St Olaf College Top Questions

The worst thing would probably be how the school emphasizes certain programs--such as parts of the music department--occasionally at the expense of other valuable campus organizations. For example, in my junior year, the school sold the country's oldest student-run radio station in order to fund new additions to the music department--including an honorary chairmanship of the church music program, with a whopping 4 student majors.

The work load is probably the worst thing about St. Olaf. That is why it is essential to be time efficient here. Most of the classes require much studying, reading, and writing, but in the end, it is worth it.

The worst thing about St. Olaf is the bitterly cold winds that blow throught campus during the dead of winter. There are a few pathways that are like windtunnels.

inflexibility of the meal plans.

The worst thing is the stereotypes about the college. Some people say that because of its Scandinavian heritage and Lutheran affiliation, St. Olaf is not a very ethnically diverse school. While it is true that student population is largely representative of this profile, it is still very inclusive of students from every background. Also because the cost of tuition is so high at St. Olaf, the campus is stereotyped to be rich and snobby. This is also untrue as many students from lower class families receive enough aid to finance an education.

The worst thing about my school is probably is the lack of tons of unique traditions. I always here of other schools that have these really cool unique races, get togethers, school spirit related activities and I feel like my school is slightly lacking.

The worst thing about the school would probably be its location. It is located in a small town that isn't very lively and about 20 minutes away from and city, however, it serves for less distraction for studying and has affordable study abroad programs. Many people have cars to leave campus. The other factor would be the workload; it's horiffic. Sophomore year is especially packed with 20 page papers, extra reading, and projects. The last "worst thing" would have to be the rising tuition that does not help with the economy.

The Internet was perpetually slow.

It is very expensive. All costs combined total around $45,000 per year. This is a significant increase from even three years ago. It is very hard for a middle-class student to recieve financial aid, and there are no scholarships available from the school after the first year.

I prefer the city and St. Olaf is in a small town (18,000 peoole). However, Minneaplois and St. Paul are only 30 min. away.

The location. While it is indescribably beautful here, it's also sort of isolated. There are plenty of opportunities to go to Minneapolis/St. Paul, but it's such a hassle that I usually don't bother. And while the town is pleasant, it'd be nice to see an honest-to-god city once in a while. Plus, I don't do well with the harsh winters :)

The worst thing about St. Olaf is higher standared they have for education. Nothing is ever too good so you have to give it everything you have to do well.

Sometimes the community feels too small if you are not actively in the inner circle. And beyond freshman and sophomore year, it is difficult to break into that group.

The worst thing about St.Olaf is the academic pressure. I think that there is a lot of pressure to push yourself as hard as possible academically and all the professors have very high expectations. This is great for the most part because it pushes you as a student to learn as much as possible, but it also can be a burden at times to live up to all the expectations.