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Juniata College Visit Report by northeastmom
Visit to Juniata College in February 2008 by northeastmom (Parent of Student, HS Class of 2010)
(Member since May 01 2005 with 8443 posts)
7 of 7 people found this visit report helpful
Visit Activities:
Campus Tour: Yes
Campus:
Friendliness/Courtesy of Students:
Friendliness/Courtesy of Staff:
Appearance of Campus:
Building/Facilities Maintenance/Cleanliness:
Dormitories:
Security/Safety:
Off-Campus:
Area Immediately Around Campus:
City/Town/Community:
Campus Visit Notes for Juniata College
Visit Description:
We just visited this PA college recently. My son really liked the school. He liked the way it was presented as having certain traditions. For example, he was told that an email is sent about a week before tickets go on sale for a Christmas dinner. The professors cook and serve the meal to the students and there is a lot Christmas Carolling. There is also some contest to get "five golden rings" involved. Apparently everyone wants a certain table for this event so students group together with their friends and set up tents and camp outside for a week (one person needs to be there at all times). Attendance is taken and if nobody is present that group must move to the end of the line, or they must perform, or do something silly. Participating in this is all voluntary.
Programs of emphasis sounded interesting. We all liked the idea. One can design their own program of emphasis (major), or use a template of a typical program. There are still madatory classes in each catagory (ie: humanities, natural sciences), but it eliminates core classses. One has choices to fulfill the required catagory. It creates more flexibility to design a program around one's interests with the help of an advisor.
Food- We ate in the dining hall and the food was very good. I found that they had typical college food, but also had some healthy food options. I ate some pasta with cooked vegtables which were prepared for me (this was typical, it had nothing to do with a special prospie tour etc.). They offered pita with various dips (ie: hummus), fresh salad bar and fresh fruit, and 3 types of soup. The regular fare was grilled cheese, and I noticed someone eating peanut butter on a bagel. Pizza and fries were available. They served a beef dish option which did not look appealing to me, nor to a couple of students who I noticed passing this station. Sweets included ice cream, cookies, and cake.
The dorm we were taken to is available for sophomores and upperclassmen. It was old, but spacious. The drawers and closets were built in, allowing for more room. I was told that one could have a fridge, microwave, and even a George Forman grill. No candles are allowed. There is a substance free dorm. Most students live on campus for 4 years, but I believe one must live on campus for 3 years. Housing is guaranteed for all four years. There is a locked outer door for all dorms, which was recently installed.
General campus layout- Buildings are in a square with a green lawn in the center ("the quad").
Sports complex-they had a workout room with the usual equipment. Community members may use it and we saw a few of them there. They have raquetball/handball courts, dance studio, olympic sized pool, and a large gym for basketball games. They have an indoor and outdoor track. There is a football stadium, but we did not go to see it.
Town- We found the area to be very lacking. There are perhaps a handful of restaurants in town if one wants to escape on campus dining. There is an older movie house that runs current movies. I was told that the school is in the poorest county in PA. Many programs are brought on campus to keep students on the campus on weekends. There is also a shuttle provided on weekends to Penn State. We could not find a mall in the area, but a Walmart opened up recently and the school offers a shuttle to Walmart as well. There is an Amtrak station one mile from the school.
The school is quite small with 1400 students. My H and I both got the feeling of it looking a bit like a junior college, and a bit like a middle school or high school inside one of the buildings. Class sizes are generally small. I was told that the largest ones top out at about 40 students.
Hotel/Lodging Recommendations or Comments:
Comfort Inn in Huntingdon
Dining/Restaurant Recommendations or Comments:
We ate in the formal dining room at Mimi's. If I could have, I would have eaten in their more casual dining room, but it was full. There aren't too many restaurant options in this area.
