I need your help! My DS has been researching schools - and he came up with BGSU…
His father and I were thinking something close and cozy like UC Davis, maybe something in WA. We live in Las Vegas and he refuses to go to school in NV (UNLV University of never leaving Vegas) we don’t really like AZ schools (party zones w low graduation rates) and he refuses to “be covered in liberals” as he calls it, so So Cal, Oregon, etc are out of the question…
We know nothing about BGSU. Sure we’ve read everything online but I have only met 3 people from Ohio that I know of in my lifetime… I may know more about Mars than Ohio. Granted, we love the idea of “clean, shiny and normal” Ohio people- there is nothing better than down home goodness. And it fits his wants- big campus, 20,000+ students, city that is college focused, etc…
Is the computer science business program any good?
He is leaning towards BGSU because he researched that it has great internships and corporate partner programs. He found somewhere that the computer science business program has put out more CIO& CEO’s than all of the Ivy League schools. He loves the idea of the “Learning Common Living Areas” and he is really focused on this school. I wanted to see if anyone knows anything about the school, this program, etc…
How do you even get there? I know what the nearest airports are, but is it safe to drive from Detroit in February? Is there going to be snow? Is it ok to drive when it snows or can it be dangerous?
The last time we had snow that didn’t instantly melt in Las Vegas was 2004, before that it was about 1991 and then 1985. They close all the roads and the schools when it snows here (no one knows how to drive in snow out here). We once made a snow man that lasted 3 days before he disappeared. I am not even sure how one lives in winter… It gets cold here (for us) but I’m talking about 50’s. I heard it goes below freezing in BGSU!
Any insight is appreciated! He is in love with the school. We are planning on visiting in Feb.
Since you are the parent, have you done your financial planning so that you know how much you can contribute to his college costs?
Try the net price calculator on each college’s web site to see what financial aid it may offer. Do not expect much, or anything, from out-of-state public universities, although some of the less selective ones could offer merit scholarships.
If he is concerned about graduation rates, BGSU’s graduation rates are worse than those of Arizona State. However, graduation rates are mostly dependent on how strong the incoming students are; a given student probably has similar risk of delayed graduation or non-graduation at any of several colleges s/he may attend.
Seems that BGSU’s catalog web page is down right now, so it is hard to see what CS courses it offers.
He has his search very narrowed down to colleges that fit his needs, have specific programs he wants and are financially attainable. We also loved Gonzaga but at $60k+ a year it was not a realistic school for him.
We just don’t know anything about the program first hand- maybe from someone who goes or went to BGSU. We also know nothing about the area, the weather, the student Life, etc.
I was worried about the low graduation rates at BGSU at first but it seems that the non grads mostly come from their “undeclared” program and the students they accept with lower GPA’S which is expected. ASU is different, not to knock them but when I said we don’t like AZ schools for the low graduation rates, it is because I can easily name you forty 3.8gpa+ students who just dropped out from partying too much or had to go back home due to “habits”… Not the same type of low grad rate problem at all.
Yes, we have researched all of the financials. It’s is easily affordable.
My son is specifically interested in the computer science business degree at BGSU. He has narrowed his focus schools to only those that fit his needs and have specific programs that he is interested in. He liked the BGSU computer science business degree as he felt it better suited him than an IT, MIS or CS degree. He also got sold on the internships, partner corporations, alumni, etc… But that could just be a bunch of promotional articles for all we know. (US News, NYT, Niche, etc…)
Maybe someone who goes or has gone to BGSU knows more? Even someone who knows someone? We know no one in the area, no one who has graduated there at all … I have 1674 LinkedIn connections and no one even from Ohio or grad of OH anywhere…
I was worried about the low grad rates at BGSU at first but when I looked into it, it seems that most of the drops come from the low GPA admits as well as the undeclared. That’s expected. What I was talking about with the AZ schools is nice 3.5& above students who drink and party their way to failure or have to go back home because of “habits”; we have seen MANY of them. Much different reasons for low grad rate.
We just know nothing about the school, the area, the lifestyle of BGSU.
I can’t tell you anything about their computer science program but I can tell you a little about the college and the area. Bowling Green OH is a rural community of about 30k people. It is largely a college town and the area is very flat and surrounded by farms. The university is mid sized, meaning around 15k students, most of whom will be from northwest OH. The campus will have plenty going on and has most of the major sports programs and is known for its music and teaching programs. Beyond campus however there is not much going on. The nearest mid sized city is Toledo, about 35 miles away. Most other major cities are between 2-3 hours away with not much in between.
I have known several students who have chosen BGSU for their music and teaching programs. They are enjoying their experience there. They are from OH and can get home easily if they need to.
I hope this information helps. I’m not trying to persuade you one way or the other. BGSU is not a university I would envision a kid coming all the way from CA to attend. It’s a fine university and I’m sure it would provide a good education. I would definitely find out as much as I could about the computer science program he wishes to take. If it is a good fit then perhaps so is the university.
The roads are treated to prevent icing. Any car with an electronic traction control system and tbs brakes will keep you safely on the road. I’m amazed at the different driving experiences between my kids and I. Having never fish tailed or learning to pump the brakes (not needed with tbs) there is barely any difference in the way the cars handle between snow or driving in a heavy rain. Don’t skimp on buying a car for DS, those two features are necessary equipment for snow states. Most newer cars have those features as standard equipment, so if you rent a car it should have them.
The handful of kids from our high school that choose it seem to enjoy it and don’t seem to transfer. It’s actually pretty easy to transfer credits between state schools here, so that says a lot. The kids that picked it last year were some of the nicest and talented of the graduating class.
Also, I remind my kids if your ABS or traction control kicks in (you may not feel it, but a light comes on) that means you are driving too fast for the road conditions and they should slow down. The goal is always not to need those in case they are ever driving a car without those safety features.
Typo: should have been ABS (anti-lock braking system) not tbs (post 4)
I know several kids at BGSU and my son was accepted to the music program but didn’t attend.
^ yup.
In Ohio state schools, there are 8 or so 4 year research unis - I don’t think of BGSU for CS. Music and education are the reasons kids around here choose it, plus it offers accommodations for kids coming from high school IEPs.
I didn’t like the BGSU campus at all - flat, windy and cold, large enough to have a bus system. YMMV though, one of my best friends graduated from there and loved it,andother good friend’s D is a first year now and doing well.
CS makes me think of U Cincy (and its co-op program), and Ohio State, maybe also Miami. Have you considered those? OSu and Miami also have well regarded business schools (undergrad).
The school and the area sound charming (minus the cold weather) but I can see where my son will probably not be a match for the academics. He has higher aspirations, but it sounds like a nice school. They do put our some pretty nice articles about the business programs and CS though. I think we are going to B list it.
Whew… you all just saved me a trip to Ohio in February! If I am not skiing in it and going in the hot tub later, I have no reason to see snow!
It does look like the upper level CS offerings are just ok in terms of subject coverage, but many of them are not offered every semester, so a CS student there must take each desired course when offered, since it may not be offered again before s/he graduates.
If there are cost constraints on college choice, you may want to look into the Western University Exchange schools, which may offer 1.5 times in-state tuition for residents of western region states. Note that some of them only offer the WUE tuition for certain majors, and some may limit the number of students who can get WUE tuition.
I’ve never heard Bowling Green mentioned as one of “THE” schools to go to for anything related to CS, although I’m sure its CS with a Business specialization is perfectly fine.
I can totally get not wanting to stay in Las Vegas.
WUE may be a good choice - what about Montana State? South Dakota school of mines?
ASU Barrett stusents don’t wash out, even if regular ASU students have a tendency to do so.
Bowling Green state is a directional university, similar to the midtier Cal States. I can’t think of someone coming from the West coast to study there - students with good stats could apply to UCincinnati and its famed co-op program; the Honors college there is excellent and they have many choices relating to technology
(CS business really is business Information systems … compare the program to UCincinnati’s - they have information technology such as cybersecurity, applications, etc as well as business analytics and information system, the former in CEDH and the latter two in Lindner).
When I think mid size university with strong CS industry partnerships, I think of Marist. If he doesn’t mind larger, UMinnesota Twin Cities and Iowa state would be two options worth looking into.
None of these universities should be too liberal.
If he has the stats and you have the money, it’s too bad he won’t look at UWashington Seattle though.
My brothers are both graduates of BGSU and my niece currently attends. I just had to respond to this post because one of my brothers also went on to get his law degree from Gonzaga and you rarely hear those two schools mentioned together. I know more about Bowling Green than BGSU. One of my brothers majored in business and works with computers now and is doing very well. He ended up getting his masters from BGSU after his undergraduate (and I think for free.)
And yes it snows and goes below freezing. Your son would need boots and a nice warm winter coat, hat and gloves.
Thank you UCBAlumnus to the WUE info. In all of our searches we had not learned of that yet. My son it pretty set on Texas A&M but it is VERY competitive for OOS. He keeps looking around for a back up and that is where BGSU came up - he networked with one of the professors at a business competition. It is a nice regional school but not what he will be happy with ultimately. He is looking at Texas AM, Virginia Tech seriously but we are trying to fill it in with selections closer to home too - he will not go to UNLV or UNR - he is luke warm on Univ of Utah, he does not like anything OR or CO. We are going to go look at some WA schools in the WUE. Thank you again.
Chico hasn’t been mentioned, participates in WUE and is certainly worth a look. College town, lots of brick and oak on campus, a strong in Biz and CS and no snow. It is in a relatively conservative area.
Cal Poly Pomoma is another outstanding WUE candidate - missing the college town though.
Not sure of his stats and both are somewhat selective so, do your research before buying a plane ticket.