<p>I am looking at Beloit as a potiential school to transfer to. I have a couple of questions:</p>
<ol>
<li>Are the students into learning and academics/ serious about academics?</li>
<li>How is the social scene? is there a big party/drug culture and are kids more into doing other things to have fun?</li>
</ol>
<p>I am looking for a student body of smart intellectual down to earth kids that value more than just partying and drinking and hooking up with every guy they meet.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>How is the music/ theater depts/ choirs?</p></li>
<li><p>How is Jewish life?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>hi, I am from China. I came to know beloit on the internet. I have several questions:
1, does Beliot welcome studentd from China? Since my friends are not very familiar about beloit and I have no access to know more. I was so glad that I find you!
2, does beloit emphesize on academic or the student life or anything else? I am now writing my beloit essay, but do not know do not know how to do with it.
thx!</p>
<p>I also have questions about the social scene. I am a quiet person so I am also concerned with drugs/alchol/and parties. I was also wondering about the dorms. I visited in November and saw one of the dorms, but the guide was INSANE and her room was so messy I couldn't tell what it was even like. Are the bathrooms same sex or single sex? Are people really serious about studying or do they blow off classes? Any information would be great!</p>
<p>I cannot answer all of your questions. I will put what I know (or think I know) and maybe Carolyn will contribute as well.
1. Some are, some aren"t. I know my D spends much more time studying and writing papers than I ever thought she would.
2. There always seems to be something going on. Some things she goes to and others she does not. Drugs - I do not know.
3. Don't know.
4. Don't know, but I do not think there is a big presence of any religion.</p>
<p>Hello, Ok I've been gone overseas for a semester, so i'll try to answer all questions in this post.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Are the students into learning and academics/ serious about academics?
The students I’ve met are into learning, but Beloit is not a seriously competitive environment and it’s also not sooo… academic that everyone will be in the library with no social life. Students take their work seriously because they enjoy what they do but Beloit also leaves time to learn outside the classroom and have a social life. </p></li>
<li><p>How is the social scene? Is there a big party/drug culture and are kids more into doing other things to have fun?
There are so many different types of people at Beloit, those who like to party, those who are straight edge and have fun other ways, those who take advantage of club activities and school events for pleasure, and those who enjoy nothing more than tea and chats with friends. The social scene varies from student to student and you can always find someone who fits your needs. We have BSFFA, who spends time role playing and playing board games to the Anti-drug/alcohol group who hosts events for students (there is even a separate funding source in student government for non alcoholic/drug events), to fraternities and sororities who volunteer and host parties. It’s college so you’ll find a bit of everything, but Beloit does a good job of accepting a wide variety of people who are “smart intellectual down to earth kids that value more than just partying and drinking and hooking up with every guy they meet.”</p></li>
<li><p>How is the music/ theater depts/ choirs?
I think the department is wonderful. I use to be a double major until I went abroad and decided to graduate early. What I love most about the department, is that you do not have to major in theater/music to take a class and participate in choir or theater. Also, it doesn’t consume your life- you can be a theater and biology major. Theater and music are not our main focus, so it will not be like a Julliard, but you leave knowing music/theatre better and a whole lot of other subjects. </p></li>
<li><p>How is Jewish life?
We have a population of Jewish students on campus and the professors are very respectful of religious holidays, etc. We also have a club which hosts celebration for holidays and invites other’s to join in and learn more about Jewish culture/religion. So I would say there is an active Jewish life on campus that fits in with the everyday life of Beloit.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Sorry, I've been away for a semester in istanbul. I hope your application process went well...and that maybe you're on campus now!</p>
<p>1 Does Beloit welcome students from China?
YES! We have a large international population of students from China. I believe they are our biggest international group. Plus there is a big interest in China from the student body, I’m currently taking a Chinese economics course. We also have two exchange programs with China, so lots of our students have live in china for a semester or more. </p>
<p>2 Does Beloit emphasize on academic or the student life or anything else
Beloit is a mixture of both. There is a lot of emphasis on education inside and outside the classroom and how what you read in books and learn in class connects to the outside world. When I wrote my college essay, I wrote about a play I wrote and performed and how it not only further directed my interests in theater but how it also helped me discover myself. The essay is just a way for the college to get to know you. I hope that helps!</p>
<p>As far as the party scene/drug scene goes. I think I may have answered that question in a pervious post- but it's college so you have a bit of everything. But Beloit isn’t all about partying and drinking. Drugs are illegal on campus and those who are caught will have action taken against them. Most of the partying happens on weekends and then it’s back to the books. I’ve never had a friend who just partied themselves out of a Beloit education. So rest assure, Beloit isn’t just a big party school. I’m sorry you experience that though. There are over 1,300 students here from different states, different backgrounds, and who have different goals. That’s just one. </p>
<p>Are the bathrooms same sex or single sex?
We have an all women’s dorms and single sex floors, as well as mixed floors and bathrooms. Generally, the floor votes on if they want single sex or mixed bathrooms. But if one person is uncomfortable with mixed bathrooms for any reason, then the bathrooms will be single sexed. It’s up to the floor and they want everyone comfortable. </p>
<p>Are people really serious about studying or do they blow off classes?
It’s college and people can choose to study or blow off class. But if you blow off class at Beloit, you will not last long. I do not believe there is any, “just getting by” at Beloit. The classes are challenging but also exciting. I do not know anyone who graduated from Beloit by just blowing off classes. On top of that, those who do “blow off” class get a letter from academic advising and may get put on academic probation to get an extra push to take college seriously before further action is taken. But the majority of students do work hard at Beloit and take their education seriously.</p>
<p>Thank you, lollypop39 for all your thorough answers. I'm glad to see the Beloit thread revived. It's a great school--my daughter is a freshman there and loves it.</p>
<p>My daughter is looking for a small LAC to study Psychology, Art, and Creative Writing. She plans to go to Grad school for psych. most likely after undergrad. Would you say that Beloit is well represented in these areas? She would like to do a double major - does Beloit have a "flexible distribution" that would help that?</p>
<p>Socially she just enjoys unjudgemental people who accept everyone as they are. It sounds like you have that covered form the other posts?</p>
<p>Did you look at any other midwest LAC's like MAcalaster, Carleton. St Olaf, or Lawrence? Those are on her list too.</p>
<p>Beloit has what they call “breadth requirements”—students must take two courses from each of the school’s three academic divisions: Mathematics and Natural Sciences; Social Sciences; and Arts and Humanities. (That's from the website--there are more details there.) My daughter is only a freshman, but it doesn’t appear that it will be too difficult to fulfill these requirements, and from what I’ve learned since she’s been there, double-majoring is not uncommon.</p>
<p>As for enjoying “unjudgemental people who accept everyone as they are”—that sounds just like the students at Beloit! My daughter has been very happy. She also considered Lawrence—it was her second choice—but ultimately went with Beloit because the college struck her as a little less rigid (she’s a gal who hates rules), and the students seemed a little more her style.</p>
<p>I am an alumnus of Beloit and when I was there, it was probably more common for a student to double major than not. For some reason, I found myself hanging out with alot of physics/classics majors.</p>
<p>The one way you can get into trouble with double majoring, is to want majors in the same concentration. My D had considered History and Modern Languages, but as they are in the same concentration, felt it might be difficult to get her breadth requirements in as well. Does not seem impossible, but she didn't didn't choose that route. Creative Writing is well known and strong. I don't know as much about psychology or art. </p>
<p>DJD, my Ds applied to all your mentioned schools, aside from Carlton. They all have their strong points. We liked Beloit's semesters vs the quarters at Lawrence. I liked Macalaster, but no acceptance for us, and not being needs blind probably had something to do with it. St. Olaf seemed a little more white bread, though for dedicated non major musicians, nothing could be better, and I like their values oriented education. Ds were a little doubtful. Beloit has been great for one D, and the other is in a different part of the country. Some twins need separate schools.</p>
<p>lunitari, Beloit’s FYI program (First Year Initiative) would work well for a shy student. The new students are on campus together for 10 days before the upperclassmen arrive. This gives them the opportunity to meet new people and make friends at a reasonable pace rather than at the break-neck speed of many other orientations. Before arriving on campus, the student reviews a variety of different FYI topics, and selects one. The FYI classes are a lot of fun—not dry, “academic” material—and that helps to draw out the students that might be a little more introverted.</p>
<p>This is from the Beloit website:</p>
<p>
[quote]
The First-Year Seminar is the heart of FYI. The seminar begins during New Student Days and continues throughout the year. It offers students a close-knit peer group (average class size is 15) and a working relationship with an experienced professor. Seminar professors serve as academic advisors for each member of the seminar throughout the sophomore year. During the second semester, FYI groups meet outside the classroom to attend lectures and campus events.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I sound like a broken record, I’ve posted this so much, but once again: My daughter is a freshman at Beloit and loves it.</p>