Choosing Between Opposite Schools

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I've managed to narrow down my options to two schools, but for the past week or so I've been really stressed out about which one to choose to attend. It doesn't help that all the good housing spots are going to be taken soon too.</p>

<p>I managed to eliminate Portland State University (too commuter/lower standards/I heard it's hard to transfer out), Loyola Marymount (good location but bad aid and I'm not a huge fan of the courses offered), and the University of Oregon (didn't stand out much, feels cold, maybe because we visited on a really cold day =P).
This leaves me with OSU (Oregon) and University of Portland.</p>

<p>I always wanted a fairly large school in or near a city (lots of resources and not a huge change from my suburban life). I also wanted a marching band. And decent academics.
At the moment, I'm looking at a communications major.</p>

<p>I decided last summer that I really want to go to USC, but by then it was too late to really improve my grades enough, so I'm thinking of waiting a couple years and transferring.</p>

<p>Either way, I want to start off the college experience well. I'd survive at either school, but I want opinions from others so I can make a wiser decision.</p>

<p>OSU: has the big school/university atmosphere and the band I wanted to join which would help me find friends faster. It also has a bunch of different course offerings and I'd have more options if I wanted to change my major. Plus I have a friend there so I already know a bit about the school. It runs on the quarter system. (it's a really minor thing, but because of the later start, I might be able to celebrate my 18th birthday with my parents while they're dropping me off)</p>

<p>UP: it's a smaller school near the city with no football (->no marching band), but I've heard amazing things about the academics and teachers. It's also cheaper to reach from the airport since I wouldn't have to pay for a long ride. They also have their own funds since it's a private school so they're less affected by the whole budget deal than state-funded schools. Runs on the semester system.</p>

<p>I'm out-of-state and the price would be about equal with the FA I got from UP. Both schools seem to have really friendly people and I felt welcomed at both. My parents are definitely leaning towards UP, but I'm not sure.
Any opinions?</p>

<p>(PS: USC runs on semesters, but I'm not too familiar with the way they'd transfer credits from either school. For example, I think I'd have to take 5 quarters of language, but 4 semesters (a little longer) of language to meet the requirement.)</p>

2

<p>Anyone?
Anything about the schools (since their forums are inactive or nonexistent) or similar locations or decisions? I’m open to any thoughts on this; I just want to be a little less lost. :)</p>

3

<p>I believe it’s important that you attend a school that has all, or as many of things you consider important. Otherwise, if you go to a school that doesn’t have those important things the potential is exists that you will be unhappy and you will kick yourself, saying I should have, I knew I wanted.
It appears to me that you have the chance to get most of what you want. I don’t believe you should look at attending a school with transferring in mind; I believe you should look at it as if the school is right for you and right for the next four years. </p>

<p>I believe my s is in a similar situation. My s wasn’t accepted to his first choice school and for about three days he was disheartened. However he moved on and is anxious about his other choices. He is currently trying to decide between his second choice and one other school that is now tied for second. He, like you, is stressed out about which one to pick. And like you, housing is an issue with one school. </p>

<p>In my s situation, One school is a large-northern school. The second school is midsized and located in the south. Both are out of state. He’s torn because so many things are similar such as the campuses have the same feel and same acreage. He’s comfortable at both. He believes both academic programs are strong/similar and is very happy with both of them. And both schools have plenty of other colleges in case he decides to change his major. (He is a little concerned because the northern school has “better” name recognition)</p>

<p>He’s getting an excellent dorm at the mid-sized/southern school. Like you, he believes he will not get “great” housing at the larger-northern school. The most significant difference between the schools, and the one that is really causing all the stress or is the biggest stumbling block is the northern school has the intramural sports he really wants and the southern school doesn’t. </p>

<p>He’s stressed about which school to attend. I’m leaving the decision to him because I believe that if I pick and he attends the one I pick and then he has regrets once he gets there, it will be my fault. </p>

<p>So, in order to help him with his decision, off we went and toured both schools again. Unfortunately, they are still tied. So now he has to sit down with all the brochures, notes from the walking tours and information from the meetings and the financial packages and complete the plus/minus list to decide. </p>

<p>Personally, I believe he will pick the school that has the intramural sports because it’s important to him. As his mom, I believe he wants to compete and I believe he thinks it will help him meet people and will fill a void, an important part of the whole college experience. </p>

<p>I’m answering your post because after reading it, I believed the situations are similar. In my opinion, and based solely on your posting (no finances were mentioned), I believe you should pick the school that has what you said you wanted in your first sentence……</p>

<p>you wrote: “ I always wanted a fairly large school in or near a city (lots of resources and not a huge change from my suburban life). I also wanted a marching band. And decent academics”</p>

4

<p>Hey! I know you have probably made your choice by now but I would choose UP because of it’s accessibility to Portland. Portland is a great city which has lots to offer. OSU is known as the “hick-school” of Oregon (in Oregon) because of it’s stronger Engineering and Agricultural programs. UP is small but the students I’ve talked to have made friends VERY easily. Portland also has Lewis & Clark, Reed and is near Pacific and Linfield so you can easily make friends at the other colleges, er except maybe Reed as I feel a UP student and a Reedie wouldn’t have much in common. :p</p>

<p>PM if you have any questions about Oregon!</p>