Choosing a University in the U.S.: Alaska
Friday, July 31st, 2009OK, folks, get ready. Today we’re going to a state that most international students aren’t even thinking about: Alaska.
But why aren’t they thinking about it? Do they know that Alaska is the largest state? That it certainly is one of the most beautiful states? That it has a modern city as its capitol? Or that it has more than 6,000 miles of coastline, more than the entire continental United States? Or that, like every other U.S. state, it has great universities that are looking for international students?
No? Well, put on your shorts and t-shirts (Alaska is warm in the summer, folks), and let’s head up the great north!
Activities
Alaska is a paradise for those who love outdoor adventure. There are, of course, your normal outdoor activities: hiking, fishing, camping, etc. But why stop there? Try whale watching, glacier-hiking, sea kayaking, or dog sledding. The vastness and variety of Alaska’s natural landscape means that you can engage in practically any outdoor activity . . . well, OK, maybe not surfing. If you’re an indoors sort of person, um, let’s see . . . OK, maybe it’s not the state for you. There are some historic sites, and wonderful opportunities to experience native culture, and the culture of Russian settlers. Also, many of Alaska’s outdoor wonders are easily accessible in cars, so if you’re not the adventurous type you can still experience the beauty of Alaska.
Extracurricular activities
With an abundance of natural beauty, you shouldn’t be surprised if many of Alaska’s universities have every possible kind of wilderness club. Alaska is also a natural place to practice photography, painting, or other visual arts. Snowboarding and skiing are also common extracurricular activities. If you’re interested in biology or other natural sciences, you can expect a lot of activity in that sphere as well.
Social Activities
Friends, I’m not going to lie to you. I was not able to locate much information on social life at Alaska’s campuses. Judging from student reviews, however, social life isn’t too bad, coming in with a C+ grade. They must be doing something fun, even if I can’t figure out what it is. I’m sure they have all the normal student activities (parties, dances, concerts, etc.), and besides, there’s too much to do outside!
Tourist Sites
OK, quick exercise. Guess how many national parks are located in Alaska. If you guessed “10,” you’re wrong, on the low side. Alaska has a whopping sixteen national parks. I won’t list them all here – you can see them via this link for yourself. Worth special mention is DeNali National Park, home to North America’s tallest mountain. You could live in Alaska all your life, traveling to a natural tourist site every weekend, and not see all there is to see. IT IS THAT BIG, PEOPLE!
Weather
OK, it’s impossible to sum up the weather in Alaska. It would be just as hard as talking about the weather in the United States. But a few quick points:
- It’s not as cold as you think. Some regions in Alaska actually have fairly mild winters, with daytime temperatures above freezing, even in the winter
- The amount of sunlight is very high in the summer months, and very low in the winter months. Most of the populated part of Alaska gets about 6 hours of nighttime in the summer, and 18 hours of daylight (the opposite is true in the winter).
Other than that, you’re going to need to read about it yourself.
Cost of Living
The cost of living in Anchorage, Alaska is 33% less than in New York; salaries are only 5% less than in New York. Source is here.
Notable Universities
Here is Wikipedia’s list of Alaska’s universities.
Posts in this Series
- Choosing a University in the U.S.: North Dakota - 12 Sep
- Choosing a University in the U.S.: Minnesota - 12 Aug
- Choosing a University in the U.S.: Alaska (This post)
- Choosing a University in the U.S.: Utah - 24 Jul
- Choosing a University in the U.S.: Colorado - 21 Jul
- New myUface Guide and New Series - 20 Jul
