Ohio Wesleyan University

In retrospect I would've been far better served at another university. I'll discuss the pros of attending OWU: 1. I absolutely loved the art department and am very indebted to them for the generous help given me by them every step of the way and I loved the courses I took therein. 2. Financial aid was generally pretty helpful and was willing to work with me (coming from poverty makes higher education quite difficult). 3. I was able to get a job on campus easily through food service and continue to work there now. The cons: 1. There is little to nothing to do on campus or in Delaware and as such I spent most of my time in Columbus. 2. Dealing with the administrative offices is a joke. 3. There is very little in the way of preparation for career advancement or job placement. 4. With the exception of my major and subsequent department I hated practically everything about my time at OWU. Had I not been given a generous scholarship I would've attended school elsewhere in a heartbeat. I feel that the art department has enriched my Fine Art education such that I can comfortably apply those teachings in all I do creatively, but beyond that, I have nothing positive to say about OWU. If you're going to attend a university my best advice would be to seek out education at a better school. For the extravagant amount of money OWU costs you can be assured a far better use of your time and resources elsewhere.

Alumnus Male -- Class 2000

Ohio Wesleyan has relaxed admissions standards a bit so that nearly 74% of applicants as of this writing are admitted. That is very different from what it was in 1985 when I applied, and I do hope that changes. On the surface, it might seem then that the university provides an easy path to graduation, and let me tell you, my current and inside knowledge of the school tells me that that is not true. Students who think they can attend Ohio Wesleyan and just skate by will be sorely mistaken. The professors, on average, expect excellence from the students; no easy A's or passing grades handed out here. Students have to work here to be successful. The work does help with the learning, so it's a good idea to put in the work.If you can accept that, then Ohio Wesleyan is a terrific place to attend. People I graduated with have gone on to become doctors, professors, teachers, lawyers, journalists, and successful business people. The campus is beautiful. The students are well-cared for, and there are a million things to get involved in from Division III athletics to greek life to theater and more.

Alumnus Male -- Class 2000

This place is what you make of it. For those committed to making the most of his or her college experience, OWU provides fodder for an extraordinary liberal arts eduction.

If you want an academic challenge there are plenty of difficult courses. All of the natural science classes have reputations for being difficult -- but the faculty offer plenty of time for extra help. The most demanding courses in the humanities and social sciences are wonderful; they regularly displace normal thinking, and lead to discussions that reassess assumptions and values.

OWU also serves as a great launching pad for grad school, with surprisingly strong pre-law and pre-med programs. I'm at an Ivy now, working on my MS/PhD, and in my graduating class I knew people that went on to Cornell, U Chicago, Yale, Berkeley, Columbia, Michigan, Stanford, and other better known schools.

So, if you're willing to put hard work into your college education by taking advantage of challenging opportunities in and out of the classroom, OWU may be the place for you.

4th Year Female -- Class 2009

Individual Value: A, Social Life: C+