Gonzaga University Admission
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The Facts

Gonzaga University is a moderately sized, private, Catholic university located in the city of Spokane, Washington . The university is divided into several smaller undergraduate colleges, including schools of arts and sciences, business administration, education, engineering, and professional studies. The university places an emphasis on preprofessional studies, and many students at Gonzaga are using their undergraduate education as preparation for law or medical school. Of the 92 undergraduate majors offered, the most popular choices include business administration, social sciences, engineering, biology, and psychology.

Admission to Gonzaga is not terrifically competitive; last year, over 4,000 students applied for admission to the school, and approximately 3,000 of those students were accepted; of those, about 900 matriculated. The admitted students had an average combined SAT score ranging from 1080 to 1280, and an average comprehensive ACT score ranging from 24 to 29. Additionally, over 74% of those admitted were ranked in the top 25% of their high school graduating class with an average high school GPA of about 3.66.

Gonzaga has a terrific student to faculty ratio of 12:1, and students rave about the accessibility of their professors, saying that they have never had a problem contacting them about a question or concern, and that they are always willing to help a student out. The school has a rather intensive core curriculum that includes a large amount of religious studies classes including scriptural studies, Christian doctrine, and theology.

The Social Scene

Spokane is a nicely sized small city located in Eastern Washington state. It has all the amenities of most cities, including restaurants, bars, clubs, cafes, shopping, and theater. Students say that it does help to have a car, as the city isn't terrifically compact, but if you don't have one, it's pretty easy to find someone who is willing to give you a ride.

There are no fraternities or sororities at the school; however, this doesn't seem to stop students from having a good party. Drinking is definitely a very popular mode of social interaction, however, students say that if you aren't into drinking, you should be in good company. There are several popular bars near campus that are pretty lax when it comes to carding, and love the business they get from college students.

The campus itself is located just outside of downtown Spokane, and is full of trees and green spaces. There is a terrific student center named after Bing Crosby (an alum) that houses the school's many clubs and organizations. The dating scene is what you make of it; there are a lot of conservative Christians about, as well as some liberal hippies with dredlocks, decked out in tie-dye.

What’s Good

“There is a great feeling of community here, and people are very friendly and non-competitive.”

“Spokane is a nice city for people who like cities, but don't want to be overwhelmed. There's plenty to do, but it's friendly and small.”

“People are really good here at balancing work and play. There are always great parties, but they don't interfere with academics.”

What’s Bad

“The religious element can be a bit stifling, to say the least. I wouldn't recommend this school to liberals.”

“Spokane is a pretty boring city. There isn't really all that much to do, and it can get old.”

“The fraternities and sororities are really obnoxious. They think they own the school, and in some regards, they do.”

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