Academics
A 鈥渟mall, intellectually challenging university in a great college town in the heartland of the U.S.,鈥 Nebraska Wesleyan University offers 鈥渢he whole package.鈥 鈥淭he Business and Psychology Departments are major draws,鈥 as are the biology, theater, and education programs. Students are prepared for postgrad academics with 鈥渁 killer Premedical Professionals program鈥 and 鈥渆xcellent preparation for law school,鈥 鈥渆ntrance exams,鈥 and 鈥済raduate school.鈥 They praise the 鈥渂rilliant,鈥 鈥渃ompassionate鈥 professors and the 鈥渋ndividualized attention鈥 in small classes and departments. One undergrad says, 鈥淥nce I declared my major, I became a part of a family. I know my communication professors better than I knew [the] teachers [at] my small, hometown high school!鈥 Another reports that she feels 鈥渃ompelled to go to classes because they are interesting.鈥 Undergrads complain about 鈥渙verpriced meal plans for food that most people don鈥檛 like and don鈥檛 eat鈥 and dorms for first year students needing renovation, although newer suites and townhouses on campus are available to sophomores, juniors, and seniors.
Student Body
Students say that the Nebraska residents who predominate on campus (about 90 percent of students are from within the state) are 鈥渓iberal, friendly, social[ly] conscious free-thinkers.鈥 NWU is not ethnically diverse, but the fruits of multicultural recruiting strategies are 鈥渟tarting to show,鈥 and students are 鈥減retty open to social and ethnic diversity. If they鈥檙e not, they鈥檙e definitely willing to learn.鈥 The student body includes plenty of jocks, 鈥渁 lot of biology majors, and a lot of upper-middle-class students. There are also small groups of people . . . interested in politics, fine arts, global studies, etc., who get along at Wesleyan just fine.鈥 Although Greek life is big, students say that 鈥測ou don鈥檛 have to be a member of the mainstream crowd to be happy鈥 and 鈥淭here isn鈥檛 really a difference between the Greek and non-Greek students. Everyone kind of intermingles.鈥 However, it can be difficult to fit in 鈥渋f you don鈥檛 live on campus [or] attend on-campus events.鈥
Campus Life
NWU students describe their school as a 鈥渟mall, private community much like a large family,鈥 where it鈥檚 鈥渆asy to make friends鈥 and 鈥渇eel accepted.鈥 The small size means that 鈥済enerally, there鈥檚 at least one person you know in every class,鈥 and 鈥淵ou can guarantee that mostly everyone will attend鈥 certain 鈥渕usical concerts, plays, sport activities . . . or [Greek-]sponsored events鈥 on campus. 鈥淓ach sport team becomes its own family鈥 and 鈥淚ntramurals are huge!鈥 鈥淭heater and music鈥 are also 鈥渂ig deals at Wesleyan,鈥 and students attend their peers鈥 鈥渁wesome鈥 productions. Students do go to parties and bars on weekends, but many admit they are 鈥渘ot into the whole drinking scene,鈥 and keep busy with student government or other campus organizations. When they tire of the campus scene, students take advantage of Lincoln鈥檚 鈥渕ovies, bars, coffee shops, [and] great system of bike trails.鈥 Is NWU a Christian college? 鈥淵es. Wesleyan is affiliated with the Methodist Church,鈥 says one undergrad, 鈥淗owever, the largest religious groups on campus [are] non/interdenominational, Catholic, [or] nonreligious, but rather spiritual.鈥