<p>My son is an incoming freshman at Bloomsburg University. We have kids at West Virginia U and Jacksonville University. From the tour until today, Bloomsburg has not been impressed me in any aspect: from their pitch to students (unimpressive guides who failed to engage student or parent), in their subsequent communication with him as an accepted student (alternately lacking or confusing), in the way their online systems are so confusing (3 different websites, with sub-sites all requiring log ons), last minute roommate assignment for summer (10 days before arrival) and still no word about Fall housing or roommate, virtually no preparation for the student in the transition from high school to college. This is in sharp contrast to the other universities we are paying huge dollars to, but provide a great deal to the student experience. We are beginning to wonder if Bloomsburg doesn't have it's act together and isn't the right place to invest in his education. Time is of the essence - would appreciate the experience of other parents with kids at Bloomu and students at Bloomsburg.</p>
<p>Many of us get cold feet/ buyers remorse, when a big change is in the wind, whether it is getting married, taking a new job, buying a house, attending college or having a baby.</p>
<p>Which is why it is a good thing that the process of those things is often lengthy, allowing plenty of time to develop criteria, identify costs and find a good fit.
Except for having babies, then it may have been spurred by impulse, although you still wont conceive and then give birth the next day.
Presumably since this is the end of June, your family has already utilized resources available to find the best fit.
Rather than trying to go into reverse, the best use of your energy at this point is likely to find things to like about the process and help your son transition, rather than nitpick about things you don’t like.
Unlike having a child, attending college isn’t irreversible, he can always transfer if it is as awful as you picture and if he is unable to adapt.
But people are pretty resilient, and. I haven’t read anything that indicates it is in danger of losing accreditation or is otherwise a horrible place.
It seems like a nice size, reasonably priced, even for out of state.
<a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/bloomsburg-university-of-pennsylvania-3315”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/bloomsburg-university-of-pennsylvania-3315</a>
What was his second choice?</p>
<p>What does your son say about the college? Is he excited, was this his top choice, or is he “settling” due to academic or financial constraints? If he is “settling” and is in any way uncomfortable, your hesitation might undermine his motivation to try to connect.</p>
<p>Do you have a Plan B , another college that you want to switch him to before school starts? Is that even possible at this point in the game? And is your son jumping on your bandwagon wanting to switch schools?</p>
<p>I suggest you either pull the plug immediately, or start talking up a good game about this place he is heading to and encourage him with any and all positives about what great opportunities he is going to have there. </p>
<p>First, thanks for the quick replies. My son loved West Virginia, which did, by far, the best job of showcasing itself as a great place to attend college and have a wonderful experience. He was accepted and we put a deposit down, before visiting and accepting Bloomsburg. We have never cancelled his WVU admission, so he could still go there in August. It is twice the price of BloomU at WVU, but we were scared off by its WVU’s reputation as a party school, which affects one’s career prospects after college (I work in recruiting). Finally, our son was ambivalent and doesn’t have a clear vision for his major, so we went with the more cost effective and smaller, more wholesome option of BloomU. Still, it isn’t feeling right after all the mis-cues we have had thus far and he hasn’t even moved in yet. </p>
<p>One more thing: my son is not aware of my last-minute misgivings. As far as he knows, he’s going to Bloomsburg on Saturday. However, last week, on graduation day, he said out of the blue: Mom, sometimes I just wish you would say “Just kidding…you’re really going to West Virginia!” His heart is still there. Perhaps so is mine. </p>
<p>My son also changed his mind and at the last minute (with no input from us) and we withdrew from the first school where he had the deposit, which we lost of course, but no big deal in the big picture. We thought that was the fair thing to do for others, as there are waitlists. Keeping one foot in the door is somewhat unusual, you both must be ambivalent. If you put the money out of the equation ( a difficult thing to do) what would the decision be? Hopefully you can come to support whatever the ultimate decision is, good luck. </p>
<p>That changes things I think.
I really dont know much about either school, but I dont pay much attention to party school reputation, if the other things we are looking for are there.
It sounds like that was the main thing scaring you away?</p>
<p>Not sure where you got the idea that Bloomsburg is a “wholesome” school. Plenty of partying happens there as well. I have a child that graduated from WVU. He has a job in his field. Most important to find out what your son thinks.</p>
<p>If there is serious ambivalence all around, you still have time to make the Gap Year choice. Ask each place for deferred enrollment to fall 2015, and think things through.</p>
<p>I changed my mind 30 years ago after orientation and enrolled in a different college. Probably drove my parents nuts but I really didn’t feel comfortable at the chosen school. I would say let your son decide.He is the one who has to live with the choice.</p>
<p>How does your son feel? Although a cold feet feeling does happen, it should be how the student feels, in my opinion, not the parent. If you have been unimpressed all along, why wait until late June to question the choice? It’s pretty late to be weighing options, and why in the world hasn’t he cancelled the WVU acceptance by now? That should have happened as soon as he decided to attend Bloomsburg. A decision should be made one way or the other, and very soon, so that the other school can be notified and someone on the waitlist might get some good news.</p>
<p>You have another child already at West Virginia? Did I read that right or am I misunderstanding? If so then you already have insight into the school as far as the ‘party school’ reputation. I guess I would be surprised if it is any worse than many other schools. </p>
<p>On the other hand, perhaps the admin at Bloomsburg is problematic. But, your son might enjoy the rest of the school and the lower tuition. I wouldn’t let this sour the big picture. Would he need loans for WVU?</p>
<p>Please talk to your son with an open mind and make a decision quickly. Others would appreciate one of those slots. </p>
<p>I had never heard of Bloomsburg so I’m sure many have not. A quick google search tells me it has rep as a party school too. I am also in recruiting and the comparison is between a well known school with a party rep and a school that many have probably never heard of, with a party rep. </p>
<p>I’m no big fan of WVU and am delighted that neither of my sons chose to go there. In fairness, though, I think the party reputation is overblown. Of all the 97 zillion kids I know who have gone there, I can only recall one or two who have seriously gone off the rails. By the time they’re juniors or so, most WVU students have had their fill of the party scene anyway, as several have confessed to my older son. By the same token, just about every school except for maybe Brigham Young or Liberty is a party school; it’s only a matter of degree.
And if he changes his mind at the last minute, well, we’re talking about the safety school to the nation here. He could probably get in at any time up to the first day of class.
ETA: And if the football team isn’t any better this year, WVU’s not going to have a whole lot to party about! 
</p>
<p>If he starts at Bloomsburg in the summer session, I think he becomes a transfer, in terms of enrollment anywhere else in the fall. Stated differently, I think he was accepted by WVU for the fall with the understanding that he would be coming in as a first-time freshman. If he goes to WVU after a summer session at Bloomsburg, and you just never tell them (willingly forfeit the credits), I don’t know what happens. There is an informational clearinghouse maintained by/for the colleges. I have no idea if it will ever matter.</p>
<p>From what I have seen of red-shirted athletes who start college in the summer, the orientation and in-processing is not as extensive as it would be for the big group that comes in as fall admits. Not sure if this is coloring you experience.</p>
<p>Bloomsburg is a rural state directional school in the Northeast, and I wouldn’t expect the students’ overall morals or drinking habits to be any better than what you’d see at WVU. It’s not like Bloomsburg is a conservative religious school, where the students are personally committed to certain values and habits. State directionals do tend to be “suitcase colleges” and the campus may quiet down considerably on the weekend. I’m not sure how far you live from Bloomsburg and whether your son will come home on weekends.</p>
<p>It sounds like you both liked WVU better, but had doubts about whether it was worth the additional money. You’re hoping to get a feeling, in your dealings with Bloomsburg, that you did the right thing – and you’re not getting that feeling yet. If your son was admitted as a full-pay at WVU, and he keeps his grades up at Bloomsburg, could he always transfer to WVU? If WVU had offered him significant merit money, he might not be able to recreate that opportunity as a transfer applicant, but you didn’t mention significant merit scholarship, so I assume he’s full pay, whether it’s for 8 semesters or something less. Putting it a little time at Bloomsburg might be a way for him to contribute to the total cost of his education.</p>
<p>Assuming that he will not be losing merit money or FA at WVU by dong so, I’d probably go with having him start at Bloomsburg. Be positive about it. Impress upon him that he should do his best, academically, and that a good academic record will keep all of his options open: make it possible for him to transfer to WVU or another school, attend graduate school, get a good job, etc. </p>
<p>If he would be losing money at WVU, and if you can afford it, you could send him to WVU instead. </p>
<p>(FWIW, I’d never heard of Bloomsburg before, either. WVU is the alma mater of a novelist I like a lot, Keith Maillard, who wrote about being a student there. 
)</p>
<p>One thing you need to check on is the housing contracts. Are you on the hook at both places now? If he changes his mind this week , do you have to pay for the summer housing at Bloomsburg? Also why is he starting so soon after graduation? Is there anyway you could back out of summer school at Bloomsburg and have him think about it and decide which place he wants to go for the fall?</p>
<p>As far as the issue of future job recruiting–I can’t imagine that students from Bloomsburg have a much better shot at career opportunities than those from WVU.</p>
<p>WVU is like any other large state flagship university–there is not one that does not have a lot of partying. Iowa was named the #1 party school in the nation; it’s also respected academically. But there is still the chance to get a quality education–that is up to your son.</p>
<p>Um…why did he choose Bloomsburg?</p>
<p>You are double deposited? So holding a slot that WILL go to another student once your son putzes through his decision process. S*** or get off the pot.</p>