Drexel Parents: Are Your Kids Happy There?

<p>If anybody out there is a parent of a Drexel student, I would like to know if they're happy/satisfied there. This would include any and all aspects of life at Drexel. Thanks!</p>

<p>A few of my kids friends go to Drexel and seem happy enough. They are involved in frats or EC's that keep them busy. They are joiners. I'm sorry I don't really know specifics but thought I'd share that much.</p>

<p>Another friends son did a co-op for a company that asked him to work full time and then paid the rest of his tuition while he finished up classes. He lived there, played IM basketball, and had an okay time. </p>

<p>I did read with shock that Drexel actually makes a student pay tuition while he is on co-op. This would NOT make me happy. Hope you get better responses :)</p>

<p>S has a friend who is happy there. That said, he wants to transfer, but I don't know if he actually will do that. He is shooting for a school like NYU. One thing that I read in the past is b/c they are on a different schedule, it is very difficult for credits to tansfer b/c there seems to be less class time in each course (shorter number of weeks for each class. I guess that they run on trimesters). I also know that his friend left for college about a month after my son did, and he got home from college a month later too. This means less time with friends from home if that matters. He also has the highest gpa of all of my son's hs friends, and he had a very average gpa in hs.</p>

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I did read with shock that Drexel actually makes a student pay tuition while he is on co-op. This would NOT make me happy.

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</p>

<p>This was my reaction, although, like sax, my son has several friends who go there. I just wonder how they can get away with using their co-op program as such a major selling point for the school and charge tuition at the same time? And it's not cheap.</p>

<p>hereshoping, I think that some students are drawn in by the upfront merit money that is offered (esp. those students that are not offered any or as much from other schools). I have not looked at it objectively, but they seem to be quite generous (of course the COA seems to be jacked up quite high too, which definitely negates some of the big bucks offered, IMO). The other factors are Phili, and the Coop that attract enough students for them. It seems to have enough going for it.</p>

<p>I said exactly what sax did, northeastmom, I thought.
I am sure my son's friends are happy there or they wouldn't still be there.</p>

<p>Something to keep in mind about Drexel is that it is a very local school. I haven't known anyone from Drexel who has ended up landing a first/second job outside of Philadelphia and NJ. Also, it's very local in mentality to the extent that most students are from the local PA/NJ high schools, so students tend to hang out with those who they knew in high school or those who were friends of their HS friends. All of these things can be considered positives or negatives, depending on what your student is looking for.</p>

<p>I was not disputing that kids are happy. I was just to responding as to why they get away with using their coop as a major selling point and then charging tuition at the same time. I was just answering as to how I believe they fill their seats.</p>

<p>re: Charging tuition while during co-op. It may have something to do with the student earning credits for the co-op exp. As well, they may also be registered for a night course too, so that they can remain on the rolls as a registered student and so it keeps them active for financial aid purposes.</p>

<p>A co-worker runs a co-op option (at another U and NOT Drexel) and I know that the work exp earns the student 3 credits & will also involve some semester long journal, or term paper that is used to assign a grade to the student for the co-op, along with employer evaluation and feedback. Additionally, the student is also taking a night course so they are billed for 6 credits and must pay that in a tuition bill. This helps keep them in academic sequence so that they may finish all college course requirements in a 5 year period.
Drexel may run their co-op semesters in a similar fashion.</p>

<p>Back in the day my H went to a college (RIT) with a strong co-op program. The school was also on trimesters. He would work his job, live at home and then be able to pay his next semesters tuition bill with his wages.</p>

<p>I can't fathom paying for the "opportunity" to work and then having to go to school for an additional year because I was working the co-op. What a racket for Drexel. </p>

<p>On the other hand maybe they are only paying for 3 credits or something in order to be supervised. I don't know. This wouldn't seem so bad.</p>

<p>crosspost with irish...thinking along the same lines</p>

<p>To be more specific with my original post, here are some questions:</p>

<ol>
<li> Are the classes/professors engaging/interesting?</li>
<li> Are the professors pleasant/fair?</li>
<li> Is there a cohesiveness amongst the students?</li>
<li> Are the students comfortable in their housing?</li>
<li> Can a student have fun if they are not into parties?</li>
</ol>

<p>sonssecty,
I was getting ready to respond to your post and just realized you posted 7 years ago… LOL… Curious whether your “child” choose Drexel (I’m assuming said child is now roughly 25 yrs old.). My third son is starting there tomorrow for orientation. So excited for him. Lots of friends and family went to D.U. and had extremely positive experiences and careers.</p>