Established: 2001
Type: Private University
Location: Aliso Viejo, California, USA :: [map]
Homepage: http://www.soka.edu
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Soka University is a great place for those looking to develop themselves and to hone their ability to effect change in the world. The goal of my school is to “cultivate global citizens dedicated to living a contributive life,” and that really is a summation of most peoples dispositions on campus.
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.
One of the uniquenesses of this university is its international background. We have students from 35 different countries and they all interconnect on campus. Although each student has his/her own cultural/ideological background, Soka equally accepts all.
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.
Hello. My name is Aoi Sato and I’m becoming sophomore at Soka University of America in this September. I’m from Japan so I still have been struggled with academic in English. However, I really enjoy my life at Soka with my great Soka family. One of the uniqueness of this university is small class size. We have about 13-15 students per class and it is discussion and dialogue based. Since we have small people in class, it is easy to ask questions and jump in the discussion. This is great opportunities especially for international students whose first language is not English. This small size class gives me stronger motivation to study more. Another great characteristic is residential hall. Our university has around 450 students (overall!!). Almost every student lives on campus so students become very close as real family. Underclassmen adore upperclassmen as their older brothers and sisters. And upperclassmen take care of underclassmen as their younger brothers and sisters. Since we live on campus together, we always encourage studying each other. Even if I feel sleepy at night, I start to feel I want to study even little bit more when I see friends are studying. Then, the best aspect of Soka is our founder, Dr. Daisaku Ikeda. He says that a university should exist for those who are unable to attend university. Also, he states “For what purpose should one cultivate wisdom? May you always ask yourself this question!” “Only labor and devotion to one’s mission gives life its worth.” Soka students are working so hard to create value each day with appreciation for everybody who supports SUA. Also, Dr Daisaku Ikeda always encourages students by sending message or giving night snacks during final week. I never heard that a university founder supports students like this before. When SUA is established, our founder put effort to make great residential hall and meal at cafeteria. Without nice residence and meal, students would not study hard, he thought. Now, I really feel that I’m very fortunate to be here as a student. With SUA’s mission, I would like to study harder and be the person who works for the sake of peace.
I’m a student of Soka University. There were three reasons why I came to Soka: 1, small student body 2, diversity and 3, study abroad program. Because we have a small student body and most of us live in student dorms, we know one another very well and we have “culture of care” everywhere on-campus. Personally, I made many good friends whom I can share anything and show my true self without hiding. Not only among friends but faculty-student relationship is very good. Faculty members often keep their doors of their office open and welcome to hear students’ questions and opinions anytime. Because of the size of student body, students are able to maximize their learning opportunities in classrooms and building strong bonds with friends and faculty members outside of classrooms as well.
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.
Great aspects of Soka
* 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
Soka University of America is a private school located in South Orange county, in the city of Aliso Viejo. The mission of the school is to “foster a steady stream of global citizens committed to living a contributive life”. Thus, every student here, aims at bringing about a positive change in the world, by their collaborative efforts towards realizing the cause of peace at a local or global level.
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.
Soka University of America is a 4 years private, liberal arts university. We have students from all over the world so it’s very diverse. We currently have about 400 students. SUA is a very unique university. All students are required to take foreign languages, and go study abroad for a semester. SUA currently offers Spanish, Japanese, and Chinese classes. I went to Chile for my study abroad. It was very good opportunity for me to learn different culture and broaden my view.
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.
You’re absolutely right — I have not attended the program, and what I’ve supposed about the community and its cohesiveness is pure speculation on my part. ,
There were two events that led me to choosing Soka.
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.
When I started my college career, I had no idea what I was in for. I thought I was going to school essentially to party and make friends. However, coming to Soka University of America was a completely different experience than I had expected to have. The campus is absolutely breath-taking, the classes are super small and focused on the success of students, and we are definitely spoiled by the staff and our professor! We receive an immense amount of care and attention, and in turn we are expected to give 100% in everything that we do. Isn’t that the way it should be? In addition, the classes are challenging, and often quite busy. Students with poor time management who also participate in many extracurricular activities may find school very stressful, but we all learn eventually that academics are our priority and we begin to better manage our time in order to fit in all the things we wish to do! It is a very enriching experience to look back at these past four years and realize I have become so much more responsible through the growth I have experienced in this amazing university!!!
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!!
Soka University of America is a private, 4-year liberal arts university that opened in 2001 in Aliso Viejo. Currently, we have about 400 students (about 100 students in each class) who come from more than 30 countries. Soka offers students various unique curriculum, such as the required study abroad program, Learning Cluster (you create and investigate your interested topic with professor for one month. In the last few years, we received donation that greatly helped students go to another country to study the target topic), and Core program (philosophical discussion), just to name a few. Each course has 13-16 students on average, and both professors and the students are very engaged in discussion and deeper understanding of the course.
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.
Soka University of America (SUA) became affordable to many students after the adoption of a new tuition policy two years ago. Specifically, students with family annual income is less than $60,000 can receive free tuition. Those students still have to pay for room and board fee, which is roughly $10,000. But everyone has equal chance to get scholarship and is liable to loans and grants. Because three meals and other live expenses are included in tuition, you do not have to spend much money after you paid tuition. You only have to buy textbooks by yourself or pay to have fun.
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.
Love it! SUA is not an easy college either to get in to stay here. Classes are very small so attendance and participation is crucial for your academic career (unlike the “normal” lecture theatre that you may have seen) Life here is culturally enriched. You’ll meet people from all continents of the world and will surely learn from their stories also. The most important advice that I can give you is probably … if you sincerely want to make a positive impact in this world… SUA can surely give you that preparation. Please keep in mind that it will not be easy. If you like challenges, SUA will give you that along with many opportunities
Studying at Soka has been a life-changing experience for me. Especially, if you want to receive humanistic education, your best choice would be coming to Soka. Soka embodies humanistic education by basing its curriculums on the university’s four principles: (1) Foster leaders of culture in the community, (2) Foster leaders of humanism in society, (3) Foster leaders of pacifism in the world, and (4) Foster leaders for the creative coexistence of nature and humanity. It is a liberal arts college with 4 concentrations (Humanities, International Studies, Social Behavioral Science, Environemtal Studies). There are several required courses. For example, all the freshmen have to take CORE 1, which is a intense one-month class, in which you study about different kinds of philosophies. There are some other required courses that encourage students to take multiple perspectives. Through these courses, students are trained to become “global citizens.”
Soka University of America, or as I sometimes call it, the school on top of a hill in Aliso Viejo, CA. I am now a Senior at Soka University of America (SUA) and these four years here have gone by ever so fast. I’m anxiously awaiting the future and the exciting paths are still to come. How could I review an entire college and 4 years in just one simple online review? How could I explain what my understanding of these years at SUA – my second home… means? To the way-faring online reader who may or may not have heard of Soka University of America; I am glad you have found this review. To me, Soka is a college experience where we are all forced to come into contact with ourselves – think critically about who we are, and what we want to do in the world that will build world peace and secure the well-being of the Earth? Soka University of America has helped me find and foster my own unique and creative self. As students we need to discover – where does my passion lie? Do I want work in an NGO for Woman Rights? Is translation and interpretation my dream? Am I dedicated to education – improving it and fostering the next generation by being a teacher and/or administrator? I see Liberal Arts at Soka as a pathway into part of what the world needs most criticially now: Individuals who are able to think at the global level, and are able to further understand their own views and opinions as well as those of others. What better place to discover this than at a place where the faculty, staff, students are all there supporting you 110% of the way? If I could, would I do it all over again, would I? Yes, definitely.
The campus and the area around it is absolutely amazing, it\’s very a very green and healthy environment. There are also various town centers around the area and malls and local attractions. On campus there are nearly 70 clubs to participate in, and the Student Union is always active and busy hosting events on campus. Soka University is an Amazing Campus, there is a small student body size, so you are better able to meet and get to know as many people as you can. The area around the campus is beautiful, and so is the campus itself. The University also offer free tuition to incoming students who\’s family\’s income are $60,000 and under.