Arizona vs Hawai'i vs Minnesota vs Oregon

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hello all!</p>

<p>I was looking for some help and suggestions in choosing a college. I've just finished up my AS (Biology) at a CC in NJ and am transferring as a Junior-level student with the intent of studying Geology.</p>

<p>I absolutely despise the Northeast and have killed myself looking for schools that specialize in Geology while being reasonable as far as admissions and cost. Unfortunately, no perfect schools exist (obviously!) and through it all, I have four options:</p>

<p>University of Arizona-Tucson
University of Hawai'i-Manoa
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
University of Oregon-Eugene</p>

<p>They all have their pro's and con's so I'm having a heck of a time choosing one over the others, so I was hoping anyone who has been to, attended or has any information about these schools could help me out; I'd really appreciate some input!</p>

<p>As far as things you might need to know:</p>

<p>-Majoring in Geology (thinking about concentrating on marine or geophysics)
-I would live on-campus or in campus apartments
-Love hot weather
-Not too big on the party scene (but its OK)
-Will NOT have a car</p>

<p>Thanks a bunch!!!!!!</p>

2

<p>I’d say Arizona for top-ranked geology department and hot weather. </p>

<p>The next-best geology department, not quite at the Arizona level but still one of the very best, would be Minnesota. You won’t find hot weather there—not during the school year, anyway. But overall academics are stronger, geology is pretty close to Arizona, and OOS tuition is about $8,000 cheaper than Arizona. Also it’s pretty easy to get around the Twin Cities without a car; the public transportation is pretty efficient.</p>

3

<p>Thanks.</p>

<p>Arizona was actually my number 1 from the beginning, but then I got interested in Hawai’i for its unique location/climate and its geology & marine programs… but I can’t find anything but negative reviews.</p>

<p>Minnesota was originally my #2 for the reasons you mentioned above, but its so darn cold, I don’t know if I could take it! On the other hand, it’s the school I have the least question about, given its high academic standing.</p>

<p>Oregon…I applied to Oregon a couple of semesters ago and was accepted, so they waived my application fee this go around and I was accepted again. It just seems like a cool place with decent academics. I guess there’s not really much of a case for it, though. Especially compared to the other schools.</p>

4

<p>Since you like warm weather, and since Arizona is known to have a great geology department, I would just go there.</p>

5

<p>I lived in Hawaii for 3 years, and graduated from a college there (not U of H). U of Hawaii is a decent college…nothing to be ashamed of, and obviously offers unique first-hand perspectives on things like botany, sociology, and geology. </p>

<p>It’s a beautiful school with fun athletics, and you can take the bus to most of the nightlife. Note that caucasians are a minority in Hawaii, and there will be situations in which being an “outsider” might mean it will take extra effort to fit in.</p>

6

<p>You might want to check out Northern Arizona University too. With the Grand Canyon, Colorado River, Sedona red rocks and 14,000 ft peaks nearby, it has some interesting stuff going for it too. It does get cold in the winter but Phoenix is just 90 minutes away. My daughter did a campus tour there last week and it was a great campus. By the way, I went to the UA (Finance) and enjoyed my time there. Here’s my summary of NAU:</p>

<hr>

<p>BASIC FACTS: Flagstaff, Arizona; 7,000 elevation; 4 seasons; 100" of snow on average; NAU has 18,000 undergrads and 5,000 grad students; 67% in-state and 33% OOS; 60% women and 40% men; 65% white … a fairly diverse school; 65% of apps are admitted; 3.0 average or Top 25% in high school to get in.</p>

<p>1) HOUSING - this is a residential school; you can choose your own roommate; 2 people per dorm; 1 all male and 3 all female dorms; 8 freshman dorms; freshman dorms have a community bathroom for each floor; dorms are decent size, we were actually impressed; sinks in the room; laundry facilities on site with a neat computer/text based process to let you know when a washer/dryer is available and a text to let you know when laundry is done; coed dorms are separated by floors (i.e. girls on one floor and boys on another floor).</p>

<p>2) ON-CAMPUS FOOD OPTIONS: 25 restaurants are on campus; food was good; all freshman must have a meal plan; coffee shop in the library; food is available until 2am.</p>

<p>3) ACTIVITIES: brand new 240,000 sq ft rec center is will be ready in July 2011 (versus current 40,000 sq ft center); $3 movie nights with free popcorn and drinks; shuttle to ski resort that is 30 minutes away; Las Vegas is 3 hours away; Phoenix is 90 mins away; lots of hiking and outdoor activities; intramural sports; casino nights; concerts; Grand Canyon is 90 minutes away; Sedona is 30-45 mins away.</p>

<p>4) CAMPUS: trees, 4 seasons, very pretty campus, 14,000 ft peaks within 30 minutes from campus, clean air, Flagstaff is a college town … close relationship between NAU and Flagstaff; lots of off-campus food and shopping available; Dome Stadium holds about 11,000 people for football, hockey and basketball games; WiFi throughout campus; Library is good size and active … condusive to study; Campus Bus loops around campus every 3-5 minutes so easy to get around plus biking is big option there.</p>

<p>5) SAFETY/SECURITY: Has call boxes throughout campus; blue light boxes that call 911/security when picked up, campus ID gets you into locked dorm rooms. Has program where you call to have someone walk you to car or dorm for safety.</p>

<p>OVERALL: we were very impressed with NAU and it set a high baseline for the other schools we’ll visit. It’s a cost effective school and part of the Western Undergraduate Exchange, which gives western out-of-state kids the tuition at 150% of the instate price. The overall vibe was good and relaxed. I did notice an absence of the “jocks” that are probably attending Arizona State or University of Arizona. NAU kids seem to set their own path and desire to get away from home … they want to be independent. The weather is cold from mid-November through March but we live in Phoenix so my daughter wanted out of the heat. Though we’ll visit some OOS schools, I would not be at all surprised to see her end up at NAU. </p>

<p>I hope this helps … feel free to ask questions if you like and I’ll do the best to answer. Also, I left the academic stuff out … I wanted to give you a feel for the campus visit.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

<p>EDIT: NAU is a little cheaper than UA too.</p>

7

<p>University of Hawaii definitely has strong marine and geophysics programs, but I’m not sure whether I’d recommend it as an undergraduate institution. It’s definitely a commuter school, and as a graduate student here I haven’t been particularly impressed with what I’ve seen of the undergraduate students and curriculum. That said, Honolulu definitely has its advantages, and I’m sure you could work with some top-notch academics if you go the ocean sciences route.</p>

8

<p>U of Hawaii has dorms though…it’s not like there is nobody there on the weekend, right Dorian?</p>

9

<p>There are a few dorms, so there’s probably something going on down there if you you want. I guess I was spoiled by my residential experience in undergrad, though, so the options at UH seem a bit…lacking.</p>

10

<p>Minnesota is by far the best academic institution on your list - BY FAR.</p>

11

<p>I agree Minnesota is probably the best ranked as a whole, but as a Geology major, I don’t believe it’s as adept as UofA or even UofH. Not in the area of study and certainly not in the field.</p>

<p>What’s more important to a graduate school or future employer? School strength or program strength?</p>

<p>What’s making this so difficult to choose is that all of these schools are great in their own way and it’s tough to value certain aspects higher than others (i.e. Cost vs Distance from Home vs Research Opportunities, etc).</p>

12

<p>MN is pretty strong in your area as well , but most students change majors and being there would afford you many other excellent options, whereas the other schools would not necessarily do so. I think in this case I would focus on AZ and MN and go with the best financial package. AZ is not hard to get into.</p>

13

<p>SISTOKID, a junior-level transfer is a lot less likely to change their mind than an entering freshman, so I think it’s fairly reasonable for Kepone to focus on program strength.</p>

14

<p>True true Dorian.</p>

15

<p>I’d suggest you apply to all 4 and see which ones accept you, what FAid packages they offer and go from there. Each of the schools has different strengths. Hawaii is the only state with an active volcano, which is pretty exciting, even tho it is not on Oahu, where UH is located. It does have some dorms and SOME campus life, as well as some apartments in Waikiki, but is more of a commuter school as many of the students live on Oahu and commute daily. HI has a nice, temperate climate, with lots of outdoor and beach activities. It has many people of all races and cultures, from all over the world.
The marine biology program at UH is quite good.</p>

<p>I graduated from U of OR in Eugene eons ago and liked it but unfortunately don’t know much about their geology or marine biology programs (not even sure if they have the latter). It did have a nice campus life, with quite a few dorms and apartments. My niece graduated from U of O more recently and she was very happy there as well. It is more of a college town than UH.</p>

<p>U of Az in Tucson gets REALLY hot in the summer, and it’s a dry heat (well over 100 degrees). Some folks find it very uncomfortable tho I have never been to Tucson.</p>

<p>If you can afford it, you may wish to visit the schools you are accepted by in making your final choice. Good luck!</p>