For some background, The University of Cincinnati (UC) was founded in 1870 by the city of Cincinnati and is located in Ohio. UC is known for its large size with over 53,000 students enrolled. This university features a main campus as well as two regional campuses with a wide range of academic colleges. UC offers 426 different degree paths that students are able to go down with a 19:1 student to professor ratio which is slightly above the national average.
When touring the campus of UC it was quite different from my expectations. For being in the middle of a city, it felt different. The main campus sizing is roughly one mile by one mile in area. UC has a compact structure but still has a spacious, open environment that really spoke to me. The walkability and transportation seemed doable, especially in knowing freshman students can have their car on campus. Along with having your car and a walkable campus distance, there is a nightride shuttle service that operates within a mile of the campus. The location of Cincinnati is underrated especially being a couple miles away from the Ohio River, where the views were incredible at night.
My visit to the University of Cincinnati took place before the Big Noon Kickoff, which was beyond fascinating to see when it was completely empty. The Big Noon Kickoff is a college football pregame show on FOX that previews the day’s top games, with a special focus on the Big Noon Saturday matchup. Cincinnati was hosting one of the major kick-offs, and the campus was filled with a special energy as everyone got excited and prepared for the event.
As for academics, The University of Cincinnati does not require test scores, which was one flexibility that stuck out to me. UC’s acceptance rate is about 85%, which is considered slightly selective. One requirement on the application that differed from other schools I’ve applied to is a writing statement on the first choice selected program. The writing statement was not challenging, but it does take extra time so that could be a negative for some potential applicants.
The dining halls were both well kept. It was a neat perspective to go during the school week when the students were walking around and going between lectures and classes. It brought a strong focus on what life would look like attending the University of Cincinnati. The dining hall had tons of open windows that look out to part of the stadium which I thought was interesting. There were an abundance of seating options and arrangements since there are five different markets/dining halls.
The University of Cincinnati is a great college with much to offer. However, that does not diminish the special qualities that the University of Kentucky has.
University of Kentucky (UofK) was founded as a land-grant institution in 1865 and is located in Lexington. The institution comprises 16 colleges as well as a graduate school. There are 93 undergraduate programs, 99 master programs, 66 doctoral programs and four professional programs leaving students with full potential and a strong foundation for their future. Moreover, University of Kentucky is test optional and remains at roughly a 93% acceptance rate making it a nearly open admission.
The University of Kentucky campus was definitely big for a first impression. It was extremely well kept and modernized, but less walkable in comparison with the University of Cincinnati. The science building was clean and had almost all pre-med track core classes in one building which just makes it convenient for students that are going down the medical path.The University of Kentucky has seven libraries on campus. The largest is the William T. Young Library. This library had five floors filled with study areas alongside bookshelves. There was a quiet respect filling each floor and plenty of seating space for students. A downside of the campus was that Kroger Field, the stadium that the football team plays at, felt almost disconnected from the campus since it seemed distanced from most of the other campus locations.
The surrounding areas of the University of Kentucky were very pleasant. There were numerous shopping options, restaurants and comfortable hotels. The town of Lexington itself was charming and included a sense of safety, which is often not felt in big cities. We discovered some really fun dinner spots, including Barrio, a taco place with friendly staff. Parking was also a breeze, with numerous spots and minimal traffic during the school day. One of the significant advantages of the University of Kentucky is that freshmen can park their cars on campus.
Between The University of Cincinnati and The University of Kentucky these colleges offered a great experience even just touring. I can only imagine how beneficial it would be to attend. Truly, the student life at both of these colleges seems ecstatic.
