Emerson College Top Questions

Emerson is quite possibly the most openly gay college community in the country. Although there isn't a large percentage of minorities on campus, I've found that most students here are incredibly open minded when it comes to different races and promoting civil rights for people of all backgrounds and sexual preferences. Emerson students are also extremely involved in student rights and political movements, due mostly to the journalism and political communication departments, and as a result you can see that the students care deeply about what's going on in the world around them. A word of caution: I would not recommend Emerson to Republicans. It's a school where all the buildings lean towards the left. Ironically, the students who would feel most out of place at Emerson are the kids who were most popular in high school. Prom queens, star football players, and students of those stereotypes would not find Emerson to be the most welcoming place for them. Emerson consists of students with artistic visions and high aspirations for the future- and it shows in the way the students act and dress. In a typical classroom, there would be students wearing jeans and t-shirts or sweatshirts, but also students in bright tights, vintage skirts, and brightly dyed hair. There are no boundaries when it comes to Emersonian fashion. Many students attend Emerson because they believe it is a college that will help launch their careers, and so many also believe that they'll be a Broadway star or Oscar winning director. However, a huge portion of students also are passionate about their majors even though they know that they'll one day be living in a box because of it. For example, writing majors and acting majors are well aware of the fact that they might be penniless after graduation, but care deeply about their work. I myself am a screenwriting major, an industry that is unprofitable and unstable, but it is my dream job and therefore I'm pursuing it.

most students wear whatever's hip. american apparel. marc jacobs. urban outfitters. etc. they're mostly upper middle class. not a lot of diversity. huge gay population. very accepting of gay culture. "normal" jock prep types are here but few and far between. there are a lot of harry potterish dragon-loving "freaks" here too. everyone's voting obama. mostly because it's hip.

Everyone gets totally dressed for class. It's that whoe tragically hip persona Emerson has going on. Like I said, a ton of people are gay. A lot of people come from New England or California, not sure why they come here to study.

You would feel out of place if you were shy, since everyone here has a HUGE personality. There are no specific cliques, besides the few frat boys and jocks we have, but they usually just mix in. I often roll into class in my PJ's, but that's a rare occurrence here. People wear anything from vintage dresses to studded vests, boots are really popular... everyone is really put together. Most of the student body seems to be proudly Agnostic/Atheist. There's not a lot of racial diversity, and obviously Emerson is pricey so most of us come from a similar economic background. Students are incredibly politically aware and active. Many of us attend rallies and conferences, and we usually have the news playing on the big screen in our Dining Hall. Almost everyone has an opinion. Emerson students are usually democrats, but there are a few republicans sprinkled in.

There are racial, religous, and LGBT groups on campus. Though I have not participated in these groups they do exist and especially the LGBT group has a large amount of support. Any student who has every concidered themself creative and wants to do something productive for thier life Emerson is for them. All forms of students interact and though there are small divides between majors there is a large amount of interaction. Emerson students are from all over the US and the world and come from all econmic backgrounds, though most students are from upper-middle class families. Emerson students have a large interest in politics and very few are apathetic, almost all students are liberals but there are a few conservatives.

Emerson students, for the most part, are very friendly. But a lot of them think that they are better than others. Since it's a private school and students given financial aid are few and far between, most of the kids here have money and therefore have that stuck-up attitude.

My hometown is incredibly diverse—in my high school alone, over 42 languages were spoken. Emerson, on the other hand, is not like that. For the most part, everyone is caucasion. It is quite possible that you will have a class out of 45 and have only two African American students in it. There is a cultural center on campus, though. Students are primarily upper middle class to upper class, caucasion. Unfortunately, the cost of the college determines the type of student that can attend. Emerson is, however, very diverse in sexual orientation. On any given day, a typical female student will wear skinny, black jeans, colorful, pointed flats, an oversized tote, flashy glasses, teased hair, and a pashmina scarf. On any given a day, the typical male student will wear the same thing. Honestly, different types of students don’t interact because there aren’t different types of students. For the most part, even though we all claim to be individuals and unique, we are all clones: competitive, driven, fashionable clones. Students tend to shop at places wear they can find semi-affordable luxuries, such as Mark by Mark Jacobs, H&M, and Urban Outfitters. Almost every student at Emerson is liberal. They are all very politically aware, but they might be more talk than action. You would feel out of place at Emerson if you: believe in God, believe in the republican party, don’t smoke, don’t listen to Indie movies, and are a straight male who doesn’t wear girl’s jeans.

I am not involved in any social groups on campus. I have friends who are a part of the LGBT group on campus, most of which only go to meet other people rather than to promote LGBT rights. Every student can find their place at Emerson. There are sorority and fraternity groups, musical kids, art kids...pretty much everything. There's even a Wellness floor of kids who do not participate in drinking or smoking or any other activities that may harm ones body. What's better is that all of these groups interact. During the first year, when people are put into living situations with random people it allows for mixing of these different cultures and allows for relationships to grow. The dining hall might consist of the pot heads, the girls who don't eat, the group that everyone knows, and the athletic teams. Most Emerson students are from the East coast. There are clumps of students from the West coast, too, though. It is more common for kids to come from families with money. Students here are politically aware and extremely active. A lot of students find jobs working for environment activist groups. Also, living across from the Common, there is a lot of political speakers who come to the area and Emerson students tend to be there in large numbers. Emerson is predominantly a left student body. We all talk about the millions we'll earn one day, and the brown stone's we'll retire in Beacon Hill.