Stevenson University (SU)

Stevenson University is a small "private liberal arts college with a great atmosphere," so "direct interaction with professors is significantly higher than most other schools in the area," such as "UMBC and Towson." Many students praise the "intimate classroom setting" at Stevenson and the ease with which you can "approach your professor one-on-one." We are also reminded time and again that "Stevenson is a career-oriented university," where the professors are "friendly [and] engaging," and overall the school has "a high rate of people who [get] jobs when they graduate." The latter is due in part to Stevenson's "great business program," which is geared toward "real-world applications and less on simple, busy bookwork." "Stevenson takes pride in making sure that every single student is recognized and respected," says one student. In addition, the school appears "determined to giving [its] students a comprehensive education." But like almost any small liberal arts school, "there is always room for improvement," as with the school's "limited course selection" and the need for "a smoother registration process for freshmen and sophomores," especially given the fact that "most people hardly ever get their first choice of classes."

I love the students at Stevenson, one student tells us. "There are so many different types of people, but you can hang out with anyone," and "there aren't really any 'groups' of people such as jocks, nerds, or rebels." Generally speaking, the "diversity among students" is a highlight for many at Stevenson. "Some like to party a lot, some are hard core studiers, some are quiet, but one thing they all have in common is that they're friendly." Commuters also make up a good portion of the student body, which, as one commuter describes it, can make "it more difficult to make friends," add to which, "activities for commuters are limited." But with recent construction and new developments to the campus, Stevenson is making something of "a transition from a commuter school to a full on-campus type school." Unfortunately for commuters, this helps breed the sentiment that "the school doesn't think too much about the commuters and mostly focuses on the resident students."

Life at Stevenson has been described to us as "very laid-back and casual" with a "great community feel." "There are always activities going on during weekdays," but far fewer on the weekends, which can be good for students who need to "relax and do homework over the weekend." "There are parties, which can get out of hand at time," but for those students with little to no interest in the party scene, Stevenson "provides many leadership opportunities to get involved on campus." For example, there is an "annual homecoming weekend" and other "signature events" like on-campus "concerts and midnight madness basketball games." "The location isn't that great," says one student. "While it can be very peaceful, it can also get boring." Off campus, "there is not much to do in the immediate area," so for those students who feel the need to stretch their legs, "downtown Baltimore [is] only a twenty-minute drive" from campus. The area also offers ample opportunity for outdoor activities. As one student describes it, "fun consists of going snowboarding, going out to eat, watching movies, and doing community activities." On the whole, thanks to school's small size and the diversity of the surrounding area, life at Stevenson is "well balanced."