Union College-Schenectady Top Questions

There are alot of the "cool jock kids" from high school, that can be a good and bad thing. Most people are cool. Kids, particularly freshmen year, like to take everything to the max, especially when it comes to drinking. That really just has to do with the group you hang out with though.

Union's student body is pretty one dimensional. It has a strong drinking culture and attracts people who view college as nothing but a strong drinking culture. There seems to be the general attitude that you can't have fun without large quantities of beer. While going out can be fun, it is generally all the same (a frat party!) and gets old really quickly. Even people who do drink regularly can feel a bit out of place when surrounded by people who are so desperate to party. Union has good financial aid, so there are people who are there on scholarships. However, the dominant characters are all wealthy and proud of it. There aren't many minority students and there's not a lot of culture on campus. Political awareness is generally low and a surprisingly high number of the students side with the right.

very white. jewish, but less so than people think. the diversity on campus is clearly something that is forced.

Union is not very diverse. The school is very predominately white, and the non-white community is small but very close. Most of the students are upper-middle class from New York/New England, but not everyone comes from money. Money is rarely discussed, but many students are here on scholarship or financial aid, while it may not appear so. As a freshman, I found that my class separated almost as much by housing as ethnicity. Each of the four different dorms has a distinct personality. West and Davidson are considered the big party dorms, especially Davidson, because it is suite-style with common rooms. Those who live in West and Davidson generally consider Richmond to be dull. And Webster is the substance-free, focused-study dorm, which has a terrible reputation for housing all those smart kids with no social skills.

We're primarily a white, upper, middle class school but we do have students from all over the world with all different backgrounds. Anyone could find a group to hang out with here.

Well, I am pretty active in Hiilel on campus. I am a member of the Hillel board, and I also bake for Friday night Shabbat dinner. I don't let my religion define who I am, though. Most of my friends are not of the same religion, and we get along just fine. Students wear various things to class. In the winter it is mostly jeans and long sleeves or sweatshirts, and Ugg boots for the girls. In the warmer weather there are a lot of shorts and skirts and t-shirts and tank tops and dresses. I really don't know where most of the students are from. I know a lot of people from Connecticut and New York, but I don't think that is true for the rest of the students. I would think that mostly people from the Northeast come here, because I don't think that anyone from warmer states would want to subject themselves to upstate New York winter weather.

the student body is very friendly and welcoming the first day you come here till the last!!!

becoming more diverse

Union is predominantly white, does have a substantial jewish population, and most students do have middle class background. Students interact in different places from their floor, classes, athletics, and the many parties each weekend. We are a predominantly liberal school, and do hope to make money in the future upon graduation. Students do dress well wearing expensive clothing with brand name products as well.