Union College - New York
- 4 Year
- SCHENECTADY, NY
College
Union College - New York
- grade A minusOverall Grade
- 4 Year
- SCHENECTADY, NY
- Rating 3.7 out of 5 628 reviews
Union College - New York Reviews
Rating 3.7 out of 5 628 reviews
I transferred from BU to Union and wad instantly drawn to the small community feel. The professors seemed to care so much for their students and the campus lifestyle reminded me of home.
Union is amazing! Academic work is definitely challenging, but the professors are more than happy to assist you as much as possible. The materials are fast since this is a trimester school, but it also keeps us more concentrated.
If you are looking for small classes and connect with faculty and students, you will love Union. Schenectady is not the best, but it still has good options.
The student body and friends I've made here are the best part. There are also a few standout professors in my major, which is very encouraging.
For context of this review. I am a recruited athlete for this school so I didn't research the school enough before coming and here is my honest review. The academics are fine. Not too challenging but also not too easy. The professors are helpful and supportive which is also good. That's where the good ends. The campus facilities are run down, there are constant issues with things breaking and things are just not kept well. Housing is horrible. The dorms are old, one of them is a renovated hotel with drug deals happening constantly in the parking lot. You have to get "released" to live off campus as a senior but they don't release enough people and after housing selections there were 30 people in each class without beds. That's outrageous. The administration is non-existent, I emailed the president about a major safety issue and didn't get a response for over a week. I also needed documents and had to email 3 administrators multiple times to get anything from them. DON'T GO HERE.
The social life at Union College is heavily influenced by the Greek system. If you’re not interested in fraternity or sorority life, you might feel a bit isolated.
The campus size is small, so your social experience depends on your willingness to engage with Greek organizations
The campus size is small, so your social experience depends on your willingness to engage with Greek organizations
Small school that is respected in its private school niche for its academic reputation.
The acceptance rate has steadily increased from low 30's as of ~2017 to nearly 50% today...
Huge question mark: Where does the money go? $82k total cost of attendance, however no real renovations to enhance student quality of life in decades.... Professors are so passionate (a huge plus!) yet, complain about being underpaid... and since it's a small school with below-average pay -- it is starting to become reflected in the types of professors & courses consequently offered.
Greek Life and Athletics Dominates the campus culture, and it's very hard to find anything else to do outside of those.
I and many of our classmates will forever be Dutchmen, however the school will forever find that an issue and ostracize us from the larger community, alienating us from the current student population, but soliciting us endlessly for MORE money.
An interesting place...
The acceptance rate has steadily increased from low 30's as of ~2017 to nearly 50% today...
Huge question mark: Where does the money go? $82k total cost of attendance, however no real renovations to enhance student quality of life in decades.... Professors are so passionate (a huge plus!) yet, complain about being underpaid... and since it's a small school with below-average pay -- it is starting to become reflected in the types of professors & courses consequently offered.
Greek Life and Athletics Dominates the campus culture, and it's very hard to find anything else to do outside of those.
I and many of our classmates will forever be Dutchmen, however the school will forever find that an issue and ostracize us from the larger community, alienating us from the current student population, but soliciting us endlessly for MORE money.
An interesting place...
The Union College experience has been pretty good so far. There may not be something for everyone but it is a solid experience. You get a great education, good party life, with good housing.
It's a good school academically, and with the individualized support I received from each of my professors, I was able to succeed and grow so much intellectually, however, it isn't for everyone. The social life at this school is very much dominated by the Greek System, and depending on whether or not that kind of lifestyle is for you, you may find yourself a bit lonely at times, especially since the school's size is very small, so whether or not you have a social life very much depends on how willing you are to be involved with fraternities and sororities. It is a great school with an incredible faculty that cares about all of its students, though, so be sure to keep in mind your personality and how much you mesh with this school in particular when applying.
I am writing this review for one reason and one reason only. If you want to know what it is like to be a student here, ask a junior/senior what getting "released" to live off campus is like. Let me tell you, in case you are not connected. They essentially only allow 20-40 students (out of 500) to live off campus your senior year. This makes it so that if you do not get released you must pay "double'' (room and board as well as off campus lease) if you want to live off campus. Then they also have an on campus housing problem because they over-enroll and do not have a place for these students. Problem? Solution, I could think of one. On a more positive note, Union has a strong well connected student body. For reference, I am a junior student-athlete. Go Dutchmen!
Professors are very nice. But this college is too small and lacks of academic courses. If you study in cs or engineering major, you won’t be able to take any courses related to your major during the first year. During my freshman year, I could only take some boring writing courses, which makes me lost interest in studying a lot.
I personally really do not like the trimester system. I think that the school is slightly on the decline, and would love to see a positive change in the facilities. People say that the school has not been the same since COVID.
Union College is a great school with loads of opportunities. It's a very tight-knit community and everyone gets to know on another quite well.
Overall the community is good but the food can get better and since it’s a small town there’s not much to do except the frat / party life .
I really like the academic and social life at Union, however as some with allergies the food can be lacking, but they are very knowledgeable about cross contamination. The trimester system is also very unique and amazing. Overall, I love it there and am excited for my next 3.2 years.
Union College is a fantastic school with a good community and great professors. Its small size allows for a tight-knit community and frequent communication with faculty and staff. There are many opportunities to get involved with research and take classes that are unique and interesting. It is also easy to explore classes and themes outside of your major as well.
Union college was an intimate college experience. I professors really cared and it was easy to build relationships with them outside of the classroom. The student body was small and friendly. Everyone knew everyone by the end of the 4 years.
I came to Union and Upstate NY from California, looking for a small liberal arts college which could support an array of my interests - from art to lacrosse, studying abroad to inner-city work. I loved the small class sizes, the driven, highly-intelligent professors, and the accessibility of everything on campus due to it being a smaller school. I was always able to find time to get work done with classmates or professors, and found Union to be a very comfortable place to be pushed academically while still feeling immensely supported. I played four years of lacrosse for a Nationally ranked NCAA program, was able to study abroad in multiple countries, and still found time to create friendships with professors and peers which Im confidant will last for my lifetime.
While some knock Schenectady - the city was being fully revamped while I was there. Farmers Markets, small-businesses, restaurants, and volunteer organizations have made great use of the energy which Schenectady still has.
While some knock Schenectady - the city was being fully revamped while I was there. Farmers Markets, small-businesses, restaurants, and volunteer organizations have made great use of the energy which Schenectady still has.
It's pretty good here. There's tons of things to keep you busy, especially if you're not a party person. There's over 130 something clubs, there's music ensembles, club sports teams, etc. The dorms are clean and tidy, especially for living in the Freshman dorms. And with all of the new renovations, the food is pretty good quality with good variety for all eating habits.
Overall, I had a great education, made wonderful connections with professors and peers, and took classes that expanded my breadth of knowledge. The administration needs some help to see the reality of the student body they have and to focus on what programs and systems on campus actually need help. There is definitely a disconnect between the admin and the students in that focus and time is placed on the wrong things.