Drexel University Top Questions

Drexel is a mixed bag, and I've mostly seen the bottom of that bag. Our math professors are some of the best teachers I've ever met, but the quality of some classes makes me want to cry myself to sleep. The best part of being at Drexel is not being at Drexel - coop. I've had one so far and it was fantastic, but the rest of your stay can suck if you aren't careful. Don't make the mistake of commuting - you won't have anyone to help you with the bullshit. And to quote another reviewer, "Fuck the administration." That bears repeating. "Fuck the administration."

This school is certainly experiencing a lot of change from its past. Five years ago at the start of my high school career, I would never have considered going here. Even in my junior year of researching, there were simply more complaints than praise about the school. Yet, today Drexel has gained a lot of face value and continues to grow. With a new president and new buildings, the aesthetics are only getting better and better at Drexel. Financial Aid can be a pain, but this is true with any university you plan to attend. For me, it was a lot of verifying information and sending in faxes or mail, but I got a great chunk of money from Drexel. I also made sure I was on top of my financial aid, and I didn't lose a penny that Drexel offered me. When it comes down to it, you aren't going to be "babied" along at college. You have responsibility, and you are responsible to get your life in order. There are plenty of resources and people that you can call at Drexel with questions. I know that I called them at least five times during my financial aid process, and they helped me through each question every time I called. Drexel is most certainly one of the more expensive private universities, but it's also #2 on the top universities to look out for and in the top 50 universities on Businessweek.

Drexel is a mid sized college with very respectable professors. For the most part the professors are very busy with research. They try to make time for the student but sometimes it does not pan out. There are many oppurtunities for on campus help. There are teaching assistants depending on the inddividual they can be alot of help. I personally wish the campus was in a more rural area but some people enjoy the city life. I have taken classes at a Penn State satellite campus and feel that Penn state and Drexel offer the same academic oppurtunities. However drexel allows a student to pass a class with a "D". This is outrageous to me. The students believe since they work on 10 week quarters they have to compress the same amount of information into a shorter span of time. This is not true. Depending on the material, there may be two quarters reserved for what would be one class at another college. Another issue is the cost, of course it is a private school making tuition higher for the student. I feel this money is being distibuted to research as opposed to the undergraduate program.

The "big picture" is that it's a very practical place. Writing resumes, how to conduct yourself in an interview or a workplace, how to apply what they're teaching you, etc. It's all about going out and being in your field.

The Big Picture? Well, there's more like 5 big pictures... 1. Drexel is a college on cusp of greatness. As lame as that sounds, its true. A med school, a law school, a business school that's climbing in th ranks, two campuses, a great online program, and talks of expansion out west. These things are only starting to build the name and image of the Drexel degree, and for those looking for answers (probably parents more than anything), your school's name means everything! 2. The campus is getting better. Period. 3. Philadelphia is a great city, and Drexel is literally minutes away from everything. There are a million restaurants/bars downtown, the museums, the ballparks, the music venues, comedy clubs, all a 20 minute walk/subway ride away. Don't forget, the Poconos are 2 hours away, the jersey shore only 1, Atlantic City, New York, Baltimore, DC, and lets not forget the wonderfully entertaining site-seeing of Lancaster Country (okay maybe that's not a great pitch, but its there if you want good butter?). 4. Paying for college blows. Like its awful, and the price of Drexel isn't low, but honestly, I don't have a single friend who easily got a job after graduating and is making less than 45k with their DU degree. Can't say the same about my hometown friends who went to other schools. So in the end, the pricetag is worth it. 5. The technology is great. The whole campus is wireless, which may not be a selling point to you right now... but you'd miss it here if it ever went down.

I mainly came to Drexel for three reasons. The CoOp program really spoke to me as a great opportunity, I really wanted to go to a college that was literally in the middle of a city, and I got rejected by Northeastern. Even though it wasn't my first choice I knew that i'd be happy here because honestly--i'd probably be happy anywhere I went. The CoOp program spoke to me so much because of my own families situation. I have a brother who is seven years older than me, and after graduating high school he went to college. However, a year and a half into this stay at college, he got suspended and decided not to go back. The end result was him sitting and basically living in my living room with his girlfriend at the time (now my sister-in-law) and it was a situation that created a huge amount of stress in the house. I decided right then and there that I was not going to 'bounce back' no matter what. And if I don't come home for the summer and am working instead--it will be that much easier.

Its the perfect size, not too big, I run into people I know on the way to class. Not too small, there's still so many people I have yet to meet. Drexel is getting more and more attention and accreditation from peers and employers. There needs to be a football team and a track team to get full campus pride. I didn't like the city school type initially but it's grown on me and I love it now! I like the diversity, I am a better person from it. There's lots of different crazy people to meet and learn from.

the schools administration. at drexel, you are only as good as your money. that is all that drexel cares about. extremely unorganized and sloppy. on the other hand the education is outstanding and the co-op program is unriveled. many things to do on campus and extremely easy to get involved especially in greek life

The people at Drexel are the best! Due to half the student body always being on co-op the 20000 student body seems like a very small school -- just the way I like it. Students complain a lot about financial aid and Drexel's red tape. Although a lot of progress has been made in the positive direction, DU still has a long way to go. CHE professor are awesome if you can get past the annoying general engineering classes. These general classes would be a lot better if 10 chapters weren't crammed in ten weeks.

Drexel is really great the way it is. We have a lot of school pride and we're definatly a college town type of area, especially with such a large neighboring college. When I tell people I go to Drexel, it's always a big deal. They all love to congratulate me and comment on what a great school Drexel is. Once, I even had someone approach me on the street and ask about the Drexel hoodie I was wearing. When he found out I went to Drexel, he congratulated me too! I didn't even know his name!

The best thing about Drexel is the co-op program. I haven't gone through it yet but it's the main reason I came here, I want work expe4rience when I graduate. One thing I would change is the ridiculous amount of money it costs to go here, Drexel is SO expensive. My school is the perfect size, for me anyways. Some people go home on the weekends, but since I'm in the city, there's always something to do. Even though many people haven't heard of Drexel, I would have to say we have a lot of school spirit when it comes to things like sporting events and such, which is important to me. There are also a lot of student activites going on constantly. One complaint I have is that freshman are forced to get the most expensive mealplan at the dining hall, and it is definitely an annoyance since the cafeteria isn't that close and the food isn't that great (although there are a lot of choices.

Best thing about Drexel is the marijuana. One thing I would change is the meal plan price, and all the rediculous involvement with the Democrats. Its a good sized private school. People are impressed when you tell them you go to Drexel, unless of course, they are UPenn grads. Most of my time on campus is in my room. What college town? Drexel's administration is great now, but fraternity and sorority life could be a lot less looked down upon from them. Biggest controversy on campus lately was the girl who got hit by a bus. No one is too proud to go there, but we are not made up of poeple who brag. An unusual thing about drexel is that we spend close to 30k a year for tuition, yet we still have an extremely ugly campus. The experience I will never forget is the quality of the marijuana from freshman year.

When I tell people I go to Drexel they almost always ask me (usually first) how do I like it. I spend most of my time on campus. Drexel's administration is not something I commonly have interactions with. My department has a person who allows us to go through her with most of our issues regarding classes and scheduling issues. When I have had to deal with the administrators its usually been a long process of waiting for the person to be ready to meet with me regardless of having a meeting or not. Biggest recent controversy is something I wouldn't really know about. I know in the past the whole ordeal with the freshman who stuffed her newborn baby into a gym bag and put it in the trunk of a car. But other than that I'm not sure there are big controversies going around. There is a lot of school pride. We have Pack the Dac which is popular. There are a lot of engingeering events that have been going on recently where the student participation is crazy. Most frequent student complaints are probably homework (!), teachers being too strict with their grades and testing practices, owing wayyyy too much money and finals.

The best things about Drexel are the Co-Op program and being IN Philadelphia. If I could change anything I would add football since that seems to always be a way to increase school spirit and the tuition is ridiculously high for what it is. I feel the size is great, its perfect for me. I know people, but not everyone. When I tell people I go to Drexel I usually get a "So you're an engineering major?" followed by "thats a rigorous engineering program." I usually spend most of my time on campus in North where most of my friends and myself live. I also spend a good time in class...lol, usually in one of the engineering buildings or friends live a few blocks away from campus where I spend a lot of time as well. I wouldn't say Drexel is a "college town" because it is in Philadelphia which is a major city. You feel like you're in a city not really even on a college campus at times. I like it that way though. I went to a school with a real campus and really did not enjoy it. Even with the schools around it I wouldn't call it a college town, just a school in a major city. Drexel administration has been great for me. They have never messed up my billing and when I transferred back here (I transferred in and out) they really helped me to get back on track and get back into the swing of things. I cannot really think of any controversies on campus. There is a lot of school pride. I am a member of the DAC Pack, the school's spirit team for mainly basketball and I love it. Most people have school pride. Drexel is unusual because of the quarter system as opposed to the semester system, some people hate it, I love it because classes go by quicker and you take more different courses. It is challenging to keep up sometimes though. I think being in West Philly is unusual also, but I love not being constrained by a campus setting or boundaries. You really need common sense to ensure safety. My greatest experience at Drexel was moving into the Engineering Learning Community in Myers Hall. We really became great friends almost like family. We ate together, hung out together, spent our weekends together, took trips together, lived together, and studied together...everything. Although we are spread out now, we still all are great friends and do a lot together. The most frequent complaints from students are definitely tuition, its really pricey here.

One thing I would change about Drexel is security. It needs to be made more safe; I know one girl who was mugged just outside my dorm building. I like the size of the school. People react positively when I tell them I go to Drexel. I spend most of my time on campus in the Honors Lounge or in class. There's a lot to do in the city; this is definitely an ideal place for a university. Drexel's administration is more focused on expanding right now than anything else; there are constant changes and construction going on. The biggest recent controversy on campus was regarding a girl who got hit by a bus on 32nd and Market Sts. There is some school pride; but it isn't very prevalent. The basketball games are rarely full. However the people who do show up are hardcore fans.

Drexel's good point? It's co op program. It's the right size. Ppl think you're not that smart if u go to Drexel. I'd change group projects. It's been my experience that most TA's or professors give out group projects. You can not control what others due and their participation and it hurts your GPA. Party school. Had trouble with their financial aide ppl...they were not helpful or knowledgeable (i have a grant they said i do but i don't...wtf does that mean?). Not too much school pride. No football team. Ugly campus.

The best thing about Drexel is that it is an already respected university, ranked 108th in the country, and it is also climbing in the rankings and continuing to improve in every way. It is fun to watch things around you getting better and better. One thing that I would change is to focus some of the sooner infrastructure improvements on student life issues, such as outdoor recreation, retail, and housing, rather than on academics. The northern part of the campus has been improving quite as quickly as the rest. The school is just right. It is large with 20,000 students, but it feels like a small school because many students are commuters and many are on co-op, so you see the same people every day. Most people are impressed when they hear I go to Drexel. Some who are not familiar with the city will judge it based on what they hear on the news or on "Fresh Prince of Bell Air", but that is bound to happen with people who don't give cities a chance. I spend most of my time in a lab that I work in. There are plenty of opportunities to work on campus, even doing research within your own major, as undergraduates. This is a great opportunity. Philadelphia IS a college town, with 80+ colleges, and West Philadelphia has Drexel and University of Pennsylvania right next to each other and is called University City. Many people hate Drexel's administration and complain of red tape, but I have never experienced it, which is weird because most complain about the financial aid office but I have plenty of financial aid and have never had problems dealing with them. One thing that is frustrating and that the bursar's office and financial aid office don't work together as closely as they should. Recently there was a student who was arrested for identity theft. She and a boyfriend from University of Pennsylvania moved into a Center City Philadelphia condo and stole people's identities. The story had little to do with Drexel except that she happen to go here, but it was a pretty high profile story. The amount of school pride isn't as high as I would have hoped, but it is definitely growing, and rallying around our sport's teams is what is starting it. Drexel also hosted a Democratic Debate in Oct. 2007 and and in Jan. 2008 the Olympic table tennis tournament for the U.S., two things that students can pride themselves in. Also, as the campus aesthetics improve, students are becoming more and more proud. Students are rallying for change in all of aspects of the university like I've never seen before and it is bringing plenty of positive change. I think Drexel is unique with its location being close to Center City and walkable and also next to University of Pennsylvania. Most frequent student complaint is probably the administration, but I believe even that is improving, and I've never had any issues personally.

One thing I'd change is the food service at Drexel. It's greasy, expensive, and inconvenient. If you can't make it to the dining center for a grilled cheese or some soggy chicken breast, you can head over to Kelly Deli or Ross Commons for more quesadillas, burgers, fries, or pizza. Vegetables? Fruit? Oh, they have some fruit...but it'll cost more than that double cheeseburger with bacon. I'm not sure how it works at every other school, but at Drexel, all of the administrators get to be Senior Interim Associate Directors of something. I'm really not sure what some of the higher up Administrators do…I know our President is probably on campus only a few days a month (if that). We send him to India and to California so much (on the student's dime), that they actually just hired a "Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff. Seriously, can I just have someone answer a phone call when I call the main office or someone to help me process my transcript request? Greek Life at Drexel is probably the best thing to have ever happened to me. I've found a great group of guys to call my brothers for life, but besides that, I've networked for jobs, developed great public speaking and time management skills, and enjoyed college life.

Drexel just has this wonderful feeling when you step on campus. That's what made me decide to go there. It has a great sense of community, the people really make the school. I am on campus just about all day because I work on campus also. I really couldn't imagine going anywhere else. Plus, Philly is great especially University City because there are so many student in the same area as Drexel.

One of the best things about Drexel is the co-op and the location. There isn't anything I would change. The size is just right, smaller campus with medium population makes it so you know a lot more people. Many are somewhat impressed, a few have never heard of it. I spend most of my time on campus, either in class or hanging out with friends in the office. The whole area is somewhat like a college town but since it is in the city it is more of an urban version of a typical college town. We are next to a few university to this entire side of Philly is like one giant college campus. The administration is pretty decent, they do the job that is needed of them to the best of their ability. There has not been anything terribly controversial on campus we have had some minor things happen, with someone being arrested for identity theft and that is about it. There is a ton of school pride, everyone always gets hyped for the basketball games. Drexel runs on the quarter system which is a little unusual for colleges. One experience that I will always remember is when the Democratic Presidential Debate was held at our school. The most frequent complaint is the traffic in order to get to class.