<p>Does anybody, by chance, attend this school? I've heard it has a good reputation, especially in the sciences. </p>
<p>Any opinions?</p>
<p>I'm fairly certain there is at least one UAF student who roams the boards, fcytravis or something like that? Who knows. </p>
<p>But as an Alaskan from what I've heard I definitely have to say UAF is great for biology/sciences/engineering. They have some nifty research facilities also. I dunno much else. Just be aware that it is freezing up there, and there's not that much to do aside from winter sports/wilderness stuff</p>
<p>Thank you. </p>
<p>Oh yeah. I know it can get to 60 below, and I'm from Las Vegas!</p>
<p>All I know about Fairbanks is that they sent me a postcard with a picture of a moose on it, and I laughed for like 3 days straight. Apart from that, I was considering it because it was pretty cheap, and yet still respected. I guess people don't go there because of the fact that it's in Alaska..</p>
<p>I’m very, very interested in the Creative Writing M.F.A. program that the University offers…can anyone shed more light on this? How many people apply/are accepted?</p>
<p>From The Princeton Review</p>
<p>Academics:
"University of Alaska Fairbanks is an “inspiring (though somewhat chilly)” place to get a top-notch education and “enjoy the awesome nature of Alaska.” UAF is known as “a school of land, sea, and space science;” however, “the school varies as widely as the temperature! There are a multitude of programs, degrees, activities, and adventures to fit anyone willing to give UAF a chance.” With an undergraduate enrollment of fewer than 10,000, “class sizes are small,” and professors are “always willing to give help when one is willing to put the effort forward.” UAF is a research institution, so many professors balance teaching with academic pursuits. However, while some “professors aren’t superb teachers, they almost all are passionate about their subjects and try really hard to help their students.” On the whole, “administration plays a pretty low-key role” at UAF, though many students gripe about late financial aid checks and excessive red tape for class registration. "</p>
<p>Student Body
"The average age at University of Alaska Fairbanks is considerably higher than at most colleges, thanks to the distance learning programs and the large population of “nontraditional students, who are later on in life and are finishing up classes to get their degrees.” While state residents are the majority, “UAF is an interesting mix of students from the lower 48, Alaskans, Native Alaskans, Russians, and surprisingly, quite a few European and Indian students.” Thanks to the extreme conditions, “Alaska is the meeting place for eccentrics,” so the student population tends towards quirky. A freshman elaborates, “Fairbanks is a cold place for hardy people, and you get a fair amount of ““I-skinned-this-hat-myself”” types, along with cross-country-skiing-or-death kids, and a smattering of crunchy granolas. Somehow even the high-heels-and-frapuccinos survive—this is Alaska, and people are friendly and inclusive.”</p>
<p>Campus Life
““If you live on campus and don’t have a car, you can’t really walk down to the local bar at –40 and enjoy a beer. So, we generally make our own fun,” explains a UAF senior. Fun might be learning “salsa dance while wearing snow trousers and Sorels,” attending a lecture in the science buildings, or heading to the “college coffee house for some intellectual conversations or for a feel-good music experience.” Because of the long, dark winters, “SAD [Seasonal Affective Disorder] is common, and the health center rents out ““happy lights”” and offers free counseling sessions.” A senior offers this advice for the winter blues: “the happiest people make sure they spend time outside—sledding, skiing, dog-sledding, walking, running, [or] ice climbing.” There are 10 residence halls on campus; however, some upperclassmen consider it “a rite of passage to eventually get a cabin with no running water and become a ““cabin dweller,”” showering a little less often than some would prefer, or avoiding moose or bears outside your door.” For more cosmopolitan pleasures, Fairbanks offers “a movie theater, rental stores, book stores, coffee shops, restaurants, and other stores around town, as well as things like laser tag and bowling.””</p>