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College Prowler

Academics

The faculty and staff at Ursinus College are, for the most part, extremely friendly and helpful. This is largely due to the intimate atmosphere and small student-to-faculty ratio, both of which help contribute to a sense of being part of a community.

Athletics

I play three intramural sports, one each in the fall, winter, and spring. It keeps me active and healthy, and it gives me a chance to make some friends or strengthen the bonds I have with my teammates. I wouldn’t normally have time for varsity sports, but intramurals are definitely worth participating in.

Campus Dining

The food on campus isn’t bad for college food. Wismer has a variety of foods at different stations such, as hometown, pizza, hot off the grill, and several others. There is a huge salad bar that is always open, and cereal, bagels, breads, and ice cream are always available. I almost always go to Zack’s because you can use your meal credits there. It has Pandini’s for pizza and calzones, SubConnection, Jazzman’s for salads and sandwiches, and Grill 155, which has chicken strips, burgers, fries, quesadillas, and cheesesteaks.

Campus Housing

The dorms are really great. The closets are a good size, and the bathrooms are always extremely clean. For freshmen, there are two dorms, and 44 freshmen also live in the new dorm. For upperclassmen, there is the new dorm, Richter-North, Reimert, and the houses. I would stay away from Reimert if you aren’t into the party scene because that’s where a lot of the parties happen. But even then, the people who live there love it.

Campus Strictness

Underage drinking is prevalent on every college campus. There haven’t been too many busted parties, but if you are found drunk as a freshman and taken to the hospital, there are serious consequences. I know of several students who had to do community service after they were taken to the hospital to get their stomachs pumped. I know of at least two students who were asked to leave because this happened twice to them.

Computers

At Ursinus, all of the students are given a laptop when they begin their freshman year, and they turn it in for a new one before junior year. I find that the laptop program helps alleviate a lot of the problems that come from fixing laptops and giving out loaners because since everyone has the same one students know how to work on everyone else’s computers.

Diversity

Economically, the majority of the people are in the upper-middle or upper-class because it is such an expensive school, but there are some exceptions to that because large scholarships are given out. Ethnically, I would say that there are different races represented, but probably not to the extent of other schools. Politically, I would say that there is a pretty even split, though it is not a major issue for most people.

Drug Scene

The only drug I have ever seen—actually, more like smelled—is pot. I smelled it once last semester while walking past the parking lot, where I saw a couple of students hiding in a car doing it. That was pretty much the only time I’ve ever seen anyone do any drugs. It’s really not something I’ve ever seen or noticed on campus. Personally, I like it that way.

Facilities

The athletic facilities at Ursinus are very nice. They are very modern and up-to-date, and they are a good place to go to work out, either alone or with a team. The library is a bit older, and, because it is a smaller school, there are fewer books than at a very large campus. However, the inter-library loan system is very efficient, and it can get you just about any book or article you can imagine. Also, the theater at Ursinus is a new addition, making it one of the more prominent buildings on campus.

Greek Life

Greek life is on campus, but it’s not a huge deal. I think a little more than 30 percent of the campus is Greek. Its role is to basically host the parties. Greeks have a lot of parties that they bus students off campus for. Most people join a frat or sorority if they want to party a lot.

Guys & Girls

The guys and girls on this campus are usually pretty friendly. A lot of them are smart, too, and this makes them even more attractive. There’s always going to be a fair share of beautiful girls, handsome guys, ugly people, and everyone else in between. But the people on this campus are outgoing and intelligent, and as a result, pretty damn attractive.

Local Atmosphere

Collegeville is a very safe, quiet, and quaint town. There are really no places you should avoid. There are lots of places within walking distance, such as restaurants, two shopping centers, grocery stores, hair/nail salons, video stores, and drug stores. There is also a Wawa within walking distance, which comes in handy if you need supplies for the fridge or money from the ATM. By car, there is a bowling alley about 15 minutes away, Target and Regal Cinemas are 10 minutes, and King of Prussia Mall is 20 minutes. We are also located 35 minutes west of Philadelphia and other universities.

Nightlife

Since kegs aren’t allowed on campus, we purchase massive quantities of cheap beer and have trash cans with ice throughout the houses, which is nice because it avoids a line for a keg. Before the parties open, only the hosting organization is there. After that, the houses can sometimes get very crowded.

Off-Campus Dining

As it is a small town, there are only a few restaurants within walking distance. The Collegeville Diner is a favorite late-night spot for students, but DaVinci’s Pub, located just off campus, is a much nicer option. There are also quite a few restaurants in King of Prussia. In addition, there are a few pizza and Chinese places that will deliver to your dorm, which is a good option on busy nights.

Off-Campus Housing

I find off-campus housing to be inconvenient. Most of the area around campus is houses, with the exception of one apartment complex near the school. But it does not like to rent to college students. I would say that off-campus housing is not worth it. It’s convenient to be able to walk to class if you live at Ursinus, and most people are on campus anyway.

Overall Experience

When I was first applying to schools, I only applied to Ursinus because the application process was very easy and it was close to home. Even up to the day I moved in, I did not really want to go here. It was more of something I did because it made the most sense, and it was one of the few schools I was accepted to because I had applied to some very prestigious schools. However, that changed once I got to know my roommate and made some friends who I have come to know better than anyone before.

Parking

There are enough spots for everyone plus some extra, but the main large parking lots are not centrally located. Some people don’t like to park far away, but compared to other campuses, parking here could not be better. Main Street houses have parking near them.

Safety & Security

I have never felt as though I were in danger at Ursinus. Since the campus is so small and secluded, the College is able to keep the students under control without having to worry about violence from the surrounding town. The police and fire stations are located very close to the school, and students can call campus safety at any hour of night for an escort back to their dorms. Even though my friends and I will often meet one another if we are going to have to walk in the dark, I’ve never heard of any reason why this would be necessary.

Transportation

Collegeville is small, so you only need to walk or ride a bike to get around town. If you’re trying to get anywhere else, there is a SEPTA bus that stops directly in front of the campus, which can easily get you to a bigger transportation hub.

Weather

The weather is typical of Pennsylvania. It gets pretty cold in the winter, but usually there is no more than a couple inches of snow, so real snow gear isn’t necessary. In the spring and summer, it gets rather hot, so shorts and tank tops are pretty common that time of year.