<p>Has anyone heard anything about the University of Alaska System? I'm thinking University of Alaska Southeast (UAS), located in Juneau, but I can't find much on CC about it.</p>
<p>UAF dominates the system, in terms of funding and student recruitment. UAA also attracts some attention because it is in Anchorage, which has half the state’s population.</p>
<p>UAS is a bit less-known, but it offers a liberal-arts education in a very picturesque place. The place isn’t terribly well-respected but would probably be sufficient for work in Alaska.</p>
<p>Those are just the local stereotypes.</p>
<p>UAF is the only state flagship in the nation that US News ranks in its bottom quartile.</p>
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They do some things very well (geology, petro eng., atmospheric sci, etc.) and many other things poorly. Living in Fairbanks is killer - I think they would have better luck if located in Anchorage.</p>
<p>noimagination is spot on about UAF. If you want to be at the forefront of a lot of interesting earth sciences and climate sciences related stuff, UAF could be the place for you. With that said, I can’t speak to the overall quality of an undergraduate education there. UAA is popular for Alaskans, but its just another State U (albeit with a good nursing program and a stellar debate team). UAS is definitely the third place school in the system. It does only have 2800 students though, which is a plus, if you’re into smaller schools. </p>
<p>The Alaska that you’ll find in Juneau is a very different Alaska than you’ll find in Anchorage, which is very different than the one you’ll find in Fairbanks. Juneau is warmer than most of the rest of the state, but also a lot wetter. Southeast Alaska is pretty much beholden to the cruise ship industry, though there is some fishing, mining, and logging that still goes on there. It’s a very scenic territory, where you’ll find mountains rising practically straight out of the water, and some of the greatest temperate rain forest in North America. With that said, it’s a lot like a rural Pacific Northwest in that area, and not radically different from Washington or British Columbia.</p>
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<p>That doesn’t sound too good :(</p>
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<p>I was thinking of social sciences or liberal arts. The only reason why I wanted to apply to the UA System was because I am an international student and wanted to apply to somewhere I could consider a safety. </p>
<p>Thanks for your help all. I think I’ll still apply there, but obviously if I get accepted to a match/reach will decline the UA offer.</p>