The Princeton Review Lauds University’s ‘Refreshingly Diverse Campus’

In again being featured in The Princeton Review’s annual go-to guidebook of the nation’s top colleges and universities, the University of New Haven was praised by its students for its inclusive community, dedicated professors, and the wide variety of student organizations.

September 10, 2021

By Renee Chmiel, Office of Marketing and Communications

Adrielys Gomez ’22 started the Fall 2021 semester by meeting with several of her classmates, as well as Student Affairs staff members, to discuss programs and initiatives that help ensure students feel a sense of acceptance and belonging on campus.

Gomez, an economics major and a diversity peer educator, is serving as the Undergraduate Student Government Association’s inaugural vice president of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). In this role, she endeavors to promote and advance DEI initiatives, making sure students feel represented and included in any decisions that are being made. One of her goals is to enrich the sense of inclusion among members of Charger Nation.

“My overall impression of diversity at the University is that we have made great strides, and there is always more progress to make in terms of DEI,” said Gomez, founding president of the University’s Muslim Student Association. “It's critical to value diversity. We're in college, a place that includes people from all walks of life, all sexual orientations, all religions, and so on. We allow people to learn best when we celebrate who we are. Celebrating diversity is rewarding, as we learn so much about others while learning more about ourselves.”

‘We salute the University of New Haven’

Gomez is not alone in her praise of the University’s welcoming community and diversity initiatives. Students lauded the University’s “refreshingly diverse campus” in the Princeton Review’s 30th edition of its popular go-to guide for prospective students, their families. The education services company included the University among its “Best 387 Colleges: 2022 Edition,” which profiles and recommends the best schools in the country for undergraduates. The University was also included in its “Best Regional Colleges” list for the northeast.

"Being recognized by The Princeton Review is especially rewarding because of the emphasis the authors put on evaluating the firsthand experience of students in their assessment of the top colleges and universities in the country,” said University of New Haven President Steve Kaplan, Ph.D. “All of our students play an integral role in creating a welcoming, inclusive, and diverse community, and I commend all Chargers for cultivating an atmosphere in which students have the support they need to excel.”

The book includes less than 15 percent of all four-year colleges in the United States, profiling them but not ranking them. The Princeton Review chooses colleges based on data it collects from administrators each year, as well as data gathered from surveys of students who rate and report on aspects of their schools, such as its community and academic offerings.

"We salute the University of New Haven for its outstanding academics, and we are genuinely pleased to recommend it to prospective applicants searching for their ‘best-fit’ college,” said Rob Franek, The Princeton Review's Editor-in-Chief and lead author of The Best 387 Colleges.

‘We celebrate one identity while simultaneously celebrating others’

In addition to praising the University’s diversity, students quoted in the University’s profile in the guidebook noted the abundance and variety of clubs and student organizations, as well as the University’s “very convenient” campus with its proximity to New York and Boston. They also lauded the academic, social, and professional opportunities, as well as “down to earth” professors who are accessible outside of the classroom.

“Their main purpose is to help us be ready for our future and to prepare us to become leaders,” shared one student.

Gomez, the USGA’s vice president for DEI, praises the University’s Myatt Center for Diversity and Inclusion and its staff for their dedication to students and to fostering diversity and inclusion. She says it has become her “home away from home,” and she is grateful for the Center’s programming that, she says, allows students to express themselves in a safe environment.

“It is imperative that we acknowledge intersectionality, since we are multifaceted beings,” she said. “We celebrate one identity while simultaneously celebrating others, which is beautiful. In addition, while we celebrate all of who we are, we also enable others to do the same. It also allows us to have a greater understanding of who we are, which is beneficial not just in college, but also in life.”