<p>Investigate carefully teaching arrangements. AT NYU, the grad students are on strike and no one is picking up the pieces for undergrads (no recitation sections, no office hours, no grading of submitted work, no timely exams, etc.). Big name research professor are required to teach undergrads...but it doesn't mean they want to and it can show in their preparation. Adjunct professors successfully unionized a year ago. The grad student strike will fail soon, but doesnt' mean they'll come back as motivated teachers. Columbia & Yale also have serious graduate student issues. Remember, at many large institutions, undergrad help underwrite the world class research, but it doesn't mean they get quality teaching. As always, exceptions to the rule -- but try to find the pattern at whatever institution you look at. Not only who will do the lectures, but WHO will be available to help with any difficult aspect of the course.</p>
<p>At UMich, it is much easier to get into the kinesiology department than LAS and engineering departments. But I heard they cut out applicants just because they think that students apply to kinesiology to get in easy and then change into harder programs later on. So I was thinking if their Athletic Training/Kinesiology department is really good as it is easy to get into.</p>
<p>rxmueller, Thank you for the advice . I would really love to look into the classroom atmosphere within the schools at my list. Currently, I feel that most colleges have 100+ class size and that couldn't help avoid the grads students to teach us. That's not an overall bad thing, but thank you for the heads up.</p>
<p>In additions to my last 2 posts, I have a question regarding Fin Aid. Which of my final list has generous financial aid. It seems that my list consist of some public schools ( esp. UMich, UConn, UDelaware) and I heard that not all public schools are that wealthy. Also, are there any universities from my NEW list that may give full ride? I'm just curious</p>
<p>New list:
California - University of California, Santa Barbara
California -University of California, Santa Cruz
Massachusetts -Boston University
Massachusetts - Northeastern University
New York -Ithaca College
Michigan - University of Michigan
Missouri - Washington University in St. Louis
Connecticut - University of Connecticut
Indiana - University of Indianapolis
Delaware - University of Delaware</p>
<p>bump pls. any advice & suggestions?</p>
<p>What was your take on Pepperdine?</p>
<p>And can you comment on Washington of STL being on your list? I'm curious to know how that school squeezed into this list...</p>
<p>Besides not having a swim team (Northeastern may not be in a division, but they do have men's swim club), Pepperdine seems a bit religious and I heard it is conservative. Honestly, I get turned off with religion. In pepperdine, students are required to attend convocation and go to chapels and stuff, and it is also a grade. For exaple, if you attend 14 times it will mean an A, 13 a B and so on. So basically, without a swim team or a club, with a religious-affiliated feel (i'm looking into this more) is like any other colleges that I normally take a pass at. Sorry.</p>
<p>As for WUSTL, I do think it is a great university (I'm overlooking past its prestige). Everything I heard about it - social scene, student life, diversity, and the overall atmosphere I'm feeling from their website (I'm hoping to visit them on the upcoming months) - is really great and I hope I will like it. It is much like UCSC (I visited last week) where I fell in love in what to offer. Hopefully WUSTL will be similar. Downside is that it doesn't offer my major, but I'm keeping in mind that what interest I have now that I want to pursue in college, have a possibility of changing 2 or 3 more times on the courses of my college career. If this will happen, WUSTL is one of the colleges I'll do it in.</p>
<p>I think the list looks pretty good. It looks like you have put in effort to look into your list of colleges.</p>
<p>WUSTL is by far the hardest to get into on your list. Admissions is very tricky there because they want high stats AND commitment. But I would apply there anyways since their app is very strightforward.</p>