<p>Right now I'm considering Pitt, Penn State, UVA, UNC, Ohio State, Cleveland State, Youngstown State, U of Memphis, Ball State, Miami U of Ohio, U of and Central Florida. I know UVA is definitely considered the best, but I haven't gotten any other strong distinguishing factors between the rest. The reason right now I would go out of state would be for superior program (UVA) or scholarship (U of Central Florida, Miami U of Ohio, Cleveland, Memphis, Ball State, Youngstown). Anyone have any strong opinions about any of the schools I mentioned. Thanks!</p>
<p>First off, what kind of OOS scholarship would you get for Miami of Ohio? I thought they were kind of nonexistent, at best.</p>
<p>Anyways, to your OQ- H*LL NO!!! They all have their reputations, strengths/weaknesses, facilities, locations, etc. that really do make a difference. Many can be easily be compared to one another, yes, but regional reps. go a long way, along with internships offered, opportunities provided, atmosphere, etc. that can make or break a student.</p>
<p>Please do yourself a favor and look very carefully into each school you mentioned and judge whether it will “fit” you. For instance, I can tell you that Pitt has almost nothing in common with Miami of Ohio, Ball State, or UVA, nor do any of those have anything in common with themselves.</p>
<p>I have never been to any of those universities but I can tell you they aren’t all the same. One of the most important factors in deciding a college is if you can see yourself there as it being your new home. You need to visit as many of the campuses as you can if you haven’t already.</p>
<p>Speaking as someone who has now attended three different public four-year universities, different state schools can have very different cultures. Different people do well in different environments.</p>
<p>Also, the academic quality of schools in your list couldn’t be more different. You’re including two of the best state universities along with some very lower-tier schools. I’d be leery of going anywhere which is far less rigorous than you are capable of just for a scholarship. You wouldn’t have anywhere near as good of an experience as at the stronger schools on your list. And the idea that where you went as an undergraduate is only true up to a point.</p>
<p>Someone who can get into a tier one school can probably get merit money at a tier two or tier three school. Put another way, you can probably shoot higher than some of the schools on your list if you really need merit aid to make the numbers work.</p>
<p>If you have the slightest shot at getting into UVA or UNC, there is absolutely zero reason that you should be thinking about Central Florida, Cleveland State or Youngstown State.</p>
<p>Penn State, Ohio State and Pitt are all serious flagship public universities where you can get a great education. Miami of Ohio is a decent safety school, provided you fit in with its very narrow demographic (i.e. white, greek, upper middle class, preppy and business or education major) if you can’t get into one of the above three.</p>
<p>Long story, short: there’s a huge gap between various public universities.</p>
<p>State schools vary greatly in quality based on
- How well their state supports them
- How long they’ve been around to gain a reputation
- The quality of students a state produces and keeps in state
- Size</p>
<p>I’m a doctoral student at Memphis. The best programs seem to be Psychology and Audiology/Speech Pathology. Education isn’t bad (but then again I’m in the college of education, so I’m biased). Archaeology, specifically Egyptology, used to be another great program at Memphis, don’t know if it still is or not.</p>
<p>Sorry I realize now my question wasn’t very clear or well worded, but since this seems to be a productive thread, I’ll ask a couple follow ups.
Should I take Cleveland, Youngstown, and Central Florida off my list, if there is indeed a chance I could get into UVA or UNC (GPA is 3.9 Sat is 2320)? I live in PA. Should I even be looking at any other state Universities- and if so why? And also if anyone knows they “feel” of Pitt, Penn State, UVA, Ohio State, or UNC please comment. How is the community? Is there a cliquey atmosphere? Are professors accessible? Are there alternatives to the party scene? (Feel free to move this to a pm). Thanks!</p>
<p>With your stats, there’s no reason to limit yourself to Cleveland State, Youngstown State or Central Florida. Paying oos tuition on top of it is madness.</p>
<p>Penn State and Ohio State are both going to be very large, very diverse Big Ten schools. I’d imagine that UNC is similar. If you cant’ find people that you want to fit in with, you’re probably not trying. I’ve heard that UVA can be a little more monolithic student body wise–lots of wealthy kids from NY and DC.</p>
<p>Your top five (UVA, UNC, Ohio State, Penn State and Pitt) are all great public universities. I’d suggest visiting all of them to truly get a feel for the students and faculty.</p>
<p>As a PA resident you should definitely have Pitt and Penn State on your list. Both are solid if unspectacular schools and with your stats as a state resident you’re almost certain to get into at least one of the two, probably both. You’ll be a contender at UVA and UNC, both better schools than Pitt or Penn State, though it’s difficult to gain admission OOS at both these schools, so they’re a little “reachier.” You might also consider Michigan, another top-tier public; with your stats you’d definitely have a good shot, but no guarantees. </p>
<p>But I’m not sure why you’re confining yourself to publics. With financial aid, privates can sometimes be as cheap or cheaper (depending on your family’s income and assets, whether the school meets 100% of need, and whether the school gives merit aid). It might help if you told us something about what you’re interested in studying.</p>
<p>Don’t worry- there are lots of private institutions on my list- I have plenty of threads on those too:-) I’m not going to qualify for any need-based aid so I’m relying on merit. I’m thinking about studying English, Psych, or Theater. Thanks!</p>
<p>Bear in mind that if you get big merit scholarships, it will be to go to a university that students with your credentials would not otherwise consider. You’d be the “outlier” among the students there - your role would be to serve as their inspiration and model. I’d have a hard time envisioning you being challenged and motivated at places like Cleveland State, Youngstown State, U of Memphis, Ball State, and Central Florida.</p>
<p>FWIW, my two Ds - with similar grades and SATs below yours - are at Harvard where their total cost each year is about the same as the cost of room, board and fees AFTER getting a full-tuition scholarship at our in-state public universities.</p>