but there was still chances to meet more people. As a biology major it sometimes would have been nice to be at a larger campus where more research was being conducted.

reese

The school is too small, the teachers grade like you are in high school. The weather is terrible 6 out of the nine months. GU is located in the worst part of Spokane (which already is bad enough). The weekends there is nothing to do unless there is a basketball game which are fun.

Dylan

I loved my years at Gonzaga. The school is growing much too rapidly, but the community is really close-knit and amazing. People love the basketball team; I never really cared about it, but it gives you a topic of conversation with most strangers you meet when you tell them you went there. Spokane is awesome -- nobody believes this until their junior or senior year. Make sure you get off campus and you'll love it. The administration is undergoing change right now, so hopefully it will get a bit less conservative. The professors are very liberal. It really was a wonderful school...I loved it.

Lindsay

Gonzaga is a highly unique school for many reasons, but one of the most prominent is it's nestled position as a "Small-Big" school. With only about 5,000 students (including graduate), Gonzaga is by most standard a small university, boasting small class sizes, and great accessibility to research, facilities, extracurriculars and one-on-one attention. On the other hand, Gonzaga has received national recognition and praise by way of its unexpectedly successful basketball team. Now, of course there are those that argue that an excellence in one sport doesn't necessarily define a good school, which may very well be true; however, as an already outstanding institution I believe that Gonzaga has only worked to capitalize on its athletic success to set itself on a national stage. In this way the campus culture and student interest is most certainly athletically oriented. During all four years of my time as a student, several of my friends and classmates were varsity athletes and if not, they were somehow involved in a intermural sport or were planning a camping trip that weekend; often it would be all three. At some universities, academics and philosophical conversation, music, or religion dominates students' time out of the classroom, however, at Gonzaga you'll rarely see an empty gym or a frisbeeless field on a nice day. This is not to say that students are not highly involved in the community or pursuing their own unique interests. Gonzaga students just simply love sports. And for this reason I don't think it will take long to notice that Gonzaga has a lot of pride. A lot.

Ashley

I LOVE GONZAGA!

Katie

Gonzaga is a university dedicated to the whole person~ mind, body, and spirit. As such they promote education and participation in religious studies, in athletics, and of course in academics. There is a strong emphasis on service and the students respond freely and with much gusto because at GU we log huge numbers of community service hours. It is one of my favorite aspects about GU. The school is just the right size--not to big so that you never see a face you know, and not too small so that you see too many faces you know. When people hear that I go to Gonzaga they always respond with positive feedback--o thats a great university, great basketball team ect. The alumni network is huge as well, it seems like no matter where I go I run into GU alumni who help out with info, directions or what ever I need! GU is for life! Gonzaga pride is unrivaled!

Rory

Gonzaga is a small school with a high teacher to student ratio which allows you to get to know your professors and fellow students well. They offer loads of extra curriculars and opportunities to get involved in the community and school. You are required to live on campus for two years, which further promotes a close knit community. The facilities are being updated and the campus is gorgeous. Spokane is not the most wonderful of cities but it has all of the necessities and the more you get to know it the better you like it. The surrounding area of mountains and Lake Coeur d'Alene make it a great place to get out and experience.

Chris

The neighborhood that Gonzaga is located in is a bit sketchy, the greater Spokane area on the other hand is full of friendly people and has a nice feel to it. The campus itself is nice and tight knit. You don't have to go very far to get to any of your classes and the campus is flat so you don't have to deal with hills.

Margie

its the right size people think basketball when they hear gonzaga, but there is more to it then that i spend most of time at Crosby and in GSBA - gonzaga student body association there is a lot of school spirit guys are really UGLY Spokane is even uglier

Christina

The best thing about Gonzaga is the community of students - "Zags". I feel that all of the students at Gonzaga are connected through our mutual love for this school. If we didn't like it here, we sure as heck wouldn't be paying this kind of money for an education that we didn't appreciate. I love how much "at home" I feel when I'm here. I think Gonzaga does an excellent job of making you feel like you belong. If I had to change one thing about Gonzaga, it would probably be its location. I'm not too thrilled about the fact that we're in downtown Spokane, but at the same time, the location of Gonzaga very much contributes to Gonzaga's identity. Gonzaga is JUST RIGHT, when it comes to its size. When I was considering Gonzaga as a senior in high school, the size was definitely one of the bases of its appeal. The good thing about Gonzaga's size is that you can go anywhere on campus at almost any point throughout the day, and you're more than likely going to run into someone you know - that wouldn't happen at a large state school, unless you're REALLY popular! :) On the flip-side, though, Gonzaga isn't so small that you feel like people are always in your business. You can still retain a sense of privacy, while also feeling like everyone you know is VERY closeby. It's perfect. The response I get most when I tell people that I go to Gonzaga is, "Ooh, that's a pretty good school!" Gonzaga certainly isn't Yale, Stanford or Harvard, but I do believe that it's gaining status in the higher-education world. Most people also question me about my opinions on Spokane. Spokane is definitely not my FAVORITE place, but it provides a new experience for me, which is a good thing. I spend a lot of my time on campus in my dorm, or in Crosby Student Center. There are always so many activities planned in the residence halls, that it's fun sometimes to just stay in and participate in the activities. This applies to all of campus, too, actually. There isn't much of a need to leave campus, because there is always so much to do ON campus. I would say that Spokane is and isn't a college town. The thing that's great about Spokane is that the entire city (and it's a large one - the biggest one between Seattle and Minneapolis, actually...) rallies behind Gonzaga, and you will see a LOT of "Go Zags!" signs in windows of houses throughout Spokane. It's really cool to see. But, at the same time, Gonzaga isn't the ONLY thing that Spokane has to offer, and I don't think that Spokane is defined by Gonzaga. I simply think that Gonzaga adds to Spokane's appeal. :) Often, the administration at Gonzaga gets a bad rap, as they are seen from the outside as "money-hungry." I would say that this is and isn't true. The goal of Gonzaga's administration from a realistic standpoint, is that they need to make sure Gonzaga can stay alive. This does require money. Father Spitzer has many plans to increase the endowment of Gonzaga, and although that makes him appear very "money-hungry," this endowment will ultimately go toward projects for the students (i.e. new dormitories, greater funding for internships/financial aid, etc.). Gonzaga has an unbelievable amount of pride, and I think that makes this school such an amazing one to go to. It definitely adds to the experience here. An "unusual" thing about Gonzaga that they don't like people forgetting is that Bing Crosby went here, and thus our "Crosby Student Center" is named after him. He is our campus celebrity, I guess you could say.

Meg

Gonzaga, for a lot of people, is a means to an end. It is not the best school in the world, it's not the most well known, it doesn't have the most activities, it is not perfect. But, in my experience, the people all know that. They are realistic and most of them have an in depth understanding of what they want to do with their life. They know exactly that they want to be a lawyer dealing with abused children or a senator or a music teacher in New York or a nutritionist. They are driven.

Emma

The best thing about GU is the opportunity to volunteer during school, and get involved in the community through social justice (required) and service learning classes, as well as weekly and weekend volunteer groups. It is a pretty small school, which is nice because the professors give a lot of extra attention when you need it (and they are required to do so as well). However, this can sometimes be a bit limiting, and kind of feel like high school, since the class sizes are usually about the same. The administration is fairly conservative, but they listen to students and parents. The bimost recent controversy on campus would be the changing of the Administration building or the 'Ad building' to the name 'College Hall', which was not only completely confusing, but took a large donation to do. A reflecting pool with a giant statue of St. Ignatius of Loyola was just built in front of it as well, and the money was definately needed in other places, such as building more classrooms and hiring more professors. There is a ton of school pride. The students are involved, and there is a lot of community support for the students, especially since the school gets so involved with the community, and has a lot of community events on campus. Spokane loves Gonzaga. Gonzaga is unusual, because it seems like there is a niche for just about every type of person, even though it is so small.

John

The best thing about gonzaga is how friendly everyone is. You feel right at home from the minuet you arrive. If i could change one thing it would be to chage the required classes, instead of having to take 4 phylisophy classes take 2 or 3. The schools small but i love the size. i spend most of my time in the dorms or studying. the administration is amazing. the biggest contraversy would be the pres of the college leaving. there is so much school pride here, it is every where!!

Shelley

I am a distance degree student so I spend very little time on campus. However, the instructors are very friendly, helpful and go by their first names. People are surprised when they hear I attend Gonzaga because they do not believe that it is a school that is friendly to alternative learning styles such as the adult with a career and going to school at the same time. Gonzaga is typically considered a school only for young kids straight from high school. I have had great advisors thru every step of the process from application, course selections, financial aid, the bookstore, and technology help.

Amanda

The student body is the best thing about Gonzaga. Everyone is very friendly and you find yourself meeting and saying hi to people all the time. People are usually very impressed when you tell them that you go to Gonzaga, but mostly bring up the basketball team. This school has just the right amount of people for now, but it is rapidly expanding which is not the greatest thing. There are some great spots to hang out around campus and around town, but sometimes there just really is not much too because Spokane is a fairly small city. Students have a lot of pride especially when it comes to basketball games.

Allie

I love that Gonzaga is small. It's nice seeing my friends on campus everyday and I am still meeting new people all the time. Spokane is in no way an exciting place to live, but there are plenty of things to do on or near campus, like basketball games, neighborhood bar crawls, house parties, concerts, etc. Basketball season is the most exciting time of the year. People will camp outside in the snow for days for good seats at the big game - and it's worth it.

Amber

I think that Gonzaga is the perfect size. Many teachers are very nice and really care about your education. The thing that makes Gonzaga, Gonzaga to me though is CCASL...that's what kept me here and that's what changed my life forever.

Megan

The reason I am obsessed with my school, and feel that I made the best decision of my life to attend is the incredible community at Gonzaga. I have to leave for class fifteen minutes early because I know I'll get stopped by friends, professors, administration for a chat. The two big ways that all of Gonzaga is united is through basketball, but also through service. There is nothing like jumping up and down with 2000 other screaming fans during a basketball game. When we score, it doesn't matter who you are standing next to, but you are screaming and hugging and high-fiving each other as if you had grown up with them. Service is another way that Gonzaga is united, however. All clubs on campus are required to participate in some service. Almost all extracurriculars encourage the same from their participants. With well over 100,000 hours of service every year, its hard not to get involved. In fact, in April, hundreds of students sign up volunteer to paint, or do yard-work for a local school or child-based organization. It truly is an amazing experience. We have a lot of school spirit, and a lot of pride in our school. I love that Gonzaga fosters these kinds of large communities, but also fosters smaller communities. Dorm life is really fun, and made special by RHA and the programs they put on. Students are encouraged to really grow and expand their horizons and get involved in smaller organizations and communities. I like to think of my Gonzaga experience like concentric circles. I have my close group of friends, then other organizations to which I belong creating larger groups of friends and communities. Then I have another larger community with my resident hall, then my student class, and then finally the school. Everywhere I look I am supported and encouraged. After the community, my favorite part about Gonzaga is the holistic approach they take to college. While they have awesome academics that not only challenge me, but prepare me for the future, they also encourage students to grow spiritually, emotionally, and even physically in all directions. They offer many programs to reach out to people of all spiritualities, and as mentioned before, encourage extracurriculars, and have support systems in place to help you explore your emotional side too. I feel that I am growing in all directions at Gonzaga, not just academically. As per their motto, I am becoming a complete person. I always knew that I wanted my professors to know me personally, but I wasn't expecting the adminsitration to also make the effort to know me, or at least be kind, and work really hard to get me what I need. The professors are great too. Every semester, every student is asked to evaluate their professors. I feel the administration really reads and responds to these. I have had less than wonderful professors, and they weren't teaching the following semesters. On the flip side, I have had really fantastic professors who spark an internal eagerness and drive and passion to learn and find out more. They will sit with students for hours, just talking about the subject. While the campus of Gonzaga is wonderful, I also really like the town. To be honest, I am a minority in this opinion, but I have really come to love Spokane. It also loves Gonzaga Basketball, and its really fun to walk into a store that has a "GO ZAGS!" sign plastered in the window. The river is so beautiful and peaceful, and when you are in Riverfront park, you hardly think you are in a city at all. Pig out in the Park and Bloomsday Race are two of the really fun activities that Spokane offers. From its parks to its downtown, to its hidden neighborhoods, to the fantastic restaurants, Spokane is really something special.

Sarah

If you like intimate schools, Gonzaga is perfect. The largest class has 45 students and the smallest has 9. You can get to know your professor very easily and chances are they will remember you all four years. The only problem with a small campus is that you see the same people all the time everywhere. Our campus is small, which is nice; it takes 15 minutes to get from one end to the other, but most of the classes are in two buildings. The only problem with a small campus is that it is hard to get away sometimes for a little quiet, espcially if you don't want to go to the library. Basketball is our life, so anyone who has heard of Gonzaga will know us from our basketball teams. Whenever we lose, you can feel it all across campus. It's gotten progressively harder to get tickets to basketball games. Even though they're free, each year there are more students in the incoming class so there are more people fighting for the student tickets. Downtown Spokane is great, there's tons of restaurants and shops. There's a great trail from campus to the center of downtown and it only takes 20 minutes to walk. The trail goes by the river so it's a beautiful walk. And most of the stores around campus as well as downtown are huge supporters of Gonzaga students. Some diners even give discounts to us.

Amy

The best thing about Gonzaga: the basketball team One thing I would change: It is a very conservative campus. I'd make it more liberal School: just right. You get the oppotunity to know most of your class, but it is not so small that you know everybody Reactions to GU: most people think it is a really good school and that to get in you must be really smart. GU has a great academic reputation Surrounding area: Gonzaga is located in the second poorest neighborhood in the state of washington. You will not leave school without knowing someone or have you yourself be robbed or assaulted. The neighborhood is sketch! And Gonzaga will never tell you that. Administration: they continually try to improve the school and make sure that people are happy. Controversy: there are a lot of hate crimes on campus. In addition, the 2{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of campus that are liberals or 'free thinkers' are constantly having stand offs with all of the consrevatives. School pride: there is not a lot of it. Most of the time when we get asked by locals what school we go to, we don't own up to it.

Elisabeth

Love it here. Everything is perfect always have so much fun. For me it is just the right size. There are lots of fun things to do..

Heather

Gonzaga is a great school. It is really well-rounded. We have great sports teams (namely, basketball, but the other sports do well too), there are a lot of extra curriclars for any interest, from the school newspaper, to dance, music, leadership, etc. In general the students are really supportive of other student's projects and clubs and turn-out for events hosted by students or the school is usually really well attended. I think Gonzaga is the perfect size because it is small enough to have a small, intimate classroom size - one where you know your teacher and they know your name - but it is also big enough so that you don't know everyone on campus. Also, spokane is great because it is not a "college town," the city is still alive and hoppin in the summer when school is out. This is great because there are a lot of city/community events that are fun to attend (festivals, concerts, etc.) People in Spokane LOVE Gonzaga students. We get discounts at loads of places, and when you say you go to Gonzaga, people smile and get really interested in you and what you are studying - it is great for networking. The administration at Gonzaga tends to be really conservative. To a fault sometimes. They are set in their ways and do not like change. There are so many offices and different areas of administration, financial aid, registration, etc that dealing with anything outside of the classroom can be frustrating. Despite the administration, I REALLY have enjoyed all of the classes I have taken here, they are interesting and there is a large variety of courses, so I can take what appeals to me. There are many study abroad progams, I really reccomend studying abroad. Gonzaga even has their own satelite campus in Florence, Italy and Paris, France. I went to Florence and had the best year of my life! The school really emphasizes experiential learning, so we traveled a ton in this program and had the opportunity to see many different places and experience many different cultures! On Campus, in Spokane, there are a lot of student activities and events- they do a good job of providing stuff to do outside of the classroom that connects students. Gonzaga does a lot to help with the post-college career situation. They have a career center where you can look for jobs, get your resume reviewed or practice interviewing, they have an online job search where you can post your resume for employers to look at, a mentor program - you can partner with someone in the community who has a career you are interested in and either be trained or observe to see if that career is truly what you want to do. Gonzaga has a lot of school pride and spirit and I have not met one person who has graduated from here and regrets it (although, many leave in debt - it is an expensive school).

Brandon

The best thing at Gonzaga for me is the community. Anywhere you go, you will most likely run into someone you know, and that is so awesome. I love seeing my friends, and maybe someone that is just in your class, but it makes this school seem like home, and most everyone refers to their dorm/apartment as their 'home', and not their hometown or wherever their parents live for sure. I would most definitely add to the arts department if I could change anything, because it is very small right now.

Sara

The best thing about GU is the community. No matter where you go, you will find someone friendly to make a connection with. I think that my school's size is just right. When I tell most people that I go to GU, we are recognized for our basketball team. I spend most of my time in my dorm with the great friends I have made there. There is a ton of school pride especially during basketball season. One experience I'll always remember is meeting the friends I know I'll have for life.

Josie

By far the best thing about Gonzaga is the people. GU students are on the whole exceptionally friendly, always making people feel welcome in the community. I also love the size of the school. At a little over 5,000 undergrad students, it is big enough that you will always see new faces and yet small enough that no matter where you go you'll see someone you know. I love this. Also, because of the size of the school, I feel like an individual in my classes about whom the professors legitimately care, not just another number in their gradebook. I do wish that there was a little more diversity on campus (most of the minority students pretty much stick to their own groups). Other than that, however, GU is really an amazing place.

Ryan

Gonzaga is a University that focuses on the "whole" person and helps prepare students to succeed in life out in the real world.

Andy

The school is a great size. By the end of your Junior year, you're walking around campus and saying hi to at least a few people on your way anywhere. However, you by no means know everyone. You can easily pick and choose friend groups, choosing your interactions. Spokane is cold, but it's not a college town. It's a little bigger than a college town. This is nice. It means that you can go shopping at a mall which is just a 15 minute walk down the Centennial Trail in downtown Spokane. There's a lot of school pride here that's tied to our men's basketball team. One of the best experiences is attending men's basketball games in The Kennel. It's out of control, and outrageously fun. Lots of jumping up and down, cheering, chanting, and yelling. The school's small size is also nice because it means that students can get a good faculty-student ratio in the classroom. Most of the professors are willing to bend over backwards to help students. If you fall through the cracks, it's your fault...not the school's. This is the general trend. Some of the best things at the school are the retreats. There are three major retreats: Freshman, the Search Retreat, and the Cardonair Retreat. All are worth going on, but Search is the most elaborate and the most fun. There are lots of surprises for those going on the retreat as well as for those who help "crew" the retreat after going on it themselves. Search is an amazing experience all around. :) Search and Cardonair are explicitly religious. Freshman retreat is not.

Matt

I have found Gonzaga to be a very rewarding experience. I can walk around the campus and recognize most of the students and feel comfortable always knowing I can find someone I know. Gonzaga has a great reputation and while it is know for its basketball team, the academic reputation is strong as well. I spend most of my time on campus hanging out doing different events with my hall and we are a very close unit of guys that have a very strong friendship. Gonzaga was a big change from San Diego. The weather was quite different but not bad I really enjoyed the snow and the plentiful opportunities to go snowboarding. Also Spokane is not as big but there are things to do such as lasertag, bowling, football in the park to keep you busy. I enjoy it because of the quality people I have met and become friend with and the pride they exude about being a part of the community here.

reese

The school is too small, but too big for the faculty and staff to make it run effectivly. School is not difficult but the professors are willing to help. Parties are boring and are few and far between (don't let people tell you different if you come for a social atmosphere this is not the place, in fact far from it). Winter is terribly gloomy and grey and its like everyone shuts down which makes things more dreary and boring. Basketball games are fun waiting in line is terrible. Signing up for classes is a major pain in the ass. Dorms are terrible unless your in an apartment. The fact is unless you area dedicated catholic, who is only interested in the Jesuit education, this is not the place for you.

katie

small community, I would change the confined religious mindset. People are so proud of me when I say I go to gonzaga because it is known for being pretty prestige in the spokane area.very very college town because the community knows that support is a big thing at Gonzaga. Participation as required in class should it or shouldnt it be? there is so much school pride that the weird people are the ones that dont have school pride. I will always remember ROTC and the amazing bonds we created in that program. Security can sometimes be a hassle but other than that there arent any real frequent complaints.

Leah

The best thing about Gonzaga University is it's small size. It correlate into much smaller classes than many Universities and a great student to Professor ratio. Despite the fact that Spokane is a really interesting city, it's not the most exciting place in the world. There aren't many things right around campus - but once you get into the city there is lots to do. Another good thing about GU is the school spirit, which is mostly centered around the basketball team. Everyone gets really excited for games and the NCAA tournament. There is just a really cool basketball culture here that gives Gonzaga a "big university" feel.

Mark

The best thing about Gonzaga for me is that it is far away from Michigan. The campus is visually appealing and the people are all really nice and it doesn't take long to make friends (like I thought it would being a transfer junior and all.) One thing I would change about Gonzaga is the office hours of Foley, and not to mention the office hours of the Prof. and staff it is so difficult to get one on one time with the professors.....There are also very little opportunities to get tutors for classes that you are having problems with, everyone takes for granted students, like me, who didn't know anyone and don't know the processes to go through to get help with academics. I think Gonzaga is borderline too small....You see the same people basically everyday and you recognize them...it's less interesting than if I had gone to a larger school in that respect. People react like they are impressed or they mention basketball when they hear that I am going to Gonzaga. I spend most of my time at Foley on campus. Spokane is not a college town at all. I don't have a car this semester and it sucks because everywhere is soooooooooo far away. I don't mind it so much but it really starts to wear you down. I don't know what the biggest controversy on campus was....as far as I know there hasn't been any.....There is a lot of school pride but I feel like it gets carried away sometimes especially at basketball games, kids might get a little carried away and be rude. I don't know if there is anything unusual about Gonzaga, other than the fact that it is over 100 years old which is pretty impressive. I mean you know they're doing something right. Most frequent student complaints would have to be about professors not posting things on blackboard yet they expect us to check it daily. Also, without a car in this city you are lost.

Terry

The school is a good size, I like that there aren't huge masses of people to compete with over everything. However, the housing situation is somewhat useless. If a person has a problem with their roommate, the housing dept. does virtually nothing to help. If one roommate watns to move and the other doesn't, then you can't move. The RA's and people in authority are told that they are not supposed to allow people to move except in situations where someone is in danger; so roommates with problems cannot find resolutions large percentages of the time.

Patricia

Gonzaga is amazing, purely because it's small, jesuit, and full of people that care. That applies to both teachers AND students. I have never had a class over 30, and all professors have numerous office hours and most know me by first name. Yet everywhere I go, I still meet new people while having the comfort of knowing at least one or two old friends. Obviously the school is centered around basketball, and that's how most out of WA have even heard of Gonzaga. I like the games because it's a personal experience. Unlike bigger schools, we have classes with players, eat dinner with players, and see them all over campus and at parties. When they're on the court, it really feels like you're cheering for friends. A lot of kids complain about the cafeteria, and granted, it could use some work. While the food is not bad it is repetitive. Gonzaga does a good job though of sending out numerous surveys of how they could better improve the campus, and really listens and values the students opinions. The growing controversy lately is the campus expansion (we are adding a 50million student center in the next 5 years and numerous other buildings), however administration has promised that Gonzaga won't lose it's small school appeal.

Leah

I love the size of the shcool, you see your friends everyday and also meet new people everyday. I love the atmosphere, on the whole everyone is friendly. I would change up the food every now and again- it gets old. Most people ask me about basketball and if i play for a team when i say i go here... On campus I spend a lot of time in my room, the gym, and friends apts. Our school is in a big town, outside of the school it is pretty low income but they is A LOT to do. I like the admin and teachers, everyone is friendly and willing to help out as much as they can. Tons of school pride----you cant get the basketball experience anywhere else.