So, I finally found the perfect school for me but I have one problem. I looked up reviews of the school online and they are all so negative and horrible, making me rethink my decision to attend. Although my parents and I both agreed that this would be the best school for me, looking at reviews regarding crime on campus, the bad neighborhood surronding campus, and just students ranting about different aspects of the university makes me feel uneasy. Should I disregard these reviews are should I take them seriously? I know plenty of people who are positive about the school and plenty of people who are negative.
Most non-moderated websites attract disgruntled students who either flunked out or were denied admission. They are showing their immaturity by blaming the college for their failures.
I wouldn’t really take into consideration any online reviews lest it was something very specific and seemed to be articulated multiple times in a mature manner. Whiny negative reviews are usually written by whiny people who love to complain.
Oh, and the part about “the bad neighborhood surrounding campus” - some of the best schools in the world just so happen to be in less-than-ideal neighborhoods; but that doesn’t detract from the school’s worth as an institution. The University of Chicago is a prime example of this, haha.
Columbia, Yale, Penn and USC are adjacent to not so great neighborhoods too.
Thank you all so much! I just needed some reassurance about my choice and the reviews are not exactly helpful!
@TomSrOfBoston - Really any school that is in a urban area will likely be near some seedy areas. Harvard Square after sundown has its fair share of vagrants and shadowy figures.
I’ve noticed some websites that seem to be just angry students ranting. If you look up any school on these sites, you find horrible reviews. However, you can still get useful information. For example, maybe there are some sketchy neighborhoods near the school. (That is very common with many schools in cities.) Ok, that’s good to know actually so you can stay safe. Maybe the student had a hard time getting particular courses they needed. So you talk to a guidance counselor about which classes might be harder to get, and when you should take them. You can learn a lot even from bad reviews. Also, I’ve found that the threads for each university or college here on CC are more balanced then those “angry student” websites. So try reading through all the threads here for your school, and I think you’ll get a more realistic view on the strengths and the weaknesses of your school. Good luck! 
CC is moderated so the ranters get deleted.
People who write reviews generally tend to write negative ones.
People who have positive experiences tend to pat themselves on the back for choosing wisely and getting their money’s worth. But people who haven’t had those positive experiences tend to want to put things right, and to “warn off” anyone thinking about making the same decision.
As to safety, it’s easy enough to find the actual crime statistics on any college. Start with College Navigator. They can tell you the actual number of arrests that have been made. Look at whether or not they have the “blue light poles” (poles with a phone spread through out campus. If you’re feeling unsafe, you can call. Someone answers within 30 seconds, and help is there within 2 minutes.)