<p>We are currently looking at Trinity very seriously. Any info about science/chemistry? Theater/dance programs? Economics?</p>
<p>The professors seem to be top notch. But can non-partiers find happiness there? How about the theater facilities?</p>
<p>Looks like a hidden gem, but concerned about the fraternities.</p>
<p>I don’t want to sound cliche, but there doesn’t seem to be a weak department in the entire school. My D is a senior and I have met many kids at TU in a variety of majors/minors, and they all have high praise for their respective departments.</p>
<p>Frat/sororities are all just local, except one national, new on campus last year. They do not dominate campus life. </p>
<p>There is a $100 million construction/renovation of the science/engineering facilities underway, and every summer since my D has been there there has been renovations of buildings to varying degrees.</p>
<p>Hope this helps.</p>
<p>I am looking for personal impressions of Trinity. Daughter is interested in the school and we have heard good things about it from friends and aquaintances. We will probably visit soon but would like to hear anyone’s experiences or opinions. She is an athlete and is looking for a balanced scholar/athlete experience in a good academic setting that offers other alternatives to the college party scene. It is difficult to get a well-rounded view of a school that may be more recognized and known in a region of the country different from your own. Thanks for any input!</p>
<p>Our son just returned from a visit and had a great time. The admissions office was fantastic and extremely well-organized. They had a full day scheduled for him that included a tour, class visit, lunch with a student, meeting with a professor in a department he is interested in, interview and finally spending the night on campus. There are many departments that look very strong and my son thought the students were very friendly. My son really liked San Antonio, but wishes that there was more to walk to around campus. I think because of the catagory Trinity is rated in US News and World Report (as a regional school) it does not have the publicity of other schools. It is hard to compare Trinity to highly ranked libral arts colleges. From his visit I think it is a gem of a school that hasn’t been fully discovered.</p>
<p>There may be some room for interpretation for “non-partiers”. That can mean they don’t like going to parties or that they don’t drink (or do drugs). My daughter, who is a sophomore, goes to plenty of parties but isn’t a drinker. She wasn’t sure if she was going to stand out because of that, but she reports (to her relief), no problems with that. She hasn’t been shut out of anything she wanted to do because of it. As for non-party activities, I get a daily email/newsletter I signed up for and there’s Lots to do on campus – clubs and such. She’s having a wonderful experience there and we’re all happy about her choice.</p>
<p>^
I bet you are referring to LeeRoy.</p>
<p>For those who want to read the Daily, if you go to the News and Events link on TU’s main page, just scroll down the left until you come to LeeRoy. You will be surprised at how much goes on!</p>
<p>I am interested in the student profile of the campus. How liberal/conservative are the students. This is a small school and the Fiske guide for 2010 said conservative. I like a good mix of many types of kids… Hopefully the high school labels are a thing of the past.</p>
<p>My D is a liberal and a minority. She has friends of all types at TU. She finds the kids to be very friendly and accepting. Sure, there are conservatives, but where aren’t there? She has never felt uncomfortable. She is from the Midwest. She’s also getting a great education.</p>
<p>Thanks… this sounds like a good fit. A Minnesotan need a little more warmth and sunshine. Is there a 3 year requirement to live on campus in the dorms for F, S, and J years? The website said the dorms are great.</p>
<p>I don’t know the reason, but last Spring those who were going to be Juniors this year could petition to live off campus. I don’t know how many took advantage of the offer. One can live on campus all for years, though, if that’s what one wants.</p>
<p>Gloworm, did your daughter study abroad? It sounds like they do a great job for kids who are interested. We just completed our EA application yesterday, so now we are anxiously waiting. Are there a lot of places for the kids to walk to around campus? Would you recommend bringing a car? Any other recommendations such as class choices, dorms, etc.?</p>
<p>Glad to see this thread continue! I have talked to a few friends who have kids there and both like Trinity very much. One just scored very well on her LSAT and is looking at some great law schools. Both said they liked their classmates and had made great friends there.
In reference to the party thing, my daughter wants to be somewhere where she would have things to do and be still accepted if she chose not to drink. It sounds like Trinity and San Antonio might fit that bill! I’m sure you just have to be outgoing and join activities and you will find groups you enjoy wherever you go.
Gloworm, what is your daughter studying? Does she like her major and her classes?</p>
<p>crewguy and midwest mo I will PM you in the next few days.</p>
<p>I graduated from Trinity’s chemistry department last year. If you have any specific questions for me feel free to ask away. I’ll be really straightforward with you. I might not recheck this thread regularly though so e-mails through this forum would be best.
My experience at Trinity was fantastic and there is no way I would have chosen any other school if I could go back. There are times (even now) that I feel like I missed out on the “true” college experience by not attending a large state school but really the benefits of going to place like Trinity well outweigh that relatively minor loss. Everyone has their own values though that might make Trinity not worth it.
Trinity, like most schools, is going to be whatever your daughter makes of it. Plenty of people screw around and end up unemployed or in dead end jobs. If she excels at Trinity though, there is really no limit to where she can go from there. I may be biased, but I don’t feel like all departments at Trinity are created equal at all.
The reality is that Trinity’s Chemistry department is among the very best in the nation. You would be VERY hard pressed to find a better undergraduate chemistry program anywhere- really, anywhere. The faculty are mostly brilliant, the research opportunities for undergraduates are life changing, and the support that I received from faculty there has been shocking.
I was a bit disappointed to not being at a higher ranked school when I first entered but I am now in one of the most competitive/prestigious programs in the nation (sorry I’m being vague here, trying to keep anonymous. Feel free to e-mail me if you want more details). Interviewing at top programs, people were shocked at the quality and quantity of research that I accomplished while there. I would say that probably the top ~1/4 of the graduating class of the chem department (including biochemistry) will typically have their pick from the absolute best graduate schools in the nation. Those who do very well and want to go to the best Texas med schools usually do (Baylor, UT Southwestern, etc. …) My point is that you can really go anywhere from here if you’re near the top of your class. That being said, being at the top of your class isn’t easy in the sciences. While some departments definitely inflate GPAs, you won’t find that in Chemistry.
My general impression from being at Trinity was the following departments were challenging and had great placement in med school and graduate sciences: Chemistry/Biochemistry, Biology, Econ, Math.
Business (as at most schools) is a joke. Communications department is a similar story… English department has a couple fantastic professors that I know of (maybe more) but most of the majors I took classes with were pretty unmotivated.
Unfortunately I cannot really comment on LSAT scores or law school placement. Keep in mind that one’s performance on the LSAT really isn’t too dependent on the quality of one’s college education compared to other standardized tests such as the MCAT.
Keep in mind these are just my opinions and they’re not necessarily correct.
If you’re daughter isn’t huge on partying Trinity will NOT be an issue for her. Partying is pretty lame there. The frat houses are dumps at best and many of the people in them are pretty stereotypical meat heads. I went to frat parties for the first semester and then got sick of them (I’m definitely not alone here). They are the only real “parties” that you will see at Trinity though. That being said, there are plenty of people who hang out in the dorms with each other. Not going to frat parties, I still had plenty of great friends there and never felt bored. I did drink though and would typically spend weekends with friends at bars around Trinity or downtown.
Again, I cannot stress enough how much college is what you make of it. Coasting through Trinity with C’s is a waste of time and huge waste of money. For many professions today, a college degree really isn’t too meaningful. BA’s and BS’s are a dime a dozen. What will matter when you graduate is the quality of your recommendations and your GPA. In many cases, a BS or BA hopefully won’t be the end of your education. Some people will treat Trinity as adult day care, but those who take it serious are really rewarded.
Sorry if I’m coming off a cynical or pretentious. This is the reality of all colleges today. Your daughter should go somewhere that she knows she will succeed. I really love Trinity and believe it offers a level of attention and quality that is largely unmatched by most “more prestigious” schools.</p>
<p>Our son just completed his EA application to Trinity and now we wait. Is anyone else applying EA? Can February 1st get here any sooner?</p>
<p>“Can February 1st get here any sooner?”</p>
<p>Visited Trinity on Friday with my daughter. They told us that if you apply EA by 11/1, you’d get your answer by 12/1. I hadn’t read that anywhere else, but that’s what they said at the information session.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>I also heard “by Dec 15th” if apply by 11/1.</p>
<p>For ED you have to apply by 11/1 to get a response by 12/1. Were they talking about ED during the visits or is it really that they will give accelerated decisions for EA apps received by 11/1? It would be nice if it’s really for EA. My EA app is in. My school mailed my transcript and GC report last week but Trinity hasn’t processed it yet, so it’s still showing up on Trinity’s system as not received.</p>
<p>That would be fantastic if they moved up the EA notification date. Now that our son’s application is in Trinity is moving to the top of his list. I believe his GC sent in all of the information last week and his teacher recommendations have been completed. I am just so glad that he was finished with all the testing last Spring. I felt so bad for his friend who were taking SAT/ACT this month.</p>
<p>Yes. During the visit they specifically said they would give early notification to those applying EA by 11/1. I had 12/1 in my notes, but it could have been 12/15 and I wrote it wrong, but they were definitely talking about EA. I’m positive because someone asked how they’d know it was EA rather than ED and they said you had to indicate which you were applying for on the Common App.</p>