Augustana University (AU)

Augustana College is a “Christian, liberal arts school devoted to excellence, community, and service.� High school students “enter to learn,� and college

“The typical student at Augie is white, of Scandinavian descent, from the Midwest, hardworking, religious, financially responsible for some portion of their schooling, and very nice.� She is “concerned about academics.� Not surprisingly, given the school’s affiliation, the predominant religious bent is Lutheran. Despite their very similar backgrounds, students “are surprisingly different in opinions,� which can make for colorful conversation, as students are also “very concerned about issues.� Though “Augustana is not diverse, which is one of its weaknesses,� it does have “a decent amount of atypical students. They fit in very well.� One student majoring in nursing writes, “I know one mother [who] is in her 30s [who] plays in the brass band. Another mom is in one of my classes, came from Lithuania, and she is embraced and challenged like any other student in that class. As a traditional student, I find it refreshing to find age variances in the classrooms. It gives an extra, unique perspective on the issues at hand.�

Student life here is reportedly very well balanced: “during the week it is all business, but the weekend is a time to let loose, relax, and have fun.� Typically “students party on weekends,� but the school’s “sports teams [also] have a tremendous amount of support from the student body, faculty, alumni, and also the residents of Sioux Falls.� Students also take advantage of events like “‘coffee house’ concerts, school dances, [and other] special events.� An athletic bunch, many undergraduates here report doing whatever they “can outside, like play hockey or sled in the winter, and play Frisbee golf or soccer on the green in the spring and fall. Downtown and the local parks are also great places to go hang out.� If the elements drive them indoors, students “spend time staying fit at our recreational facility or working!� Off-campus “Sioux Falls is a good place to find something to do. With movie theaters, amateur baseball and hockey, restaurants, book stores, and whatnot,� there are a lot of things to do in the area.� And not if you’re looking to get way, way off campus, Augustana is prepared to help you do that: “Many students experience some type of study abroad and the college actively invites student participation in that experience.�