University of Delaware

University of Delaware College Guide

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The Vibe

A city of kids.

What It Feels Like Going Here

Newark is a quintessential ‘college town.’ Main Street is filled with bars and businesses catering to the Fighting Blue Hens. Greek life and partying are big here, so there is plenty to do on a Saturday night. That doesn’t mean classes are easy, though, as UD offers several competitive degree programs. Newark is close to the shore, and many students rent houses in Rehobeth Beach and Dewey Beach for week-long trips during the summer.

Awesome Alumni

The most prominent alumni are the current US President, Joe Biden, as well as our First Lady, Jill Biden. However, there are many impressive alumni spanning several different fields. Elizabeth Ackman, the co-founder and marketing director for LowTides Ocean Products. John Faye, a rock musician, and Suzanne Graff, an actress. Amanda Longacre attended the University and was Miss Delaware in 2014. Another alumni, David E. Huffman, became a Pulitzer-prize-winning journalist. Also, Mike Adams and Nasir Adderley became professional football players.

Where We Hang

On campus, students tend to hang around the Perkins Student Center, Trabant Student Center and The Green and Harrington Turf. But off-campus, Main Street is where the students like to meet and unwind. There are many different restaurants and cafes students like to hang out at, as well as bars and pubs for those of legal drinking age. Roots is a popular place on Main Street, as well as Snap Pizza and Udairy Creamery, which are also located on Main Street. On south campus, near an active farm, is another student body favorite.

Q&A

1. How much are students partying?

“I would say it’s really up to the students on how much they want to party. There’s a good balance,” University of Delaware junior Cate Hampton said.

2. What will you get into trouble for at your school?

“I feel like the biggest thing students get in trouble with is underage drinking. In my opinion, the university and local police tackle this issue in the wrong way. At times it feels like they would much prefer to fine student offenders then educate them about the dangers,” University of Delaware junior James Burns said.

3. How much sex are students having?

“I feel like hook-up culture here isn’t any less prevalent than at other universities, so I’d say that there’s definitely a good amount,” University of Delaware junior Maddy Toth said.

4. What would you tell incoming Freshmen at your school?

“I would tell incoming freshmen to stay on top of your work and take care of yourself. If you show up to class and don’t skip, and try to focus in class and take some notes, you will be fine,” University of Delaware junior Maya Feinstein said. “You will do fine in school if you put effort into showing up to class and completing your homework on time. I think many students fall short in their grades because they skip class or they don’t pay attention to the lectures because they get distracted on their computers.”

5. What’s your relationship with your professors like?

“Don’t be afraid to ask for help and be a sponge whenever you are given an opportunity to learn. All the while, it’s necessary to enjoy the college experience of meeting new people and trying new things,” University of Delaware junior Ayden Notaro said. “Overall, maintaining a healthy balance of your professional goals and college experience can result in a very rewarding four years.”

Student Reviews

“UDel offers tons of opportunities in and out of the classroom, including new, fun, and challenging experiences,” University of Delaware sophomore Libby Dimichele said.

“Overall, I feel that the University of Delaware is big enough to have a great educational reputation and set you up well for your future career while also being small enough that you can walk to most of campus within 20 minutes and always running into people you know. It feels like home!” University of Delaware senior Lindsey Sorrentino said.

“As a foreign student I got to seek that in terms of diversity, it might not be the most diverse place overall, but what it may lack in sheer variety is compensated by the friendliness and approachability of the people, both students and faculty. Conversations flow easily, and teachers are approachable and eager to engage in meaningful dialogue,” University of Delaware senior Sebastian Castañeda said.

“My experience at UD has been really positive overall. As a freshman, I felt really welcomed to campus by all of the events that the University puts on, for example: Twilight Induction Ceremony on the Green where all freshman light candles in a ceremony welcoming their class. I got really close to the girls who lived on my freshman floor because my RA put in the effort to make our floor a community and that helped make UD feel like home,” University of Delaware junior Maddie Isner said. “I love living in a college town and getting dinner with friends at the restaurants on Main Street. There is also so much to get involved in on campus so I’ve been able to take advantage of that and participate in Greek Life and work as a Tour Guide. It helps campus feel a lot smaller. In terms of academics, I feel like all of my professors just want their students to succeed.”

“I think UD provides the perfect balance between really in-depth and meaningful career development opportunities through clubs and extracurriculars, in addition to the rigorous traditional academics, as well as the typical college experience with social events, parties, Greek life, etc.” University of Delaware junior Chloe Garcia said. “I feel like a lot of the things I’ve gotten to do through my on campus involvements really wouldn’t be possible anywhere else and I feel like when compared to other schools UD isn’t really thought of in that capacity. Overall I absolutely would say UD has provided me with a good college experience and really can’t imagine having gone anywhere else.”

Top 3 Majors

Business/Management

Marketing

Health Professions

Top 3 Most Popular Student Organizations

1. Club Sports

Delaware is a pretty temperate school. Therefore, it makes sense that a lot of the student body takes advantage of that. With 40 club sports, roughly 1,500 students participate and play against opposing schools. Some club sports require try outs while others don’t. Crew is a particularly popular sport at the University of Delaware.

“I first got involved with The Crew in freshman year, where I volunteered backstage at weekly and seasonal events like concerts, giveaways, evening entertainment, and more. As an upperclassman, I’ve taken on a Director role, where I can ideate, organize, plan, and execute a variety of events, like bus trips,” University of Delaware Junior Sathiya Kannon said.

Some sports have coaches as well. They offer the usual sports like men and woman’s lacrosse, hockey, rugby, volleyball and soccer. They also offer more niche or specialized sports like equestrian, sailing, synchronized skating, regular figure skating, bowling, trap and skeet, triathlon, archery fencing, and more. They have both a men’s and woman’s ultimate frisbee team as well.

2. Blue Hen Investment Club

This is a great club for any students looking to try to garner investment experience prior to entering the work force. With a variety of connections in the workforce, it’s a good way to network as well. They’re led by an executive board that appoints sector heads to eight sectors. That means there are many opportunities for leadership. The investment fund is overseen by Professor Richard Jakotowicz from the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics Department of Finance.

“The Blue Hen Investment Club is a student-run, long only investment fund that manages a portion of the university’s endowment with the goal of outperforming the S&P 500. The club’s purpose is to provide University of Delaware students with practical experience in equity research, financial modeling, and public speaking,” Notaro said. “My biggest takeaway from the club is how to effectively managing projects and lead people through facilitating the pitching process for buying publicly traded companies.”

Recruitment begins at the beginning of each semester, and like many sports, you may not make the cut. Recruitment begins with an information session. Application due dates and interviews will follow soon after. There are information sessions for interested students, where students can receive more specific application instructions. They strictly follow Standards of Professional Conduct, and if you don’t follow their code of conduct, don’t be surprised if you face repercussions.

3. The Private Markets Club

The Private Markets Club is another great way to get involved with the finance career before entering it. Founded by Will Wallace and Keaton Stott in 2021, this club aims to provide more hands-on opportunities for interested finance and business majors. It is another club created through the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics. They work on developing soft and technical skills and reach out to alumni for career advice and private lectures. As of 2021, they have almost 60 members.

“The Private Markets Club is a student run organization that seeks to provide University of Delaware students with a strong fundamental understanding of the private sectors of financial markets,” Notaro said. “Through case competitions, speaker panels, and workshops, members are exposed to a wide variety of investments such as Venture Capital, Private Equity, and Real Estate. By taking on the role of Vice President, I have rapidly expanded my knowledge of these sectors through constructing workshops and facilitating case competitions that surround them,.”

They host panels, such as the State of the Economy Panel, and reach out to alumni to speak in it. A lot of this club is additional career research and networking for the finance industry. They have internship pipelines and partnerships with professional development firms. They are another organization that takes members based on applications. Overall, the goal of this club is to learn about the private market and career paths that align with their member’s interests.

Getting In

They take the Common app, so be sure to register an account with them to apply. In addition, they are SAT/ACT optional, though good SAT/ACT scores would no doubt improve your chances of getting in. With a 72% acceptance rate, their SAT range tends to be 1150-1340, while their ACT Range is 26-31. The average GPA, weighted, is 3.77. Basically, you need a cumulative GPA that amounts to a B, so either being a solid B student or having a combination of A’s and C’s will suffice. Furthermore, if you live in the state of Delaware, your chances improve significantly. The University of Delaware is a state school, and so they are obliged to take a high number of in-state students. That also means it is slightly harder to get in if you’re out-of-state, though if you’re a solid student, you’re probably fine.