My name is Renée LeBlanc and I am a senior Psychology major with a Dance minor at Salem State. I’m from Waltham, Massachusetts. I’ve worked in Admissions since my first semester sophomore year. I also have a job in Enrollment Management on campus, and an internship managing social media in Marketing and Creative Services. I’ve held two executive board positions in one of the sororities on campus, Phi Sigma Sigma. I’ve also participated in Repertory Dance Theater and Salem Dance Ensemble. As an Admissions Ambassador, I am often asked questions about student life, our campus and our community. Here are the most popular questions and my answers.
10. How close are you to the beach?
This is my favorite thing about Salem! The perfect way to de-stress from studying and work is to watch the waves for a little while and breathe in the ocean air. About half a mile down the bike path is a beautiful waterfront view. We’re also just a 5-minute drive away from Deveraux beach in Marblehead, and about a 15-minute drive from Kings beach in Lynn.
9. What are the residence halls like?
Our residence halls have all been newly updated, and some of them are even brand new. The freshmen dorms hold doubles, triples, and quads. Our doubles are pretty spacious. I really appreciated the extra space in my double as a freshman. Floor bonding activities really help to make your floor feel like a community. Some of the strongest friendships I’ve created here began in our residence halls.
8. What is the food in the dining halls like?
Our dining halls provide us with lots of different options during breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They are very accommodating to any dietary needs, restrictions, or allergies you may have! Discover when you can get your next delicious meal. In addition to the dining halls, we have the Bertolon Café, Upper North Dining, various Outtakes locations, Starbucks, and Dunkin Donuts. These dining locations provide a convenient place to grab something quick when you’re on-the-go. My favorite is the sushi from the Bertolon Café.
7. Can freshmen have cars on campus?
Because of our high commuter percentage and limited parking space, freshmen living on campus can’t bring their cars. We have several different ways that students can get around without having their car on campus. We have the student shuttle that runs on evenings and weekends. Students can use this for free by calling a designated number. It’s a student driver, so as a freshman, I was more comfortable with a student driving me.
6. Where can the student shuttle bring you?
The student shuttle can bring you to
- Any campuses
- Downtown Salem
- Commuter rail
- Vinnin square
- Northshore or Liberty Tree Mall
- Target
- Market Basket
- Other locations based on requests
When I was a freshman I utilized the shuttle constantly. It’s convenient and you don’t have to waste your money on public transportation!
5. Where can I use my ClipperCash?
You can use your ClipperCash at various on and off campus locations. My favorite locations include Koto, Sylvan Street Grille, and Starbucks.
4. How big are your class sizes?
Despite being a medium-sized university, our class sizes are extremely small. Our student to professor ratio is twenty-one students to one professor. While still having around 8,000 undergraduate students, our small class size reflects the diversity of majors and classes offered here.
3. How safe is your campus?
Our campus, like many other universities, has the blue light system. They are designed so that no matter where you’re standing on campus, a blue light will always be in your view. If you are feeling unsafe at any time, for any reason, Campus Police encourage you to press the button on the blue light so they can assist you and make you feel safe. Their response time from when the button is pressed to when they arrive is three minutes. Even during my late-night walks from the library or dance rehearsal, I always felt safe and secure here on campus.
2. Is it easy to get to downtown Salem?
Historic and cultural downtown Salem is about a twenty-minute walk from our campus and less than a five-minute drive. The student shuttle can bring students there on weeknights and weekends. There are endless things to do in downtown Salem. I’ve been here for almost four years now, and there are still things I’ve been meaning to do downtown. We have dozens of different restaurants and small businesses booming with excitement and fun. On top of the spirit and history of downtown, Salem sits on Salem Harbor, making it the perfect mix of city life and a coastal community.
1. What’s it like to be a student here?
I have gotten unwavering support from faculty and staff and countless opportunities in my time at Salem State University. The best thing about the people at Salem State University is they want to see you succeed! The professors care about you, they know your name, they know what you want to do with your degree, and they go above and beyond to help you reach your goals. Salem State isn’t your typical university. Our students don’t simply go to class and back to their dorms every day. These students are leaders, organizing large groups and clubs on campus or large scale events. These students work multiple jobs in order to pay for their degree. These students have early mornings and late nights in order to reach their goals and become better versions of themselves. Our students are driven, dedicated, determined, and anything but ordinary.
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