University of Arizona Top Questions

What is your overall opinion of this school?

Alyssa

The size of the school is just right. People react positively when I tell them I go here. Most frequent complaints are more often about the city of Tucson than the school itself. The campus is beautiful and there is so much to do here!

Alexandria

Great environment, BEAR DOWN :)

Raja

This school is full of opportunities and a place where dreams can come true. The campus is beautiful and the extra-curricular activities are endless. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

suzette

i really love the environment in my school. people are very welcoming and its like having a family here. i enjoy all the time i spend here at school and i made a lot of new friends.

imran

good

Jamil

Too many California kids. Seriously. School doesn't really care about undergraduates. Really invested more in research and generating revenue.

Jonathan

I am very happy with my decision to attend the University of Arizona. Between the academics, the weather, the sports, the girls, the parties, it is the epitome of the college experience. I am very excited to start the McGuire Entrepreneurship program, in which at the end of the year, my team will be pitching our business ideas to venture capitalists and investors. Tucson is a college town as the entire city really revolves around the university, which I think is nice. Perhaps the one drawback of the UofA is its location. There are alot of perks (nature, hikes, mountains, weather, an hour from Mexico) but there are also fewer opportunities than you will find in a big city.

Kirstin

I am about to graduate from the U of A, and in my three years here, I have constructed many different opinions of this school. In a few years, when I look back at my time here, I will think of the tradition that this school is built upon because of its old age, 127 years. This tradition attracts many students- almost too many students. The overwhelming traffic of walking to classes in the beginning of the semester can be frustrating, but the same thousands of students walking along the mall are the ones that make football and basketball games so spirited and fun. The athletics at this school are enjoyable to delve into, but I came here for the academics. The U of A offers some majors that I can't find anywhere else, like Physiology, Neurophysiology and Cognitive Sciences, and others. While I am personally not a fan of the lecture classes of 500 or even 1,000 students in my heavy science classes, I do enjoy the material that the professors are passionate about teaching. There are always smaller classes one can take when one gets to upper-division courses. If I could change one thing about this school, it would absolutely be class sizes and teaching methods. Students need to understand early on in their academic life- college at the latest- how they learn. It has always been a frustration to learn in 50-minute intervals from a professor teaching multiple students at once when I know that is not my best strategy of learning, which is why it would be the one thing I would change.

Branford

My overall opinion about this is it placed in the boring town of Tucson. There is a lot school pride in this College town, because everyone in the city of Tucson loves UofA because it is their main attraction. I usually spend my time at our 27 million dollar rec center they just built and I would change how many food places they have one campus more variety. Overall this campus is awesome!! Bear Down!!

Luchie

The University of Arizona is a great school. The environment, the community, the school pride, it definitely encompasses the "college experience." They offer so many resources for development, both personal and academic growth. There are also many clubs/organizations on campus that will add value to your college experience. There is so much variety that you will find something that sparks your interests. We have a lot of campus events and we stay on top of local and important issues going on in our community and even nationally. I think UA is just the right size for students who are looking to get away from a small school but not be overwhelmed with an extremely large one either. There is a lot of opportunity to meet new people and make new memories. Like with any aspect of your life, it is what you make of it. GO WILDCATS!

Hunter

I love this school. The school is large enough to meet tons of people, yet small enough to have classes where you can personally meet your professors and classmates. Tucson finds its identity in UA and is a perfect college town. You can find inexpensive homes and apartments to rent throughout town. The main thing that stood out to me about UA is how open-minded it is. From the staff to the students, everyone is open to each other's opinions and people are rarely judgmental. There a lot of school pride, especially when it comes to the basketball program. The main downside is how expensive food can be on campus. While you'll find this with every college, it still doesn't change the fact that it's annoying.

Kelly

I love the University of Arizona. It's not too big, but not too small, and there's always something going on. There are so many different clubs, groups, and organizations on campus, so everyone can find somewhere to fit in. There's also so much school pride. There's nothing better than going to a U of A basketball game and feeling the energy in ] ZonaZoo (the student section).

Bianca

Aside from my educational experience, the best thing I would say about the University of Arizona is: Location, location, location! The campus is pristine and there beautiful views of the Catalina Mountains and the White Mountains! Tucson is essentially a college town and many students choose to walk or bike around campus. I spent much of my free-time outside - taking the chance to breathe fresh air and enjoy the scenery. Our school pride centers around our sports teams, making sporting events being a major outing - our biggest rival is Arizona State University (ASU Sun Devils). My best times; however, were spent as a Production Assistant and DJ at KAMP Student Radio! A down side to the University is: After speaking with many Engineering and Pre-Med students, it seems based on the material presented in class and the tests professors have given, the departments have been Audited a few times in recent years.

Bianca

Aside from my educational experience, the best thing I would say about the University of Arizona is: Location, location, location! The campus is pristine and there beautiful views of the Catalina Mountains and the White Mountains! Tucson is essentially a college town and many students choose to walk or bike around campus. I spent much of my free-time outside - taking the chance to breathe fresh air and enjoy the scenery. Our school pride centers around our sports teams, making sporting events being a major outing - our biggest rival is Arizona State University (ASU Sun Devils). My best times; however, were spent as a Production Assistant and DJ at KAMP Student Radio! A down side to the University is: After speaking with many Engineering and Pre-Med students, it seems based on the material presented in class and the tests professors have given, the departments have been Audited a few times in recent years.

Marcin

Before we get bogged down in the details, the overall opinion of the University of Arizona is simply amazing. Personally I was going to attend out of state institutions being an Arizona high school graduate but instead I decided on becoming a wildcat and I could not have made a better decision. It is definitely a college town and as long as you live within a 5 mile radius from campus, you will be surrounded by your peers and other college students. This college town atmosphere is one of the best characteristics of U of A. One of the things I would definitely change however is how the administration is out to destroy the Greek system at the school. With 13{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the student body being Greek, those students contribute a tremendous amount of effort to make the university into what it is but nevertheless, the administration dislikes Greeks (especially the dean of students). When it comes to the size of the school, it does not matter much to your wellbeing because you can always know and feel comfortable with the people around you even though there are about 32,000 undergrads. Whether you want to go to college to be completely devoted to your studies, solely party or find a healthy balance of both, this university has something for everyone and outlets where your skills and interests are needed. Wildcats also have a lot of pride and that does not only go for the rivalry between the university and ASU. You have not seen pregaming done right until you have attended one of the home games at U of A. The student section during football games is out of this world and you can expect to have a great time whether we win or lose. Most importantly, it is rare to see someone unhappy about being a wildcat. When you get answered where you attend college, students are really charismatic and enthusiastic about their experience at the University of Arizona, the state's first university. One of the most unusual aspects about the school is that despite of being one of the top party colleges in the nation, it is also one of the top research schools in the country, has one of the best public business programs in the nation and one of the most difficult to get into architecture programs. My most memorable experience will definitely be the semester I rushed a fraternity. I was able to be a pledge at one of the best fraternities on campus, while juggling 16 units and still receiving a 4.0 for the semester with three majors. I've made some of the most memorable relationships and captured some of my best memories while being a student at the University of Arizona.

Sara

If you feel comfortable in a large campus setting, the UofA is right for you. The campus is beautiful, the professors are helpful, and there are a lot of opportunities to be involved on campus. One complaint is that some people tend to be stuck-up. It is often blamed on the fact that many students come from Southern California. The dorms are pretty good, although some are much better than others. The variety of food on campus is great--there are plenty of options for those who want to eat healthy and those who don't. The major problem with the University of Arizona is the town--Tucson. There is pretty much nothing to do there, and without a car, getting around is difficult and expensive. Surrounding campus are some pretty sketchy areas. Don't get me wrong, I always feel safe here, but sketchy areas do exist. That being said, the campus and University Blvd. offer plenty for students to do. Sports here are huge, although are teams aren't the best, game days are a big deal. Greek life is also huge. Walking across campus, you will see many people wearing Greek letters. The party scene here is great too. There is always something going on. As for school involvement, the UofA offers many opportunities to build up your resume. There are a lot of great internships available, and career fairs are always going on. Come here for a good time, good education, and amazing 4 years.

Kelsey

Its a great school. There are great programs and some incredible professors and its definitely a good time. There is great weather, and you are close to California, Phoenix, and Vegas. Ideally the town of Tucson could be more exciting. Its rather dull, but at the same time its beautiful. Sporting events are memorable because everyone is incredibly spirited. There is a lot of school pride which I love. The campus is huge and all the buildings are brick so its gorgeous. Its a great experience.

Emily

I love my school. There is so much research and science going on at the school and within the faculty members. It's a college town for sure. It's definitely big on Greek Life. It's expensive - but what college isn't. Love the library. It's huge - which can be a drawback with advising and help.

Sara

tuition is a lot and I am an instate student, who thinks that. Books and fees are also costly. but there are tons of places to get help on campus with school work. we have one of the best theater and medical schools in the country. we are a supportive group and we can have fun.

Samantha

My family members have always been U of A fans, so since a very young age I have loved this school. I grew up in Southern Arizona and very close to the University campus and have always wanted to go to college here. After beginning school here last year, I knew I have always had the right opinion because how great the campus as a whole is. Since the campus is very compacted, the University of Arizona feels like a small community. Every class is walking distance from one another which makes it fun going to class. The Rec Center is great as well as all of the food choices at the Student Unions and on University Boulevard. The school spirit at the U of A is also very awesome and the spirit events and games are always packed with all types of students. I honestly couldn't imagine spending my college years anywhere else!

Sam

Iv had great teachers most of them enjoy teaching, its kind of large but not too large, i go to the library a lot of the time, i do not live on campus

Rebecca

Arizona is a beautiful campus filled with friendly, upbeat people. There is always something happening and fun to do, and the weather is great for the majority of the year. The U of A has a ton of school spirit, and there is a really positive vibe on campus. I remember that students always seemed happy and smiling. In my opinion, Tucson wasn't the most exciting or ideal city for living, but I still loved my 4 years at the U of A, even if I would never otherwise consider living in Tucson. People usually responded positively when I told them that I attended the U of A- it is a pretty well-respected school in Arizona, even though it has a reputation of being a party school as well. I think most major universities have party school reputations.

Lee

The U of A is the best school in college in Arizona. The size of the school is not too big or too small. The university offers many hang out spots for your leisure. There are many different restaurants to eat at. There is even an arcade/billiards area in the student union. One other good thing about the UA is that in-state tuition is cheaper than in other states.

Garrett

The best thing about UA… A big school that you can handle. If you have any common sense you will be just fine. It isn’t a large campus and the teachers are great. It is about 30,000 kids. To me, as a transfer from a private university of 4000, that is a lot. It isn’t ASU, but a nice balance. The teachers are great and if you put forth an effort, teachers and TA’s are available for help. School pride- Big. Tucson Pride- 0. Like I said you need to be creative in this college town. There are bars for the 21+ and fake crowd. NOT creative. Go for a hike. Hit up my 2 favs, the loft where they play indie films galore and Casa Video, a movie haven/heaven. They have EVERYTHING you could ever want. If they don’t, ask, they will in a week. And you can get drunk and have a blast too, but it isn’t the only thing to do here. Good dining. Bad dining. You have the choice between freshman 15 or -15.

Jessica

The best thing about Arizona is the pride we all have in our school. There is not one person I know who is not enthusiastic about our athletic department- whether it be the football or the basketball team. Tucson is definitely a college town and you can find off campus housing close to the university and cheap, as well. The school is known to be a party school but you'd be surprised to see how many students are hard working, as well.

Lee

Probably the most often heard “best” thing about Arizona is the weather. It's beautiful 7-8 months of the year, which means people can be outside relaxing, playing sports, studying or hanging out. Arizona is a big school, and that means that it's really hard to categorize or make generalities about the student body and the social scene; there's really something for everyone at a school with so many students and departments. There seems to be a lot of school pride in terms of athletics; go to any basketball game and you'll see why McKale is one of the worst places to play for visiting teams in the PAC-10, if not the country. Despite stereotypes, Arizona truly does have some incredible programs, departments, professors and students. The best Arizona students could be compared to any of the best students at colleges across the nation. A student's experience at the UofA is absolutely what they make of it.

Monique

The big picture about University of Arizona from a non-traditional students perspective is this...The campus is huge, parking can be a problem and it is expensive. The library and computer resources are fantastic. The administration here is phenomenal! Also I was helped significantly when I got started by the scholarship department. Overall Arizona is dedicated to seeing their student through to the finish line.

kristen

I love the school, everyone is soo school spirited.. I love walking down university, the feel the campus gives you - when walking on campus, you forget for a second that you are in Arizona because you are surrounded by beautiful brick buildings.. its amazing!

Dan

As with all of the other reviews, the weather in Arizona is a large benefit but its the people that attend here that make it an intricate and unique school. Arizona or Zona is composed of three different types of people. 1) the Greeks.. frat and sorority kids, 2) athletes / non Greeks, 3) the bohemians.. This representation can be described by the way Tucson is set up. Greek row is where all the greek actives live/ hang out, and 4th avenue is the place in which the bohemian/ hippie style people hang out. Through the college process of choosing where to go, it was important for me to visit both large and small schools. Because Arizona has such a large student body, people often wonder if the campus is overbearingly big. One of the main reasons why I chose the U of A was because I loved that the school had a large population and was able to go to classes that were relatively near each other set up on one square mile known as the "mall." Many people that attend here have complained that they do not feel acknowledged by their professors or educational departments. I think that once you have chosen to come to a large school such as Arizona, it is the students responsibility to make themselves known to the teachers and departments. Arizona is the best place to attend for school spirit, our sports teams prevail (most of the time), and our school pride is endless.

Kelly

Arizona is an amazing school! Everyone is proud to say that the go to the UofA not only because it is a very hard school but becasuse it is so fun! This campus is huge! and there are a ton of people everywhere! if you wanted to you could meet atleast 30 new people everyday! i spend a lot of my time in the dorm because i am taking 19 credits so im busy! but when im not there i am either at the union getting delicious food or at the frats with some of my friends or down on university enjoying the college atmosphere!

Benjamin Travis

The campus is fairly average compared to the size of other Universities, but for the most part it's easy to navigate the campus to make it from class to class. The University is Located in Tucson, Arizona, and is very much a "College Town". The area surrounding the University is filled with shopping outlets, coffee shops, and techie stores. Traffic is the worst during the semester, but the city is much quieter during the Summer when many people leave to beat the heat, and during the Winter when students go home to visit their families. One of the biggest complaints about this area is the lack of employment during the school semesters. Generally what will happen is that employers will fill up all of their positions towards the end of June and late December, so some students need additional help through loans or their parents to make it by. The best thing about going to the University of Arizona for me is that it's right in my back yard.

Amy

I would have to say that students who attend Arizona are HUGE wildcat fans. There is so much spirit here and it shows through everything. Not only do people support sports but they also support every event that happens on campus. The University of Arizona is a large school but some how manages to seem pretty small if you are involved. There are so many organizations to be involved with, there is never any reason to be bored or feel like there is nothing that you can be involved with.

Lindsay

Arizona is an extremely large school so it is easy for new students to feel lost. Tucson is a town where there is not very much to do, especially if you're not 21. The university is also not in the best neighborhood of Tucson and there is a relatively high crime rate. It is not safe to walk around campus alone at night. Most freshman live on campus but most sophomores and upperclassmen have apartments or houses. There is a ton of school pride. Everyone gets really into school spirit especially for football games.

Justin

One thing that sticks out in my mind is the over-crowded classes. The growing student population and frequent faculty layoffs have made certain key classes very hard to get into. This, in my case, has put me behind a semester, and can no longer graduate in four years.

Michelle

While I've been going to small private schools my whole life, I really wanted a change in college. At first it was kind of a shock but after you get to meet more people and start meeting people in your major, you start having the same people in your classes and see the same people around campus. I also came from California so it was a really big chance to come to Tucson but it really is not bad at all because I found such great resturants and cool places to hang out. I never thought I'd love Target so much and Scottsdale is not too far away for a day of great shopping.

Robin

The University of Arizona is a great school. There are so many intelligent people, and so many different types of social cultures. Whatever "stereotype" you best fit can be found here, and you'll always feel welcomed and in place. Being such a big school, you can find just about anyone with any interests, and there's never a lack of new people to meet. Being from Hawaii, most people are surprised to hear that I went to Arizona. They ask me why I would leave paradise for a desert, but I tell them the University of Arizona is a paradise. I spend most of my time hanging out with my friends on campus, be it in the student union, university blvd, or my church. I've never seen so much school pride as I do here at the U of A. People here are proud to be Wildcats.

Torry

Arizona is a large university, and obviously with so many students people are bound to be lost in the cracks. However I feel that the University does a TERRIBLE TERRIBLE TERRIBLE job at seeing students as individuals rather than a source of income.

Dylan

The best thing about U of A is that we all have such great school spirit. Everyone goes to Bear Down Fridays, wears red to football games and basketball games and its always packed. U of A is just the right size, its not too big or too small. When people hear that I go to U of A they dont take students seriously because they think U of A is a party school

Laurel

Great sports teams. Nice location. Fun for hiking, swimming, running, biking, and outdoor fun. Close to Mexico.

Carly

The best thing about Arizona is the heat, because where else can you wear flip flops all year round! Jokes aside the University of Arizona is large school that is growing larger by the minute causing there to be construction everywhere. Construction would be the one thing I would change. I hate having to listen over construction noise to hear what my professor is saying.

Charlie

My favorite thing about UA is that both my parents went here, and that's is a college town. Other than that, it's the same as any other school.

Brie

The BEST thing about Arizona for me are all the internship opportunities that are available through the career fair each semester. One thing that I would like to see change would be a small decrease in tuition each year. I come from out of state and even with a scholarship, I still find it incredible how much I still have to pay. I think the school size is a little big, but as long as we don't get to be over 75,000, I would be happy. Bigger schools make for more chaos, and lack of commonality between people. I get different responses when I tell people that I go to UofA. I either get an "ohh...so how is that," or "oh, that's great, its a great school from what I hear." While I'm on campus, I usually spend most of my time in class, at the gym, in the library, or at my sorority. I like that Arizona is situated in a smaller city as opposed to Phoenix, because you get more of a small college town feel especially when you are living on or around campus. The biggest recent controversy on campus probably had to be the announcement that Arizona Basketball Coach Lute Olson will be coaching again next year after he had taken an unexpected leave of absence this year. I love Arizona because we really do have a lot of school spirit and pride for Arizona. There are always people wearing Arizona shirts and sweatshirts around campus and sporting events are usually pretty filled most of the time. Something that I thought was unusual about Arizona, but soon learned to love was that every afternoon at 12pm the administration building plays Arizona's fight song. (Again emphasizing the Arizona school spirit). One experience I will always remember is rushing the football field after we beat UCLA for homecoming~amazing :) Most frequent student complains would be tuition is too high, Greeks run everything, webreg is very frustrating when registering, Comm classes need to have more professors or more sections to meet the demands of comm majors, esp. for seniors.

Scott

I love arizona because of the weather and the campus. I think that we have a perfect campus in a square mile of the city of tucson. It is easy to access all that UA has to offer if you live on campus because of this. Most of the time i spend on campus is at my frat house, otherwise im in class or at the library. I consider this mainly a college town/retirement community because a lot of focus is on college and sports because there is no other team in the general area. Also, the weather attract old people. I think we have some school pride but not as much as other schools, we have vew few dedicated fans that will show up if the team is losing or if our team is playing a Florida International University team that is garbage. I wouldnt change much but i would respectfully request that we stop raising tuition each and every year so we can pay for those 3000 dollar glass windows that were retardedly put on a main road in the safe streets of tucson. But, UA is great in general and im glad i choose here and hope to graduate sometime in the near future.

Jared

coming from chicago, the weather is one of the best things about arizona and it is a much more laid back atmosphere. i do not think there is as much school pride as i thought there would be when i came to college.

Justin

its a great campus great school with tons of people great balance of fun and academics

Thomas

It is an awesome party school. Lots to go and do in Tucson, like go to the mountains.

Ronald

The school is HUGE, but it is easy to make it small. I enjoy everything, particularly the buttery nugs.

Doug

Hot girls. Great weather. Qualified professors.

Jack

Go to class, frat hard, booze hard, bang skanks, smoke bleezys

Ryan

I think our school is becomming too strict and is systematically trying to ruin college life. They've already ruined Homescomming.