Hi there,
I don't live in Bradford myself, but as it is the nearest city to me and I have a lot of family there, I find myself there quite often, and I would say that whilst it definitely isn't the nicest city, a lot of the things you hear about it can be over exaggerated, especially by people who don't really know the city. In general, the people are usually quite friendly, but tend to keep to themselves. Yes, there are lots of chavs, and you will run into rude and obnoxious people, but that's just like any other city in the UK.
The majority of the population in Bradford are Asian and do identify as Muslim, but again, the VAST majority are good people, who keep to themselves. As a white girl myself, I can say truthfully I have had far more problems with the white population of Bradford than the Asian community, so I'm sure as a white girl you will be fine as well if you are worried about being a minority in the city.
The city has seen better days, but it does have some beautiful architecture, especially in the centre, but as it has been neglected by the council, the city does appear to be a dump. However, regeneration is underway, as mentioned above, and the city has a brand new shopping centre. The town centre isn't great, but that is due to most of the business relocating from the old shopping centre at Kirkgate to the new one.
I don't really know much about social or night life, but Bradford does have lots of bars and restaurants open in the city centre. I'm not really involved with that, so I wouldn't know I'm afraid.
In terms of where to live, I myself would avoid Manningham. That really is a dump in my opinion. You may be better off looking for flats or housing away from the city centre. Really, you may be better off in places such as Leeds or Bingley, as these are great for shopping, and may fit in better with the lifestyle you want. Additionally, living in these places would be better in terms of transport. Bradford does not have a tram system, so you would have to take the bus or a taxi. Driving through Bradford isn't great really, especially on match days, so if I were you, I'd consider living outside the city near a train station and walking to Uni, as was mentioned above. If you want to be near the city, in a nicer area with a station, Saltaire is quite nice, so you might want to look there.
Obviously this is my opinion, and many will disagree with me, but the only way you can get a feel of Bradford is if you come to visit and see for yourself. You might hate it, but you can always move elsewhere. I hope this was of help to you, and I definitely think you should give Bradford a go if you want to go the uni. Who knows, maybe you'll love the city.