Seattle University Top Questions

Students here are extremely left, and they make sure to shout about it. It can at times be frustrating because you might feel out of place. But outside of class there really aren't many instances of political activism. We do get into campus wide debates at times when it comes to race, however. This campus can produce some pretty ignorant ideas.

I've met people from every race, religion, and sexual orientation here. There are a number of multicultural clubs that put on events throughout the year for the whole campus. For example, the Muslim Student Association celebrates Eid, the end of Ramadan, every year with a huge banquet that everyone attends, and no one cares who is Muslim or who isn't. LGBT is definitely accepted and open. People are chill about what they wear, wearing jeans and sweatshirts or tee shirts when it's sunny (it's not always rainy.) There are a few people with dreadlocks who dress kind of liberal-hippyish. I've met people from wealthy families and people who are only here because they got a full ride scholarship. People don't really talk about their financial status though, so it's not divided like that. There are quite a few people who went to private high schools, so I suppose that upper middle class dominates. It's all over, though. Most students come from the Western States, but I've met people from just about every state, and there are quite a few international students, though I don't get to meeet all of them because they're required to live in the Xavier Hall. The political left is definitely more vocal, but everyone is accepted as long as they respect other's opinions. Also, I've met a lot of people who really aren't interested in earning money but just want to change the world. People are very idealistic and are very into things like non-profit and volunteering. There is a business school, but I feel like it's kind of detached from the rest of the student body because they're not quite as into the social justice, change the world mentality as the rest of us.

Seattle University is one of the most diverse campuses in the Northwest. We have a lot of international students and have a whole dorm dedicated to global students and also students interested in other cultures. A lot of activities are put on by the school that involve diversity and different cultures and I really feel like every race, religion, and lifestyle is extremely welcome here. There is a large homosexual population at Seattle University and also in this part of Seattle (Capitol Hill). Everyone socializes with everyone here and there is not one stereotypical person here at Seattle. Our eating areas are small so you can always find people to eat with and it's extremely easy to make and maintain friends and friendships. About half of the students are from Washington state, but 7{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the student population is international and basically every state is represented at Seattle. Students' financial backgrounds also vary. Seattle is very good with financial aid and will help anyone in need with great scholarships and loans. What I like about this school is that there is a lot of money in the school, but you could never tell who was rich and who was poor here. Everyone interacts and there are no class distinctions. Students are pretty liberal here and are very active politically and environmentally; Seattle is a very green school.

The most vocal student group is probably the LGBT groups, aimed at acceptance and equality. They are accepted hear at Seattle U, especially in Capitol Hill, Seattle's "Gay Neighborhood." Many students do come from a priveledged background, but not everyone! Some students, myself included, pay for our own tuition and living expenses. That means we work hard, and get a lot of help through scholarships and grants. In the garage, you'll see brand new BMWs right next to twenty year old Toyotas. In the same vein, some students are preoccupied with how much they'll earn after graduation. The school is very social-conscious, so most just want to get by and make a difference in our world.

Huge gay population. Not ever a nuisance though. Su students range from those from po-dunk nowhere, to those who came from extremely afluent backgrounds. It is quite a good mix. It puts things into perspective. One thing that most all students have in common though, is that no matter where they may have came from, everyone is going to do something in the future.

The racial diversity is pretty strong, and the Mexican and Filipino communities seem to be particularly tight and well developed. Ethnically there is a lot of mixing, too, not so much 'self-segregation'. It's hard to feel out of place at SU because you have the rich kids straight out of prep, you've got kids in on scholarship from Seattle itself, you've got your (stereo)typical Seattle grunge and indie kids, and you've also got a lot of kids from Idaho or Montana bringing sort of a country or at least small town sensibility with them. The LGBTQ community is very strong and active, we just had a drag show this weekend. The LGBTQ community is also the place where there is the most ethnic and socioeconomic mixing I think.

Our student body is really open. And since it's so small, you get to know a lot of people really quickly. There is a lot of diversity, not everyone comes from one place. We have plenty from the east coast, and plenty from the Seattle area. Not everyone is of a specific social class. In my room, I'm middle class and paying for EVERYTHING through loans. My roommate is lower class and paying for almost everything through the government. Another is upper middle, lower upper, and is paying with a trust fund. My last roommate has a rich grandparent who gives her whatever she needs. But no one cares. And no one cares about future earnings. We care about the future in general. Where we're going to live, if we're going to get married, what our dream job would be... that stuff. And that's what most everyone is like. They look at the happy ending, and what makes them happy along the way. Not the money.

The kind of student that would feel left out is the student who doesn't care about their education and are all about partying. I feel that Seattle students are the perfect balance of work and play. Different types of students do interact which is what I love about the school. There are a lot of wealthy people here and not being one of them sometimes that is hard to deal with. Politically, most are left, but not all.

Students are generally open to differences in culture, race, gender, sexuality, etc. I would SU requires students to be pretty mature and task-oriented in order to succeed. Students have their fun, but since no greek system exists on campus, students generally have their fun off campus. Students dress varies, but most just come to class in a jeans, a jacket to keep warm during the cold rain, and comfortable shoes. Students on campus are predominanlty left wing on campus, however, right wing and libertarian ideas are also pretty prevalent.

If you're conservative, especially morally, then you will not have an easy time here. The general population is extremely liberal and extremely LGBTI friendly. Coming from a conservative state, even though I am liberal, people assumed that I was conservative and gave me the cold shoulder from time to time. It's a expensive private school, so a good amount of the students come from very wealthy backgrounds. However, SU gives good scholarship, so there are people from different financial backgrounds as well.