Emerson is perfect for students who have always wanted to be on stage, behind a camera, writing the next bestseller, editing a magazine, or studying communication disorders. Classes are generally small—very few are lecture size, and you’ll never be in class with hundreds of students, as can happen at larger universities. That, coupled with the opportunity to start taking classes within your major concentration during your first semester, makes Emerson great for giving students a running start. Emerson has plenty of stellar professors, but unfortunately, many are adjunct faculty, which means that they aren’t guaranteed job security, and students often complain about Emerson’s inability to keep great professors around for long, due to the lack of sufficient contracts. Even so, there are plenty of part-time professors who stick around because they love it, and full-time professors who are well worth their salaries. Emerson professors are invaluable resources and are always willing to help students with projects—whether scholarly or extracurricular. Most are even willing to help students find jobs.
When it comes to majors, don’t come to Emerson without one. Though the college does allow students to enter freshman year as undeclared, Emerson is so specialized, that it doesn’t make sense to come without a strong desire or dream to pursue. If you insist upon entering undeclared, at least think twice about what you’re good at. Imagine moving away from home, paying thousands of dollars to begin taking classes, only to find out that you really love engineering. If that happens at Emerson, you will hit a dead end.