<p>Hello everybody,
Quick question- Bryant University or Penn State? Money would be about the same, but the problem is I would have to go to Penn State satellite campus, Hazleton, for two years. I want to major in finance. Any personal experience with these schools or suggestions/opinions?</p>
<p>You get into the main campus after two years at Hazelton? </p>
<p>If so I would totally do that over Bryant for 4 years.</p>
<p>Yes, from my understanding, I would be able to participate in Penn State’s 2+2 program.</p>
<p>Do you really want to go in knowing you will change schools after two years? Give up the friends you made and try to make new ones?</p>
<p>Bryant is an excellent school for finance. Great social life, great job placement.</p>
<p>Thanks Chardo, that is what I like to hear! I am definitely leaning towards Bryant.</p>
<p>Being a Bryant finance grad myself, I can vouch for it.</p>
<p>That’s awesome, I’d really appreciate it if you could possibly tell me some of the positives and negatives in your view of Bryant.</p>
<p>Bryant is simply not anywhere NEAR the same class as Penn State. The connections you would make there would go a long way ESP if you intend to get into finance.</p>
<p>But I really don’t want to deal with the satellite campus, have you ever had any experience with one? Because two years there just seems like two years of my college life wasted.</p>
<p>Then go to Bryant, but Penn State is what your degree will say at the end of your career vs. Bryant. Short term pain for long term gain, thats how I see it. Did you ask if it was possible to go to the main campus after one year?</p>
<p>I have not done so. I know some major you can transfer after one year to University Park, but can Smeal students do so as well if they have good grades?</p>
<p>Sisto, we know Penn State is great. However, this is a situation of starting at a satellite campus and transferring after two years. Yes, the end diploma will say Penn State, but the overall experience is not the same. It means starting at a small school, making friends, then leaving those friends after two years. Then you jump to one of the largest schools in the country and try to find your way around and make new friends, just when your junior year coursework ramps up the difficulty. Why would you knowingly go through that?</p>
<p>Bryant is excellent in its own right. Obviously not the name recognition of Penn State, but what do you expect? It’s one tenth the size. Of course that also has it’s advantages (the usual big vs. small school debate). Penn State has excellent recruiting, but with such a huge student body, you may have a hard time distinguishing yourself from the pack. How might that affect hiring potential? Bryant is not some junk school. Their grads do exceptionally well. They have always been a prominent accounting feeder with heavy placement in the Big Four firms (it was Big 8 back when I was there). Finance was always good, but has gotten even better since the massive Fidelity office opened across the street (the largest office building in Rhode Island). Where do you think Fidelity goes for interns? How easy is it to send their recruiters across the street?</p>
<p>As for long term potential, I graduated over 20 years ago. My immediate circle of friends are currently:</p>
<p>VP of Tax for Fortune 500 company
VP of major US brokerage firm
Wall Street bond trader
President of aerospace defense contractor
VP of largest office furniture manufacturer
Director of Sales for aircraft manufacturer
Tax attorney, partner in firm
Real estate developer
Managing Director of bookkeeping firm
GM of Hyatt hotel
Cargo Sales Manager for Delta Air Lines
Several independent financial advisors</p>
<p>Actually the 2+2 program at PSU is HUGE and you will likely have friends following you to university park, main campus after 2 years. PSU has been rated #1 nationally by recruiters in wall st journal polls the past several years, and if you can go in as a business major, guaranteed to get into Smeal, your marketability for jobs should be optimized. I think you have a tough choice. Have you visited PSU? Most fall in love with the campus when they visit. (my own d is one such example).
If Bryant were much cheaper, I’d say go there. If you were into the main campus at penn state…well, your decision would be easy. The two schools are simply not in the same league, reputation-wise.</p>
<p>Money-wise, it would be the same because Bryant gave me a pretty nice scholarship. I did visit main PSU, I’m going to visit Hazleton next week. I visit Bryant the following day. Thank you so much for that response Chardo; I had no idea that Bryant had that kind of opportunity right across the street. Penn State is more well-known, but the quality of teaching is a concern since it is such a big school. Bryant has a more one-on-one, small classes kind of approach. Both schools have amazing opportunities.</p>
<p>okay but do they send them across the street? Can we back that up with numbers? The business world is about making sound/tough choices and sacrifice. Maybe now is a good place to start.</p>