<p>Do many students have a car at school? I gather the surrounding area is somewhat "sketchy", so the students may want to go slightly farther (Saratoga Springs?) when they feel like getting off-campus? (other than quick pizza, etc. in Schenectady)? I assume freshmen are fine with staying on campus and participating in campus events, but like most schools, by soph year or later they tend to want a change of atmosphere, and seek activities off campus - how do they get there? I know there is a shuttle - do the students take advantage of it? At many schools we looked at, the kids told us that the shuttles tend to be inconvenient or late etc. so they did not use it. How far is "downtown Schenectady?<br>
Thanks!</p>
<p>Hi! I’m Jordan, a junior intern in the admissions office here at Union. Union students are able to have a car on campus from sophomore year on, and must purchase a parking permit each calendar year. While having a car is convenient, Union provides transportation two days a week off campus. Students can take the campus shuttle to a local mall, or stores like Wal Mart. Downtown Schenectady is not too far from campus (~15 minute walk) and students often walk into town to catch a movie, grab a bite to eat, or even go to the Schenectady Green Market (a farmer’s market held each Sunday). There are tons of things to do for students right in Schenectady so it’s not necessary for students to travel as far as Saratoga.
Hope I answered your questions!</p>
<p>As a mother of a recent Union graduate I can add my two cents here. Although kids don’t have cars freshman year, it seems a very large percentage of them have cars by sophomore year, so your student, if s/he doesn’t have one, will most likely have friends with transportation. I don’t recall my daughter ever using the shuttle system - she either got rides with friends, walked, or took a cab (to the bus station, which is close but she considered it too “sketchy” to walk to). She drove herself to school sophomore year and never was without a car after that, but I know that it often went unused for weeks at a time in the parking lot.</p>
<p>There always seemed to be a TON to do on campus - a kid can easily stay there every night and find an activity suited to their personal style, from lectures to concerts to girlie movie nights in a Minerva lounge to full animal house style frat parties. That reflects the fact that Schenectady is, well, pretty lousy as a college town. The only activities my daughter did regularly in Schenectady is attend the Sunday farmer’s market, which she LOVED, and go to shows at Proctor’s, which is a really nice little resource and sells tickets through the school at student rates.</p>
<p>She and her friends went further afield as they got older - to concerts in Albany mostly, or weekends in NYC, or school sponsored trips. Although she had a brother at Skidmore in Saratoga Springs for her last two years at Union she only went there to visit him - it never seemed that the Union kids went as far as Saratoga Springs just to get out. </p>
<p>Hope this helps.</p>