Indiana University of Pennsylvania — Attraction in Indiana

I would say I'm fairly proud to have attended IUP. I dropped out of a community college in Erie, PA because I would've been $25,000 in debt after 2 years. I finished IUP with I think a bit over $11,000 for 4 years. Because of it being a state school, I got a good amount of grants through FAFSA (I had ZERO expected family contribution) I graduated in 2012, and I'm proud to say that I paid off ALL my student loans by myself just last year. I will now go through a list of what I enjoyed about IUP and what things I hope they will improve.

Firstly, I began in the Spring of 2009. I flew by the seat of my pants cause I missed Fall orientation and enrolled late. I didn't know a single soul out there, but thankfully to the old style dorms of (Schaffer, Scranton, Lawrence) I made some really cool friends from across the state. Unfortunately, they have removed all of the old style dorms and I believe its substantially impacted the 'feel' and environment of the campus. The new suite style housing isolates students by having so many security entrances throughout the buildings. I understand the need for safety, but it was so awesome to cruise up and down the floors in the old dorms and chat with ppl that had their door open.

The thing I love about IUP though is the amount of diversity. There are a lot of international students from all over the world. It was so cool to make friends with a bunch of people from India, as well as countries like Ghana, china, japan, Saudi-Arabia, and so many more. IUP has tons of clubs and organizations to get involved in! Definitely take advantage of that opportunity. Join everything and anything- (until you find what you like or where you fit in) its a great way to make friends and also its great on the resume.

I studied Comm Media and I minored in Journalism. The Comm. Dept. was really laid-back with a variety of classes and professors. I would really like to only say positives about the dept. because I loved so many of the classes like TV production and basic Comm Media classes.I would honestly say that I wasnt as well-prepared for work in the field as I would have liked though. I dont think I was prepared enough for 'what I was going to specialize in' or where my passion is. We spent a lot of time doing a portfolio of work samples, but that doesnt help carve out your path in a field thats super competitive and requiring specialization.

I feel that the financial aid office was always pretty helpful and there was never a really long line to wait. the cafeteria has significantly improved since I was there so students should love that. ( I actually worked for 3 years in the cafeteria to earn some cash and it was a great job. The staff was super friendly and I'm still close with a handful of them today through Facebook.)

My final suggestions for improvement would be that IUP still needs to improve its campus climate and atmosphere. I've heard stories how IUP used to be so leisurely with students hanging out all over the place. Granted, they still have the Oak Grove which is just about the only green-space left, but they mostly have metal chairs, benches, and tables throughout campus for students to sit at. They seem un-inviting and lack a true casual campus atmosphere. All college students are 'Acceptance Magnets', which means we go where we feel most accepted. Sure, a lot of students can say "Hey, Im not here to make friends, Im here to study..." but the real honest truth is they all want to enjoy the best 4 years of their life by making friends and sharing stories and just enjoying the independence away from home for the first time in their life. Please continue to invest in making the campus more welcoming and inviting for students.

Lastly, I dont feel so great about the IUP Alumni Office. Since I graduated, they have reached out to me for a donation, but they have yet to really ask if "I have a job" or "how can they help me?" Alumni is the most important thing to a college, its all about who you know... (or so they say) I would like to have a better way of...

I highly advise anyone who is thinking of going here to try to find a different school. I am currently in my senior year here and it has been the worst 4 years of my life. It wasn't because of the classes even though they could use a little touching up, but the whole process of trying to do different things. One such example would be the numerous times were I try to schedule for the next semester and 1) Most advisers barely have any time for you even when you schedule meetings 2) Except for maybe 1 adviser, every single one basically left me in the dust, figuring out what classes I needed on my own or just to figure out my own problems. The just irks me so much since I am spending so much money for them to be telling me to figure my own problems out. Also each department office is horrible when it comes to helping students, most of the time you will be put through 7 different people before you get your answer and when you finally do, the answer is usually that they can't do anything at that is all. Being a student I am constantly worrying about one thing or another and they just don't care or are oblivious to all the troubles and worries of...

I received an extremely inappropriate letter in the mail from this college trying to advertise to me. The PO Box Number was starred out to make it appear as if the PO Box was secret, and there was no return address present. The only thing inside of the envelope was a small cut piece of paper written by a typewriter that read "Who do you think you are?" and was surrounded by nonsense words and random letters randomly places on the page. It looked like a ransom note. There was a link typed at the bottom of the page, and after freaking out for ten minutes because the letter seemed so stalkerish, I typed the link in and it took me to the website for Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Not only will I not be applying, but I will be telling every one of my friends not to apply and I will be writing a formal complaint. This letter was not appropriate and actually very creepy. In this day and age of cyber-stalking and bullying, no college should be sending unmarked mail with such ominous and cryptic messages inside. Shame...