Loyola University Maryland

Loyola is a great school with a beautiful campus. You meet amazing people and the professors really are there to help, but it seems that the administration is only there to hurt you.

One tip: Do not attend this school if you expect to have the best 4 years of your life.
THERE ARE OTHER SCHOOLS THAT ARE JUST AS GOOD ACADEMICALLY AND MORE FUN!
The night life is terrible and one wrong thing you do you are immediately put on deferred suspension. I've contemplated transferring out since freshman year because I thought I was wasting my time. When it came time to my sophomore year, I began seeing the values that Loyola teaches through a few of my classes and started to really enjoy my time here. I have over a 3.0 GPA and on track to achieve dean's list for the second semester. I applied to go abroad because the University boasts so much about its abroad programs and it was something I really saw myself doing when applying to schools. I was accepted, then ran into a what would have been a little trouble at any other school, but at this school it was seen as a year and half of deferred suspension and a bunch of fines (because 50 grand isn't enough) and other restrictions. After I was accepted into the program and did everything I needed for the abroad process, I was EMAILED saying I have been removed from the program solely on the reason of me being placed on deferred suspension (instead of looking at the person I truly am). So now for Junior year I can't room with my friends due to the deadlines for room selection. So now, I will be living with random kids whom I most likely do not know and will be dreading my life here at Loyola until I graduate.

Oh and I was written up by RA's for wrestling with my roommate...probably going to get a fine for that too because 50 grand isn't enough.

1st Year Female -- Class 2018

Campus Aesthetics: A+, Social Life: F

Here is the real deal with Loyola. I went there for my freshman year, and the first semester I had a blast. The bar scene in Fells Point/York Rd. is pretty fun when you first get there. That being said, I would be considered by majority of people to "fit in" with the stereotypes/expectations of Loyola male students. My family gave me a lot of money, I had a large group of close friends, most of whom I still talk to. I had a fake, dressed pretty typically of Loyola guys, the whole nine yards. So maybe you don't relate to me very much, but for you guys that do, take this review to heart before you decide on Loyola.

First of all, the professors and faculty at Loyola really are great. For the most part, especially for my business classes, I had a really positive experience with my teachers. The work they require is usually challenging and engaging, and staying on top your studies is crucial. Loyola is not a friendly place for students who don't get their work done consistently and keep in good standing with their professors. Getting a grade swayed in your favor starts right from the beginning of the semester; make professors know who you are and see them after class on occasion, and not just for tests. TAs don't exist which is nice, because you are being taught everything directly from a professor, and most of them have their doctorates. I honestly don't have anything negative to say about the academics, but I will say this. The work you will do for your degree is not going to be worth it for most students. Loyola MD has a true visibility problem outside of the Northeastern academic community, and if you aren't in the top tier of your class you will with near certainty have trouble with employers recognizing your school as one of value. Heed this warning.

Outside of the classroom, I can honestly say there is a small profile of students who will have a good time socially. They are for the most part privileged, white, and close-minded. Most students care a lot about how they look, and any physical or appearance based faults will leave you out of the loop. Groups are made immediately after school starts, which can be shocking to a lot of students who don't know many people at the school. The reason for this is fairly obvious once you get to know your class more; a lot of students come from northeastern prep schools, and a lot of students know each other before they even get to the campus. I knew about 10 people, many of whom I went to a northeastern prep school with, before I even got there. The friends I made were from all over the northeast area, but we could all trace mutual connections and we were all pretty aware of each other's prep school and its reputation. The point I'm getting at here is that students like and tend to gravitate to others who fit similar molds that they do. And A LOT of students fit this mold. If you don't fit this mold, honestly and seriously consider going somewhere else.

Like I said before, the bar scene was pretty fun my first semester. However there were some downsides then, and even bigger downsides now. First of all, fake IDs are absolutely necessary and are difficult to get ones of quality once you are there. The girls are undoubtedly gorgeous and there are a lot of them. But that being said, most girls are looking for a certain type of guy, and not fitting the above mentioned mold will leave you completely off their radar. You will spend a lot of money at Loyola, no doubt about it. Cabs are a necessity, and get expensive. Drinks at bars add up; I usually blew any where from $60 to $100 a night. You figure out when you're there that the cheapest way to go out at night is to get completed annihilated before you even leave your dorm, which is risky in itself. The RAs are complete losers, they love hitting up freshman with alcohol write ups. I figured this was obvious but I'll say it anyway; this school is a bar school. Parties DO NOT happen, and the ones that do are thrown by lacrosse houses and are near impossible to go to without the following requirements: 1. Being a laxstitute, aka complete sluts for lacrosse players, or 2. be a lacrosse player/be best friends with a lacrosse player. The friends of lacrosse players have no self respect, and the lacrosse players themselves generally suck and won't talk to you if your not one anyway. A shocking amount of guys worship the lacrosse players, and will do anything to get into their social group. I guess the benefits are the sloppy seconds of the lacrosse players, but these kids also have no self respect and are complete tools. Don't be one these kids. Also, the team isn't even good, and the only sort of "school spirit" is going to lacrosse games in the spring. There is absolutely zero athletically based student body community; school spirit is a laughable thing. The be all, end all of Loyola is this mediocre lacrosse team.

There are some important things to note socially outside of the nonexistence of parties. There used to be some really enticing aspects of the bar scene that got me to go there: Craig's Fest and the freshman bar Reefers. Any incoming freshman should be keenly aware that Reefers is now shut down, sold to some restaurant. Reefers was the best part of my freshman year by the way, so this is a huge blow socially. Also, and this remains true to my knowledge, the legendary event known as "Craig's Fest" did not happen for the first time during my freshman year. I heard a rumor that I think is true as to why this is but that isn't important. The important part is that it doesn't happen anymore, and the bar scene at Loyola is now wholly made up of three bars on York Rd., for the whole school. Murphy's, tiny lax bar that is ultra packed and lame anyway; Zen, really nice but usually juniors/seniors exclusive and really tough to get into underage; and Craigs, the even more packed small ass bar that is fun if you can move around at all that night. The freshman now flood these York Rd. bars every weekend night and the sophomores are back to being denied like freshman. No one seems to go to Fells Point now, making York Rd. really the only place to go. I had a good time here but the bar scene got so repetitive and played out that I just stopped going out altogether at the end of my freshman year. And I had more bar choices then than you will if you go now.All in all, Loyola is a great niche school for certain types of people. There are plenty of kids that love it, and there certainly are some redeeming aspects to it. But for me, this place isn't college. It felt more like a "graduate high school" if that makes sense, and lacks so many aspects of a fun and well-rounded university. The degree is respectable no doubt, but the school has limited visibility, and is virtually unheard of outside the academic community in the Northeast. The amount of work you will do at Loyola truly isn't worth the degree, I spent more time explaining what and where Loyola is then I care to remember. Proceed with caution.

1st Year Male -- Class 2015

Faculty Accessibility: A-, Social Life: D

THIS IS AN AWESOME SCHOOL. i love it, although there are a few things to point out:
1) it is VERY VERY expensive. Not only is tuition 50 grand a year, but the cost of having a social life includes that of multiple taxi rides on a weekly basis, as well as money for drinks ( loyola is almost 100% a bar school). as a freshman i believe i spent close to 2 grand on spending alone, which leads to point number 2...

2) YOU MUST HAVE AN ID THAT SAYS YOU ARE 21 OR YOU WILL NOT HAVE A SOCIAL LIFE AT THIS SCHOOL. well, that is in most cases. There are other things to do on campus, but you will not have anywhere near the experience that many loyola students rave about. it is what makes this school fun.

3) The school is fairly boy-heavy.
4) the food is outrageously expensive.sadly, because of the costs, i will be looking at other (cheaper) schools. But if you can afford the place, it is an overall awesome school to go to. all of the negative points i have put here are FAR surpassed by the positives.

1st Year Female -- Class 2013

Campus Aesthetics: A+, Innovation: C