[skyline889]

Well, the decision is nearing for me but I honestly have no idea where I want to go. The only thing I do know is that for the past five years, I've been attending a private school with a really good reputation and it has been an absolute nightmare for me. This time around I'm looking to make a better informed decision rather than letting my parents make the decision for me.

At first, I was thinking of schools like Santa Clara U, U. Oregon, Oregon State, and U. San Francisco but after checking into the student reviews for some of these schools, I'm not so sure anymore. So my question to you is that if I was looking for a school that I could have fun at, yet still be able to focus somewhat on my academics, where would you suggest? I plan on majoring in business so hopefully I'll also be able to find somewhere that has a decent business program. Also, the schools listed are all on the west coast because I thought it would be a little more ethnically diverse and accepting but in hindsight, I don't think it really matters where the school is located. Thanks for the help!

 

[bigizzy75]

My best advice is visit as many school as you can. Try to see which one you will feel most comfortable in. And of course the school that offers what you want to study. About having fun at college, it really comes down to how fun you make it.

Seriously try to visit the school because written reviews can only go so far.

Best of Luck on your College Search, SATs, and ACTs and I hope you get accepted to the school of your first choice

 

[Clutz]

Well, I can't comment on US schools as I've never attended any, but I can give some general feedback, as I've been in University for 10 years now (disturbing, eh?).

Anyway - smaller universities tend to provide better undergraduate experiences, at least as far as surveys are concerned. At smaller schools the faculty is more concerned with teaching than at large universities. That also means you know your faculty better than you would at a large school. Consequently it is easier to obtain novel learning experiences than it would be at a large school. However, simply by their nature, larger schools provide more and more varied learning experiences. The big difference is that at a large university you have to work harder to obtain those unique learning experiences.

For example, in the sciences - if you were to go to a small public university, you would not have nearly the opportunities to get involved in cutting edge research like you could at a large university, because the schools simply do not have the resources available to them. It may be easier to get those opportunities at a small university though.

 

[skyline889]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigizzy75 /img/forum/go_quote.gif My best advice is visit as many school as you can. Try to see which one you will feel most comfortable in. And of course the school that offers what you want to study. About having fun at college, it really comes down to how fun you make it. Seriously try to visit the school because written reviews can only go so far. Best of Luck on your College Search, SATs, and ACTs and I hope you get accepted to the school of your first choice

Hmm, well my parents, unlike what they did for my sister, decided that it was unnecessary to take me to the mainland for college visits so the only schools I've visited were the ones that my sister visited 6 years ago which I can't really remember anything about. I'd have loved to be able to take the college tour trip my school conducted this summer but my parents didn't want to pay and I couldn't afford $2k for a two week trip.

 

[Joey_V]

Quote:

Originally Posted by skyline889 /img/forum/go_quote.gif So my question to you is that if I was looking for a school that I could have fun at, yet still be able to focus somewhat on my academics...

I like that quote.

Anyway, every school is going to have "negative" reviews. That's just the way it is. If I were you, I'd look at location and money as my number 1 factor. Remember that if you go to live in Cali, you're probably looking to spend a boatload just trying to get through the day.

I would suggest Chicago... lots of good schools here, high caliber stuff too. However, you're from Hawaii... and the shock of winter and having only 4 months of good weather may not be the best choice.

Good luck.

 

[soloz2]

I'd suggest a smaller school, it'll give you the opportunity to still have fun with your classmates and meet lots of people, but you'll have smaller classes so it'll be easier for professors to know who you are and to develop relationships with them.

I went to a small private Christian school with about 1300 students, our average class size was smaller than many high schools. All my professors knew who I was and could call on me by name, aside from one. I also was able to stop by and ask for extra help if I needed. My Greek professor gave me private tutoring when I needed it. I was also invited over to several professors houses.
I still live in the next town over and work part time for the school.

 

[rb67]

I went to a small private high school in Las Vegas, NV and had been to private school my whole non-college career. I decided that was it for me and wanted to go to a big school. I also wanted to see a different part of the country. I'm in Michigan now, and really enjoy the school but hate the weather. (1000 student HS > 40,000 College, southwest to midwest north)

There are a number of factors which make me prefer larger schools.
1. More people to meet and you'll be exposed to a greater variety of students from all over the world. It's harder to find that in smaller schools.
2. There will always be something going on.
3. There will be a larger offering of classes and larger facilities.

The bad things are
1. Hard to be recognized.
2. Hard to get personal time with professors.
3. If you don't have self motivation, it's easy to become a party goer.
4. You don't feel as close to the student body.

The other side of the picture: I roomed with a someone who was from a small college (Rice) over the summer. It seemed like he really enjoyed it and was very close to everyone at the school. He was able to study well and everything like that.

A few questions:
1. How important to you that you have a variety of classes to take? If you end up going to a liberal arts focused college, you may not be able to find technical courses to your liking. What are the chances of you changing your major?
2. How important is it that your professors know you by name?
3. Is school name recognition important to you?
4. How about school ties with corporations?

Wherever you choose, I'm sure you'll find the right one. Also, I think the west coast is a good choice for you if you are used to the weather in Hawaii. You may also think of some of the desert schools (ASU, UA, UNLV, etc), but I really like the California schools in terms of diversity and climate.

 

[gnychis]

the university of washington is by far the most beautiful campus in the US, and I've visited *a lot* of campuses. Aside from that, it's a great university and the life around the campus seems very laid back yet focused on academics... and overall I loved the Seattle area

just tossing a suggestion out. I'd suggest visiting it.

if you want to come east coast... you can check out CMU, but it will not fit your happiness requirement probably, we have the ugliest campus, its small, cold winters here, and our student life consists of halo and guitar hero tournaments in our student center on friday nights. I mean, if thats your idea of fun ok...

We have a great business school, but you'll be working 24/7.

rb67 has some great questions, it will help you figure out what size of a university you want to attend and how involved you want to be.

 

[skyline889]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joey_V /img/forum/go_quote.gif I like that quote. Anyway, every school is going to have "negative" reviews. That's just the way it is. If I were you, I'd look at location and money as my number 1 factor. Remember that if you go to live in Cali, you're probably looking to spend a boatload just trying to get through the day. I would suggest Chicago... lots of good schools here, high caliber stuff too. However, you're from Hawaii... and the shock of winter and having only 4 months of good weather may not be the best choice. Good luck.

Lol, I know that sounded bad but if I have to attend a college that has a course structure like Punahou for another four years, I really don't think I'd make it. I've been checking out some east coast schools in NY and Chicago and they look great and I think I'd love the weather but I've also noticed that they are pretty expensive. My parents said they're only paying the same amount they're paying for school right now plus maybe like $5k a year and everything else is on my own so unless I can get some good financial aid (I don't think my sister filled in a FAFSA because she thought she wouldn't get anything, so I'm not hopeful) I don't think those are going to be an option for me. I have some money that I got from my Grandfather invested right now and that's being saved for my college so it'll help a little but if I go somewhere that's $45k a year, it's going to be depleted very quickly.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rb67 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I went to a small private high school in Las Vegas, NV and had been to private school my whole non-college career. I decided that was it for me and wanted to go to a big school. I also wanted to see a different part of the country. I'm in Michigan now, and really enjoy the school but hate the weather. (1000 student HS > 40,000 College, southwest to midwest north) There are a number of factors which make me prefer larger schools. 1. More people to meet and you'll be exposed to a greater variety of students from all over the world. It's harder to find that in smaller schools. 2. There will always be something going on. 3. There will be a larger offering of classes and larger facilities. The bad things are 1. Hard to be recognized. 2. Hard to get personal time with professors. 3. If you don't have self motivation, it's easy to become a party goer. 4. You don't feel as close to the student body. The other side of the picture: I roomed with a someone who was from a small college (Rice) over the summer. It seemed like he really enjoyed it and was very close to everyone at the school. He was able to study well and everything like that. A few questions: 1. How important to you that you have a variety of classes to take? If you end up going to a liberal arts focused college, you may not be able to find technical courses to your liking. What are the chances of you changing your major? 2. How important is it that your professors know you by name? 3. Is school name recognition important to you? 4. How about school ties with corporations? Wherever you choose, I'm sure you'll find the right one. Also, I think the west coast is a good choice for you if you are used to the weather in Hawaii. You may also think of some of the desert schools (ASU, UA, UNLV, etc), but I really like the California schools in terms of diversity and climate.

Thanks for the helps guys, I'm attending this hs right now (http://www.punahou.edu/) so a campus and class size/structure like this would be great but I would prefer if it didn't focus quite so much on academics and that the student body was maybe a little more friendly (Don't know if it's true or not, but I've read that some college campus's have a really "stuck up"/"snooty" student body so I definitely would prefer not to go somewhere like that.

).

About college name recognition, a reputable college would look great when I'm filling out my resume after college, but if I don't find a "big name" school that I like right now, I can work hard and transfer out for my graduate work later so it's not really a huge priority for me. As long as I'm not attending UH or one of the local CCs, I think I'll be happy.

The one thing I do like about my school, is that for the most part, the teachers really take an interest in their student's work and allow you to come in and conference if you need or want help with a subject or assignment. I'm guessing I probably won't find this at a large University like UW but would it be a lot harder to get conference time at a larger institution compared to a smaller liberal arts college? Thanks again for all your help guys!

 

[granodemostasa]

I really want to recommend you the University of La Verne, I have a friend there who is doing business and he has done very well academically.

basically, it's not a big university and it doesn't have the trappings of a big school with division I-A sports and large cultural events, but it is very conveniently located in the Los Angeles area, close to all the action you could ever want, but in suburbia enough to focus if that's what you want to do.

it's not a "big name" type of school, but if you're the type who's willing to go out of his way to get noticed you should be fine.

 

[rb67]

Definitely try for financial aid. You might be surprised sometimes. Also, DEFINITELY fill out your FAFSA. Even if your family is well off, they'll still give you work-study which basically allows employers to pay 1/2 your wage and the government pays the other 1/2. (ie school pays $3.5/hr but you get $7/hr for a job). This makes it much easier to get a part time job, say, in the library or a dorm front desk.

I wish I could help you find a smaller school. When I did the college search I only looked for large schools.

If you are ultimately planning on grad school right after undergrad, then I wouldn't worry too much about name recognition. Just get really good grades, do well on the GRE's, get research experience, and you'll be set.

 

[shoenberg3]

Dude, Stanford.

West coast: Check
Accepting: CHECK
Academics: Are u kidding?
Diversity: It has to be one of the most diverse univ. in the nation..so many international students not to mention people with all the different talents and backgrounds
Business: Stanford probably produced the largest number of prominent entrepreneurs in the last decade...google, yahoo, HP, and countless others in top positions in computer, media companies
Fun: I don't know about other colleges, but out of HYPSM, we have the most fun, by far!

And oh yea, since Stanford is a really rich school, they are very generous with financial aid.

 

[rxc]

UC Berkeley's Haas.

 

[skyline889]

While I would love to attend either, neither are really an option for me. Mediocre SAT scores (CR:710 M:670) combined with an absymal 3.0 GPA (I couldn't concentrate last year so I didn't study and my GPA tanked) means that I don't think I have a chance with Stanford or a UC school.

 

[rxc]

You don't know unless you apply. UC's don't base everything on grades.

Didn't apply to Standford so I don't know about them.