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<p>Google the word “hyperbole”! I don’t think she was meant to be taken literally.</p>
<p>of course he cannot read and write…he’s a physics major :)</p>
<p>For Foo Mon Chew : quote mowc post : “Ya know, the thing about me is that I say what I mean…”</p>
<p>Carry on…</p>
<p>Are you people seriously under the impression that most college students are decent writers and readers? Did anyone go to a state school-back in the day? (and it has not improved) I was shocked when I got to college (big state university and one NOT ranked as high as PSU, for those who are convinced I am an elitist pig) and discovered the level of ability of the bottom 2/3 of the entering class. Lots of them vanish, of course. I have been told by a number of students AND Profs from highly selective schools that it is even a problem at the places where we on CC are convinced only those strong in every area are permitted to matriculate. So- don’t tell me you think the quality of the student body at a PA branch university is going to be impressive. It simply is not. And those are the kids asking questions (or not) in class, debating each other over drinks and working with each other on projects. There are exceptions, of course- and I have recognized financial situations or those kids who are simply late bloomers.<br>
When I got to law school (top 5), I am happy to report that the writing and reading skills of everyone in the class were quite strong (well, better be since a number went on to be federal judges). On second thought, maybe they could just hire clerks from Penn State-Altoona or Erie to clerk for them.</p>
<p>Yay Penn State too, as the Proud Parent of a PSU grad now in grad school (who entered main campus via a branch campus, and graduated with high honors). Don’t underestimate the branch campuses. Their diplomas say PSU, just like the ones in State College. Some students elect to spend their college years at a branch campus for financial reasons (saving on room and board to live at a campus nearer home) or because they prefer the smaller campuses. </p>
<p>My kid has encountered and networked with alumni in NYC, in Dallas, etc. It was amazing to me that middle-aged men on cruise ships would come up to my kid to chant…“WE ARE…”. My kid got job offers through the PSU network before deciding on grad school, even in this economy. Don’t underestimate the power of PSU!</p>
<p>You are missing the point. The kids at the branch campuses are what they are. And if a student doesn’t have the stats to get into PSU-UP, they will attend a lesser school. That could be PSU-Altoona, some other state school, or one of the less selective privates. But if they attend PSU-Altoona, they have a good shot at a degree from a better school then they would otherwise be able to attend.</p>
<p>You know, MOWC, there are plenty of people who go to highly selective schools who aren’t good writers. Passable, yes, but the number of people who can truly write quite well is relatively small–regardless of pedigree–in my experience. I went to an relatively unregarded state flagship. While I was an undergrad, my former boss (a very well-regarded PhD-holding researcher) allowed me to lead author sections of grants or manuscripts or even, in one case, solo author a manuscript based largely on my abilities as a writer, as she saw them. Similarly, I had several very strong writers as students when I taught and TA’ed as an undergrad. Writing ability, though, does not define, nor is it defined by, intelligence alone. I’ve known many well-educated, incredibly bright people who are decent–but not strong–writers.</p>
<p>nepop/1moremome, just for clarification purposes, I assume you are talking about Buffalo State, not UB! Buff state would be closer in size and admitted student profiles to Altoona. There is really no comparison between Altoona and UB (which has a fine engineering school, btw)!
It’s sometimes confusing to OOS folk that there are two SUNY schools in Buffalo.</p>
<p>It was probably I who caused the confusion, being an OOS type.</p>
<p>BTW, MOWC, nice backpedaling from the original comment of “hoping one’s classmates [at a PSU branch campus] can read and write” to “I have been told by a number of students AND Profs from highly selective schools that it is even a problem at the places where we on CC are convinced only those strong in every area are permitted to matriculate.” (That sentence would make a lovely diagram.) And I was under the impression that you were a runner.</p>