Juniata College Reviews

"My time at Juniata College was quite transformational for me because I met so many inspirational and supportive people during my four years there. Beyond making friends that I'll always cherish, I had the opportunity to join an undergraduate molecular biology lab. From my lab members to my mentors, I could not have asked for a more supportive, caring, and knowledgable group of people to be working alongside for the majority of my undergraduate experience. My utmost gratitude and respect are dedicated to my research advisor at Juniata College because she recognized the potential in me that I had yet to realize myself. This confidence and validation from my mentor were instrumental in me gaining the confidence and voice to finding my passion here at Juniata. Her willingness to take me under her wing and introduce me to a breadth of fields from bioinformatics to environmental engineering was truly a life-changing experience that made me realize the silver lining where my academic and research interests are aligned. In terms of my academic experience at Juniata College, I had the unique opportunity to design my undergraduate curriculum and major in close collaboration with my two advisors. In my case, I designed a major that included environmental science and biology, while completing a minor in business management. Although the courses were rigorous throughout my time at Juniata College, the curriculum here definitely prepared me for my graduate studies at Yale. Beyond my personal research and academic experiences, Juniata College is a unique gem of an institution where people make lasting connections whether it be with classmates or professors. The learning atmosphere that Juniata College upholds is welcoming and collaborative by nature across different departments. With a smaller class size in comparison to larger schools, students at Juniata College are able to learn in an environment where their professor and other resources are easily accessible. A unique characteristic of the small liberal arts community of Juniata College is that one can leave their belongings in the mess hall or in an open space, and no one will steal another's belongings. A final note on Juniata College's community are the numerous campus-wide traditions that continue to take place every year since its founding in 1876 (i.e. Mountain day, lobster fest, pig roast). This strong sense of history and tradition that Juniata's community upholds is another interesting aspect that brings current and past students together."

"Juniata College is a very intimate setting. I found the professors to be fully invested in the success of their students. Often times professors will go above and beyond to make sure their students succeed. Juniata is located in a very rural area. There is not much to do outside of campus or in town. Juniata is known for their highly ranked science programs."

"The profs are under educated - masters degrees or doctorate in non-business field. Degrees in English, higher ed, and economics. Very sad. Juniata is like advanced high school. Hated it. They get students to play a lot and cook food during class time. They have undeserved egos, especially W. who you should steer clear of. She's awful; Downright not suited for academe. B. is a left over HS cheerleader who treated us like high schoolers. Going to a state school after Juniata opened my eyes to professors who are up to date and rigorous. Juniata was not the place for me. I am sorry I went there. Waste of time and money. As I reflect back I can only say I should have gone elsewhere. A junior college would have been comparable and a lot cheaper!"

"I'd like to start by saying Juniata College was not my first choice of schools; however, if I had to choose all over again, I wouldn't think twice about any other schools. The professors are amazing, the campus is beautiful, the courses are interesting and challenging, and the friends I made will be lifelong."

"The Peace and Conflict program at Juniata College is a unique program that allows students to investigate topics related to politics, economics, sociology, mediation, and history to understand why conflicts happen and how we can try to resolve or prevent them. I was very happy with the small size of the program as it ensured I got personal attention and mentorship from my professors. I would advise this program to anyone interested in working in development, government or a genuine interest in making the world a better place."

"Juniata College offers students a wide array of study programs and the ability to branch out and create your own major. Every class is unique, rewarding, and challenging. The professors also go out of there way to help and meet with students to ensure their success."

"Challenging, worth it, time of my life and prepared me for graduate school. Graduate school Was easier than undergraduate!"

"High class education in an intimate and involved small town setting. Trendy and outdoor rooted campus with lots of opportunities to learn, worj and grow as a person."

"Very personalized, meaningful experience with mentorship and sound science training."

"Wonderful college that allows you to create your own major, while building meaningful relationship with teachers and students. The campus has a lot of growing to do in terms of diversity however I feel that the staff and students within the last couple years are working hard to help and they are improving."

"I originally found Juniata College through an old email of unusual scholarships that occasionally makes its rounds on the internet. Juniata had (has?) a left-handed students' scholarship, and being left-handed, I was interested. I visited the school's website on and off for a year--I was working full-time and taking classes at a community college, and was trying to figure out a) whether to transfer to a 4-year school, and b) where that 4-year school would be located). I visited the school for a weekend one winter and loved how welcoming everyone was: I immediately had the sense that I was home. The people are wonderful. I ended up spending three years at Juniata due to having to take some college-required classes (more on that later) as well as the ones that ended up contributing to my major. (Take note: Changing majors is completely normal at Juniata and nothing to be ashamed/feeling guilty of. Because you can create your own major (as long as you can justify it, but that isn't particularly hard with your two advisors helping you along the way), some students go in thinking they want one thing and end up altering their plans, whether slightly or completely.) Because I got most of my general education requirements out of the way in community college, most of the classes I took were simply things that interested me, which was a great experience. I definitely recommend going that route if you can. I never had a professor I didn't like, and they were all so helpful and accessible. Some teachers even give students their home number in case of emergencies. Juniata is a liberal arts college and they are very big on experiencing new things, so there are general education requirements that they have all students fulfill while at the college, called FISHN (Fine Arts, International, Social Science, Humanities, and Natural Science), as well as two special requirements, IC and CA (Interdisciplinary Colloquia and Cultural Analysis). When you're registering for classes, you can see what requirements those classes fulfill, and it's not too difficult to find classes that you want to take to get these things done. However, because there are classes that are only run at certain times, fitting them into your schedule can sometimes be a juggling act. Regarding financial aid, the school is very understanding and wants students to be able to attend. However, I will advise anyone considering Juniata to try and put some money away for senior year. In my experience, they were willing to help me out until my last year--the year when I'd be leaving and wouldn't be back to give them more money in a few months. It wasn't a great feeling. I'm not a party person, so I can't speak to that aspect of college life, but I will say that the school always has something for you to do. There are concerts free to students almost every month, special workshops, campus traditions like Lobsterfest and Madrigal, and musical, comedy, or other types of performances on Friday evenings in Baker Refectory. On top of that, there are a LOT of clubs. You sign up for them at Lobsterfest (and get to enjoy some delicious lobster, or steak/chicken/I think a vegetarian option if you don't like or can't eat shellfish). For the most part, if you want to make a club, you can. There tend to be weekend parties at East, the apartment-style dorms on the far end of campus. There's also a small movie theater in town that runs movies for pretty cheap (at least coming from NYC!). The food is okay. Baker Refectory is the main cafeteria, where there's some variety to what's offered. There's a stir fry line where you can put in your own vegetables, then pick a protein and a starch, and have them cooked right in front of you. There's also a grill line, a deli counter, a dessert area, and a line called Simple Servings. Upstairs is Eagles Landing, which everyone on campus calls Muddy, and that has meal exchange items that can be carried out. Muddy has a grill, salad line, sandwich line, and Mexican line. I spent a lot of time at Muddy: As a picky eater, it was nice to know that if Baker didn't have anything I wanted, I could always get something familiar upstairs. Overall, I would definitely recommend Juniata. There are pros and cons, but the pros definitely outweigh any issues I experienced, and the issues were few and far between."