University of Dayton: My Home Sweet Home
Written: Feb 20 '03 (Updated Jan 28 '06)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Activities are plentiful; Friendly people; Historic campus
Cons: Tuition and living expenses are high
The Bottom Line: UD has a solid reputation in the academic world and it offers lots of activities, although the tuition is high.
|
|
|
| Bryan_Carey's Full Review: University of Dayton |
Located in Dayton, Ohio, the University of Dayton is a private, co- educational Catholic university with degrees offered in a wide range of fields, from the Bachelor’s degree level all the way up to the Doctorate level. This university was founded in 1850 and was originally named St. Mary’s Institute. It started out as a boy’s school, but evolved over the years into a co- educational university.
The University Itself:
UD is a large university, with about 6,600 full- time undergraduates, 500 part- time undergraduates, and about 3,000 graduate students. It’s the largest private university in the state of Ohio and its campus covers approx. 110 acres. The university buildings also include some of the oldest in the Dayton area, with several historic buildings originally built in the mid 1800’s that are still standing and still being utilized.
UD is one of the most heavily “wired” universities in the United States. All university housing is wired for high- speed internet access. The university requires that all students own a computer.
Tuition and Fees:
One thing you will notice right away if you apply to UD is that this university is not cheap! The annual tuition for entering Freshmen currently stands at $17,450 per year. This doesn’t include meals, books, housing, or other basic expenses. Once you factor in all of these things, the total cost, per year, will run you about $25,000.
Academic Offerings:
UD has five main schools that offer a total of 65+ different programs of study. The main schools are the College of Business, College of Arts and Sciences, School of Engineering, School of Education and Allied Professions, and the School of Engineering Technology.
About half of all undergraduates are enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences. Business and Engineering are also popular choices for major courses of study. On the Master’s level, the most popular degree is Education, with more than two- thirds of all Master’s Degree students enrolled in this area. On the Ph.D. level, the most popular field of study is law, followed by engineering and then education.
Housing:
UD offers many living options for students to choose from. There are three dormitory complexes, several apartment buildings, and off- campus houses, too. Most of the student body- 95 percent, to be precise- live somewhere on or around campus. Only 5 percent are commuters.
First year students are required to live on campus. Since the dorms are all co- ed now (how times have changed!), you can select from all three. The oldest one, Founder’s Hall, is located more in the heart of campus. It’s older, and not very attractive, but it’s right in the middle of the campus which is a nice advantage on cold days. One of the other dorms is Marycrest Hall. This dorm is relatively close to campus and it houses more than 1,000 students, making it the largest of the three. It has its own cafeteria (Founder’s doesn’t) and it also features “triple” rooms, where three roommates must learn how to share and how to get along (there are a few double rooms here also). Stuart complex is the most distant from campus. Perched atop a hill, this dorm offers some nice views of the city, but it also requires that you wake up extra early to get to your classes.
After your first year, you can move around and select the housing that bests fits your desires. You can choose to live in one of the university apartment complexes, off- campus houses, or go back to one of the dorms, if you like.
Activities:
UD is a fairly large campus. And since the majority of students live at the school, you don’t need to look very hard to find something to do. The student union has games, bowling, a food court, and a bar which often features live entertainment. There are dozens of student organizations, too, with many academic, religious, and social organizations to join.
In the world of college sports, UD is best known for its Division #1 basketball team. UD plays in the Atlantic 10, a well- respected athletic conference that includes schools such as Xavier, St. Joeseph’s, Temple, La Salle, and many others.
If college football is your preference among university sports, you might be a little disappointed at UD. The football team plays in the Pioneer League and is rated Division 1-A. The team has an outstanding record over the past 20 or so years, and it typically wins all but 1 or 2 games each season. The problem is, of course, that it’s not a Division 1 school. You won’t see UD playing big- name schools in football, like Ohio State, Tennessee, or Texas. They play only smaller schools and because of this, in spite of the excellent winning record, the support for the team and the overall interest is dismal. Most students are indifferent to the football team.
Final Thoughts:
The University of Dayton is where I attended school as an undergraduate, in the late 1980’s. I still live in the area, and I drive past the university every day, on my way to and from work. Many things have changed in the years since I attended. Among other things, UD now has several new buildings, like the new Law School building and a humanities building. They have also modernized the dorms, making them all co- ed by floor.
I was a business major at UD, which is still a popular choice among undergraduates. UD is more selective than the average school. If your high school ranking is not in the top half and/or if you finish in the bottom 50 percent of all test- takers on your SAT or ACT test, then you will have a difficult time getting accepted. This is especially true in the more competitive fields, like engineering. You need to sharpen up your resume, if you want to get accepted here. You don’t necessarily need to have outstanding credentials to get in, but you do need to be above average.
Lack of parking was always a problem in the past. It’s a little better now, but not by much. The school needs to build a multi- level parking ramp to handle the large number of cars. The buildings are packed close together, and there just isn’t much room for parking lots. The only solution, that I can see, is to build a parking ramp next to Miriam Hall (the location of the college of Business). This would help tremendously with the frustration of finding a place to park.
There are no underground tunnels connecting the buildings at UD. So, in cold weather, you have to hurry as fast as you can from building to building to avoid the cold, biting wind. Two of the housing complexes (Stuart Hall dorm and one apartment- like complex, Virginia Kettering Hall) are located on Stuart Hill, which adds to the unpleasantness of the cold weather. I lived in the dorm, at the very top of the hill, when I was a freshman and I can distinctly remember those long, frigid walks to class, up and down the hill, in the middle of winter.
I was very attached to UD as an undergraduate. The reason is because this university was more than just a place I was going to school. It was my home. Others had a difficult time relating to my feelings about the university. You see, I lived at UD year- round, from start to finish. I never left the school. I spent all my summers there while I worked to pay my bills. Prior to coming to UD, I had attended 10 different schools as a kid and I had lived in about 15 different houses. Because of the frequent moving (and strained relations with parents), I did not identify with any one place as being my home. The longest I had ever lived in one place, as a kid, was 18 months. When I came to UD, I lived in a house on Kiefaber St., near the university, for three years, making it seem like home to me. One of the toughest questions to answer (and also one of the most common, at a university) was when fellow students would ask me where I was from. What was supposed to be a simple answer to a simple question would turn into a long discussion about all the places I have lived and why my mom and dad felt it necessary to move all the time (in case you’re wondering- no, I was not a military brat. My mom and dad just couldn’t make up their minds about where to live). This also explains, in part, why I have such an active interest in higher education. When I walk onto a university campus, I feel a connection. It feels like home.
Activities at UD are plentiful. There is almost always something going on. Whether it’s a speaker in the student union, a keg party in the off- campus student housing area, or a special interest meeting among the members of a specific student organization, you should have no problem finding something to do at this university. The university’s reputation as a party school is still alive and well, although it’s not quite as extreme as it used to be. The university has tried to crack down and change this image, but it has had only had limited success.
Overall, UD is a very good university to consider, if you are looking for a medium to large university that has a wide variety of activities and a good academic reputation. UD is consistently ranked in the top half of all universities that offer doctoral degrees. U.S. News and World Report’s annual guide to America’s colleges ranks UD as a “Second Tier” doctoral university. That’s out of a total of four tiers, placing the school in the top half and in the company some fairly prestigious schools.
UD will always hold a special place for me. It was my home for many years while I was going to school in the late 1980’s. It was expensive, yes, and I did have a large amount of student loan debt when I graduated. But the positive memories, good times with friends, and the overall campus experience easily eclipse any of the negatives. If you’re in the area, stop by the campus and take a look. It’s historic, friendly, and it makes a good fit for students who want the advantages offered in a larger than average university, without it being so large and overwhelming that you feel like a number.
For More Educational Reading, Click on the Links Below:
Advice on College Admissions:
Choosing a College or University
How to Help Your Child Choose a College
How to Apply to College
Should I Transfer Schools?
Should I Take Time Off?
Should I Go to Grad School?
Advice on College Life:
College Survival Tips
What is College Really Like?
What I Should Know About Dealing with College Roommates
What Should I Know About Greek Life in College?
What I Should Know About Alcohol Abuse in College
What I Should Know About Spring Break Planning
What Should I Bring to School
How Can I Succeed in College Academics?
How to Manage Your Time
How Should I Deal With Tough Times in School?
How Should I Prepare for Life After Graduation?
Advice on College Finances:
Should I Take a Part Time Job?
How to Pay Off Student Loans
How to Manage Your Budget
How to Negotiate Financial Aid Packages
How to Apply for Financial Aid
Reviews of Test Prep Materials, Services, and “How To”:
800Score.com
How to Take the GMAT
How to Take the GRE
What is the GRE?
Kaplan GMAT On- Line Course
Princeton Review GMAT On- Line Course
Reviews of Specific Universities:
Wright State University
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.