The University of Connecticut got its start in 1881 as Storrs Agricultural School. Today, the state’s flagship public university is part of a bustling college town where undergraduates can choose from more than 100 majors, get involved in cutting-edge research, and cheer on the Division I Huskies, particularly in men’s and women’s basketball.
Located in rural Storrs, about 30 miles east of Hartford, UConn spans nearly 4,100 acres and enrolls about 18,100 undergraduates. The university is “like a city within itself,” where “there are things for everybody,” says junior Antonio Salazar, a journalism and Latino studies major from Millburn, New Jersey.
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More than 600 academic, cultural, athletic, arts and other clubs keep students engaged. “Some exist that I haven’t even heard of” before, says 2016 molecular and cell biology grad Kayvon Ghoreshi, of Manchester, Connecticut.
The s tudent u nion is one hub of activity, with an art gallery, movie theater, game room and several dining options. Inside are also the university’s five cultural centers, which offer activities and support for female, minority and LGBTQ students. About 12 percent of undergrads join fraternities and sororities, which are active but don’t dominate the social scene.
“We’re not a ‘go Greek or go home’ school,” says Noor Afolabi, a 2016 grad in economics from Nigeria. Storrs Center, located just southeast of campus, has a range of shops and restaurants.
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About half of students who apply to UConn are admitted, and close to a quarter of them come from outside Connecticut. Students must further apply for certain majors like engineering, business and nursing. With a 17-to-1 student-faculty ratio, undergrads can expect some large lecture classes, particularly in foundation courses, though those typically break out into small-group discussion sections.
Students can also choose from a range of first-year seminars and learning communities, where those with shared interests in public health or the arts, for instance, can live alongside their peers and take classes together. About 2,000 undergrads participate in the honors program, which offers its own smaller seminars, advising and housing communities.
“It becomes much smaller once you make those key connections, but you definitely have to be proactive,” says Michael Bond, a recent grad from Windsor, Connecticut, who double-majored in molecular and cell biology and chemical biology. Bond got involved with undergraduate cancer research as a freshman by seeking out advice from a peer and an instructor, contacting a professor who might be willing to take him on — being “a considerate pest,” as Bond puts it — and later securing funding through the Office of Undergraduate Research.
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The OUR offers a range of grants to support student-designed research or creative projects across all disciplines. Nathan Wojtyna, another 2016 grad from Willington, Connecticut, was impressed by “how diverse and how deep the resources are” at UConn. The resource economics and horticulture major did research on ways to improve harvesting of the chokeberry, an antioxidant-rich fruit.
Though some students wish there were more to do off campus, most find ways to keep busy no matter the season, from ice skating and hockey on Swan Lake and sledding down Horsebarn Hill in the winter to playing in the OOzeball — mud volleyball — tournament. Huskies also take pride in the campus Dairy Bar, which serves ice cream made from milk produced by UConn cows.
Connecticut College Road Trip:
This story is excerpted from the U.S. News “Best Colleges 2017” guidebook, which features in-depth articles, rankings and data.
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Connecticut College Road Trip: University of Connecticut originally appeared on usnews.com
