Difference between ASU and U of A?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Arizona State University
1

<p>As a Texas resident looking at both U of A and ASU I have been unable to understand what the differences are. </p>

<p>I know it’s difficult to really know what the differences are unless one has attended both schools. But I think that just living in the state can give an idea of the subtle differences between schools. Like I feel like I can describe the differences in perception between Texas A&M and UT-Austin even though I have never attended either. </p>

<p>I am interested in the business schools and the honors colleges, as well as campus life. </p>

<p>Specific questions:
What distinguishes the honors programs from each other?
What is campus life like (surrounding area, commuter campus, dorms, campus, etc.)?
It seems as though the business schools are pretty similar, are there any big difference between them?</p>

<p>Is there anything else you can tell me?</p>

<p>Thank you</p>

2

<p>ASU and UA are both very good schools. If your interest is in business schools and honor colleges, I say ASU’s W.P. Carey School of Business and the Barrett Honors College will have an edge.</p>

3

<p>I think basically what distinguishes the honors programs is the extend of the infrastructure. U of A’s honors college is great, but Barrett is an actual residential college. If you are looking for that kind of situation (or on the contrary do not want that), this could be a big difference. I would also assume that ASU’s honors program is a tad more extensive beyond the community aspect as well. The big differences can’t really be described or debated on the forum. Do you have the opportunity to visit both? Do so if you can, that’s the best way to decide.</p>

4

<p>I’m a freshman at ASU, WP Carey School of Business CIS major, originally from Houston, TX, who considered both U of A and ASU, so I feel like I can answer this somewhat well. ASU is in a MUCH better location than U of A. I visited Tucson and hated every minute of it. I immediately did not want to go to U of A. When I visited Tempe, I really liked it. U of A is in a medium sized, boring city. And in my opinion it’s very ugly and dead looking. Tempe is kept up, and ASU is in the best part of the city. Phoenix is right around the corner, and a ~80 cent light rail ride away. The campuses at both schools are decent, but vastly inferior to Texas or A&M, or any southern flagships, in my opinion. The business schools are pretty similar, and campus life is pretty active at both. That was my main concern coming to ASU as the percentage off campus is small, but football games here get lots of people and you see people wearing their colors all the time. UA is better at football right now, so they probably have a slight edge in this, but that is subject to change I think, in accordance with how good the team is (ASU I think historically has been superior to UA in football). Neither school has the spirit that Texas or A&M has though, but it’s not too far from it. Pretty much what it came down to for me was location, and ASU was way better in that respect, it’s not even close. And ASU offered me a lot more money. I’m not in the honors program, but as already stated Barrett here is more of a “Residential College” vs the honors program at UA.</p>

5

<p>You may or may not like Tucson - those who do tend to be more outdoorsy types. For business students the admission process is different - UA has a two year pre-business program that is taught far from the Eller school, then there is an application and interview process to be admitted to the Eller school. ASU has higher requirements for admission to the BS business programs but all business classes are taught in the business school - no pre-business even though the core for the first two years is the same.</p>

6

<p>There is a HUGE difference - especially with your specific questions. I’m currently applying to ASU as a WP Carey Student and then a Barretts students, ive done a ton of research and visited and attended a Sun Devil Day. I also lived at UA for 5 weeks over the summer for the Summer of Excellence program, and my sister currently attends UA, so I know a lot about this.</p>

<p>The Honors colleges theres just no compare anyone will tell you that, especially UA students. UA “Honors” is basically a ‘special’ dorm and there are better ones, there’s nothing else besides that you dont even get first registration as UA prioritizes their atheletes over their honors students.</p>

<p>The Barretts Honors College - and it is a separate College - is an enormous, brand-new complex with the nicest dorms I’ve ever seen, some class rooms in the building, and its own private dining hall which is huge and extensive and has top notch food - really really delicious. Plus, Honors students get true priority reigstration, before atheletes and everything. It’s a real live and learn community, lots of special events, plus all honors classes are guaranteed smaller than 25 students and all english classes are smaller than 19. Barretts has been voted the best honors college in the nation, and for good reason. </p>

<p>In addition, The W.P. Carey School of Business far outranks the Eller school - Eller I think is currently ranked 73rd in the US while ASU has been ranked 24th in the world. Even in addition to this, Honors students become a part of the W.P. Carey Academy - an elite honors section of the business college, that gives you more opportunties like better internships and the recruiters go there first.</p>

<p>Now, about the surrounding area - Tucson is the world’s biggest small town, as it sprawls out over a really big area but anywhere you go it looks like a run down small town. Huge drug scene there too. The town’s main focus is UA, so students at UA tend to stay on campus or right nearby for a good time. University Avenue and a few stores in the area are pretty cool though some good places to eat, and if you want to go shopping the mall is two bus rides away. </p>

<p>The area right around ASU is great, it was the first thing I fell in love with. Mill Avenue is laid back and chic and theyve got great restaurants and shops and lots of people walking around, sometimes they even have concerts there. (Mill Ave is the street adjoining the campus, btw) ASU has a TON of events going on, like dive-in movies which are movies projected on a huge screen in front of the pool. 5 minutes away is this huge long street of restaurants with tons and tons of options. Tempe is also kept up really well and very clean, while Tucson not so much. The city is run well, and ASU has its own light rail stop that connects you to downtown and all the museums, games, etc down there. Fashion Square is close by, an enormous mall with just a ton of stuff. There’s clubs and stuff in the area, so ASU students can choose to stay on campus or go off campus, lots to do!</p>

<p>I’m not saying UA isn’t a good school, it is. It’s ranked highly in nursing, for example. But I think for a business honors student, the choice is easy.</p>

7

<p>It’s also good to take into consideration which school offers the best opportunities AFTER graduation. ASU is ranked 5th in the country by the Wall Street Journal for undergraduate recruiting by businesses. UofA did not make the top 25. For business students, this should be a very important factor considering you are making a 45k + investment. More recruiters look at ASU, and therefore your options after college are better.</p>

8

<p>I would attend ASU
Allot of students in the Phoenix area end up attending U of A as it ism’t right around the corner
though many also end up commuting to ASU
However most of ASU’s students that live in the dorms at the Tempe campus live in other parts of Arizona, and some im sure on the west side of Phoenix. So ASU is much more of a commuter schoolU of A gets allot from Phoenix and all over the state so it is much less of a commuter school
but the campus being dead at night at ASU should never be a problem
i am just letting you know this</p>

<p>First off the setting of both are different in every way
Tempe is a much trendier place. Mill Avenue is a well kept street that sports allot of bars and places to eat. Tempe also plays host to many events all year. ASU is in the heart of Tempe so ASU has more of a downtown trendier feel then U of A. Plus downtown Phoenix is real close, though you will probably never find yourself there, the skyline can actually be seen from Tempe town lake which is right off campus.
Scottsdale is even closer then downtown Phoenix and has allot of higher end clubs.</p>

<p>U of A is about a mile off of downtown Tucson. Tucson is more of a traditional college town where there is not much to do off campus, but has your basic stuff anyone would want such as malls.
The nightlife cant even compare to half of what the Phoenix area has to offer. But then again a plus for Tucson is that Mexico is only an hour away, and i bet allot of students there make there ways out to Mexico for an fun night of drinking underage and legally.</p>

<p>The Campuses
The campuses are completely different, and which one you like more depends on your personal preference
Personally i like ASU’s more
There campus is allot less spread out then U of A’s
ASU’s is all centered into a giant square with some parts sticking out of this square such as the south campus hpusing, north campus housing, and the athletic facilities
But when it comes to allot of your classes, they are all centrally located. Where U of A is all spread out it seems.
Another cool thing about ASU is that this square is divided into a grid system of malls that make navagating the campus easy
I hail from the south and the colleges there all have big open green spaces with path ways, and dont get me wrong, its pretty and all, but it seems complicated getting to classes.
That is why many call the ASU campus ugly because it doesnt have any green spaces. It is just malls, which act like nice allys located between your classes. so you can avoid walking through traffic, and all around pathways that go through giant fields getting to class. There is a bridge that connects the north campus houses to the south campus, this spans University Dr. However the other busy street that seperates the south campus dorms from main campus does not have one, and they are also much farther off from the main part of central campus compared to the north dorms.</p>

<p>U of A’s campus is allot more spread out, and there dorms are all over the place, so you will face allot if walking getting to class. They have a giant mall that kind of resembles the US mall in DC, a giant long field. However it is kind of pointless. It doesnt make anything easier, and theres no pathways though it, just a ong green field in front of Old main
Unlike ASU, there is an Architectural trend at U of A, it ressembles a kind of south western building look i guess, kind of the architecture you will find allot in soCal. Bricks, and red ceramic roof shingles.</p>

<p>The truth is though neither campus is really all that visually stunning.
Nothing like you will find at southern schools like A&M, idk how Texas looks though.</p>

<p>Next part is social life
Plain and simple ASU dominates at everything
Girls, parties, and bars/clubs.
ASU has long been known as a party school. U of A is also a party school with good looking girls that has been ranked in playboys and princeton reviews party school lists, however it just doesnt compare to ASU. The staticstics are that
ASU accepts 95% of there applicants, give or takem and around 35-40% of there students hail out of state. This means the dumbass’s all over America come to ASU. Though after that first semester, one year if there lucky, most fail out or transfer out. But then there is another batch for the nxt year to come replace them.
The girls at ASU are among the hottest coeds in the country, and hailing from Florida, they easily top UF students as my uncle goes to school with many(hes one year older then me)
Another thing about them is that most are easier to get into there pants then it is to get into the school.
ASU is a Party and Sex school, and i would not recomend going there unless you have your motives straight.</p>

<p>Academics
Academically you cant go wrong with U of A, it is constantly ranked in the top 50 public US universities, and has many good programs, such as medical stuff. ASU is in the 150’s of the top 50 universities over all in the US. While U of A is constantly a 2nd or higher 3rd tier school. However ASU has some really good programs. There buisness program is the 27th in the US, and there Journalism, and Engineering programs are top notch to. </p>

<p>Athletics at both schools cant compare at to what you will find in Texas. However i am talking mostly about football, Sundevil stadium is constantly half full durning there games, and U of A cant even manage to fill there 60,000 person stadium most of the time. Sopublic support for the football teams at both schools is poor. Basketball a U of A is widely supported by all, ASU doesnt compare to how crazy some get over U of A basketball. But growing up in Florida and being an FSU fan football here doesnt compare. Tucson and Tempe dont fill up with 100,000 die hard fans on a fall saturday like Gainesville, and Tallahassee do. So if you love basketball go to U of A, hands down, there team is top notch. But if your a football fan like most Texans, neither school will suit u, though U of A’s team is doing respectably well this year.</p>

<p>This review is written without any bias, as i am a fan of neither school, but am doing allot of looking into both, as my chances of getting into Florida State are low due to the fact that getting in out of state is extremly hard, and i am not willing to pay out of state at any other schools</p>