<p>I'm going to be a senior in high school and I'm considering going to SLU. I was wondering, for those of you who go there, went there, or knew someone who went there, what were your favorite things about SLU? What were some of the things you didn't like? How are the classes? Are they challenging or easy? How are the teachers? How is the honors program? Is there a lot of service opportunities? Do a lot of the kids take the religious part seriously, or is the school not really that religious? Do they give out a lot of aid? Thanks for answering all/any of these questions!!</p>
<p>Wow, 10college10, you are asking ALL the right questions. Please forgive me if I go into too much detail, but I think you might want good answers. Im a student at SLU, I’ll be a sophomore this year, so I’ll give you my perspective.
My favorite things about SLU are the people and the opportunities. Everyone really is as nice as they seem. The community aspect is just great, and I feel like I’m part of a big family at school. To kind of jump to your religion question, I think the faith of the people at SLU really adds to the community. A lot of people are Catholic (and the 10pm mass is a great place to see the Catholic community) but it seems to me that everyone there- regardless of creed- is strong in their faith and willing to share it with you. I have friends who are all denominations of Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Muslim… And the people really live out their faith. You cannot go a semester at SLU without participating in some kind of community service. Classes, clubs, greek organizations, dorm floors, and teams have service that they do together pretty regularly. Back to what I also like about SLU: opportunities. I looked into more “prestigious” schools, but I chose SLU because I felt that they offered more in regards to doing research, having leadership roles, and accessing my professors when I need them. I haven’t been dissapointed.
That said, one thing I don’t like about SLU is the food. My friends at other schools tell me I’m spoiled because SLU offers a lot of healthy options and the food is pretty good, but most places close at 7pm, and I like to eat dinner around 8pm. 
Also, the cafeteria food can get repetitive… but there’s always pretty good pizza and sandwiches if you don’t like the main things. I think that anywhere you go you’re going to have random food issues, so don’t let this scare you off.
Classes are great. They tend to be on the smaller side, so there’s often a lot of discussion and teachers throwing in personal anecdotes and stories to add to the material. If you like larger classes though, you can look for them when you’re registering because the registration page lists class sizes. Wow… I write a lot.
Honors program. Do it if you can. You get so many random opportunities in regards to access to professors, small and unique classes, city adventures, information on jobs/internships, living on the Honors floor during your freshman year (SO fun), and more. The director of the program is the nicest, most accomplished woman you will ever meet; she is a great person to know.
SLU does give a lot of aid. In fact, they just increased it because they know people are having a difficult time in this recession. Check out the website- that’s where I got all my info on SLU scholarships. Apply for them if you can; even if you don’t win one, they’ll sometimes tag on an extra few thousand dollars of aid if you’re a finalist.
I would say that if SLU really interests you, you should visit. That’s what got me!</p>
<p>I hope all this helps! Sorry it’s so long!</p>
<p>Summer, thanks so much for your post. Son is on the fence about SLU. For some reason, he thinks sports are big there, and that turned him off. However, they’re offering a free app right now, so we’re pushing him to apply. A Jesuit school with BME, a big plus there. His best friend has it as a top three, so even if son doesn’t go, glad to know his friend will have a great choice as well. Thanks so much for your insight on class size, professor accessibility, and even the honors program. Hope you have a great sophomore year!</p>