Union College, Schenectady, New York
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Visiting Union College was a dichotomy. As you are driving to get to the entrance of the college you are going through Schenectady, NY, a town that clearly has had very tough times. As you enter into the campus of Union College you are surrounded by beautifully landscaped grounds and buildings that will take your breath away. As I found out, there is an area outside the campus that the students go to along Jay street. My colleague and I had lunch at a cafe along the sidewalk which was casual with friendly locals serving us.
The school is very competitive with an admit rate of 37%. They have 50% of their undergrads as either Science or Engineering majors. Interestingly enough, 3 of the students we met were not in either of those majors but in the social sciences. Study abroad is very accessible with 60% of the students having a study abroad experience. The students told us they have excellent access to their professors and each student, if they so choose, can perform undergraduate research throughout their academic discovery.
Union is Division I for Hockey and Div III for all other athletics with 30% of the student body involved in Varsity or Club sports. Greek life is fairly prevalent with 40% of the students participating. 70% of the students participate in an internship. They have a combined Medical and Law program, where you apply for these programs as a freshman. Union is test optional other than for the Medical and Law degree professional programs.
