Illinois Wesleyan University
Reviews

Girls Get Better

Every year, the freshman class brings better looking girls than the original year. Right now, we have a few lookers and the rest could possibly be men in drag.

I Love It

Despite any flaws that you come by at Illinois Wesleyan University, I feel the atmosphere and education here is perfect. There is an adequate social scene, but it in no way infringes upon the education of its students. Faculty is more than accommodating when it comes to office hours and personal help. However, the school lacks diversity (ethnically, economically, etc.).

Exactly What I Thought It Would Be

I knew I wanted a small school when I began my college search, and at Illinois Wesleyan University I found everything I was looking for. The small classrooms led to personal relationships with professors, the work was difficult but manageable, and it was easy to tell that the faculty really cared about helping students. It was exactly the academic setting I was looking for, and registration has always been easy.

They Steal Your Money

I love this school and when I came in as a freshman I told everyone that I couldn't imagine myself anywhere else. That being said, coming here is my only real regret in my 20 years. I have made life long friends and greatly enjoy the professors but the administration is awful. They try to get every dollar out of you that they can. They mislead you into thinking you can afford this school when you can't. All the free perks that they tell you about, you usually end up paying even more for. We now have to pay for May Term, the study abroad program which was supposed to be a unique set up to save you money so you can use your grants and scholarships actually cost me $7,000 more than anyone else in my program from other schools because of this set up, and they do not increase your financial aid as the tuition goes up, even when one of your parents is becomes unemployeed. This school is a rip off and is not worth the money. If you try to transfer, the classes rarely transfer so you are going to end up paying the same amount if you go somewhere else because you will have to stay in school for another year. When choosing in between here and St. Olaf (a comparative school in MN which is a little more money) I thought the only difference would be distance. This was wrong. My brother ended up going there and although it is more money, we spend thousands less on his education and it is actually a more creditable school. If you are questioning being able to afford IWU, DO NOT go there; you will end up hating the school because they just continue to add on costs and do nothing when you try to work with them about financial situations.

Overall Experience

Overall...the education you hear about is overrated, the food sucks, parking can be a nightmare, and facilities are average, however, greek life and partying can be good.

Great Off-Campus

bloomington/normal has the most restaurants per capita in the country

Not Too Hard to Find Intelligence

If you want a random hookup, you can find it (but the small campus means it probably won't be too random). If you want a possible spouse, you can find one. There is also everything in between. Even the jocks and the preppy sorority girls are intelligent, which is one of my favorite things about Wesleyan. For the most part, everybody is smart and interesting and passionate about something. Another great thing about Wesleyan is that if you want to find out about a prospective partner, you don't have to try very hard to get all of the gossip on them. This can also be a bad thing.

I Feel Safe, but There Have Been Some Surprises

Personally, I feel safe walking alone across campus at night (though this probably isn't the smartest thing to do). A girl on my floor did get robbed in our dorm parking lot and I have heard some stories of armed robberies and even a violent attack on an innocent student. The campus is small and people here really do look out for each other. There are a lot of blue lights on campus and security is around, but things like that can happen everywhere. The security alert system is also way too slow, but that is being updated.

The Library Is Awesome

Another one of the major draws for IWU is the Ames Library. It just opened in 2004 and it is truly awesome. It has plenty of computers for studying (and couches for napping!). While it does not hold as many books as other larger universities, it is affiliated with a program in which ~60 university libraries in Illinois can easily loan books to one another. This is a great service and I have used it many times.

Small Classes = Intimate Setting

Illinois Wesleyan originally drew me because of its small class sizes and amiable professors, who seemed more genuinely interested in the work of their students than research products. And the professors from my departments (Philosophy & Religion) are among the best around, coming from top notch universities. As an example, in my first semester, myself and two others went out to dinner with one of our professors. Overall, the professors are truly interested in getting to know their students. This intimate setting is a great way to make connections with your field and that is why I believe Wesleyan has an excellent reputation for placing its students in the best graduate programs in the nation.

Parking here is wonderful. When I...

Parking here is wonderful. When I visit other campuses, I get frustrated because I'm so used to having free student parking and big, open lots.

Bloomington-Normal can be a LOT of...

Bloomington-Normal can be a LOT of fun, if you know where to look. There are lots of cute shops and cafes downtown. Peoria and Urbana are really close too, which makes for lots of fun visiting Bradley or U of I. Also, the train station in town takes you straight to Union Station, and it's not too expensive, so it's a fun weekend trip.

The dorms here are pretty nice...

The dorms here are pretty nice compared to other colleges that I've visited. Even the old ones, like Gulick, are really not too bad. Also, if you have a problem with your roommate, it isn't too difficult to find a different place to stay. Off-campus housing is easy to find too, and it's usually really nice and within walking distance of campus.

Most of the buildings have been...

Most of the buildings have been built or renovated in the last 10 years.

The dorms are very livable. The...

The dorms are very livable. The freshmen dorms aren't the largest, but the furniture is all stackable and can be arranged thousands of different ways. Munsell and Ferguson have a great central location and great community feel.

Wesleyan students are usually...

Wesleyan students are usually pretty trustworthy, and you never have to worry about having anything stolen. I have never seen anyone lock up their laptop on campus. There is a really strong community feel.

I wouldn't walk around along in...

I wouldn't walk around along in the middle of the night, but I definitely feel safe on campus.

Greek life can really enrich your...

Greek life can really enrich your college experience. The fraternities and sororities are not exclusive and scary like bigger schools, and there is absolutely no hazing. Each house has a philanthropy and at least one big fundraising event. Many students choose to go through recruitment (rush) and then decide if they truly want to join a house. It is a really great way to meet people!

At first, I was bummed I didn’t...

At first, I was bummed I didn’t get into University of Chicago or Washington University, but from what I’ve now learned about those institutions, I’m thankful for the smaller community and atmosphere here.

Campus police are more likely to...

Campus police are more likely to wave at you when you’re drunk than issue you a ticket.

Campus police are basically there...

Campus police are basically there to stop the elusive foot-fondler from striking and protect students.

If you are being disorderly, you...

If you are being disorderly, you are most likely to get a citation. Otherwise, campus police won’t look twice.

Even the Bloomington police are...

Even the Bloomington police are more likely to escort you home than give you a drinking ticket.

You really have to make a scene to...

You really have to make a scene to get a drinking ticket. You’ve got to be really drunk or really ignorant.

Drugs are around. Some students...

Drugs are around. Some students smoke and drink, but it’s not too bad.