Catholic University of America
Reviews

Alright

The Catholic nightlife is very monotonous. Everyone who goes out on campus is at one party/bar. It isn't rare that I see the same handful of people (seniors-freshmen) every weekend. There are some sort of fun options for bars (McNasty's, Brothers, etc.) but overall nothing extraordinary. 18-an-older can get into these bars, and they very on the strictness with fake ID's and underage drinking. Of course there are cool bars in the city, but they have expensive covers aren't really convenient to CUA. There are also off-campus parties at the various sports houses. They DO charge girls. Also, avoid the baseball house as they often charge too much for parties, and kick everyone out once they've made a sizable profit.

You Will Want Rain Boots!

It rains A LOT in DC and you will most certainly want rain boots and an umbrella. Since the university has a relatively small campus, the walk in the rain isn't that bad.

CUA a-Okay

After a year and a half at CUA, I have grown to love it. I have great friends and there is always something to do on the weekends. Washington DC is a great and fun place to go to college. The biggest problem I have with the school is its cost. In addition to over $50,000 a year costs, everything costs too much, especially since it is in a crowded city.

Not a Strong Greek Presence

Greek life is not really allowed on campus because of our catholic affiliation.

Hot

The girls are beautiful and the men are very Handsome

An Ivy of the Non Ivies, Loving Student Body, Professors That Actually Care

I honestly love the Catholic University of America. President Garvey is doing some great things to our university. Garvey is bringing a lot of prestige and attention to CUA. The professors really care. They give you so much help, even though they should considering how hard our classes are. Don't let the high acceptance rate of CUA make you think its a bad school. Catholic does not get as many applicant's as the average university because of the fact, we are the Catholic University of America. Classes are very rigorous but for a good purpose.

Safe

Catholic is not in the best part of D.C. but its surely not in the ghetto. Security is also always on patrol. You will feel really safe.

Rigorous

The classes are very rigorous.You can basically call Catholic the "IVY" of the non ivies. Because CUA students typically do not have as glamorous of academic statistics of neighboring schools, the classes are very intense. The classes are very intense so that once you graduate you will be able to compete well in the Job market with schools such as Georgetown,George Washington and American University. Please don't let the high acceptance rate give you the notion that Catholic University is not a good school.

Everyone Is Represented!

The diversity on campus is superb! You will find almostt every race on campus: African-American, Asian, Caucasian, Hispanic,etc. There is unity among us all and we interact colorblindedly.

Everone Can Succeed

If the student is WILLING to study and learn the program - the teachers and assistants are there willing to lend a hand where needed - but it is up to the student to show the desire!

What to Expect at Catholic

i think catholic is a very friendly environment, the school has a small number of students, so its easy to come in contact with someone mutiple times in a semester, hence making it easier to adjust

On Point!

CUA really looks out and cares about its students academic success. The school offers plenty of support such as the center for academic success. The professors seem to care about the students' success too. CUA is very lucky because the professors are able to have one on one time with the students because unlike other universities the classes are fairly small.

Psychology

The psychology department offers a variety of specialty courses so undergrads have the opportunity to explore the subject. The professors are extremely knowledgeable in their subject area. Many are conducting research and have had studies published. Psychology is heavily writing and research based. If a student is interested then the work is worth it. Many undergrads work with graduate students and professors in research labs, earning them extra class credits and invaluable experience. The department head makes sure all undergrads know about internship opportunities in the area.

Hello White People

All white kids!

people are very open and accepting with sexual orientation also!

Ahhhh, CUA...

There are many things to love about CUA, and I mean that in all sincerity. We have some excellent professors who truly care about teaching, not just about their research. Class sizes are relatively small. CUA is first and foremost a liberal arts school, which means that your distribution requirements will expose you to large doses of the humanities, the natural sciences, and (best of all) classical philosophy--topics that teach you now only how to regurgitate facts, but also how to think, speak, and write (though you lose out on some of the benefits if you cover your requirements with AP exams). The Honors Program is first-rate, and there are some excellent study abroad options (including a very unique partnership with Oxford University). The student body includes a large number of truly smart, idealistic, and overall well-put-together students. The Catholic identity is, on balance, a plus: students have unrivaled access to the sacraments, and Campus Ministry (led by three beloved Franciscan chaplains) runs highly popular community service activities and recreational events for Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Finally (and this should go without saying), the location simply cannot be beat. DC offers a myriad of opportunities for college students, and the challenge is to figure out how to take advantage of as many of them as possible without completely overwhelming yourself.

With all of that said, I would be remiss if I neglected to mention the bad. CUA has an embarrassingly low freshman and sophomore retention rate, and to a certain extent the numbers, bad as they are, don’t fully convey the true extent of the problem: many of the best students in the junior and senior classes express regret that they did not transfer when they had the chance. A detailed outline of the reasons for this problem would consume pages upon pages of text, but I will stick to the issue that I, personally, have found to be by far the most debilitating.

CUA's size and focus on the liberal arts are both blessings and curses. A large majority of the departments in the School of Arts and Sciences (essentially, anything that’s not Philosophy, Theology/Religion, Architecture, Social Work, or Engineering) are perennially underfunded, understaffed, and “under-studented,” meaning that many of the upper-level courses listed in the catalog have not been offered in years and probably never will be offered. This is not something that most high school students think to ask about when they make the college choice, but once you enter sophomore year you realize that it is a huge problem. The end result is that you end up filling your degree requirements with courses that don’t interest you, are irrelevant to what you want to do with your degree, and are very different from (and inferior to) courses being taken by students in similar programs at other universities. Such has been my experience with the Economics major: when I went to my advisor to express my concerns about the lack of upper-level Econ course offerings, he suggested that I fill my departmental electives with business courses (management, accounting, etc.) Business and economics are two very different fields, and getting a B.A. in Economics by taking business courses would be unheard of at other universities. Now, this issue may not be a problem for everyone. Some departments are better than others. But, for your own sake, DO YOUR RESEARCH, especially if you’re looking at a major that falls under the School of Arts and Sciences. Find out how many students are in the program, how many full-time professors work for the department, the course rotation, etc. It’s research I desperately wish I had done before choosing to major in Economics at CUA. One thing to keep in mind: the school will tell you that we are a member of the DC college consortium, which in theory should give students access to courses at other area universities. Unfortunately, this fact does not even come close to ameliorating the problem that I just outlined, because a) it is very inconvenient to travel to the other universities, and b) CUA erects hard-to-surmount bureaucratic obstacles that hinder students’ efforts to take advantage of these opportunities. So, don’t assume that the consortium will ensure access to your desired courses.

Quality Good, Quantity Bad

Housing at CUA is generally pretty nice (the notoriously disgusting South Side freshman dorms were torn down this year). There are lots of living arrangements to choose from, ranging traditional doubles to apartment-style suites with kitchens. Prices are about average for DC schools, though (as is the case with most schools) living off campus is probably cheaper if a bit inconvenient. If you are a freshman, try VERY hard to live in Regan (it's the Honors dorm, but non-Honors students can also live there). For upperclassmen, the best options are Gibbons and Opus. Avoid Caldwell at all costs.

Now, on to quantity: for reasons that are still being puzzled over, the school decided to let in its largest freshman class in history the same year that it tore down two freshman dorms. While there are plans in place to build several massive new residence halls, these are years down the road. Freshman and sophomores are, for now at least, guaranteed housing; as for upperclassmen, make sure you have a Plan B. And a Plan C.

Not Easy to Find Parking

It is very costly to purchase a parking permit. And parking on the street is the worst.

One Frat

There's one frat on campus, which may have been dissolved by now. The parties were pretty lame, and the only guys in it were lame too.

Depends on the Department

At CUA, your workload and the strength of the program really depend on the department. In the most of the humanities departments, professors are really outstanding. Registration is easy and all done online. In some programs, the option is there to do independent study in senior year, which is a very valuable experience. CUA's strongest departments are probably architecture, philosophy, nursing, english, music & musical theater, art history.

Unique Opportunities

Though the art history program is small, the amazing resources surrounding the school (museums, libraries, etc.) allow for top notch class experiences and learning. The professors all hail from local, very prestigious museums. The only downfall is that there is not a wide range of classes to choose from, but I had no problem fulfilling my requirements and my interests.

You can easily make very valuable connections there, and in a city like DC, the internship opportunities are endless.

CUA is ok, but it's getting better

CUA is ok, but it’s getting better. The last three years has really been a time of transition and action for the Catholic, whether it be construction, renovations, academic programs, etc. It is truly an exciting time to be here. It is hard for CUA, since it shares DC with other prestigious schools, but I think Catholic holds its own and I look forward to its progress.

Resident assistants are lenient and understanding

Pretty strict, but enforcement is a different issue. Many, but not all, of the resident assistants are lenient and understanding.

A Drinking School with a Catholic Problem

Alcohol plays a fairly large part of extracurricular activities and it is definitely noticeable. We’re basically a Drinking School with a Catholic Problem.

Guys and girls can be both fun and religious

The one thing I like about Catholic is that the guys and girls can be both fun and religious. Its totally common to see the very same guys and girls who partied hard on a Saturday night attend mass Sunday morning. They may be hungover, but they are at mass nonetheless.

Either Bible readers or bed hoppers

The mostly accurate assumption is as follows: Students here are either Bible readers or bed hoppers. I think there are textbook prettier girls while guys are more diverse and different.