Juniata College Top Questions

Describe the students at your school.

Marlene

the students here are very unique and one of a kind. we all have our quirk, but it is a fun place with lot of individuals. everyone is very friendly and they make the campus feel like home.

Hannah

Coming to Juniata, I assumed everyone would be relatively like-minded. I thought that because Juniata was pretty progressive as a school, the students would reflect that perspective. However, I was surprised to find that Juniata students have quite differing opinions. I learned that this is not only normal for human beings, but it is also positive due to the dialogues and learning that can occur between people of differing views. Juniata provides a space for discussion. Think, Evolve, Act. As for diversity, Juniata experiences some problems even though it is very supportive of equality and encourages respect among its Students and Faculty. Many Juniata students are openly gay and I have never heard of any discrimination toward LGBTQ students or faculty members on campus. However, the surrounding area is very conservative and some students have experienced some uncomfortable encounters off campus. Most students who go to Juniata are white, and although Juniata is trying very hard to build up their enrollment, there are not very many black students. This is a problem for some students who feel out of place and in some cases, discriminated against by other students. There is only one black professor. There are a lot of international students, especially from different parts of Asia, but they do not interact as much with American students as they do with each other, which is probably related to cultural and language barriers. Juniata is very keen on remedying these circumstances. The office of Diversity and Inclusion supports the "Beyond Tolerance Series" which is a series of performances, discussions, and speakers throughout the year which are geared toward helping students to consider and understand different perspectives.

Lauren

My classmates were driven, ambitious, caring and passionate.

Jen

Juniata is a pretty liberal campus, and I feel that the LGBT community is relatively accepted and integrated here compared to many other schools. Students come from mostly middle-class backgrounds, and there are many international students on campus.

Laura

There is not a lot of diversity at Juniata. There are people of many races, religions, political beliefs, social classes, and sexual orientations, but most of the students seem to be white, vaguely-Christian, heterosexual, American, upper-middle-class democrats. However, most of the students of Juniata are open to others' opinions, characteristics, and lifestyles. There are groups of students devoted to different political and social causes, with varying levels of involvement.

Kayci

To be honest, the diversity at the school is not the most...diverse. However, there are many clubs for different groups on campus. This way, people of different backgrounds, cultures and ethnicity can interact with one another and meet others from different backgrounds as well. In regards to the LGBT community, the main group for that on campus is AWOL (all ways of loving). There are numerous events held for the community to discuss LGBT issues on campus or in general. For example, I actually just went to a discussion called "Straight Talk" where people of gay, bi, straight, and transgendered personification talk about their experience at Juniata. Juniata is located in Huntingdon, Pa. In case you did not know, Huntingdon is a very small community with a Walmart, a bowling ally, and a movie theater. Students who come from very large cities feel out of place in a small town environment. Although it is somewhat of a culture shock, I have known different students from New York City and Los Angles that have adjusted to the environment. The students here are very welcoming and nice and would help anyone out with anything if they needed it. Students of all financial backgrounds go here. Personally, I receive scholarships which help with my tuition significantly. Without them, I would not be able to attend here. However there are other students that do not receive financial aid and their families are able to pay the full amount of a private institution anyways. Overall, there is a mix of financial backgrounds.

Kayci

To be honest, the diversity at the school is not the most...diverse. However, there are many clubs for different groups on campus. This way, people of different backgrounds, cultures and ethnicity can interact with one another and meet others from different backgrounds as well. In regards to the LGBT community, the main group for that on campus is AWOL (all ways of loving). There are numerous events held for the community to discuss LGBT issues on campus or in general. For example, I actually just went to a discussion called "Straight Talk" where people of gay, bi, straight, and transgendered personification talk about their experience at Juniata. Juniata is located in Huntingdon, Pa. In case you did not know, Huntingdon is a very small community with a Walmart, a bowling ally, and a movie theater. Students who come from very large cities feel out of place in a small town environment. Although it is somewhat of a culture shock, I have known different students from New York City and Los Angles that have adjusted to the environment. The students here are very welcoming and nice and would help anyone out with anything if they needed it. Students of all financial backgrounds go here. Personally, I receive scholarships which help with my tuition significantly. Without them, I would not be able to attend here. However there are other students that do not receive financial aid and their families are able to pay the full amount of a private institution anyways. Overall, there is a mix of financial backgrounds.

Kelly

This campus has many students with a wide variety of personalities. There is someone for everyone to hang out with here, despite the school's small size. Racially, it is not that diverse. The student body consists mainly of white and Asian students. There is a surprisingly large amount of international students, especially from Asian countries. There is a good variety of students from a variety of socio-economic groups. Many students here came here due to the generous financial aid, no there is not an overwhelming amount of extremely rich students. Politically, this tends to be a more liberal campus, but I know plenty of people who are also politically conservative. Religion is also diverse. Students are generally "nerdy," which I mean as a compliment, since I also consider myself a nerd. Students are usually quite studious. Few would feel out of place here, but if you are big into going out on the weekends or are a city person you may get bored, since weekends tend to be a bit chill and low-key here.

Mary

Juniata students are all pretty aware and active throughout all areas, whether it is politically or athletically, etc. All types of students intereact with one another. Since campus is so small, this is easy to do and it's easy to know the majority of people on campus.

Noah

My classmates are friendly, intelligent, and wonderful people. Each one is unique in their own special way, but since my school is very small, we are like one big happy family. We all participate in campus wide traditions together that have been a part of Juniata College for many years. We all are known for our excellent academic prestige, and carry on Juniata's reputation for having the best and brightest students around.

Rachel

Most students study a lot during the week, but still have the ability to have fun on the weekends.

Cole

My classmates are very friendly, my classes are small, and the small classes allowes everyone to get to know one another.

James

Most of Juniatas students are weird, or nerdy.

Ashley

Many of my classmates appear unmotivated.

Elizabeth

Smart, semi-ecentric people.