I have recently got accepted into the UofA and would like some input from fellow Wildcats. How was your overall experience at Tucson? Were the academics good? Was the atmosphere friendly and welcoming? Was it hard to navigate within the University itself? And how is their Business school? I am planning on majoring in Finance and would like to know how that program is. I have read a review from someone saying that it was a big mistake that they majored in Finance at the Eller business school.
My daughter was accepted to the Honor College and she is going to major in astronomy and physics. Good luck.
My son is a junior at U of A. He doesn’t post on these forums (ha ha) so I will answer for him! He is having a great experience there. You can make any experience you want for yourself there, in my opinion. There are tons of opportunities to get involved. He has made lots of friends - I would say the Princeton review description really nails it. If I can give you some advice, it would be to keep seeking out a lot of new people when you arrive - don’t just start hanging with the first kids you meet. It’s a big pond and there are lots of kids to connect with. Join academic clubs and do your research before signing up for classes and you will have a good experience!
How’s Tucson, @Ghjbnmre? Specifically the area around UA.
Amazing school and community. Tucson is a great place to go to school, not your typical city, but a nice college town. Academics are very strong and classes are extremely challenging (if you are doing it right). Everyone is friendly and happy just about all the time - campus vibes will always put a smile on your face.
The business school (Eller College of MGMT) is well known and prepares individuals for their careers no matter what your major. The networking, learning, and extracurricular opportunities within the college (as well as all other colleges) are numerous. Don’t listen to the person who said it was a mistake majoring in finance. My startup co-founder was a finance guy and had job offers out the ears from Wall Street, and ended up turning them down to work for Google (he came to America not knowing Enlgish, and the finance department did him well).
Hope you choose UA and Bear Down!
Tucson is alright. I’m probably not the most knowledgeable. We live in So OC, CA where everything is very manicured and beautiful and Tucson near the school definitely is not as nice but perfectly ok. There’s the college strip, off campus student housing of all ranges, strip malls and lots of excellent Mexican food! Hopefully you will get some better answers here. Have you read the student paper? The Daily Wildcat? You might get an idea of some of the entertainment/cultural options there.
I am a born and raised Tucsonan who went to the University of Arizona, so I am pretty biased when I say there is no other city in the world I would rather be.
The U of A is considered a public ivy so yes, the academics are good. The city itself is incredible. You are situated in the middle of the Sonoran Desert, the greenest desert in the world. 300+ days of sunshine a year. Can’t beat the Southern AZ weather if you ask me. We are not the biggest city out there, but we are not small potatoes either. There are 1 million people in the Tucson/Metro area. Our downtown district is pretty nice and popular with college students. Mount Lemmon and Ski Valley are just a drive away if you want to beat the heat.
The business program is highly ranked, especially the Eller College. I myself graduated with a degree in Optical Sciences and Engineering, another world renowned degree program at the U of A.
If you choose U of A, I guarantee you won’t regret it. There is something there for everybody.
I’m also a Tucson native; it’s really an incredible city. The weather is great (it’s a dry heat 
) there’s amazing food (some of the best Japanese and Ethiopian food I’ve ever had, not just Mexican), amazing hiking opportunities (we’re surrounded by 4 mountain ranges), and even a beach just a few hours away (Puerto Penasco). I can’t speak to academics at the UofA, but I never got the impression they were really top-notch…