KU for OSS student-Feedback welcome

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Kansas
1

<p>My D is considering KU based upon some great feedback she recently received from a few different sources, including alumni. We are from Connecticut so our knowledge KU is based mostly on it's athletic reputation. </p>

<p>Can anyone provide any feedback or information on how an out of state student may fit in at KU? D is really hoping to find a school with great school spirit, campus and friendly students. (I know, broad criteria). Also any feedback on residential life and any other topics would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!</p>

2

<p>You may not get many responses here. I’m not a KU student but I applied there and I think being OOS should be no problem. It fits your criteria well (as do many other schools). Don’t expect much in the way of scholarship money.</p>

3

<p>One thing to note about KU’s merit scholarships is that it requires a 3.4 for the scholarship to continue. IMO that’s way toohigh, and if your daughter has one bad semester she could easily loose it. You can take a tour of KU on google maps fairly easily. From the looks of it, it seems like a rather bland campus.</p>

<p>If she’s looking to go to the midwest, she might also consider University of Oklahoma which has a gorgeous campus, great school spirit, and a friendly student body. Personally though, I’d say that University of Connecticut is an overall superior school to either KU or OU except for a few programs. If she can get in, I’d find it hard to justify paying a premium for KU.</p>

4

<p>@noimagination: Thank you for the input, it is appreciated. Hopefully the thread will have some activity.</p>

<p>@whenhen: UConn is our in-state flagship but D would prefer to go out of state. Thanks for the feedback</p>

5

<p>I’m an out of stater from Florida and I just got accepted in to Kansas. Kansas has been my dream school since I was a little kid. Everything about Lawrence is perfect and University of Kansas has a beautiful campus. Kansas City is only about 45 minutes to an hour away. Basketball games in Allen Fieldhouse are an experience like no other. Such a great school</p>

6

<p>My S attended KU as an OOS student from the northeast. He loved it and found everyone (students, faculty and Lawrence residents) very friendly and welcoming. Lawrence is a great college town and so supportive of KU and its students.</p>

7

<p>@elizabethd: Congratulations on your acceptance to your dream school. That is great news. When do you start?</p>

<p>@my-3-sons: Thank you for that feedback, particularly from a Northeast perspective.</p>

8

<p>OP, I’m a KU alum who was just in Lawrence today w/my DS HS Class of 2015…though not for a college tour per se. And, while I have mixed feelings about DS attending KU (which I’ll explain), I would absolutely recommend it to an OOS student who’s somewhat confident & not highly-introverted. As with any other large university, KU can be overwhelming, so I’d strongly suggest a personal visit when school is in-session. Here are my thoughts, in no particular order:</p>

<p>Campus is far from bland. In fact, as we drove around today, I was again struck by the beauty of it all (or most of it, at least). The iconic Fraser hall sits atop Mount Oread and can be seen from miles away in any direction, and the historic buildings on Jayhawk Blvd really deliver on that Traditional College Campus Feel that many students desire. (Yes, there are a few ugly buildings scattered here & there, but the campus is stunning overall.) Plus, Kansas has the beauty of 4 seasons (KU looks best in the fall, IMHO). Even my DS, who’s not one to comment on architecture or scenery, kept saying how “amazing” it all looked. Even in the fairly-dry August Summer days, KU is truly beautiful.</p>

<p>Folks from KS (& the Midwest) are mostly friendly, so your DD would definitely make friends – but I personally believe a school as large as KU is better-suited to students who are at least somewhat outgoing. When I attended KU in the Stone Age, I was fairly shy…and overwhelmed by the size of KU + the number of students + the Party aspect…so that definitely affected my college experience. My DS is also on the shy side, so I do worry that he would have a harder time making friends and adjusting to college life there. DH is fairly outgoing and he had a great college experience at KU overall. Small sample here, obviously.</p>

<p>I should add that, while there are many students from across the state who attend KU, there are also students from around the country and all over the world there, so your DD would meet a wide variety of people from diverse backgrounds.</p>

<p>When DH & I attended KU, freshman basically showed up, moved into the dorms, and went to class + (a lot of) parties. If there were orientation sessions or activities, nobody told me. Today, incoming freshman have orientation activities, campus tours, etc. and it’s a much more welcoming experience overall. (So that’s an upside I see for my DS if he decides to attend KU.) And, in general, the school spirit at KU is probably not matched at many other universities. That does help bring all students together & create a common bond. Sports are also huge, espc basketball, as you already know. (Google: Rock Chalk Chant Allen Fieldhouse.)</p>

<p>The Kansas Jayhawk is the only mythical bird among all college mascots. Everybody loves the Jayhawk!</p>

<p>Lawrence is a good college town and more liberal than the rest of the state (granted, not saying much there…). When DH & I attended KU, we didn’t feel a strong sense of community support for the university, but that seems to have changed in the past several years, which is positive.</p>

<p>Logistically, your DD would fly in/out of Kansas City International Airport (which is in Missouri, btw). KCI is absolutely one of THE best airports in the country (though the city of KC, MO, is hoping to mess with that big time in the coming years). For now, your DD would have about an hour’s drive to the airport and could be dropped off at the gate for her flight home with very little hassle, NO walking for miles in the airport, etc. It’s doubtful that KC, MO, can screw up the airport before your DD graduates, so consider logistics a big plus. I can’t comment on taxis, buses or car services that would get your DD to/from KCI, but maybe someone else can. Baggage claim is also a breeze. For now, KCI rocks.</p>

<p>I can’t speak much to housing beyond what parents of current students have told me. There are abundant dorm options, Scholarship halls, off-campus housing within walking distance of the campus, and fraternities/sororities. Greek Life is BIG at KU, so that may be a consideration for your DD, either way. On-campus housing is supported by a reliable bus service, plus one could walk to many/most buildings from on-campus housing. If living off-campus, the student would probably do best with a car, but it’s not essential. I’ve heard that at least one dorm (Templin) is designed to house Honors College students – and that’s a fairly new development I believe. The Honors College building appears to be across the street from Templin…at least that’s what I think we saw today. Other current students/families might want to comment on this, but I think it’s important to put down a dorm deposit as soon as that window opens. I mean, Day One. Even if you lose your deposit by ultimately selecting another university, it’s better than not getting the desired dorm. YMMV.</p>

<p>Most importantly – Academics. Have heard very good things about the Honors College and how it helps carve out a smaller school environment for students, with certain perks. If DS applies & is accepted to the Honors College, that would probably make KU a much better experience for him. DH graduated from the school of Engineering & I graduated from the school of Journalism – both excellent schools then and now. (Don’t have much knowledge of the other schools.) DH & I can both thank KU for immediate employment upon graduation – and we’ve always been employed in our fields ever since. Times have changed, of course, but we owe a lot to the initial career opportunities KU afforded us.</p>

<p>Cost – I believe tuition is frozen at the rate that the student pays for Year One, but obviously this is something you & your DD need to research. In-state cost is reasonable and I’m almost sure there are OOS discounts for high ACT/SAT scores + GPA. For our family, the cost of college is a giant issue, so relatively low cost works in KU’s favor. </p>

<p>To my mind, the greatest KU-drawback for our DS is that at least one-third of his current high school class will go to college there…along w/a large percentage of students from our district. Granted, thousands of other students will be on-campus, and he would meet many new people, but it’s a strong consideration – for so many reasons. DS attends one of the largest districts in the state, and none of us want his college experience to be just like another day of high school. He isn’t the only student, and we aren’t the only parents, to feel this way. And this is probably an issue everywhere. There’s something to be said for venturing out a bit. DS is giving a lot of thought to whether or not he’d like to be in the same general orbit he is now.</p>

<p>It’s late & I’ve had a long day (including a drive back/forth to Lawrence) so I’ve probably missed several key points and made lots of type-os. But I can honestly say that KU is well-worth a visit in the decision-making process. Like any other school, there are pros and cons. Best of luck to you & your DD. And Rock Chalk, Jayhawk!</p>

9

<p>@GoAskDad: Thank you for that very thorough overview. It is greatly appreciated. We are visiting campus in a couple weeks, actually our visit coincides with the first day of class so that should be interesting. The Admissions group has been of tremendous assistance and is putting together a very busy day for us so that we can absorb as much as possible in our short time.</p>

<p>I fully understand your son’s apprehension about going to KU if that’s where the majority of his high school classmates end up attending. It is the main reason that D won’t consider our state flagship, say’s it will just be a continuation of high school and she wants new experiences. I can understand, I went OSS as did my other kids and they all feel they benefited from the experience. </p>

<p>We are looking forward to seeing campus and the town (city?) of Lawrence. Thanks again for the feedback.</p>

10

<p>I would echo comments from earlier respondents. My son will be a 2014 HS grad, we live in the Minneapolis MN area, and visited KU just over 2 weeks ago. First time we’d been in the state, and were surprised at the hills, leafiness and general beauty of the Lawrence area and the campus in particular. Geography in Lawrence isn’t like Iowa or Nebraska, or southern Minnesota for that matter. Son wants to be an architect, and he wants to leave home, so we’re looking at accredited programs in that field (we also have visited Iowa State twice and it appears that school, or KU, will be where he ends up). We attended a general overview presented by the admissions office in the KU visitors center, then a general campus tour, then met for over an hour with the asst. dean of the architecture school (they offer a 5-year masters program which is competitive admission). </p>

<p>The campus was pretty quiet the day we were there, but son still felt like he’d fit in well. He also liked that downtown KC is only 40 minutes away. He is eligible for something called the Midwest Student Exchange scholarship, where residents of Midwestern states can attend selected schools/majors in other Midwestern states and pay only 1.5 x the in-state rate for that school. That would put KU about = to Univ of Minnesota for us. (And Iowa State with their Award for Competitive Excellence at $8k a year would cost us less than MN). Public universities in all states love OOS students, they need the money! Plus it makes them look more ‘diverse’, at least geographically. I think both ISU and KU are 25-30% OOS.</p>

<p>Son will make his own decision, but I keep hinting it’d be a blast to go to college in a ‘college town’ rather than one in a major metro area. I went to school in Ithaca NY in the 80’s and had way too much fun…fortunately he’s more studious than I ever was, but I hope he ends up in Lawrence, or Ames IA.</p>

11

<p>@MNBill: Thank you for the feedback. It is funny that you mentioned Iowa State University because we were attending the ISU open house a few weeks ago. We had the opportunity to have lunch with a family from Minnesota, both parents were ISU graduates. My D mentioned that she loved ISU, the environment, campus, etc. but was concerned that it might be too STEM focused for her. She was hoping for more non-STEM academic offerings, similar to UIowa but in an environment more like ISU. The entire family said we needed to look at KU. It ends up both parents attended ISU and KU for their post grad work. </p>

<p>We looked at the KU web site and saw that it offered many of the academic offerings that D was interested in and after a few days of looking at KU’s web site, she asked if we could visit. It will be her last college visit. ISU is one of her top choices right now. It sure doesn’t hurt that I can get direct flights from our area airports. It should be an interesting visit.</p>

12

<p>If you’re looking for dining options that will give you the flavor of Lawrence and a look at the local scene, we highly recommend Milton’s for breakfast and Free State for dinner. Both are located on Mass. St.</p>

<p>We love KU, but in contrast to GoAskDad, we give Kansas City Int’l (MCI) very mixed reviews. Yes, you can get in/out quickly, there’s free WiFi and Southwest does fly there, but if your flight is delayed for very long, there is almost nothing there…nothing. The only food inside security is a cart of drinks and snacks, choices outside security are not much better. Other than long term parking or a ride from a friend, we found that KCI Roadrunner shuttle service was the best option from Lawrence. This is a scheduled shuttle that picks up/drops off downtown at the Holiday Inn. The fare is around $40. The schedule is fairly regular but we have had issues when they overbooked and did not have enough seats for a pickup at the airport. There have been some pretty long waits for the next scheduled ride, hence the issue with lack of terminal amenities. We have not had to use the shuttle for the last two years, so things may have changed and there may be more options. Just be aware that travel days can be long.</p>

<p>I will add that the daily campus shuttle bus system has stops at many of the off-campus student housing complexes. Even when our S moved off campus and had his car in Lawrence, he would use the shuttle service to/from campus as did most of the other kids. No need to pay for a parking permit and deal with the hassle of finding a parking spot. The campus bus system is great.</p>

<p>Even with any travel issues, our S would wholeheartedly choose KU all over again and we would be very supportive of that decision. The numerous positives listed in this thread far outweigh any travel negatives. Enjoy your visit.</p>

13

<p>OP, good luck to your DD on her upcoming visit to KU! Since it’s right around the corner, I suggest 3 things: </p>

<p>1) Sunglasses for a walking tour of the campus. It’s bright up there on Mt. Oread in August!
2) Travel umbrellas if the forecast hints at rain whatsoever. August is usually very hot/dry in KS, but not this year - at least in the KC metro. We’ve had several days of rain, which has actually been great for my garden, but could catch you off-guard!
3) If you have time to drive around the city of Lawrence & want to stop on Massachusetts St. (Mass St.), bring quarters. Lots of metered parking in the area, at least along the main drag.</p>

<p>Best wishes for your visit and, in advance, welcome to Kansas!</p>

14

<p>I head out tomorrow with my DD to Lawrence. It is going to be sunny and 93-97 degrees every day. We arrive during the Freshman week so we will have the opportunity tomorrow night to attend their “Traditions Night” at the football stadium. My DD is big on college traditions so that should be interesting. Sunday will be our day to explore campus and even stop in to one of the many open houses that each school is having to welcome their new students. We will also explore Lawrence.</p>

<p>KU Admissions did a great job putting together a full day for us on Monday. We will have the opportunity to meet with several different majors, see a dorm, learn about sorority life from one of the sororities, lunch on campus, tour, etc. A full schedule of activities. It should be interesting. We are both excited about the trip but I will admit that I am still trying to figure out the campus layout. It looks very complex. Hopefully it is simpler than it looks. </p>

<p>Thanks everyone for their feedback and I will post a visit report when I return.</p>

15

<p>We just got back from our visit to KU. I will post a visit report soon. In summary, it was a fantastic visit and my D may have found her dream school. I never thought I would be able to say that.</p>

16

<p>I would recommend KU ~ and I have a DD happy -she/and we- at UConn (out-of-state).</p>

17

<p>@snugapug: Great to hear! We are also from Connecticut.</p>

18

<p>I read your visit report, which was great. KU seems rather underrepresented on CC. My daughter is OOS at KU. She is a freshman, so has had all of about 4 weeks of classes. She also knew it was a great fit and felt right after our 1st visit. I have to say everyone I called with questions throughout the application/orientation were always very nice and knowledgeable. The school just has a great atmosphere and it has a super program for her interests. So far she is having a great experience. I would suggest looking into the honors program. Let me know if you have specific questions that I might be able to answer.</p>

19

<p>@MidWestM: Thanks for the feedback on my visit report. I agree that there is not a lot of info on KU here and I am not sure why. I appreciate your feedback on your D’s experience so far. I hope you don’t mind if I send you a PM with questions as they arise.</p>

20

<p>@BobbyCT: Sure, feel free to PM with any questions.</p>