Duq U

Introduction
I chose Duquesne because of the reputation it has. I am from Pittsburgh, like most of the kids who go to Duquesne, and went here because it is a tradition in my family. Duquesne is very cookie cutter and diversity is not something you will find much of. I don't think there is a particular student who should stay away from Duquesne, but if you don't like kids who have alot of money, wear expensive clothes, and come from well-off families then I would probably tell you to stay clear. That being said there is still a good part of the student body who is not like that, but you will have to search to find them

Campus Life and Social Life
Campus life is terrible. Dorms are atrocious and luckily you only have to live there freshman year. Almost everyone gets an appartment off campus, and luckily there is a ton of places to live off campus. Duquesne has steps that lead you right to Southside which is where all the bars are and it really is a melting pot of college students being right next to Duquesne, Pitt, Carnegie Mellon, Carlow, and Point Park. This is where you meet alot of kids from Duquesne but also kids from surrounding schools.

The campus itself is safe, but once you walk out of it's confines you really take your personal saftey into your own hands. I wouldn't recommend walking alone, or carrying valuables or large amounts of money. This school is smack dab right in the middle of a tough part of town. Pitt is right down the road and with a short bus ride you have all of Oakland and a whole different demographic of people at your disposal. Advertisement
Academics
Duquesne is extremely well known around the city of Pittsburgh, but I believe many have an inflated view of it's academic excellence. It is a good school, and you get a degree that means something, but depending what major you pick, you can do minimal work and get by with C's fairly easily. Pharmacy is a class act and remains the bread and butter of Duquesne. These students put a ton of time in and at the end of 6 years get rewarded with a lucrative job. If you are interested in Law school, Duquesne is a great place to start. It is nationally renown for it's law program. The school just introduced a master's program in environmental issues and was ranked in the top 10 nationally with some of the most prestigous schools in the country.

The professors at Duquesne are hit and miss. Some of them just collect a paycheck, but some of them really are passionate about what they do and they have the ability to change your view of the subject you are studying. Duquesne is small, you ask anyone about a professor and you will get a list of good ones or bad ones.

Student Body
Rich and well dressed is what pops into my mind at first. Like I have said before, it seems everyone is broken from the same mold. If you are like this then you will love Duquesne because there are 5,000 kids just like you. If you don't you might have a hard time fitting in. The great thing though is everyone is fairly receptive to people who aren't like them. You can see a complete dork walking with a beautiful girl and it is not uncommon. The student population is very homogenious and you get to know everyone very quickly. Going to the Southside and going around town you also can get close to people from surrounding schools in the city.

In Closing...
Duquesne is a wonderful school, and you will get a degree from a top notch institution. The price is steep which is hard to ignore especially with Pitt right down the street for 15,000 less a year and similar academic excellence. I love the Pittsburgh area and all the things to do. It is a small town, and if you are from out of town you will get to know the area quite well fairly quickly. Duquesne also has alot of kids from Pittsburgh which helps kids from out of state. In college, you get out what you put in and the same goes for this school. You can take an easy road, graduate with a 2.0 and get a good job, or you can put in alot of effort and get an incredible job...a job you might not have received if you weren't from Duquesne. Duquesne is very much a "good ole boy" network and Duquesne people try their best to help other Duquesne people. Professors, if you do well, do everything they possibly can for you. It is not uncommon for students who do well here, and get on professors good sides to get a job where they make more money then a middle aged person who has been in the business quadruple the time.