Soka University of America
Soka University of America is a Soka Gakkai, Buddhist, Non-Profit, College established in 2001. The campus is located in Aliso Viejo, California, USA and hosts students with an endowment of .
Website: www.soka.edu
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Institution Type: Soka Gakkai, Buddhist, Non-Profit, College
Established: 2001
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Graduation Rate (6Y): N/A
Campus Endowment: N/A
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I notice that there are both positive and negative comments here. I found a review saying that “brainless” SUA students never be able to change their lives at SUA, but I definitely disagree with that because of the reason above. You might be confused if my opinion is wrong or other people are biased, but you’ll never know the reality until you actually visit SUA and talk to Soka students. I can’t tell which college is the best for you; the only thing I can tell is that Soka is a great college for me so far, and I hope you love it too.
I’m a sophomore at Soka University of America. It’s definitely a unique environment when it comes to small class sizes, having more contact with professors, and the generous amenities (aka spacious dorms and no communal bathrooms). Some aspects of Soka may not be your cup of tea; but like any college, you receive what you put into the experience. Thanks to Soka, I have so many resources at my disposal to further my education/experience such as networking to alumni who are in my field of study and generous study abroad curriculum in my choice of country. This school isn’t perfect (small student body, only four concentrations of study, quiet surrounding area and student life) but it’s a great deal and I’ve grown so much here. Soka is definitely worth it.
What I particularly like about Soka is its unique program called Learning Cluster that takes place during the month of January. A Learning Cluster is a research seminar where students work in teams with faculty facilitators to investigate a specific question. It helps in bridging theory and practice, and evoke an educated outcome. Apart from its great education, Soka is aesthetically gifted with a beautiful campus and natural beauty of the surrounding canyon. It’s a great place to visit and take a walk!
Classes at SUA are small and intimate, with 12 to 18 students in a typical classroom. There are about 8 students per faculty by-the-numbers, so it’s easy to get to know professors. Classes are always taught and graded by the actual faculty themselves rather than teaching assistants, so throughout each semester, students develop a direct relationship with their instructors. Learning Clusters provide a month-long opportunity to pursue interdisciplinary study of a particular topic of interest; examples range from sustainability in South America, to the politics of Southeast Asia. Some of these classes even have the opportunity to travel abroad. The best thing about the academics at Soka is that you receive as much value from your interactions with your fellow classmates and professors as from the class materials themselves. This puts a personal touch on the educational experience and allows students to engage in genuine experiential learning.
SUA has a mandatory study abroad program that provides students the opportunity to solidify their foreign language skills in a country where the target language is spoken. Currently, Chinese, French, Japanese, and Spanish are taught. The international focus of the schools is also reflected in the diverse student body, of which about 40% comes from outside the United States. The meeting of cultures and languages on campus is a manifestation of SUA’s commitment to global citizenship. Sharing ideas with people from all over the world who strive to become leaders in the global community is clearest way in which SUA provides a practical, concrete way for students to contribute to world peace. SUA’s mottoes, values, and mission are not mere abstract concepts, but are realized in the day-to-day elements of all students, faculty, and staff.
Residential life at SUA is organized yet diverse. First-year students live in double rooms with a bathroom, while upperclassmen get suites. This means that students never need to share a room (or bathroom) with more than one other person during their four years at Soka. The residential life staff works hard to make sure that students are supported all throughout. There’s plenty of opportunity for socialization, whether in one of the campus’ many student-led clubs, or by having fun in students’ free time. Students can choose to hang out during free time, but there is never any pressure to do particular activities simply because of certain peer groups. The campus community is very open and accepting of different preferences, aiding the school’s focus on humanism and educating the whole person.
On the whole, I am very thankful and happy for my decision to study at Soka University of America. Generous financial aid from the institution works to eliminate whatever concerns about college accessibility, so students from all backgrounds can pursue their educational goals. SUA works diligently to make sure that Soka graduates are equipped with the intellectual and social principles to live contributive lives on any path they choose to follow.
The most important factor that students should consider when applying here is its extremely generous financial package. Anyone with whose family income is less than $60,000 will receive free tuition; plus, there are other types of scholarship like merit-based, athletic, legacy, research, etc. So, it is even possible for an international student to get full ride here (i.e. no charge for food, housing, nothing). I myself is an example, all the way from Vietnam and yet I haven’t even touched my parents’ emergency fund, paid everything myself so far.
In terms of academics, since this is a Liberal Art College, courses here are designed to “broaden your perspectives” rather than specialize you in one field. So yeah, if you’re not sure what you want to pursue or looking for an interdisciplinary experience then this place suits you better. That being said, it is possible for one to pursue serious research if enough commitment to the field is demonstrated. For example, SUA is not very strong in Sciences, since most Sciences courses are pretty new, and a lot of people here keep whining that Sciences are too hard for them. However, I am one of those rare students who actually love Sciences (I came here because it’s the only school I can afford myself), and I was fortunate enough to work and learn from Professor Robert Hamersley, a well-respected microbiologist. Thanks to him I’ve got to work in the Jennifer Martiny Lab at UCI, one of the top Genetics Laboratories in the nation. Also, I was able to go to Hawaii, Peru, and next year Spain to attend conferences and to present my research, best thing is that the school pay for all of the fees, even food and hotel. Yes I know it sounds unbelievable, so come here and check it out yourself.
Next, since this is a small school, everyone knows everyone, even the staff and faculties. Nevertheless, like any place in the world, there are plenty Mr. Nice Guys and a lot of Scumbag Steves. There are people here that will become your “bros for life.” One of my Hispanic friends calls me “yellow monkey” and I can ask him if he had any trouble crossing the border lately, or my Chinese American roommate whom I can “ching chang ching chong” with all the time and he can retort with whatever Vietnamese sounds like to American people. I don’t have to mention what I said to my Caucasian friends at dance nights, do I. Some professors are very friendly as well. My Physics Professor once told my class he can read palms, and he told me I was struggling with my sexuality, just to explain a faulty way to reduce statistical errors. And of course there are people you can’t stand, for me would be those hyppies who know nothing about GMO yet keep on arguing how bad they are. Some professors are that close-minded as well, but thanks to the student evaluation, they got kicked out pretty quick, except for one since she got tenure. Another thing is that the school fight pretty hard to maintain its ideal of peace and harmony so unorthodox methodologies are not always welcomed, but you know, you can always walk in the President’s Office, open door policy.
A lot of people have mentioned the school being sectarian, affiliating with SGI. Well, guess what, I was a member, and I quit, nothing happened (SGI is too peaceful for me, or maybe I’m too cynical, or both). I have friends who are Christian, Islamic, Atheist, Agnostic, Hindu, traditional Buddhism, etc. Most professors are not even SGI. The reason why there are a lot of SGI student members here is because the school was founded and partially funded by SGI, so their parents told them to check it out, plus a lot of them are international students, the financial aid alone was enough to convince them. Some of them can be annoying, that, I agree, but some are awesome people, it’s like anywhere else, there are always good guys and a******s. In short, yes, this school has SGI members walking around its campus, but they are not summoning Satan or brainwashing students to turn them into secret soldiers so get over it.
If you want proof or more information about anything, you can always come here or contact me directly (but I’m graduating next year so yeah, do it soon).
Students, in general, are very sociable. The campus has only around 450 students. Approximately 98% of students live on a dormitory. Students can naturally remember everyone’s faces. For homework, we have some group presentations, group papers. Since we live in a dorm, it’s very easy to get together to work on a group project. We can cultivate our group work skill.
Events
This school has many events such as peach gala, spirit festival, student festival, Halloween, winter formal and international festival. Student body is very small, 450 students, so students have many opportunities to get a leadership experience. For example, Halloween needs many leaders for planning, recruiting monsters, managing the budget of decorating the basement of a gym as a haunted house, dealing with tickets, advertising this event to the community, traffic control, making sure the safety in the haunted house. Thus, this university gives students various opportunities to learn leadership.
Culturally diverse
Our university is culturally diverse. There are Indian Dance club, Japanese Taiko club, Hawaiian dance club, Korean club and so forth. Besides, Performing Arts Center, which is the auditorium with 1034 seats and opened in 2010, had culturally diverse performances like Italian opera, Chinese acrobat. We appreciate diverse religions. In dormitories, there are two multifaith rooms where students can pray at any time for any religions.
Financial Aid
I’m confident that our school’s financial aid opportunities are one of the best. Every student whose parents’ income is less than $60,000 doesn’t have to pay tuition. Based on SAT scores, grades, etc, students have a chance to get respective free scholarship. In addition, 80% of students get some kinds of financial aids.
Students, in general, are very sociable. The campus has only around 450 students. Approximately 98% of students live on a dormitory. Students can naturally remember everyone’s faces. For homework, we have some group presentations, group papers. Since we live in a dorm, it’s very easy to get together to work on a group project. We can cultivate our group work skill.
Events
This school has many events such as peach gala, spirit festival, student festival, Halloween, winter formal and international festival. Student body is very small, 450 students, so students have many opportunities to get a leadership experience. For example, Halloween needs many leaders for planning, recruiting monsters, managing the budget of decorating the basement of a gym as a haunted house, dealing with tickets, advertising this event to the community, traffic control, making sure the safety in the haunted house. Thus, this university gives students various opportunities to learn leadership.
Culturally diverse
Our university is culturally diverse. There are Indian Dance club, Japanese Taiko club, Hawaiian dance club, Korean club and so forth. Besides, Performing Arts Center, which is the auditorium with 1034 seats and opened in 2010, had culturally diverse performances like Italian opera, Chinese acrobat. We appreciate diverse religions. In dormitories, there are two multifaith rooms where students can pray at any time for any religions.
Financial Aid
I’m confident that our school’s financial aid opportunities are one of the best. Every student whose parents’ income is less than $60,000 doesn’t have to pay tuition. Based on SAT scores, grades, etc, students have a chance to get respective free scholarship. In addition, 80% of students get some kinds of financial aids.
Whatever the school brags about is bogus wrapped in a cute little ribbon. Even the study abroad programs are not all they are hyped up to be. Half of them are easy enough for a junior high student to get through, and everyone knows its actually a vacation for people to get wasted and say they actually accomplished something.
Whenever a professor is lacking in ability, they come in and give an excuse wrapped up in another pretty ribbon – they say it’s the student’s opportunity/responsibility to foster the way for fellow students. What a brilliant way to spend $160,000.
Some people are worried about the liberal arts degree not helping after graduation. I recommend you to plan ahead what you want to do after graduation. And you can take all related courses. Also, you can even propose a class during winter block. Winter block is a one-month period of gaining first-hand experience. One class went to Panama to study economic situation, another class went to Colombia to research water pollution in Amazon. Of course, there are many classes taught on campus too. But the point is that you can take initiative of your learning experience.
Many students were accepted to prestigious grad schools, such as Harvard, Stanford, Georgetown, UCLA to name quite a few. Also, other students work for NGO and other international institution.
Also, mandatory study abroad program is a big advantage of grad school application, job hunting, and your life. Not only it improves your foreign language skill, you can also grow up as a person. And it is MANDETORY, meaning you must go. How cool is that??
To make my review more believable, I have to mention a downside of this school too (although I truly love this school!)… I would say the school’s location might be not ideal for those seek to enjoy night life unless you have a car. SUA is located in suburb of Aliso Viejo, which is one of the safest cities in the States. Therefore, it is really quiet. Some people consider this is a good location because you can concentrate on academics and also you can face your/everyone’s flaws and challenge them. Other people think the location is boring and feel isolated from the world..But it is up to you to decide! In addition, school provides students with free shuttle service, which takes you to local area. And students here are friendly so you can always ask for a ride.
Overall, I rate this school positively, considering financial support and strong academic curriculum.
I am a senior student at Soka and just came back from my study abroad in Beijing, China. Soka’s required one-semester-long study abroad program in junior year is one of the most popular and fantastic programs that Soka offers, and my experience in China for a semester was absolutely one of my eye-opening experiences. I not only learned Chinese language and its culture, but also deepened my friendship with my Chinese roommates through having fun and difficult times together, and found more appreciation for my environment.
We all have various kinds of differences; however, ultimately we need to cherish those treasures that only you have, and each one of us should respect it. Soka’s curriculum prior to my study abroad absolutely helped me make the most of my life in China, for example, small class size, residential life, and students’ diversity. All of us live in residential halls where students from over 30 countries around the world gather. Of course there are many challenges every day, but this is because we are in the midst of training and this is why we grow so much as an individual.
Soka’s mission is to foster a steady stream of global citizens committed to living a contributive life. This is our lifelong mission as Soka student, and that is why we have such wonderful curriculum.
Being at SUA has given me the opportunity to become not only a better student, but also a better person. Most students here are serious about their studies, but also study to acquire the necessary knowledge to be able to make a difference out in the world. Talks about human rights, education, and even recycling are common topics among students during lunch hours or other free times. Never before have I met so many people willing to do anything to contribute to the well-being and betterment of society. I used to be a very close-minded person compared with who I am today, but I believe with all of my heart that thanks to the education I have received at Soka University of America I have grown, matured, and visualized a concrete dream for the future.
Furthermore, all Juniors at this university, are required to study abroad for a semester after studying their language of choice (Spanish, Chinese, or Japanese) for two years. Without a doubt, my study abroad experience was the best thing I’ve done in my life, so far. I stayed with a host family in Japan and met a great amount of fabulous people. The Japanese culture is completely different that the LAtin American culture, but I truly enjoyed it!! The friendships I made while I was abroad are definitely unique!! I still keep in touch with many of my friends and hope to one day be able to travel the world and visit them. In addition, my language skills improved beyond what I thought possible. I even felt sad at the end of my study abroad for having to come back home.
I truly believe that SUA offers one of the best educations out there. Soka has a very student centered curriculum that values the opinion and uniqueness of every single student. I would not trade my university for any other. Soka University of America has changed my path in life!!
Ayear ago I as working in an NGO in Malawi (Africa). I visited a coleague/friend of mine who is an alumni of Soka class 2006. In her office she had three big boxes full of stationaries that had been donated by Soka for the primary school at the community. The stationaries had been collected by the Student Affairs department and the shipped all the way from America to Malawi. Any University that is willing to support their student’s or alumni’s work even after they’ve left the school, is a University traully commited to the student’s contribution; a University that goes beyond the office/classroom relationshiop; a University, that in the end, will be a part of you for the rest of your life.
Second, after I had recieved my letter of acceptance from Soka, I was still hesitant as to whether th desition of coming here was the correct one or not. A few weeks before coming here, I recieved a HANDMADE letter from a student. Again, with this simple gesture, Soka proves once again it’s unique relationship with it’s students; the letter was not just printer and then sent; it was made with care and patience.
At SUA majority of students live on campus. Because SUA is such a small university, we are able to get to know people, and interact with faculties easily. Average class size is 13-16 so it is very student-centered.
Residence hall life is very comfortable. Each room has its own bathroom, AC, room phone, bed, chair, and closet. It is very clean and safe.
Club activities are very active in SUA. There are more than 30 clubs: Soccer, Track and field, tennis, hip hop dance, Indian dance, Hawaiian dance, Salsa, Chorus group, Korea, MUN, medical path, and many other clubs.
Mission of Soka University of America is to foster a global citizen committed to living a contributive life. By communicating with students from different countries, studying both East and West philosophy, studying abroad, we are able to develop ourselves as global citizens.
Soka University is an independent and a non-profit institution committed to the buddhist principles of Peace, Human Rights and the Sanctity of Life. The school’s diversity talks a lot about its uniqueness. Having students from 30 different countries and about 23 different states across the world, Soka embodies an amalgamation of various cultures. Some of the great aspects of the school include the student is to faculty ratio. There are 9 students to every professor which makes it an enriching classroom learning experience. The study-abroad program is mandatory for every student for which the school pays. The residential life setup is par excellence and has been put up for the highest comfort and safety of the residents. Yet another important factor is the food, keeping in mind the diversity of the school, the cafeteria has special facilities to provide its students with outstanding meals on international days. Special cuisines from the remotest parts of the world like India and Chile are laid down. By and large, there are a ton of positives which have been made possible by the hard-working students that go here. But like any other school, some of the negatives include the restricted social life. Since every student is extremely busy and committed to a lot going on, their social lives get restricted to the people on campus.
* Scenery
* Housing
* Facilities, particularly the library
* Faculty and students
* Good food
* Stimulating studies, courses…
* STudy abroad program
* connecting with people from different countries at a personal level (and therefore having places to go when you travel around the world)
Good aspects of Soka
* Bookstore is affordable
* Visitors to the cafeteria
* IT in the classrooms
Bad aspects of Soka
* you get caught up being BUSY with extra curricular, studies, internships…etc all the time
* Not many chances to connect with other people off-campus because you could get by without leaving campus
* Social-networking is limited unless you make an effort on your own to connect with off-campus people at other universities
In terms of diversity, we have students from about 30 different countries. Students appreciate the diversity of student body and respect different cultures. Throughout the four years, we have been trained to be global citizens in many senses. When we have discussion in classrooms, we are able to listen to diverse opinions and voice from students from different countries. It is very fun to be in classroom to learn from them and share about myself as well. In the beginning, it was difficult for me to accept very different cultures and that made me think how I can make this world a better place with such many people from different backgrounds. However, recently I came to really respect and appreciate them by being around with friends who have different backgrounds from mine.
Lastly, we have very unique study abroad program. We have three different language classes, Spanish, Japanese, and Chinese. I believe we are preparing to have French in the future. Language classes and study abroad are requirement for all students. In fall semester of junior year, I went to Beijing, China for my study abroad. Although I have studied language and learned a lot about Chinese culture, to be there and to live there were very different from what I have imagined. Of course, I had a hard time to adjust myself to life in China, but more than that I could build strong friendship with Chinese people and also I was able to know serious problems which they are facing. After study abroad, I was more determined to live a contributive life for world peace. Life in Soka is great and I believe that this university is bringing a number of global citizens into the world.
Also, interaction between students and professors is also frequent. Professors’ offices are right next to the classrooms so that students can easily go there. Also, we have a lot of opportunity for dialog between students and faculties. In addition, every school year, we invite one professor’s family to our dormitory so that they can live with students and interact with them on daily basis.
We have a sister school in Japan that’s been open for almost 40 years, however my campus (in temperate Orange County, 15 minutes from Newport Beach, 10 from Laguna Beach, and an hour from either LA or San Diego) has only been open since 2001. This newness affects everything: we have a gym in perfect condition and athletic equipment that’s all brand new, multimedia integration in the classroom that is completely up-to-date, the students tend to hear of our school through firsthand sources, students have very hands on access to policy change new faculty hirings, etc.
The name comes from a Japanese word meaning “to create value,” so most of us try to be partially conscientious… The teachers are top notch for the most part, and many have come from much “better” schools such as Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Oxford, Duke, etc. because they like our mission statement and what we stand for.
Because of our small size (400 students now, growing to a maximum of 1200), Soka does function similarly to a small town in that everyone knows everyone’s business. However, despite the fact that this is at times very trying and seems horrifying to many at first, it also has its benefits. We’re forced to consider our actions, to deal with problems instead of avoiding them, and we have quite a unique chance to become close friends with our teachers.
The housing is great, and food is above par. We have over 70 clubs despite only having 400 students, study abroad is mandatory for graduation (Soka pays for it), AND we get a laptop to keep as our for free upon entrance.
As a small, and new, school Soka certainly has its problems. For example, kinks are being worked out in academic, punitive, and res. life policy; our athletic teams are not as competitive as we’d hope they’ll be in the future (recruiting in progress); we’re relatively unknown by the larger population, etc. But everything is two sided and from that small and new enviornment we also develop much more thoroughly our sense of self, our morals and commitment to ethics, faculty always comment on our propensity to develop quite strong bonds as classmates and schoolmates even among people who are not close friends, the teacher:student ration is absurdly awesome and thus our relationship with the faculty is quite good–you are more than just a number or bar code and able ask any question you may have as they come up, engage in discussions at length, meet them off campus for work or pleasure, etc.)
The campus is beautiful and although the neighboring town of Aliso Viejo is a quite suburb the beautiful beach is close, weather is always nice, and two of the best cities in California are less than an hour away.
Overall, despite my qualms with it, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else; furthermore i wouldn’t advise anyone with a passion to learn and a heart that isn’t black to go anywhere else.