<p>I want to major in PR in college so it’s basically also a comparison between their two comm schools. While I do like BU’s campus location better, it seems that it’s also ranked over ten spots below Penn State on the USNews rankings. Personally, I would rather attend the school with the better comm program, but my family members are very very strict on the rankings. They all unanimously agree on Penn State just because it’s ranked higher. To be honest, I’m not even sure why Penn State was ranked so high being that it really is a relatively easy school to get into. However, either way I want to make a decision that will make it easier for me to get a job in the future. Now Penn State’s alumnus seem to be scattered everywhere across the nation so it’s easier to make connections this way, but BU’s location makes it easier to find more appropriate internships. I’m really caught in between on this one. Anyone have any ideas?</p>
<p>Anyone with info would be great - PennState is A LOT easier to get into but apparently its ranked the better school.</p>
<p>wbkidd00, Penn State University Park is harder to get into that BU, so I am afraid someone lied to you. I am not saying A LOT (all in large type), but is definitely harder. Penn State University Park’s acceptance rate at 51%, while BU is around mid-to-high 50s. </p>
<p>The SAT scores average a little higher, but that makes sense considering Penn State University Park places 2/3 of its decision on gpa. The admissions are very similar.</p>
<p>FlamesOP, did you get into University Park? It is ranked in the top 50 and as a top 15 public university in country because of the top education that is provided there. The resources of Penn State are almost endless. It also has one of the largest and most loyal alumni bases in the country, which really helps in your job search after graduation. If you haven’t, you should go visit. You will see why the ranking is well deserved.</p>
<p>I got accepted to University Park as well, and perhaps someone did lie to me. Their financial package was horrible though. About 5000 a year compared to BU’s 40k…</p>
<p>yeah, the financial aid is normally not very good.</p>
<p>If you are in-state, Penn State is easy as cake to get into. Out of state, it’s difficulty is about equal to BU.</p>
<p>As for where you should go, I’d pick BU just cuz it’s better. It’s in a city, more stuff to do, more diverse, people aren’t as party crazy but still party, etc.</p>
<p>Go to BU if you’re getting $40k. I don’t know the total relative cost though. </p>
<p>I LOVE - in capital letters - that x means y is harder to get into. BU has a bunch of colleges and some are harder to get into, not that it matters much given the overall size of the institution and some other factors. If you want PR and you got into COM, which is harder to get into, and BU costs less, then why the heck wouldn’t you go there? Boston is a major media market and State College is the opposite of that.</p>
<p>BTW, I have nothing against Penn State except when it plays Michigan. </p>
<p>BTW, big schools generally need to accept more students simply because of size. There are a few exceptions and people then draw an inappropriate line of causality. As in, NYU is more selective but you would need to control for basic facts like it’s in Manhattan, is one of the relatively few choices in Manhattan (or the NYC area). And of course NYU makes finding info about admissions difficult; they only list their five largest sources of students, all high schools right around NYC. Move that school into central NJ and it wouldn’t have the same numbers - correlation is not causation. </p>
<p>And many big schools admit high numbers, including some of the most “prestigious” public schools. They’re big. And many of their prestige - including Michigan - comes from rankings of graduate schools. I’ve often wondered how Michigan - to pick an alma mater of my family and a place I loved - is automatically listed as such a great school when 70% of the kids are from Michigan and I don’t think Michigan has overall smarter kids or overall better public schools. Good school? Sure. So are most other schools.</p>
<p>I don’t know about Penn State, but BU’s COM school is really good. And as was mentioned, location location location. All COM students have to do an internship for credit, and the ones offered in Boston are the cream of the crop. I have a friend in COM who has so far worked for the Red Sox, Senator Kennedy, the Boston Globe, Dana-Farber, and more. You literally can do anything. And honestly, for communications, I feel like valuable internships might play more of a role than academics. So keep that in mind…especially when considering that BU and Penn State probably aren’t that far apart academically speaking…</p>
<p>If you want to go to school for communications, BU has a great College of Communication, which is regarded very highly, along with USC and UPenn’s communication schools. I’ve never heard that much about Penn’s communication school.</p>
<p>Also, every professor that I’ve had in COM has been amazing. All of them have worked and succeeded greatly in their fields and are very knowledgeable and willing to help you.</p>
<p>I’ve also known lots of people that have done lots of great communications internships in Boston.</p>
<p>“If you are in-state, Penn State is easy as cake to get into. Out of state, it’s difficulty is about equal to BU.”</p>
<p>Vitare, preference is not given for state residency. You obviously have no idea what you’re talking about, as it is not easy at all to get into University Park and Penn State has a lower acceptance rate than BU.</p>
<p>My son looked at BU and hopes to be a math major - we looked at rankings and BU and Penn State are about equal on USNWR rankings. Penn State is not a piece of cake to get into - even instate and with the increase in applications to state colleges, they will have to deny even more students than previously. The atmosphere at the two schools however is very different - you should consider where you want to spend the next four years.</p>
<p>I got accepted to BU and rejected from Penn State. I live in Philadelphia, PA, so I don’t really agree with post #10.</p>
<p>BU has the number one COM school in the nation. Choose BU!</p>
<p>BTW, I agree with BUBailey: internships and work experiences are huge for learning.</p>