Hi, my senior DS is trying to make his final decision between colleges he was accepted to and is seriously considering Juniata. We were hoping to hear from recent/current students and parents as to how much they liked Juniata. My son is the type to stay on campus and get involved in non-sports activities (nature, environmental-related, volunteering with kids in the community, French club, gaming, D&D, outdoors). He plans to major in elementary education and become a teacher. He also loves science, especially biology and genetics, but there probably won’t be enough “room” in his course load to double major (the ed program resulting in certification requires a lot of courses). He is quiet, quirky, and intellectual, and also fun-loving, kind, and likes to hang out with friends. Not into sports (as mentioned) or partying. We visited last spring and he loved the area, with the mountains and river. He doesn’t care about the town much, as long as he can get basic needs met at a Walmart or such. We stayed at the Gage Mansion and he loved that. ANY input on Juniata would be much appreciated, as there hasn’t been all that much posted in recent years.
My DC is a junior at Juniata and has very much enjoyed their time there.
Sophomore year was their full on COVID year and it obviously wasn’t as fun as their freshmen year. But they were on campus and most classes were in-person. I felt the school did a great job with COVID - the safety protocols, testing, having alternative activities (yoga on the quad, an outdoor roller skating rink one day, pop up craft stuff, etc.) The kids really did a great job too and the number of cases remained very low.
On each of our visits, the people were so genuinely nice - the staff, admin, and students alike. We had good tours at all of the schools we visited, but it felt more warm and welcoming at Juniata.
Juniata is small and rural, so it is not for everyone. My DC does not seem to have outgrown it though. The dorms are not fancy, as I am sure you saw (pretty old, no AC, no elevators, except maybe in the newer dorm).
They have an overnight freshmen orientation during the summer (parents have separate activities). And then they have “inbound” the week before classes start where there are loads of fun activities on campus. And kids sign up ahead of time for off-campus activities like white water rafting, camping, art, museums, etc. I don’t think either are required but I highly recommend them both.
The only time I have contacted campus is about the tuition bill (because I messed something up!) and they are very responsive and very nice.
The campus seems very inclusive.
I don’t know anything about their educ program. It is known to have a good bio and environmental sciences programs. Your DC might be able to minor in one.
Juniata has a lot of fun traditions!
Of all the kids that I have known who have gone to college (any college), the ones who had the better experiences were the ones who got involved. Clubs, intramurals, traditions, tried new things (your DC might like rock climbing!) All those freshmen are in the same boat so they need to put themselves out there a bit.
Absolutely feel free to PM me with any specific questions!
@RookieCollegeMom Thanks so much for your answer. My son is fine with it being small and rural. One of the cons for him is how far it is from home, and how the roads we took on our drive seemed rather treacherous (and it was nice weather). We are from Richmond, VA, so its about a 5 to 6-hour drive with breaks worked in. The route we took involved some crazy hairpin turns and narrow curves as we got closer to Juniata, so wondering if there are alternate routes to consider.
How is the workload at Juniata? My son is working on writing a novel, and wants to continue to do that during college. Also greatly values down time and work-life balance. He wants to go somewhere that is academically stimulating and meaningful but also manageable workload. For instance, he would not like the workload at most Ivies.
We were wondering also about how Juniata matches roommates freshmen year. Can you try to meet another student at an admitted student event or on Facebook, and then request them? If you don’t, is matching done randomly or are there some questions answered to help compatibility?
Good to hear the campus is inclusive. Would you describe it as balanced politically, or more liberal?
Do you think it would be easy for a quirky, interesting, quiet, introspective but friendly guy to make friends there?
I have more questions too. How do I pm you? You are showing up as private with no envelope.
We took those crazy ways there the first couple of times too! We go on the west side of Raystown Lake - Waze says it is 10 min longer, but we are on highways and have cell service! We are from the DC area so we go I-270 to I-70- to Breezewood, to 30 West to 26. Yes, that is a haul from Richmond (and we all know how bad 95 is!)
I may not to be the best source of workload info. I would not call my DC intellectual, but is bright (“average excellent” is a term you will hear on CC) and pretty driven to do well. They are very organized…and very busy. (They were accepted at some “higher tier” schools - not ivies though!) They usually take 15-18 credits each semester at Juniata and seems to be able to manage it all in addition to a number of clubs and working on campus. (But they are definitely spending time studying and doing homework.)
To match roommates, if you meet someone at orientation and click you can request each other, you can go totally random, or they have something online where you can learn about other students and reach out to them. I think each student fills out a questionnaire about neatness/sloppiness, night owl/early bird, etc. type stuff.
I am going to guess the campus leans more liberal just because most do. My DC and their friends definitely are. The town is definitely more conservative politically.
I would say any kid willing to join in and become involved would be able to make friends anywhere.
Did you look at Roanoke College by any chance (diff DC liked). Popped into my head as a much easier location for you.
Let me check my profile setting - maybe I need to update something in order to receive PMs!
Yes, briefly looked at Roanoke. I see what you mean about how it might also appeal. It has Greek life, and my son would prefer a college that doesn’t. It also seems a bit more conservative and not quite as good academically. Juniata seems to have a quirky, intellectual vibe that appeals to us.
Do you know if any of the dorms have AC at Juniata? I think I remember on the tour that the guide said the first year dorm did not have AC, but I don’t remember about the rest.
I think only the newest dorm probably has AC, so no AC for freshmen thru juniors. But if a student has a medical condition, they can get approved for a window unit.
I tried to PM you - hope it worked!
Any decision?
He is now leaning heavily towards Goucher College in Towson, MD, so we went to their admitted students day yesterday. We were quite impressed. My daughter, his twin, has already decided to go to Goucher, so that appeals to him as well. He’s not 100% decided but he’s getting there (towards Goucher). Goucher has a 4+1 program where he could get his masters in elem ed.
Sounds like he has great options - congrats to him!
Hello, Did your son end up at Goucher? We are looking at Juniata and am curious to hear what he chose.
Thank you for sharing those directions. We will use them when we visit!
The OP has not been on CC for a year, and is not likely to be responding to posts. Closing.
@Kombucha22 - perhaps you should reach out to other posters with kids at Juniata.
Since the OP is responding to posts, I’m reopening the thread.
My son did end up at Goucher. If you want to know anything about Goucher or our search in general, let me know.
That is very interesting that your son chose Goucher. My Daughter also has applied and been accepted to both schools. She is wanting to study Psychology (and perhaps Education Studies/French). As you mentioned in your initial post she is not big into going to sporting events or participating but is very involved in the arts Dance/Orchestra/Photography etc. Just wondering why some of the reasons your Son Chose Goucher. Is he happy there so far?
She also is not bothered that Juniata is in a small town and really enjoys outdoor activities
Yes, he likes it very much! The small size of it has been great for him. He can get overwhelmed easily, and Goucher has provided a nice “home away from home feel” for him. The professors are great–good at what they teach, personal approach, willing to work with students and be flexible as needed. He has also made a solid group of friends that he hangs out with on a regular basis, which has been key to him being happy there. At the beginning of the year, all the freshmen were split up into orientation groups of about 15 students each and went to all the orientation events together, ate some meals together, and went to some social events. This was done in a very structured way and it ended up helping my introverted son make friends (worked well for my daughter too, as I have twins at Goucher). It’s funny because both of my kids did not like that there was so much “required” time they had to spend with this group, but it ended up helping them make friends that they continue to hang out with.
The location has been a plus for us too, compared to Juniata. My son does not have a car and does not feel comfortable driving long distances. Goucher is within walking distance of Towson, and my son and his friends frequently walk there to grab a bite to eat or just hang out. While Goucher has limited dining choices on campus, their dining hall is a notch above many other dining halls I’ve come across.
He has enjoyed the curriculum at Goucher so far. There’s a good amount of flexibility and variety in the classes for meeting the core requirements, given it’s such a small college. Both my kids greatly enjoyed their First Year Seminar classes, which were not your typical college topics https://www.goucher.edu/learn/curriculum/first-year-seminar/courses .
Overall, his biggest reasons for choosing Goucher vs Juniata were family reasons, cost, location, rigor, the education major, and the campus (dorms, dining, etc):
Family–His sister being there was a definite pro.
Rigor/Course load—While both schools seem to have excellent academics, we feel Goucher has a more balanced approach. Juniata has a heavier workload than Goucher and seems more rigorous in this way (my son was looking for better work life balance after a very stressful last couple years in high school). Juniata may have more prestige academically, but my son just wants to be happy where he is.
Location—Juniata is so remote, and is a 5 to 6-hour drive for us. Goucher is about 3 to 4 hours, and Towson has a lot more activity and enrichment than Huntingdon, and is more of a thriving area. Baltimore is also not too far away, if he wants even more to do.
Dorms and Dining–Dining, dorms, etc are more updated and appealing at Goucher. The First Year Village for freshmen, in particular, is very nice!
Education Major–One big factor had to do with my son wanting to major in education and get certified to teach. Juniata has the POE (Programs of Emphasis) for students which allows for a unique and customized approach to majoring. However, with the education major, they are limited because of Pennsylvania’s requirements for teacher certification, which results in a lot more credit hours. This would have limited the opportunity for a variety of other classes or a minor. Goucher offers a 4+1 program where you can get certified and a masters in ed in 5 years, and that is what my son is planning on doing, along with a minor. The fieldwork at Juniata was limited in variety also, due to its location.
Cost—My son got a scholarship to both schools, but Juniata would have cost a lot more even with the scholarship. This was an important part of the decision. It seemed unappealing to be paying so much more for a college experience even though the dining and dorms were going to be underwhelming at Juniata, yet the academics at both colleges would meet my son’s needs and interests.