Social Scene...Nonexistent?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Emory University
1

<p>Hullo,</p>

<p>If you're a student at Emory can you please give me some of your experiences regarding the social life there. Is it complete nerd-land or do people actually get out and party?</p>

<p>I was accepted into UGA and while I wouldn't mind going, I feel as if I could attend a school that is more rigorous. Emory seems to fit the mold; however, I've heard so many people criticize the absence of a social scene.</p>

<p>Soo if you're a student there please tell me straight up what it's like there!</p>

<p>Thanks Bunches :))</p>

2

<p>You know this isn’t true. Unfortunately, many believe that it is not a social scene if it cannot match the likes of UGA or some school w/D-1 sports. When people say, “lack of social scene”, they’re full of crap and are certainly hyperbolizing. That doesn’t even make sense. There are several parties occurring as I type this. And Emory is typical in that this scene starts on Thursday. I think people want the social scene to be as rowdy as the state schools, and since it isn’t, they say there is not one at all. The fact is, you not find a majority of people willing to party everyday. People who say that Emory doesn’t have a social scene either don’t have enough/or the right friends or choose not to become a part of it, but it is certainly here. They can choose to be stuck up and oblivious (you know b/c “it’s not good enough for me”) to it if they want and miss out on the fun. If you want the additional rigor, come on over. I would say the social scene and academics are not hard to balance. Emory is rigorous (actually, it is difficult moreso than rigorous, there was more busy work in HS, here the exams and reading loads can be ridiculous for many classes), but manageable for various reasons. You’ll have a life outside of class. Tech probably meets the “less social life” (because every school has one) better than we do. </p>

<p>You know better than this. No offense. The no social life explains why you see females sunbathing and having picnics in every grassy area possible, and people playing rugby, soccer, frisby in any open area. It’s why you see loads of people jumping on the Lennox and Emory Experience Shuttles. It also explains why I passed by the C-mont tower and hear like 3 really loud parties on the balconies. It’s also why I attended a Jazz concert at the performing arts center at 8. Get real. It also explains how we have so many activists on campus. It then goes on to explain how we get such solid performers to come put on concerts. Are you serious?<br>
Just because we don’t have many people getting wasted every night does not mean there is not a social life. Some of the students who you probably heard from either don’t attend or really just wanted the “I have time to get wasted every night” life. In other words, they chose to come here b/c of the prestige, but they really wanted the environment of a state school/big sports school. Have your cake and eat it too. Take the great academics, the mediocre/decent social scene, but drive up to UGA for games or particular parties if you want that vibe for a while. When someone cites an aspect in context of an extreme, you should disregard it. However, you get respect from me for at least asking and not taking it and running to UGA. </p>

<p>Also, I think people here use school spirit and social scene interchangeably even though they are often the ones getting wasted at some party that supposedly does not exist according to their poor description. Emory lacks the spirit of peers due to lack of D-1 sports, but school spirit does not determine the viability of a social scene. Individuals within groups of friends, organizations, fraternities, intramural sports etc. do. There are plenty of those, therefore there is bound to be a viable social scene. An no, you don’t have to “look hard”. </p>

<p>Yeah, also just decide what your priorities are.</p>

3

<p>why are you considering UGA if you been accepted to Emory? its seems pointless to me…if you spent your highschool years studying hard to get into a top university…throwing all that hard work away seems pointless to me…just my opinions.</p>

4

<p>Kids go to frat row, thursday night, friday night, saturday night. A lot of kids also go to off campus foam parties, and raves.</p>

5

<p>I know people who go out every night of the week. There are always parties going on either on campus at frat row or right off campus at clubs and such. Emory is a lot of fun, so it would be stupid to go to a school that is ranked significantly lower and has significantly lower job placement to go to a school that you think you might have a little more fun at.</p>

6

<p>Athens is not even far enough away to justify the decision. They could simply do what I said if they are from Georgia like I think. And then Tech has it’s sports associated party scene. I mean, come on.</p>

7

<p>Hey guys thank you so much for all of your help!</p>

<p>Someone asked why I would consider going to UGA after spending so much time dedicated to work in high school. Well, UGA is definitely the cheapest option. If cost weren’t a factor, I wouldn’t even consider attending UGA. The only thing captivating about UGA is, well, the social scene (although I don’t plan on getting waisted much). And I wasn’t accepted into Emory yet. However, a classmate of mine got in (EA) and his GPA and class rigor wasn’t as intense as mine, so I’m assuming I’ll be able to get it.</p>

<p>Thank you so much Bernie for your detailed response!!!
You’re right in saying that most of the people who criticize Emory don’t actually attend the university. I guess their insight is as good as mine, in that case. I also think a large part of one’s experience in college is determined by the circumstances they surround themselves with. With that being said, how many people do you see actually having fun compared to the students who do homework 24/7? Also, from your experience, how “hard” is the work there?? I attend a pretty tough high school right now and I’ve taken 7 AP classes (and maintained a 4.0 UW GPA), but I don’t really know how that compares to an actual university. As you said before, high school has a lot of busy work, while college is mainly reading and testing. If possible, could you give me an estimate of how hard it would be to adjust to a college setting?</p>

<p>Also, how often do students in Emory go out and hang around Atlanta!? I went to ATL last weekend and I loved it! I rarely go, but I really enjoyed the diversity in the city. Do students at Emory remain on the campus most of the time or do they venture out into Atlanta? I know in UGA, the students remain on campus most of the time, but I don’t want to be confined to such a small area! I’d much rather be involved in the community around me!</p>

<p>Hey! Thanks for all the advice! I really appreciate it! I’ve asked a few questions in the UGA forum and it took me like 10 days before I got around 5 responses. I can’t believe I’ve already reached 5 responses within a day! Sheeshh! Maybe the you guys reflect the generosity of the student body at Emory!!</p>

8

<p>Ohh yeah!</p>

<p>I JUST found out about the whole CSS PROFILE application for financial aid at Emory! But the priority deadline is on March 1! I think the priority deadline means the students who apply before then will be able to receive funds earlier than those who apply later? But I’m not entirely sure.</p>

<p>Anyway, my dad will not be able to file his taxes before March 1 (he does them himself and I doubt he’ll feel like doing it before then). With this being said, will I be able to submit the financial aid application afterwards? 50k a year is a lot and I don’t want to take out any loans! That’s why I really want this financial aid form filled out on time.</p>

<p>Also, do people who send in their tax returns after the March 1st deadline get less money than those who send them in beforehand? </p>

<p>I REALLY wish I knew about this earlier, but I had no idea private institutions required this PROFILE thing. I was under the assumption that I would apply for their aid through FAFSA.</p>

9

<p>Emory will generally be more challenging than UGA, but it is no Georgia Tech. It doesn’t have the engineering scene that will surround you with a bunch of overly stressed students and has a significantly more supportive environment mainly because of the size diffierence. Basically, Emory courses will expose you to challenging and stimulating material while also giving you every tool to succeed. The profs. are generally very involved in your learning when you are in and out of class (most profs. don’t just stand and talk “at” you the whole time, many talk with the students and encourage and even require student involvement, even in large classes). This model is good for you, it puts you in closer contact with faculty members and also encourages interactions with peers, which leads for a greater chance of success in even the more difficult class. Basically, Emory gives you a challenge while being very manageable.<br>
The work/reading load isn’t really that high unless you are in many social science/humanities courses. Everything is about exams, quizzes, essays, and research projects. Not much busy work associated with most Emory courses, at least not graded. Emory courses tend to throw a bunch of resources at you to study on your own time, and you aren’t held accountable until the exam or paper. With this said, if you aren’t careful, since there aren’t any “graded” checks like at a place like Tech, the reading/study material can either pile up or sneak up on you easily. Like, for example, you’re in Dr. Weinschenk’s orgo. class, and you have only been studying by the book and his lecture notes up until 3-4 days before his exam. You’ll be screwed, because you’ll have to probably go through all of the SIs(On Your Owns), back exams, and supplementary learnlink posts and handouts that he has in those four days. It’s impossible and it ends up having horrible consequences for people. Again, you aren’t held accountable until the exam, and Weinschenk will not constantly(or ever) remind people to read his posts/supplementary material (which often ends up in a harder problem on the exam in one form or another). There are many classes like this.</p>

<p>Also: Your fin. aid: Priority means that, students who do it first will get an award/money allocated to them first. Those who do it later, will get the leftovers. My dad files late too, and I normally get the full package. Given that, you should understand that if it’s a little late, there is a lot left.</p>

<p>Emory students go out on the town a lot, either using Taxis, the shuttle system, MARTA, or a car. Like to get to mid-town or downtown, one can use the Georgia Tech Shuttle or Emory Hospital Midtown. As mentioned, on Saturdays, there are Lennox Shuttles (Buckhead) and Emory Experience shuttles (takes you to some featured place like Atlantic Station, Buckhead, The High Museum, Downtown, Piedmont Park, and in very special instances, 6 Flags)</p>

10

<p>how do international students fit into the social scene at emory?</p>

11

<p>Y’all would make up like 10-15% of the student body, so y’all are generally okay. International students are plentiful enough so that they can cling to one another, which is what many choose to do. If you’re worried about the amount amount that attend, you should be fine. Class of 2014 had like 17% international students, so it’s starting to increase.</p>

12

<p>“However, a classmate of mine got in (EA) and his GPA and class rigor wasn’t as intense as mine, so I’m assuming I’ll be able to get it.”</p>

<p>Emory does not have EA, though Oxford College does. So if it was indeed EA and not ED, then it is definitely not certain you will get in as students admitted to Oxford College generally have much lower numbers than students admitted to the College.</p>

13

<p>^^ that’s actually good to hear. and no, i don’t plan on clinging to the international population if i get in, but yeah it’d be great to talk to a bunch of people in the same predicament as me at least in the beginning.</p>

14

<p>Oh, I don’t care if you do, no need to get defensive. I’m just saying that this is what happens. I understand why it happens, it makes a lot of sense to me.</p>

15

<p>^ haha, i wasn’t being defensive; just stating my point. thanks for the help though.</p>

16

<p>Oops Matt, I guess it was ED.</p>

<p>I just know he’s going to Emory :stuck_out_tongue: I never really knew the difference between EA and ED anyway. Why bother learning now since both are over ;)</p>

17

<p>Thank you again Bernie :)</p>

<p>I’ll definitely have to get used to working without a due date then. Right now I work on things that are actually going to be checked. Now I see why college students need great will power to do well! I’m sure I’ll be able to overcome that with a little bit of work, however.</p>

<p>I also want to thank you for explaining the financial aid situation! That really makes me feel so much better. I’m just going to have to get onto him so he’ll file them earlier than normal. I have two more questions (haha sorry if I’m killing you with all these questions, but I really do appreciate your responses!):</p>

<p>1) What is the absolute max you know of that people can receive for their Financial Aid plan?</p>

<p>2) When they ask for me to send in our tax returns, do they want ALL the pages? Because that thing is pretty bulky o.O Hahaha</p>

<p>And I’m glad Emory students interact with the ATL community! If I do end up attending Emory, I think I’ll be spending more time driving than I will be relying on public transportation, though! I’ll just have to buy a GPS :)</p>

18

<p>Me and my dad tend to use W-2s or something else (I don’t think it’s the whole thing, I’ll ask him, I don’t remember). Through Emory Advantage, I basically get 50.5K out of the 52.5K it costs to attend each year. Go figure</p>

19

<p>bernie, mind sharing about what your adjusted gross income is? and any other certain unusual characteristics that would qualify you for a lot of money? 50.5K is extremely generous, and i would like to know what it takes to get that. my familys agi is quite low itself.</p>

20

<p>Only my dad’s income, so it’s just below the cutoff for the Loan Replacement Program. Look this up via the financial aid website (Emory Advantage).</p>