The Princeton Review’s “Best Colleges” guide is published each August. Most of the data for Wagner College that are reported by the Princeton Review come from the Common Data Set, which is published online each year by the college. The CDS is the source of much of the statistical information reported by most of the college-selection guides published today. What we show below are the Princeton Review’s evaluative measures and general reporting that do not derive from the Common Data Set, but from the student surveys and other research conducted exclusively by the Princeton Review.

SCHOOLS RANKED BY CATEGORY

• “Best College Theater” (How popular are college theater productions?) — No. 2.
• “Most Beautiful Campus” (Based on students’ rating of campus beauty) — No. 6
• “This is a Library?” (based on students’ assessment of library facilities) — No. 14.

SURVEY SAYS …

• Small classes
• Theater is popular
• Lots of beer drinking
• Hard liquor is popular

APPLICANTS ALSO LOOK AT AND OFTEN PREFER

• Fairfield University, New York University

AND SOMETIMES PREFER

• Drew University, Fordham University, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Muhlenberg College

AND RARELY PREFER

• Manhattan College, Marist College, Quinnipiac University

ADMISSIONS

• Very important factors considered include: Academic GPA, class rank, rigor of secondary school record, standardized test scores.
• Important factors considered include: Application essay, extracurricular activities, interview, recommendation(s).
• Other factors considered include: Character/personal qualities, level of applicant’s interest, talent/ability, volunteer work, work experience.
• The Inside Word: Wagner has profited in recent years from a renewed interest in urban colleges. In other words, don’t take the application process too lightly. Applicants are met with a college admissions staff dedicated to finding the right students for their school. Wagner’s pioneering efforts in experiential learning for all students make its recent resurgence well earned.

STUDENTS SAY

Academics: In theory, the Wagner Plan for the Practical Liberal Arts educates free thinkers who can also pay the rent. Required senior-year internships and active volunteering programs mean “a head start on post-graduation plans.” First-year learning communities incorporate experiential learning, creative expression, interdisciplinary connections, and frequent trips to the “classroom of New York City.” A freshman writes, “They force you to look at the way two subjects relate to each other in a new way.” Some people think the four-year-old program still needs to work out a few kinks. “It is difficult for students to have confidence in what they are doing if there is no one to encourage them,” an English major writes, referring to the self-guided assignments. Theater is a big thing here, too, but even with its liberal and fine arts focus, Wagner manages to also attract students interested in health professions, with top nursing and physician’s assistant programs. Regardless of major, writing skills are emphasized. “If you don’t like doing papers, this is not the place for you. Even the dance classes have tons of them assigned,” students warn. Professors are said to be available for academic advice, problem solving, or casual conversation. Reviews of the efficacy of the administration are mixed, but one sage senior adds some helpful context, noting that “since coming to Wagner the administration has gotten better (more involved) and the professors are still about the same (sometimes you get old, boring ones; other times you get good, interesting ones). The more I’ve gotten involved on campus, the better my experience has been as a whole,” advice that a student at any college could employ to good effect.

Life: Visually, imagine “a classic TV high school” — a large, well-endowed, private high school — and you’ve got Wagner College. Students relish their dorm-room views of the skyline of Lower Manhattan and make frequent trips to “the greatest metropolis on Earth.” One grumpy junior points out that Wagner is “supposedly close to NYC,” but cites the time it takes to get to the Staten Island ferry, ride it, and hop the subway to midtown to back up his case. Commuters mingle with residents, though on-campus students maintain that they “have more fun living the ultimate college life.” Nighttime hours are typically reserved for social activities, sometimes involving alcohol, rather than sleeping, resulting in a culture prone to cat-napping. Other popular activities include movie nights, hanging out at the coffee house, and using open studio space for ceramics and sculpture. The annual Wagnerstock festivities bring barbecues, bands, and booths. With only 20 percent Greek participation, it’s up to the “theater people” to throw the risqué theme parties, like “Schoolgirls and Professors.” Most students report that they love the Wag’s acceptance of diverse groups. “It’s a melting pot next to the biggest melting pot of them all-NYC.” Students at Wagner are the first to admit they love to gripe when opportunity presents itself, but underneath the East Coast attitude, they admit, “We’re spoiled here.”

Student Body: Pull a Wagner student from the crowd and you’ll typically find wrinkled clothes, flip flops, and dark circles under the eyes. A senior psychology major sees everyone as “white, young, and skinny.” Others are quick to note that there is no typical Wagner student: “Everyone here is an individual — and not in a weird way.” A vocal percentage of Wagner kids “dream of making it on Broadway,” and this show-tune-humming theater contingent does feel some animosity from the jocks. “Ultimately, they all get along pretty well. Just don’t ask different categories to sit together in the dining hall.” Single straight women complain about “a really low ratio of guys to girls” and the fact that “a lot of the guys here are gay.” A small-town transplant writes, “Wagner has really opened my eyes to the issues facing the homosexual community.” The college’s “commitment to teaching us to accept diversity” seems to be working.