Thoughts on Union College?

[Anonymous]

I grew up nearby and it’s always been a solid and popular choice for smart kids who might otherwise be applying to schools like Tufts, NYU, Cornell etc. So, the cohort would be a lot of bright kids from highly local educated families - GE engineers, lawyers etc.

Union does have an impressive history. It educated statesmen like Chester Arthur, William Seward etc back when New York ran the country for much of the 19th century. It’s also benefited from GE money for the past century+.

[Anonymous]

Does it have a heavy drinking/frat boy vibe, or is it more of a classic liberal arts college with lots of intellectual and artsy students in the mix? I've heard accounts of both.

[Anonymous]

Like poster above we are quite interested given its programs - their engineering (the writeup at least) sounded good to us. However when I read about its historical and deep ties to fraternities I want to throw all that out the window. I do not want that to be anything but a niche sideshow at any school my kid attends.

[Anonymous]

We crossed it off the list after a visit. The tour guide warned not to go a couple blocks off campus in certain directions because it was not safe. And he admissions officer - himself a Union grad - could not answer questions about the academic programming in my kid's area of interest, which was also the most popular major. He mumbled something about how he needed to brush up on that and referred us to the website, which we had already looked at and didn't have the info we were asking about.

[Anonymous]

Our kid loved Union and it was their back-up if not admitted to top five SLAC, especially because of merit money. We know a few very successful alum too. Don't overlook it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Like poster above we are quite interested given its programs - their engineering (the writeup at least) sounded good to us. However when I read about its historical and deep ties to fraternities I want to throw all that out the window. I do not want that to be anything but a niche sideshow at any school my kid attends.

I don't know what the current Greek atmosphere at Union is like, but Union's CDS reports that just 10% of its men joined fraternities and just 12% of its women joined sororities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Union College is the Harvard of Schenectady.

If you knew much about the history of Union, you might consider this with less flippancy. At one point, Union may have been one of the four most prominent colleges in the entire country. Hints of this era can be seen in its carefully planned campus layout and in the boldness of some of its existing architecture.

this is delusional

No, it is absolutely correct.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Solid regional school. Not quite NESCAC level, but good engineering program. Similar to Lehigh for New England area.

68% of its domestic students arrived from out of state, however.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know 4-5 successful, kind, well-adjusted middle aged adults in a variety of careers who went there. FOr what that's worth.

One of my kids went there, as did the kid’s spouse. One is a very successful lawyer and one a physician.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Like poster above we are quite interested given its programs - their engineering (the writeup at least) sounded good to us. However when I read about its historical and deep ties to fraternities I want to throw all that out the window. I do not want that to be anything but a niche sideshow at any school my kid attends.

Jesus Christ.

[Anonymous]

My son was recruited to play sports there, so we toured it several times and did an overnight. It's a good school. He ultimately went elsewhere, but it left a good impression on us.

DS did hear that Greek life was fairly strong, but he didn't really elaborate on that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son was recruited to play sports there, so we toured it several times and did an overnight. It's a good school. He ultimately went elsewhere, but it left a good impression on us.

DS did hear that Greek life was fairly strong, but he didn't really elaborate on that.

I have a relative that was in a fraternity there a decade or so ago. My sense is that although there are fraternities it’s not like what you find at some schools. I think they are kind of geeky fraternities. He’s a huge feminist, a political progressive. and a very outgoing, low key guy. I’m sure he has his beer and pizza days at the fraternity house but I don’t think it was the raucous party scene that happens at some schools (cough, ASU).

[Anonymous]

My daughter goes there every summer for camp and I would never let my kids go there for college. The town is very run down and has very little going on. Visit it and you will see. FYI my oldest goes to VT so I am fine with rural- not run down. Union doesn’t feel like a place where we would want to leave campus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Union College is the Harvard of Schenectady.

If you knew much about the history of Union, you might consider this with less flippancy. At one point, Union may have been one of the four most prominent colleges in the entire country. Hints of this era can be seen in its carefully planned campus layout and in the boldness of some of its existing architecture.

OK, I'll send my kid to 1835 for college. They'll be an auto-admit when they show up for the alumni interview in a working time machine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Like poster above we are quite interested given its programs - their engineering (the writeup at least) sounded good to us. However when I read about its historical and deep ties to fraternities I want to throw all that out the window. I do not want that to be anything but a niche sideshow at any school my kid attends.

Historical or current? If current, can you please share more detail about the Union fraternity scene?