Academic Questions
Is it necessary to specify a major when applying for admission to Saint Louis University?
Since the nursing and physical therapy programs and Parks College of Engineering and Aviation are very structured, students should decide, during the application process, whether they wish to enter one of these fields. Students interested in liberal arts, business, social work, or pre-professional areas of medicine, law, or dentistry do not need to specify a major until sometime during the sophomore year at which time they are in a better position to choose an area of concentration. The decision concerning a major is not crucial for proper academic counseling during the initial stages, but students should be thinking ahead.Do professors teach the classes, or are there a lot of teaching assistants or graduate student teachers?
98% of more than 1,100 faculty members hold a terminal degree, so the chance of having many graduate student teachers is minimal. Over 90% of the courses taught at Saint Louis University are taught by full-time faculty. Although most laboratory sections are supervised by graduate teaching assistants, only a few academic courses, such as freshman English Composition courses, utilize graduate students as instructors.
How many students return for their sophomore year?
87% of students who enroll as freshman return for their sophomore year. Saint Louis University's attrition rate of 13% compares favorably to the national average of 23% |
Other Questions
Is there a Greek system at Saint Louis University?
According to statistics from Student Life, only 35% of this campus undergraduates belong to one of the 10 fraternities and 4 sororities. This campus is not one in which students need to join a Greek organization in order to have an active social life.
However, the Greek system does exist for students who may be interested in sharing in the brotherhood/sisterhood that joining a fraternity/sorority may offer. The average size of each fraternity/sorority is 75 members. There is only one fraternity house, the rest of the Greek members are spread throughout the residence halls. They hold their meetings in the student center. Although the Greek population is small, the Greek system is fairly strong. The Greeks tend to participate in many philanthropic activities, achieve a high overall GPA, and get involved in campus activities in addition to those of their respective organizations.
All of these are national Greek organizations and have members at universities across the country. Fraternity Rush is in the Fall and Spring. Sorority Rush is in the Fall only.Can freshmen have cars? If not, how do you get around without one?
Freshmen are allowed to have cars while living in the residence halls. However, automobiles are not necessary. St. Louis' bus lines run 24 hours anywhere in the city. The University runs its own buses (the Billiken Bus Line) which run continually during day classroom hours from the north Frost Campus to the Health Sciences Center. In the evenings and on weekends, the bus lines take students to basketball games, Cardinal baseball games, float trips, floor formals, etc. Also students are able to use the Metro Link Rail system to travel throughout the city. The nearest terminal is just one block south of the Frost Campus, and it takes students anywhere from St. Louis Lambert International Airport to Laclede's Landing to across the Mississippi River.
Are campus jobs available?
Several part-time jobs on campus are reserved for students in the College Work-Study Program who have demonstrated financial need. However, other jobs, both on campus and in the surrounding community, are available to students regardless of financial need.
What's the weather link in the winter? How much snow does St. Louis get?
The average temperatures in St. Louis from December to February are:
Maximum average temperature is 42 degrees F.
Minimum average temperature is 25 degrees F.
Over this three-month period, the area gets 6" of rain (10" of snow = 1" of rain).
What's there to do?
Saint Louis University is in the middle of a sprawling Midwestern city. With this in mind, there is always something to do. The Student Government Association is just one of the many organizations that funds on-campus activities. They have arranged weekend movies in Kelley Auditorium, Reinert Club Night, talent shows and fall and spring dances. Individual floors are also allotted up to $250 each semester to use any way they wish; in the past this money has gone to hockey games, hay rides, float trips, pizza parties, etc.
If you need a break from campus life, the city offers historic Laclede's Landing, many large shopping malls, the Central West End's various cafes, restaurants and shops, and Forest Park, offering 1,374 acres of jogging, hiking and biking trails, two golf courses, the St. Louis Art Museum, the St. Louis Zoo, the St. Louis Science Center and the Muny, the city's outdoor theatre.
The city also offers exciting professional sports action. The National Hockey League's St. Louis Blues, the 2001 Central Division Co-Champion St. Louis Cardinals, and the 2001-02 NFC Champion St. Louis Rams all play their home games just minutes from the University.
What about sports?
The Saint Louis University Billikens compete at the NCAA Division I level in basketball, soccer, baseball, swimming, field hockey, softball, volleyball, tennis, golf, rifle, cross country, and at the Division I and Division II ACHA level in club hockey. The University is a member of Conference USA, which consists of 12 universities and spans 12 states, more than any NCAA Division I-A Conference.
MEN'S BASKETBALL: Of course, Saint Louis University's basketball program has high goals set for itself -- the NCAA Top 20. The recent past has brought consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament and one trip to the NIT. Anthony Bonner and Larry Hughes are former Billikens who were first-round NBA draft picks. The coming years promise even more excitement as Coach Brad Soderberg enters his first season as the Billiken Head Coach.
MEN'S SOCCER: Outstanding soccer at Saint Louis University has also become a tradition, albeit less publicized. The Billikens have made it to the NCAA Tournament 35 of the last 38 years and have 10 national titles under their belt. The Billikens went to the National Quarterfinals in 2001. Former Billikens have made also made a name on the national stage. Mike Sorber was a midfielder on the World Cup '94 team. Matt McKeon played on the '96 U.S. Olympic Team. Brian McBride was the first player selected in the 1996 inaugural Major League Soccer draft and is a current member of the U.S. National team. McBride's game winning goal sent the United States past Mexico and into the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 1930.
MEN'S ACHA HOCKEY CLUB: Watching hockey is one of the most popular activities for to partake in on winter Friday and Saturday nights. The hockey club was the 1999-2000 GLCHA Playoff Champions and finished the year ranked 16th in the nation. During the hockey club's 2000-01 campaign (its first full year in Division I) the team was the Catholic Cup Invitational Tournament Champions and ranked 16th nationally.
In 2001-02 the hockey club added a Men's Division II ACHA team which finished over .500, while the Division I team was again the Catholic Cup Invitational Champions, finished 3rd in the CSCHL Playoffs (hosted by Saint Louis University) and was again ranked 16th nationally.
Both teams look forward to the 2002-03 season with great optimism and expectations of going to their respective national championships. |
