Tell me about Purdue?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Purdue University
1

<p>OK, so I got in - but I don't know anything about Purdue and I won't be able to visit for awhile. So, if someone can give me any words of wisdom in the following areas, I'd really appreciate it:</p>

<p>1) How strong is Greek scene? I hate frats and will not join one. Will I have a social life?</p>

<p>2) How impersonal is it? Is every class like HUGE (over 100)?</p>

<p>3) Do freshmen engineering students hang around together? Is there any central spot on campus where you can find them? (Some schools I've visited have sort of a central engineering office where kids hang out, get tutoring, get career advice, co-op help, etc.) </p>

<p>4) How hard is it to get from the school to a big airport?</p>

<p>5) Are there many out of state kids? Will I feel like a stranger in a strange land? (I'm from upstate NY.)</p>

<p>6) How are the dorms? Will I get stuck in a triple that's supposed to be adouble; or a six-man that's supposed to be a lounge?!!! Do engineering students live together?</p>

<p>7) What are the odds of getting into computer engineering?</p>

<p>8) When will I hear if I got any money? (I actually heard that I was accepted when I called them to see if they had my SAT scores because another school never got them from College Board - so I haven't got my letter yet. Probably tomorrow or Monday.)</p>

<p>THANKS THANKS THANKS
Tim</p>

2

<p>I went to Purdue many decades ago. My son applied last year, but chose to go elsewhere. Here are answers to your questions based on that perspective.</p>

<p>1) Far fewer than half the students are Greek. Non-Greeks have active social lives.</p>

<p>2) Some of the basic classes have large lectures. However, students in these courses also have recitations with 20 or 30 students. The courses I had with large lectures were the basic physics, chemistry, and math courses. Most other courses had twenty or fewer students.</p>

<p>3) I don't know where the freshmen engineers hang out now, but I imagine there are many hang-out places just as there were when I was on campus. After all, there are roughly 6,000 engineering students on campus. They can't all hang out in one spot. There is a central freshman engineering office, a women engineering office (although I'm not sure you are of that persuasion), and offices for each engineering discipline. </p>

<p>4) Shuttle service to the Indianapolis airport is available. The airport is about an hour away.</p>

<p>5) About a quarter of the students are from out of state - roughly 7,500. I grew up in upstate NY, too, in a town so tiny that hardly anyone even in upstate NY has ever heard of it - even people who live a half-hour away. Yet during my first week, I found someone whose grandmother lived down the street from me. So, no, you won't feel like a stranger in a strange land. </p>

<p>6) Pay your dorm deposit now. Dorm space is not guaranteed. Purdue will refund your deposit if you notify them you are not attending before May 1. I haven't heard of any overcrowded rooms. When I went to Purdue, once the dorms were filled, students had to find housing elsewhere. Off-campus housing was readily available. Buses run regularly throughout West Lafayette and Lafayette, so off-campus housing is feasible even if you don't own a vehicle. Some of the dorms have heavier concentrations of engineering students than others. I think Cary, Owen and Wily/Tarkington do, since they are closer to the engineering side of campus than the other dorms are.</p>

<p>7) I don't know. </p>

<p>8) My son heard about a University Scholarship when he was accepted. (I think that's what it was called.) However, the large merit scholarships didn't come through until spring. You may have to fill out more scholarship applications for those scholarships, though. My son completed eight applications of one ilk or another for Purdue. By the end of January, he refused to read any more mail from Purdue unless I certified it to be application-free.</p>

3

<p>There are also lots of engineers in Earhart as it is where the "engineering learning community" students all live. You might check out learning communities as it is a great way to meet other engineers. I think you have to apply but here is a link:</p>

<p><a href="https://engineering.purdue.edu/ENE/SpecialPrograms/FirstYear/lc%5B/url%5D"&gt;https://engineering.purdue.edu/ENE/SpecialPrograms/FirstYear/lc&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

4

<p>Ellen: Thanks so much for your long reply. It's a lot of help. I never thought about the housing deposit. I'll have tobounce that one off my parents.</p>

<p>Tookie: Thanks!</p>

5

<p>Yeah, submit the housing deposit for sure. I sent mine in a few days ago.</p>

6

<p>My S is a freshmen this year...</p>

<ol>
<li><p>The greek scene is very strong. S decided not to join a frat (which surprised us). He clearly isn't having a problem with friends. He barely has time to talk because he's always playing football with friends, golfing with friends, playing video games with friends, etc. It's funny how active he is without being in a frat.</p></li>
<li><p>S has 5 classes. Only 1 has more than 15 students. It's a 1 unit exploration of his major type of class. I think he said it has 100 students.</p></li>
<li><p>We fly into Indianapolis (from California). There is a shuttle that leaves right from the school to the airport. It's very convenient. My S's girlfriend uses it to fly in from NY.</p></li>
<li><p>S is from CA, 1 roommate from Boston, the other 2 are from IN.</p></li>
<li><p>S got his 3rd choice (we should have sent in the deposit right away but didn't). At first we were bummed because it was at the Hilltop Apartments, but he loves it because he says it feels more like an apartment than a dorm. It has 1 bedroom with 2 sets of bunk beds in it. There is a living room with the 4 desks (it's huge). There is also a private bathroom (pretty old but nice to have one to themselves and there is also a kitchen with stove and fridge.</p></li>
<li><p>I don't know anything about computer engineering.</p></li>
<li><p>As I recall in his acceptance letter there was something about the money he was getting. As we got further along in the process, we contacted them and they increased the amount.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Hope this helps!</p>