Union College in NY

[Anonymous]

If you have first-hand experience with this school, can you tell me what you like (and/or don't) about it?

Looking for DD, rising junior, 4.5 weighted GPA, no SAT or ACT yet but anticipating around a 1300/31ish? Aspiring STEM major, hoping to play D3 sports, loves cold weather, wants a SLAC with a pretty campus.

Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you have first-hand experience with this school, can you tell me what you like (and/or don't) about it?

Looking for DD, rising junior, 4.5 weighted GPA, no SAT or ACT yet but anticipating around a 1300/31ish? Aspiring STEM major, hoping to play D3 sports, loves cold weather, wants a SLAC with a pretty campus.

Thank you.

Union is a great school, but with those grades, she should be looking at the NESCAC schools. Not only some of the top schools in the country but that is probably the most competitive D3 conference in the nation.

[Anonymous]

Alum here. I loved it! I am still friends with people from college 10 years on, and they are all doing well in interesting and successful careers. It pulls heavily from the NE and sometimes feels more like a Trinity College in terms of prep/attitude, and sometimes much more like a state school.

It's a SLAC with a big engineering focus as well, so actually skews (or used to) a bit more male. D3 sports with D1 hockey.

Campus is really pretty but Schenectady is not great... the social life is very much on-campus, so if the surrounding town is less important it could be a good fit for your DD. Greek life is a big part of campus life too.

[Anonymous]

Beautiful campus, amazing education. Faculty is available and supportive. Fantastic stem facilities and opportunities. Strong D3 sports. Biggest downside is that there isn’t much around there.

[Anonymous]

Union College = University of Lynchburg of the north.

The surrounding area is quite desolate, cold and creepy in winter. Academic rigor is tailored to students from somewhat wealthy backgrounds who don’t want to work too hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Union College = University of Lynchburg of the north.

The surrounding area is quite desolate, cold and creepy in winter. Academic rigor is tailored to students from somewhat wealthy backgrounds who don’t want to work too hard.

I’m guessing you have no actual experience with the school. The surrounding area isn’t great, but the academics are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Union College = University of Lynchburg of the north.

The surrounding area is quite desolate, cold and creepy in winter. Academic rigor is tailored to students from somewhat wealthy backgrounds who don’t want to work too hard.

Lol. My Union alum friend went on to do his MBA at U. Chicago.

[Anonymous]

Take a look at Connecticut College if you head up that way to look at colleges. Beautiful campus, strong academics, decent sports program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Take a look at Connecticut College if you head up that way to look at colleges. Beautiful campus, strong academics, decent sports program.

OP here. Thanks for this advice. DD has two friends heading to Conn College this fall, one who plays her sport, so we will get to hear about it from them once they're settled in.

And thanks to the other PPs for their input. DD does like the idea of a walkable, pleasant town near her campus, so maybe Union isn't ideal in that way. DD is a good athlete but not an outstanding one so won't likely appeal to coaches at the most competitive D3 schools.

[Anonymous]

Union kicked out a 1st gen kid mid-semester for not getting a booster, after kid had issues with the first two.

[Anonymous]

I love the DCUMers and their thoughts about cold weather. Then, we will flash forward to the winter months and these same people having anxiety over a dusting of snow. Never change DCUM.

[Anonymous]

I know a couple students who went to Union, did engineering, and really had a good experience. What's her unweighted GPA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know a couple students who went to Union, did engineering, and really had a good experience. What's her unweighted GPA?

OP here. 4.0.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Take a look at Connecticut College if you head up that way to look at colleges. Beautiful campus, strong academics, decent sports program.

OP here. Thanks for this advice. DD has two friends heading to Conn College this fall, one who plays her sport, so we will get to hear about it from them once they're settled in.

And thanks to the other PPs for their input. DD does like the idea of a walkable, pleasant town near her campus, so maybe Union isn't ideal in that way. DD is a good athlete but not an outstanding one so won't likely appeal to coaches at the most competitive D3 schools.

Same poster--Conn College definitely does not have a nice, walkable town, but it does have an enormous arboretum (530 acres, if memory serves) that is a great place to get out for a very pleasant, long walk. There are also ocean beaches close by if she's into that.

[Anonymous]

Also look at St Lawrence. Great D3 sports, beautiful and walkable campus (in a small town surrounded by other colleges), loyal alumni base, wonderful merit aid for kids with her stats.