University of Kentucky Admission
University of Kentucky Undergraduate Program
University of Kentucky Application

The Facts

University of Kentucky is a large public institution located in the town of Lexington , Kentucky .  The school houses over 16,234 undergraduate students and about 7,290 graduate students.  The school is made up of ten smaller undergraduate colleges including colleges of agriculture, architecture, arts and sciences, business and economics, communications and information studies, education, engineering, fine arts, human environmental sciences, and social work.  These schools offer many varied majors, and some of the most popular majors with students include studies in biology, psychology, business, marketing, and elementary teacher education.  Many students choose to minor as well in foreign languages, or political sciences.  The music program at U of Kentucky is also quite prestigious and offers many concerts throughout the year.

Admission to the University of Kentucky is not terrifically competitive; last year, about 9,418 students applied and approximately 7,603 of those were admitted.  Eventually however, only 3,688 of those admitted actually enrolled for the coming fall semester.  The admitted students had an average combined SAT score ranging from 1020 to 1250, and an average comprehensive ACT score ranging from 22 to 27.  Over 57% of those admitted were ranked in the top 25% of their high school graduating class with an average high school GPA of 3.56.

U Kentucky has a pretty bad student to teacher ratio of 16:1, and many students say they often feel like just another number in the educational system.  However, students also remark that as you move up in seniority, and the classes get more specific, the size does tend to diminish.  Like most large state schools, some teachers make themselves readily available during office hours and beyond, but others couldn't care less about the progress of their students.

The Social Scene

The town of Lexington is perhaps best known for its ages old tradition of horse racing, and surely enough, riding horses is a popular activity on campus and off.  Lexington is a fairly traditional Southern town, that offers great bluegrass music, bars, and shopping.  It is a fairly laid-back place, and the residents generally cater to the college students when they are able.  The UK campus is quite large, and is home to one of the best research libraries in the country.  UK also boasts a world-class medical center where groundbreaking research is performed as well. 

There is a big Greek scene on campus, however, fraternities and sororities are officially “dry,” so many rent out spaces off-campus for their rowdy bashes.  Despite the stringent no-alcohol policy, students find various ways to sneak alcohol into dorms to drink and party the night away.  Students also say that varsity sports are extremely popular at the school, and even though their football team hasn't done so well in recent years, students love nothing more than tailgating both before and after games, and going to Rupp Arena to cheer their team on.

The dating scene can go either way; expect to find hotties and geeks alike.  Most likely, you will find a date for any taste.

What’s Good

“UK is a great community, even though it is large.  People are really friendly here.”

“Lexington gives us a lot; sure, it's small, but it has a lot of entertainment to offer.”

“Even though the classes are large, the professors know what they're talking about and make sure they are clear in their lectures.”

What’s Bad

“The classes are huge to the point of being ridiculous. You feel totally anonymous.”

“If you aren't a self-starter that will go out and seek social opportunities, you will be quite lonely here.”

“The dorms are really small and really crowded.  You have no personal space.”

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