Bloomington, Indiana is a model college town. Located about 50 miles south of Indianapolis, Bloomington is the 7th largest city in Indiana with a population of 69,291 and a size of roughly 20 square miles. Bloomington was named among the top walking cities in the country by Prevention magazine. It is an ethnically diverse town, thanks to IU’s student body, and also very liberal. The landscape is hilly with vast amounts of limestone everywhere; in fact most campus buildings are made of limestone.” Locals in town are very friendly and there are tons of things to do on the weekends. You can go see a movie, go to the bars, eat at an Afghani restaurant, go rock climbing, spelunking, hiking, or camping, just to name a few.

IU’s 1,900-acre campus is consistently ranked one of the most impressive in the country for its classic, limestone buildings, many of which date back to the Great Depression, landscaping, picturesque Jordan River, and arboretum. Students often wander the intertwining Arboretum paths through the woods, lie out on the grass and nap during the warm months, or take their laptops out by the pond to do homework. Other outdoor spots are also popular gathering places: Woodburn Field fills with people on pretty days and the tailgating fields south of the stadium are packed before every football game. The Indiana Memorial Union, one of the main points of pride of IU and the second largest in the country, is a massive structure that contains a bowling alley and a hotel, as well as fast food restaurants and lounges. This is a popular stop for students in between classes in search of a place to study or sleep. The Wells Library, a massive 11-story building, features a mall-like food court in the basement with tables and wireless internet. The Hoosier Den, a restaurant that accepts meal points, is located below the Gresham Food Court. It offers individual pizzas and various types of breakfast foods until the early hours of morning and is a popular stop among students coming back from late-night parties. When students feel the need to work out some stress, they head to the SRSC (Student Recreational and Sports Center), with its Olympic-sized pool, track, cardio and weight room, racquetball and basketball courts, gym with free classes, and weight rooms. The famous IU art museum was designed by I.M. Pei to have no right angles and is considered one of the top five university museums in the country.

There are 11 major dorms on campus, divided into three main neighborhoods: Northwest, Central, and Southeast. Northwest includes the dorms Briscoe, McNutt, Foster, and Collins. The first three of these dorms are considered the party dorms, typically housing people who will spend a lot of time at Greek Row, Business majors who will take classes at the nearby Kelly School, and athletes (the football stadium is also close). In general, the Northwest neighborhoods are assumed to be large, nice rooms with common restrooms and wireless lounges. There are computer labs and classrooms in the center buildings of each dorm. The Collins Living-Learning Community, an artsy, more liberal dorm, is located away from the others, and students must apply to live there. Considered the fanciest and oldest-looking, it has the nickname “Hogwarts.” Central, so named because of its proximity to the heart of campus and academic buildings, is composed of Wright, Teter, Eigenmann, and Ashton. These dorms appear large from the outside but are usually known for the slightly smaller room size as well as for being more peaceful. Each features single, double, and triple rooms, all of which come with a trashcan, closet, bookshelf, desk(s), bed(s) with mattress, curtains, and a floor rug. Floors may be co-ed or single sex, depending on the area. The Honors floors have a reputation for being sought-after and friendlier than the others. The Southeast/Southern neighborhood is home to Forest, Read, and Wilkie and a reputation for housing offbeat and performing arts student who take advantage of the proximity to the Jacobs School of Music. Read is known for its comfortable accommodations. Many of the dorms feature suites with private bathrooms. The apartment-style rooms and singles in Wilkie are reserved for upperclassmen. Students in this area enjoy walking to the College Mall area and the restaurants and shops on 3rd Street.

IU is Division I all around and has been a member of the Big Ten since the late 19th century. Hoosiers live for sports: over 600 of them play on the 24 varsity teams, which have collected 157 Big Ten Conference championships, 25 national titles and 133 individual titles. Men’s swimming and diving at IU set the record for consecutive wins when it came out on top six years in a row. Other very strong, nationally-recognized teams include soccer, track and field, tennis, and, of course, basketball—players are treated as gods among men on campus. A recent scandal took down basketball coach Kevin Sampson and students are still reeling. IU’s endowment of $32 million is the largest in its conference, and club and intramural teams also benefit. Rugby, golf, martial arts, and ice hockey are all popular. And students enjoy tailgating for the football team even when it isn’t performing up to par.