Hi Everyone,
Back when I was making my decision on where to attend school, I spent a lot of time on this site for advice and opinions. I can’t guarantee I’ll know everything, but I’ll try my best to answer any questions you have!
Good Morning. I am a mother of a female Fall 2017 applicant and awaiting a decision. I have a couple of questions. What schools were you contemplating along with UCONN when you were applying? Why did you choose UCONN? What are some good things about UCONN? What are some things you don’t like? What dorms would you recommend for a female biomedical engineer major? One of the other schools my daughter is considering is Penn State. Why UCONN over Penn State in your opinion. Are there things to do at UCONN off campus/on campus on the weekends? Do kids go home? We are in-state and 1 hr. 20 minutes away from UCONN. Thanks in advance and congratulations to you!!
Did they give you any merit aid? Are you an instate student?
Hi @debbie2th !
I’ll try to answer your questions individually and as unbiased as I can however there probably will be some overlap, and do just remeber that as student of UConn I inherently do have a bias.
Other than UConn, the other schools I applied to were: University of Rochester, Cornell, Bucknell, Penn State, and CCSU (safety). I was rejected from Cornell, but accepted everywhere else. My high school stats were I think: ACT 32, ‘old’ SAT ~2100ish, GPA: 3.6, class rank 3/150.
It is funny that you mention PSU, as that was the other school I was contemplating with UConn when making my final decision. For me it came down to price, living in CT, I was able to save about ~$25,000 a year over attending Penn State, which was something that I really prioritized.
While the “college” atmosphere you get at State College is tough to match, I truly believe that college it is what you make of it, and UConn provides plenty of opportunity to be involved in every way imaginable.
Some good things in my opinion about UConn, is that for the most part you have people who really want to be here, and really want to learn and improve themselves. Late night on the weekends is a lot of fun in the student union, as well as the new downtown area being developed in Storrs Center (something that didn’t even exist 5 years ago). In my experience (I have taken a few intro ‘stem’ courses, such as honors gen chem and bio), the professors are definitely willing to work with you and push you, but you need to want to do the work, and there are a fair amount of undergrad research opportunities in stem fields from what my friends tell me.
I think one thing that I really don’t like about UConn is that it is somewhat out in the middle of nowhere (PSU has the same problem, but the downtown there is more developed). While that isn’t UConn’s fault, it stinks that the closest place with tons of food/shopping is Manchester, which is a 25-30min drive, although Mansfield has a nice small shopping mall ~10min away with a movie theater and some outlets.
As far as residence halls go, I’ve only lived in honors housing (and now I live off campus), but I have heard great things about the brand new Next Gen Residence hall that opened this year specifically for stem majors. It is right near most of the buildings your daughter would need to go to for her STEM major, has AC, and is pretty close to the center of campus (just up the hill from the student union).
To continue about the UConn vs PSU debate, I think that both schools are great options. Some people may love the big school atmosphere of PSU, while others may shy away from that experience, and I really think it comes down to personal preference (and for me cost of attendance).
I would say there are plenty of things to do both on and off campus, from gaming clubs to intramural sports you can get involved in so many different cool things, and it is really easy to make a new club if the one you want doesn’t exist (I made one last year, and now has lots of members 
).
Most people don’t go home that often, I would say on average 1-2 times a semester. I personally haven’t gone home at all this year other than for winter break, but with all the new shops in storrs center, my mom has come to visit a couple times in part for me, and in part to check out all the food.
Let me know if there is anything I can clarify or if you have any more questions.
Best of luck on the decision!
Hi @neutopschool !
I am in-state, and received a merit award of half-off tuition, which was really nice!
Thank you so much @neutopschool!! Very helpful!!
@debbie2th let me know if you have any other questions
I’m hoping my daughter makes it in with a 3.91 weighted GPA and a 1370 on the new SAT!! We shall see. I know it gets harder and harder to get in.
Are there busses that take you to the Storrs Center? How far of a ride is it? Other than basketball, do a lot of the students go to the football games? I know they have to take busses to the football games since they are not right on campus. I think school spirit is so important and brings students together. Also which dining halls do you think are best?
Hi @debbie2th !
Storrs Center is thankfully directly adjacent to campus (right next to the honors dorms actually, just like Simmons is right next to downtown at PSU). Even so, there are multiple bus lines that will take you into Storrs Center. I recommend googling “Storrs Center, Mansfield, CT” and looking at the map, and you’ll see just how convenient it is, as well as some of the shops that are located there (I actually live in the apartments at Storrs Center, above Bruggers Bagels).
While quite a few students attend the football games (I’ve gone ~10 times over my time here), it admittedly isn’t the same as a PSU football game (I’ve been to both), although I’m sure UConn’s Basketball carries a bit more atmosphere then PSU’s basketball. Perhaps it is just because UConn’s football program is still in its infancy.
As far as school spirit goes, I think it again is what you make of it. If you only go to class, the library, and your room, you won’t find the school spirit at UConn to be all that exciting. However, if you make the effort to get involved and attend new experiences (UConn Soccer games are a ton of fun!), I think you will find that the school spirit can rival any university in the country (Although since we only have 17,000 at Storrs, you may not find exactly the same level of school spirit at PSU).
As far as dining halls, I would say all have pros and cons. Some are convenient because they are attached to the dorm room (a la Buckley Dining hall for Freshman Honors), but others are larger and have more selection (South & Towers). I would recommend that if your daughter chose UConn, to try out all of them, as each have their own flavor!
Great. Thanks so much. In you opinion what do you think my daughter’s chances are…instate…3.91 weighted G.P.A, 1370 on new SAT. just curious…for we will know in a week or so.
@debbie2th I also applied to UCONN with a biomedical engineering major! Good luck to your daughter, we have similar stats.
@UConn2017 You were in the honors program? I have a 4.02 weighted GPA (have gotten 4.5’s for the first semester of this year) and a 31 ACT. Do those seem like honors program stats?
Thanks so much for your help.
@neutopschool … yes similar stats! I was under the impression that you also have to be in the top 5% of your class for honors program but I read so much stuff it’s driving me crazy. March can’t come soon enough. My daughter is laid back and I’m the nervous mother in the background!!! LOL!! Good luck to you as well.
@debbie2th oh yeah, I’m definitely not 5% in my class! But its OK! I heard on another feed that last year decisions were released the saturday before march 1st? so I guess if that is true then decisions will be released this saturday 2/25. I am just quoting what someone else said so I can be totally wrong. I’m just telling myself march 1st so I don’t get my hopes up.
@neutopschool I read that too!! LOL!! I am literally on her all day!! Haha!! I called the admission department today and asked whether you guys would be hearing by “snail mail” or posted online. The woman who answered the phone told me that they will be mailed out starting on the 1st and she then hesitated slightly when she said they would be posted online after the 1st also. I was thinking that could mean this weekend also like we both read because she kind of hesitated with the online response. Ugh!!! I keep telling myself one more week!! Meanwhile my daughter is just going about her merry little way and seems relaxed. She goes with the flow unlike her nervous mother which is a good thing for her!!! Hopefully, you both hear positively!! I will be thinking of you for sure now!!!
@debbie2th that’s really exciting!! I haven’t heard back from a school in a while so I’m anxious to hear back from UCONN. plus I submitted my application back in november so I feel like I’ve been waiting for so long.
A school that I applied to kept saying they weren’t posting the decisions on that particular day, but they ended up posting them on that day (if that makes any sense). So it definitely is a possibility that they will be done early!
@neutopschool Keeping my fingers crossed that they are done earlier too!! Emma has been waiting since her application was done in October so I know it’s a very very long wait!!!
@debbie2th I’ll let you know if I hear anything else!
@debbie2th @neutopschool
Both scores seem to be right on the edge of honors. Definitely good for regular admission, but the honors program is a little subjective. I’ve had a friend get in with sub 1300 combined math and reading (but admittedly their circumstances were rather extraordinary), but even if you do not get into honors right away, if you have good grades after the first semester or two, you would definitely get in after Freshman year. If your essay was “good” (very subjective in my opinion), that can really make the difference from what I’ve heard (although that’s just through friends who work in admissions).
Wishing you both luck!
Do you think I can get in to Storrs with a 1220 SAT, (1190 original score), (1220 superscored) a 3.57 gpa and having taken 7 aps?
I’m also applying as a male nurse, first generation, and strong letters of recc. Uconn is my number 1 choice and I wanna hear feedback from a senior who’s actually gone there, thanks!