Truman State University Top Questions

Describe the students at your school.

Louis

As a liberal arts school, Truman really attracts a wide variety of students. We have a phenomenal exchange program, so people who have english as a second language would have no problem finding people of the same background. Most Truman students are from St. Louis and Kansas City, with the majority coming from St. Louis. As a cheap school, financial backgrounds are rarely as issue, with tuition being as affordable as it is.

Kelsey

Overachieving middle-class hipsters with big goals. While there isn't a huge political sway on campus, there is the overarching liberalism ideals that influence students. Most are here because they want to get a degree and get a job, though the graduate school attendance rate is definitely climbing. For the most part, discrimination is non-existant. We have a surprisingly large number of international students for being in the middle of Nowhere, Missouri, there are plenty of LGBT students, plenty of rich crowds, and plenty of struggling to make it students. You will see all sorts of people intermingling. Friend circles are usually formed through the organizations you join and where you live your freshman year, not who you are or where your from.

Deanna

Truman students work hard. We are generally open-minded, and enjoy discussing often-offensive subjects without ending in an angry argument or insulting each other. We are here to learn, and that includes learning from and helping each other. Most Truman students are from Missouri (often Saint Louis or Kansas City areas), but a large number come from the various other states and international countries. Students from a myriad of religious and political backgrounds attend here, too.

Deanna

Truman students work hard. We are generally open-minded, and enjoy discussing often-offensive subjects without ending in an angry argument or insulting each other. We are here to learn, and that includes learning from and helping each other. Most Truman students are from Missouri (often Saint Louis or Kansas City areas), but a large number come from the various other states and international countries. Students from a myriad of religious and political backgrounds attend here, too. A good friend of mine is a gay Atheist, while I am a Christian, and two doors down my hall lives an awesome Muslim girl who wears a full burqa.

Sarah

My classmates at Truman are hard-working people who were at the top of their class and wanted an excellent yet affordable education.

Emily

My classmates are hard working people with bright futures.

Ja'cobe'

My classmates are very intelligent. They often keep me on my toes and ask a lot of challenging questions to the professor. I often find myself feeling as if my intelligence is inferior, but I have to remember my situation is different from the majority of students at my university. Students come from all around the world. Also, the students seem to participate in a lot of classes that aren't specific to thier major-taking classes just for the experience and knowledge that it offers.

Matthew

Focused on making the most of this educational opportunity.

Michelle

The students here are smart, diverse, open-minded, focused, independent and get along with people from different backgrounds or social groups.

Jennifer

My classmates at Truman State are incredible outgoing, uplifting, and encouraging, not to mention, very helpful.

Weslee

They are nerds.

Katrina

Most students were friendly and interested in learning. Some took school very seriously, while others just did what was needed to get by in class. The majority of students were pretty self-motivated and took some extra initiative in their education.

Emily

My classmates at Truman were down-to-earth, friendly and willing to have discussions and group study sessions.

JoAnn

My classmates were awesome - they are great friends, most work well in groups, and they are reliable.

Hannah

Most classmates tend to form a bond and become friends because classes are generally pretty difficult.

Tabetha

They are fun, interesting, smart, and friendly (most of the time).

Rachel

school-focused, but like to party on the weekends

Toni

Friendly and diverse

Matt

My classmates are generally middle class, religious, and simultaneously academically and socially driven.

Leah

Interresting, entertaining, and diverse.

Alan

As mentioned earlier, most Truman Students come from St. Louis, or other cities, and thier suburbs. It takes all kinds to make a university run, but the only commonality - better than 95{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the students and Faculty are completly accepting of any race, sexual preferance, religion, family background, or any other social commonality in the world. We don't question; everyone there is present only to better themselves and those around them via academics, student orginizations, and fun activities. The only diverse diasagreements I have seen are those based on the Cubs vs. the Cardinals in baseball season.

Quinn

I think about half of the truman student population is from St. Louis, MO.

Alex

There are many diverse and unique people and groups on campus, Truman is after all a liberal arts college! We have musicians, artists, business majors, aggies (that's me!), computer science geeks, and many many more. The only student that would feel out of place is the student who didn't want to get involved. There are so many opportunites to meet and get to know your fellow student that it's hard not to find a group you blend with!

Charlie

At Truman I have met people of all different shapes, sizes, races, backgrounds...truly all kinds. And that is what I wanted. I wanted to meet a diverse group of people and learn from each and every one of them. Everyone has their own story and getting different points of view forces one out of their comfort zone and into a new way of thinking. They can't teach you that in a classroom. Most people roll out of bed and head to class. Very few put a lot of effort into their appearance. To be honest, we make fun of the girls that wake up shower, put on a full load of makeup and hairspray just to sit in class. That shouldn't be the focus. Sweats to class are just fine with me. I would say about 1/3 of students are from STL, 1/3 from KC, and 1/3 from everywhere else. Included in everywhere else are the students from the smallest town in Nowheresville, Iowa to the kid from California. This also includes a bunch of students from all over the world. There is a division between the Greek System at Truman and those unaffiliated. There really isn't a rivalry, but rather you're either Greek or your not. Greeks have a lot of events for just fellow Greeks. I would have to say that Truman, in my experience is a fairly Liberal campus (student body and faculty alike). Most students are very politically aware and become active on campus on their respective side (left, right, or center). Students come from all kinds of backgrounds. I would say the most prominant group originates from the Middle Middle Class.

Alex

hard-working, accepting of everyone, and they love to wear their pajamas everywhere

Tom

I believe Truman fudges a little bit on their diversity advertisements. While we do have diversity to some extent, I believe we do not have near the diversity as we are led to believe. Other than that, most students are friendly and very easy to work with.

Sheryl

The Campus Christian Fellowship at Truman is AMAZING! Many students are from St. Louis. Different types of students interact on this campus.

Harper

There are few instances of racial prejudice, but LGBT prejudices are not common. The school definately needs to be more diverse. Theres a balance as to who's left or right winged.

Jess

If you are looking for a religious organization to join...Truman probably has the one you are looking for. I feel like there are a ton of religious organizations on campus. having been involved at the Catholic Newman Center I know that my faith has grown and become and even more crucial aspect of my life since I began college. I do not feel as though any "type" of student would feel out of place on Truman's campus. People are friendly and fairly inviting! : ) People typically wear tshirts and jeans to class. There are a few people here and there that dress up, but I know a lot of the time I even wore sweat pants! Most Truman students are from either St. Louis or Kansas City. But there are people from all over the world!

Harper

Truman is a sweatpants and t shirt type school. Students know when there is a special occasion (or assume there is one) is a student is dressed up. Someone who wants a huge party college would feel out of place at Truman. Truman almost seems like highschool all over again- There are the athletes, the sororities and fraternities, the nerds, etc. The highest percentage of truman students come from the STL area which is nice if students need to carpool home. students are politically aware and active and I would say there is an even distribution of liberal/conservative students (maybe a little more liberal)

Logan

40{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} nerds, 20{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} athletes, 20{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} frat boys and sorority girls, 20{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} somewhere in between.

Andy

The students are pretty much from Missouri. Many of them are white science majors as well. Students are very casual and the average student is probably a little nerdier than most, but everyone can find a group they feel like the can run with. Most students are smart and have scholarships. If you're here on sports scholarship you could in theory feel out of place, but you'd always have teammates to fall back on, as I see happen all the time. The students tend to be your classic liberals, but there is a definite social conservative streak running around. Religion is important to many students, and many are practicing Christians. The LG population seems to be rather large, but that may just be coming from my high school. I have yet to see a transsexual or bisexual. Financial backgrounds vary widely, and there is diversity, you just have to look.

Natalie

Ah, just like any college, there is a place for everyone on campus. I would say that most students seem to reflect that Mid-western born-and-raised background. And just to be aware (or should it be rephrased "beware?"): EVERYONE is from Missouri. After the first couple days of Truman Week I could guess where my new aqquintances were from: "St. Louis, right?" And if that failed I had KC to back me up. Ok, so maybe not everyone is from Missouri: I break the mold by being from Chicago. And I'm not going to lie: I liked the impressed looks I consistently got around the table when I revealed my roots. Because everyone is from Missouri. Truman could use more out of state-ers. Come join me.

Taylor

I came from a very conservative town so Trumans atmosphere and diversity was a litlle bit of a shock for me. I was surprised by the vast amount of LGBT students. I loved meeting many different ethnic groups. I don't think any student would feel out of place here if they sought others with their same interests. You can find people to share in your faith, for me that was Campus Crusade for Christ (CRU). Greeks usually dress up but most college students can be found going to class in sweatpants. I never believed how common sweatpants would be. Students interact with a wide range of people types on the whole. In the dining halls you will notice that the sport teams will usually sit together, greeks will sit together, dorm people will sit together, and some ethnic groups will sit together. It isn't uncommon to see people sitting by themselves and reading the newpaper though. Most Truman students are from St. Louis- it kind of is a running joke. Students seem to be fairly politically aware and active because they want to express their opinions. Truman students seem very liberal. Students fairly often talk about their wages once they obtain their desired job.

tom

Everyone is from st louise kansas city or nepaul, it really blows

Robin

There are a lot of culturally diverse groups on campus. There are cultural fraternities and sororities, cultural clubs like the Hispanic American Leadership Organization and Society for Sino-American studies. Prism and Stonewall support LGBT students, and they are very active not only in the Truman community, but in the Kirksville community as well. There are also an abundance of service organizations on campus and annual service events. Students wear a variety of things to class, but no one really dresses up unless required by their Greek organizations or if they have to give a presentation. It gets really cold in Kirksville, so students wear a lot of layers and warm clothes in the winter. Most students at Truman are from the St. Louis area. People from STL are a nice blend of private and public school alumni, but there certainly is room for students from other places across the country; I never felt left out of anything because I wasn't from St. Louis. Most students' financial backgrounds are middle class, and I've never seen or experienced discrimination for being a part of another race or class. The focus on Truman isn't about how much money we'll be making in the future. It's more about how much we'll enjoy what we're going to be doing for the rest of our lives.

Alex

Truman students can be a bit intense at times, but they all are very bright and have great ideas. They talk about more than the latest celebrity gossip, but also like to have a lot of fun.

Felicia

The student body is of moderate size (~6000). There is a decent variety of the races & such. Students dress casually, some in PJS & Sweats and others in "Pin" Attire or dressed up. I believe that the school is diverse in culture, although the foreign students tend to pack together. I was my roommates only American friend. Most Truman students are from Missouri, especially St. Louis and Kansas City. The financial backgrounds vary as well from full financial aid to none at all. Most of campus is left-wing but it doesnt show to bad. Many students today will base future jobs on the pay available, so its not just specific to Truman State.

Alex

There are a lot of foreign students on campus. They pretty much stay with people similar to them, perhaps because of a language barrier? Truman isn't like high school, where there were the jocks, the nerds, the popular people. Here everyone is a nerd, in a way. Sure there's partiers and non-partiers, but really people have a lot in common. When you go to a challenging school in Kirksville, that's going to weed out a lot of people who can't take the academics or the small town atmosphere. On the other hand, there is a lot of different view points, races, religions, etc. I know hardcore liberals and conservatives, as well as gay people and people from tons of different backgrounds. And there's people from all kinds of different socioeconomic status'. I have friends who have to work part time to send money back to their families, and I have friends whose parents are paying for their college tuition, their car, their food.

Heather

It's pretty white. Black students for the most part hang out with other black students... foreign exchange students pretty much do the same. I think there is a healthy GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual, Transgender) community. I think lower, middle class, average intelligence students will feel uncomfortable here, because they will really have to bust their butts to survive here. Most of the students are from the middle, upper middle classes and do not have to work. Most students wear jeans, shorts, t-shirts to class. There are the few who dress up or dress down for whatever reasons, but most people go for comfort. I'd say Truman is more liberal than conservative, but most of us have roots in conservative families. Generally, the more educated a person is, the more liberal they tend to lean. You'll have teachers who are politically biased, but for the most part it's pretty laid back and balanced here.

Lisa

Truman has a good mix of different kinds of students. I don't know that anyone would feel out of place at Truman unless they wanted to. I mean as long as you make a little effort to be nice to people and make friends, you will find many people that you will be friends with forever. Most students where either jeans or sweatpants and a t-shirt to class. occasionally there are times that people have to dress up. The four types of students in the dining hall would be the greeks-people affiliated with a sorority or fraternity; the jocks-people that play sports; people that aren't affiliated with either the greeks or the jocks but still party with them; and everyone else-this includes the DnD kids, people that eat by themselves, church kids, theater kids. Most truman students are from Kansas City or St. Louis. Most of truman is made up of middle class families. I would say that for most students the reason they picked truman was because it is so cheap as opposed to their first choice school where they didn't get enough scholarship.

Brad

Honestly, truman girls are hot. foreign exchange students add a lot to the day-to-day experience, but mostly hang with each other. most students are future-oriented.

tim

The student body is so diverse that I don't think anyone would feel out of place. I think there is an even mix of political views, and people of different backgrounds interact with each other. I think the groups formed now are ones pertaining to extracurricular activity or major. Such as all of the football people sit together in lunchrooms, and most of the math majors sit together. Most everyone seems to be politically active.

Jon

There are too many foreign kids here and they all stink.

Rusty

Here we go, I've been waiting to talk about this for sometime... Truman's student body is made up of mainly students from St. Louis, Kansas City, and Chicago. If you're from these places you'll find that you enjoy this school as it is all that will be talked about. If you're from a small town you might as well save yourself the trouble and not attend University at Truman because all that you will get in return are horrible stares from the city students even when you go out of your way to be nice. Frat life is a load of bs, don't expect to be able to talk to the guys or gals with the Greek alphabet on their clothes, it's a joke. They walk around like they own the damn place and don't talk to anyone that isn't in the organization. Parents know that the party life at this school is something of a problem as there is Freshmen week where every night the Universities frats buy tons of beer and get all the freshies drunk to join their group. This is every single night of the week that first week.

Scott

Truman is racially dynamic in some ways, but not in others. There are many exchange students from overseas but there is a lack of afircan american students. There is a large presence of greek life on campus. Whether greek or some other organization, you need to find a group or organization to become part of. If you do not do this, you will have a hard time keeping friends throughout all 4 years.

Christine

the student body at truman is all over the place! you will find kids who went to a high end private school who is best friends with the kid who went to a low budget public school. while most of the student body is from st. louis and kansas city, there are people from all over the world! my roommate in the fall (and one of my best friends) is from china. ever one is friendly, this is the kind of place where you can walk on campus and see people who dont know each other smile or say hi as they pass!

Reese

Truman is the school for pretty much everyone I believe. There is a large population of foreign exchange students and you are forced from the beginning to get to know and understand other cultures. Its a school of combined ethnicities and full of students from lots of places. However, if you were to look at the students as a whole, the majority would be from KC or STL. Students are from all types of homes and backgrounds. However, you would never really know it, most people seem to all be the same until you really talk to them.

Nick

the fraternity life a truman was fun but it felt like the school was working against us even though we worked hard to provide a social atmosphere for the students under 21

Amanda

Truman can be seen as conservative or liberal. Conservative because many students are trying to be lawyers or doctors or something and not really looking to change the world or start protests. But liberal in that we have many races and religions and sexual orientations and everyone is accepted for who they are. I truly believe that anyone could find a friend at Truman, the most unnormal thing is older students. Sweats are worn a ton!!! I interacted with a ton of different types of students, with the amount of class projects you will have you will have to intereact with someone outside your social circle. many Truman students come for STL and Kansas City. Many students have scholarships to go to school because of their High School grades, many are middle class.