Hallo, my son has been accepted at Colorado Boulder, Penn State Altoona campus and UBC Canada Okanagan Campus for studying Biology. He is an international student and we will not have time to visit any of the campuses to help taking the right decision. Any advise which Biology Bachelor is best. Thanks
Colorado Boulder, by a mile. 
Easy!
Now, are there financial considerations?
Hallo, thanks. Finances we will manage. Is the bachelor well recognized. Do they offer good internships? However, I red Comments that surveys indicate that recruiters favour Penn State students. As a parent, I am also worried about party culture etc at Boulder. Thanks.
Well, yes, recruiters love Penn State graduates. But your son would go to the US to study and thus shouldn’t worry about working (internships are fine, but if “work” is mentioned, a STUDENT visa cannot be granted, since a student goes to STUDY, not work; makes sense, right?)
So the choices are
1° 4 year at a very good flagship school
or
2° 2 years at a mostly commuter branch campus, then 2 years at a strong flagship school.
The Bachelor’s well recognized in both cases, located in really nice college towns.
Party culture is prevalent at both universities, so you have to trust your child will not gravitate toward the crowds that drink in excess and that he will find a peer group that enjoys fun things (there are free activities on campus, like plays, games, films…)
Ohh I see, thanks. We are in Europe and actually most teens party from 15 onwards. We have passed the first party phase. Which school is more expensive for international students, would you know. I know the approx price for Boulder, but not for Penn State.
If your son was admitted, the cost of attendance must have been sent to him. I think the costs are similar but you’d have to check the financial aid/cost of attendance letter sent to your son. Penn State University Park is 46K and if he got a scholarship, it’d likely be less.
Also, did he get into Schreyers Scholars? because that’s a big deal academically but only $4,500 financially!
UP = the “main” campus, the prestigious one where your son would go after 2 years - unless you can call and ask, if your son switches majors to DUS, would he be allowed to attend University Park, considering you’re from … in Europe, say won’t let him attend Altoona from so far away, you want him on a residential campus in a college town… Can he enroll in June or is school still going on? If you’re willing to have him start in June, DUS + summer session tends to be a good way to get into University Park, too. DUS= undecided major, he can take biology and has to show what he’s able to do, get good grades, to qualify for one of he 7 or 8 Biology majors Penn State has. MANY parents call and ask for a switch to DUS for UP consideration, and get it if the grades are decent.
Academically, Penn State University Park > Colorado Boulder >>> Altoona > Okanagan
Socially, Penn State UP = Colorado Boulder >> Altoona/Okanaga
Sorry what is DUS???
Found it. Division of Undergrad. Studies. We will try.
Hy again, We contacted Penn State. No way to get into DUS etc. They had considered him for this program already. They also told us that all dorms in Altoona are full and that we could go to Erie.
In the meantime he also got accepted to the Life Sciences (Biology, Neuroscience and Psychology) program at the University of Toronto Scarborough for the 2015 Fall academic year. What do you think about this? It is not the main UoT campus. Dont know this one at all.
Roma, you realize that U of British Columbia is a very well regarded school, don’t you? And typically your costs at a public university in Canada will be less than at many U.S. colleges.
^LakeWashington : it’s Okanagan. I wouldn’t recommend it for an international, very isolated and difficult to get to. Nothing like the Vancouver campus even if I’m sure the quality’s good.
Scarborough’s okay. At least it’s not lost out in the boonies… it’s on the outskirts of Toronto. It’s less good that Toronto’s main campus.
Overall, I’d say UColorado’s better.
Not sure how to compare Erie and Scarborough, except for relation to a city (Scarborough has it, Erie doesn’t). Erie is strong in the sciences, often considered the strongest PSU branch campus. It’s fairly small. Both are very cold :p.
You may want to email them, ask questions about dorms, what percentage students commute, whether the residence halls and cafeterias are open during the weekend, if activities are planned over the weekend, if the process to switch to main campus is onerous.