University of St Thomas-Saint Paul Top Questions

Is the stereotype of students at your school accurate?

Katie

Every stereotype comes from somewere, so there is a bit of truth to them. I however am not from around the Twin Cities, and wouldn't consider my self rich, spoiled or stuck up in anyway, and I have found many people that are just like me here, and absolutly love my friends. St Thomas is just like any other college, weekends are definatly fun here and their is always something going on Thursday through Saturday. When it comes to the weekdays, finals and study habits, its a private school so everyone has alot to do for their classes. For the most part everyone here knows when its time to get down to business and put academics first.

Ashlee

All those stereotypes are false and untrue. The real stereotypes of St. Thomas are: "The professors are fantastic and helpful", "They have tons of resources available for your various needs", or "The campus life is lively and fun".

Josh

1) The students are definately NOT all rich! My family told me when I was looking at schools "look at whatever colleges you want, because no matter where you go we don't have the money to help you pay." I'm paying for school completely on my own, and I couldn't be at a private school like St. Thomas without financial aid and scholarships. 2) Since UST is in the middle of the Twin Cities, some students do leave and stay at home on weekends. HOWEVER, I'm from out-state MN and I didn't have that option, and most all of my friends stuck around on the weekends too (even the ones who lived 20 minutes away). There is SO much to do on campus, particularly on the weekends! I've been to several concerts on campus for free (like Jason Mraz, The Counting Crows, Motion City Soundtrack, and the Plain White Tees) and there tons of fun activities planned on weekend like poker tournaments, laser tag, and movie nights. 3) The last one isn't all true, but it's not completely false either. There are quite a few girls who wear the "uniform" of a north face and uggs, but just enough for you to notice. It's certainly not the case that every girl does, and there's plenty of individuality around here :)

Molly

At first glance, maybe, but all the students are definitely not rich! Most students have some sort of scholarship. I own Uggs and a Northface mostly because it's cold in Minnesota, not as a status symbol. I haven't met that stereotypical "St. Thomas snob" here. Everyone I've met here is really nice and friendly.

Grace

Stereotypes usually come from reality. Therefore, sure I see those stereotypical UST students, but it's just as easy to find kids from Iowa or Nebraska, kids on scholarship or students studying political science and plan to go to law school. Also, while business is a very popular major, that does not mean it gets more funding or is more important. As a Communications and Journalism major, I have never felt slighted because my department is smaller.

Amanda

These are not accurate stereotypes. So many of the people that I have met here have been nice, considerate, and caring people.

Natalie

I would disagree that all St. Thomas students are rich and stuck up, because many students are here through scholarship money and most students are very down to earth and friendly. I would like to say we are all beauties, but in reality we have the same number of attractive and unattractive people as any other school.

Kristyn

Not at all! UST accepts students from all faiths and backgrounds. About 52{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of our students are Catholic. If you would like to grow in your Catholic faith, or any other faith, St. Thomas is here to help you. Not everyone who attends St. Thomas is rich, and few are stuck-up. In fact, St. Thomas is known for our extremely welcoming community. Every student is considered for schoarships and financial aid upon applying. Come visit campus and find out for yourself that Tommies are some of the best people you will meet!

Molly

The stereotypes are definitely not accurate for the overwhelming majority of St. Thomas students. Some St. Thomas students come from wealthy families, but most students are here because of scholarships and financial aid packages. The majority of students can be found volunteering in the community and are here first and foremost for a quality education. While a large chunk of St. Thomas students are from Minnesota, there are plenty of students from other states and countries too. My friends are a mix of in- and out-of-staters, and where we live rarely makes a difference. As an out-of-state student, it was easier than I thought it'd be to make new friends through dorm floor events and campus activities.

Lindsey

No! There's actually a ton of diversity on campus! And UST is located within St. Paul which has a ton of diversity itself. Also - I know for a fact that over 80{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of students get some kind of aid - so they are not all rich kids. I had a lot of scholarships and grants, and I also took out a loan for my last year. After all that still - I have less debt than a lot of my friends that went to state school.s