<p>I'm interested in Scranton but I have a few questions, if anyone can answer them!</p>
<p>1) Can freshman choose their dorm buildings? Or is it totally random?</p>
<p>2) are there a lot of on campus activities going on throughout the week, especially on weekends, as an alternative to partying and drinking?</p>
<p>3) are there any kind if amtrak or buses nearby for traveling home?</p>
<p>4) Favorite thing about Scranton? Least favorite?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Not a current student, but a parent of 2 former students, one who just graduated last year.</p>
<p>Unless things have changed:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Freshmen do not choose their dorms. They are randomly assigned. There is a short roommate matching form that they use. You can also request being placed with a specific person (both of you would need to request that). I believe there a a few “themed” dorms such as wellness and service.</p></li>
<li><p>There are different activities of all kinds available during the week and weekends - it depends on what you like and choose to do. My kids were always busy.</p></li>
<li><p>There is a bus station downtown that hosts Greyhound and Martz bus lines that go to NYC and Philly. I don’t believe there is a passenger train line.</p></li>
<li><p>As a parent, my favorite things were the education my kids received at Scranton and the people we met there. I also liked the fact that most classes had a max. of 35 students, with many classes being capped at even less than 35. As the kids moved up in their majors, class sizes were even smaller. My least favorite thing was moving the last one out the day after graduation. It was a very sad experience for both of us to know our time there was over.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>1) You DO NOT choose your dorm. They will assign a dorm for you and also a roommate if you do no find one. You answer some questions on a survey and they will use that information to place you. </p>
<p>2) Usually yes. There are A LOT of clubs on campus that have a lot of weekend activities. This doesn’t happen all the time and it all depends on what club you join. </p>
<p>3) Yes. I believe the University just contracted with a local bus company or something. I really don’t know the answer to that because their is no need for me to travel around here. Also everything interesting is within walking distance. </p>
<p>4) What do I like. The FOOD, some of my teachers, and the clubs. What don’t I like. The price to come here around 47, 000 $, there are a large number of clicks on campus and I usually see the same people hanging with the same group of kids over and over again.</p>
<p>Hello! I’m a current sophomore and I’d be happy to help!</p>
<p>1) Freshmen can chose a roomate if they have someone in mind, however they can not pick their specific dorm room or building (but most are nice!)</p>
<p>2) The university is great with activities. There are always comedians, concerts, movies, and events going on. While there are a lot of people who do drink and party, there are some who don’t and who are happy attending these events instead. </p>
<p>3) There is a Martz bus station within walking distance. I don’t know all the locations that it can be taken to but I know it heads into new york city among other stops. </p>
<p>4) My favorite thing is the community. The people here are amazing and since its a small enough camps you really get to know everyone. I can’t walk from one end of campus to the other without saying hi to at least a few people. I also love all of the clubs and organizations that Scranton has.I really have no complaints about my school! Everyone really has a place to fit in. It is also beautiful, and very hands on. We have events and opportunites those attending public schools don’t get (like cheap trips to NYC or skiing among others). Least favorite would have to be the price, I’m going to have loans forever.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>@Scrantonstudent</p>
<p>You said that you like it because it is so small and you can’t go very far without saying hello to someone … But do you ever feel as if it is TOO small?</p>
<p>^^I’m a freshman and I feel like Scranton’s a good size. You definitely see a lot of people you know, because unlike big schools like Rutgers, you only have one main dining hall, student center, and library, so it’s inevitable that you’ll run into people. At the same time, there are SO many people here I’ve never met. If you want to meet a new crowd of people, it’s easy enough to join clubs or go to an event. I like the size of the school and I feel like there are always new people to meet, but I also came from a high school with 1200 students, so maybe it’s relative.</p>
<p>There are times when I feel physically trapped on campus because our campus isn’t huge, but I think that happens at any school- you just want a change of scenery! It’s easy enough to go off-campus, though.</p>
<p>1) Unless you sign up for Cura Personalis or Wellness, you won’t be able to choose where you live. That said, I signed up for all-girls housing and wanted to get in GLM, and that’s where I am now. If you sign up for all-girls, you’ve got a great chance of getting in GLM just because it’s so big. There’s only one other all-girls freshman hall, Dennis Edward, and it’s pretty small.</p>
<p>2)I don’t drink or party, and they have plenty of activities going on during the week and on weekends. They often have movies playing in the auditorium on the weekends, and they’ll have a couple of big events during the semester, like a rooftop carnival on the top floor of the parking garage one Friday night. They also have several trips to NYC during the semester at a pretty minimal cost ($20 for bus fare and a ticket to a Broadway show). I don’t often go to the weekend events because I usually hang with non-drinking friends and watch a movie in the dorms or something, but there’s plenty going on.</p>
<p>3) No Amtrak, but the Greyhound and Martz station is just past the Steamtown Mall. I’ve frequently taken the Martz buses, and it’s pretty easy to coordinate. On busy holiday days, the U will sometimes run a shuttle between the campus and the bus station. The walk is manageable, though. Oh, and Martz had a table at orientation where they gave out vouchers for free student cards. These cards get you discounts whenever you purchase tickets, and the vouchers eliminated the usual $20 fee to get the card in the first place. Look for this if you decide to come here!</p>
<p>4) Favorite thing is probably SJLA- it’s the best decision I made when I came here! But this doesn’t apply to everyone at Scranton, so second would definitely be the community feel. Purple is everywhere. People are generally friendly and really like being here. Plus, the students and staff are very down-to-earth.</p>
<p>Least favorite is the prominence of North Face and Ugg on campus. If you’re into this, I apologize, but I just get frustrated when 75% of the student body owns identical jackets and near-identical backpacks. What happened to originality? But from what I hear, this is pretty common on most college campuses. And there are plenty of nice people who own and wear this stuff, it’s not like it determines what kind of person you are. It’s just very noticeable when you walk around campus.</p>
<p>After reading this thread, and fruttivendolo’s last post, I’m convinced my daughter made the right choice to go to Scranton. She was ready to commit to another school until, about a week ago, she starting reading a lot of negative comments about the school and its students and was really concerned that she wouldn’t be happy there. She was invited into SJLA, which she accepted, and is not a partier, so it’s good to know that there are plenty of things for her to do. I was there last week and while the campus has certainly changed since I graduated many years ago, the students are still as friendly as they were when I attended. So glad she’s going to be a Royal!!</p>
<p>^^ Wow, I guess the campus has changed a bit since you graduated! My daughter graduated in 2006 and it has changed a lot just since then! She still laments the loss of Gunster. </p>
<p>That’s great that your D accepted the SJLA invitation. My D went through that program as well and although she worked very hard, she got a lot out of it and loved being in with the top students. As with fruttiivendolo, she would also say that SJLA was one of her favorite parts of Scranton. My D was not a partier and found plenty to do and had a group of friends that were similar to her.</p>
<p>And as for fruttivendolo’s comment about purple being everywhere, she is right! There is a lot of school pride there. My very basic colors son (you know, blacks, browns, grays) wears his purple proudly - and still does even after graduating last May. It is his power color. He wore his purple tie under a coordinating purple sweater to a job interview and landed the job (of course his education may have had something to do with it, too 
)</p>
<p>Congratulations to your D!</p>
<p>Glad to hear your daughter made the right choice for her! It sounds like she’ll be happy here. SJLA has this wonderful community feel and it’s a great way to meet people when you start out- most of my friends are from SJLA. And she’ll definitely find other non-partiers here. Please feel free to ask if you have any questions going forward!</p>
<p>The campus has changed sooo much since I graduated in the 80’s. Nevils Beach was replaced with new dorms, the tennis courts are gone and replaced with the new library, the old library is now the Psychology building, Mass was held in the chapel on the side of St. Thomas Hall, the Student Center is gone, and the Jesuits actually lived in the Jesuit Estate building!<br>
What hasn’t changed is the sense of community on the campus. I, too, still wear my purple proudly, although most people now associate Scranton with “The Office” 
</p>
<p>My daughter has already found lots of people, and new friends, with similar interests on the accepted students Facebook page. Who knew there were so many Harry Potter fans?!</p>
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<p>LOL, I was just having a discussion about that yesterday with a customer at our store. She said she was from Lake Wallenpaupack so I said “of course, made famous on The Office, booze cruise episode.” We laughed and talked about all the references made on the show like the Steamtown Mall, the Radisson, Cooper’s, Farley’s, Bishop O’Hara HS, and of course, the U. with items from the U strategically placed in the episodes. We love the opening shots coming down off I-81 and the shot of Mulberry Street. Good times, lol!</p>