The University of Tulsa (TU)

The many students at The University of Tulsa, a small private research university, find it to be the total package. After all, it combines "the friendly environment of a smaller university and the academic, employment, extracurricular, and service opportunities of a larger university." It also does a tremendous job of fostering an atmosphere that's "conducive to collaboration and growth." In general, students describe the academics as "challenging." And a number of undergrads emphasize TU's "strong engineering school," which thoroughly prepares students for "work[ing] in the industry, especially [within the] energy [sector]." All undergraduates, no matter their major, benefit from "small class sizes." In turn, this affords students the opportunity to build "close relationships...with [the] faculty," full of professors who "are great resources for [both] internships and real-world advice." Aside from being great contacts, Tulsa professors are "very knowledgeable and passionate about their subjects." They also "make their students a priority" and they're "very accessible outside of class." As one student expounds, "Many of my professors frequently invite students to their office hours and remind us of their availability.... [It's clear they] care about my academic experience, career readiness, and about me as a person."

The student body at The University of Tulsa is comprised of "friendly" and "inclusive" individuals. Of course, it probably helps that the school is home to "a diverse group of students from various economic, academic, religious, political, and ethnic backgrounds." Indeed, "Division I athletes, international students, military veterans, sorority sisters, petroleum engineering majors, and piano performance majors represent a few of the many groups woven together on TU's campus." Undergrads are "committed to doing well in school." As one student explains, "We are all here to do well, but we are here to do well together." Undergrads also describe their classmates as "smart," "engaging," and "extremely focused on their studies." And most "are incredibly involved at TU, whether it be in Greek life, athletics, music, [or] research." Additionally, a lot of "TU students look for opportunities to challenge themselves and impact their community." One thrilled undergrad sums up the campus experience: "TU honestly feels like a small-town community. Everyone is so friendly and kind, and it's like having one giant family."

While University of Tulsa undergrads say that "a good portion of [their] time is...spent studying," there's still plenty of fun to be had outside the confines of the library and/or classroom. For example, "there are a ton of active student organizations" and you can always find "an event to attend or free food to eat." Popular options include "homecoming...dog petting days, bowling, [and] carnivals." One excited student adds, "TU is good about providing events bi-weekly, like s'mores at the Student Union, an outdoor movie, or a play." If the Greek scene interests you, you'll be happy to learn that "the fraternities on campus...usually [host] events Thursday through Saturday." A number of undergrads also love to relax on the "many [beautiful] lawns" on the TU campus. And you're sure to find a handful of students playing any number of games, from "baseball [and] football [to] Capture the Flag." If you prefer your athletics to be a little more structured, there's also a "very popular...intramural sports [program]." As for hometown T ulsa, "there's a great food, music, and art culture in downtown T ulsa so you can always find something to do." And we're told that "the restaurants here are awesome, small and large concert venues attract all types of artists, and there all festivals of all types throughout the year."

TU students can find all the resources they need for interview preparation, academic planning, and internship seeking at the CaneCareers website. The department also hosts multiple industry-specific job fairs and internship workshops in both the fall and spring semesters. There are a 鈥渧ast amount of research opportunities鈥� to stock r茅sum茅s, and career prep programs take place (often with free lunches) almost daily throughout the week. Of The University of Tulsa alumni visiting PayScale.com, 50 percent report that they derive a high level of meaning from their jobs.