Indiana University vs. Florida State

Parents Forum
1

<p>Okay I have recently been accepted to both of these schools, so I need to choose my favorite as soon as possible. I won't have the opportunity to visit either of them, so I'm going off what I read on here, their websites, princeton review, theu, students review, youtube, campus dirt, and pretty much every other website. When I hear from all of my schools I plan to do a final comparison between...UMiami (My overall favorite), San Diego State (My in-state option), UPortland/LMU/Pepperdine (My smaller private school), and Indiana/FSU (My big time sports/fun OOS public schools).</p>

<p>I'm almost positive Indiana is my favorite, but I would like to make sure my instincts are correct. I think the schools are pretty much equal, but I like FSU's location and weather better, but I like IU's OOS population and their amazing business program (my prospective major).</p>

<p>So what do you think on these two?</p>

<p>Thanks...</p>

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<p>I loved Indiana when I visited. Great Business school, great sports scene.</p>

<p>I know nothing about Florida State.</p>

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<p>Any other thoughts....????</p>

4

<p>My reason for this speedy decision is because I need to send in the housing deposit to one of them. I want to wait, but I don't want to throw $50-$150 out, just because I'm prolonging this decision.</p>

5

<p>SoCal,
You have to put out $ 300 but you'll get back $200 if you decide to go elsewhere. If you are concerned about where you live and it's your top choice then take the leap.</p>

6

<p>With deference to friend and fellow CCer 'parent2noles,' I'll opine that Indiana University is academically stronger than FSU at this time. Truly excellent programs and resources at IU. Plus, Bloomington is a wonderful college town and IU's campus is very attractive.</p>

7

<p>Ditto what LakeWashington said. No comparison (except in football....)</p>

8

<p>I would like to apply for housing at both, but my parents don't want me going OOS. They think I'm going to LMU or SDSU. So I doubt they would give me the credit card (for both of them), when they know they will lose money to schools they don't even want me to go to. I'm sure they would let me apply to one of them, but I doubt both.</p>

9

<p>My D had applied and visited both Indiana and FSU. I am writing to mention something re FSU's housing and deposit situation. We were advised by many who were familiar with FSU that housing is often challenging to get in the more desirable freshman areas on campus for those who don't send in early deposits. </p>

<p>So, we sent in a deposit for D as "insurance" When some of her other college choices she preferred came through, she told FSU she wasn't coming. They were extremely prompt about refunding our housing deposit once she notified them she wasn't attending--I seem to recall you have to send a specific notification to the Housing dept as well. I think they MAY have kept $50 (but I don't remember for sure). Nonetheless, a very quick refund. </p>

<p>If there's a real chance FSU could be in play in your choices, I'd send in the deposit. If you think that Indiana would be the OOS winner over FSU and your parents won't budge on sending both, you should only send to your "winner". I don't recall that securing better housing was as much of a challenge for freshmen at Indiana, but others may tell you differently.</p>

10

<p>Can't help you with IU as I've only done a drive-by years ago. Pretty campus, as I recall.</p>

<p>About FSU, with which I'm much more familiar....</p>

<p>I'm going to assume you haven't been to Florida. FSU is located in Tallahassee which, despite being the state capital, is a small town. It is not on the coast. Flying in and out of its small airport for trips home would be difficult and most likely expensive for you. The campus feel is much more southern than south Florida. Think pine trees instead of palm trees. It's a long way by car to any big metro areas. Jacksonville is 3-4 hours away by interstate as is Gainesville, home of the other flagship U. Tallahassee isn't Miami. Both do have great weather, though. :)</p>

<p>Florida's reorganizing its state unis into tiers; Univ. of Fla. at Gainesville, FSU, and Univ. of So. Fla. in Tampa are in the first tier. All of these are popular and now highly competitive for students in-state due to the "Bright Futures" merit scholarships offered to Florida HS seniors. Spots fill up fast with in-staters. I agree with curiouser; if you think you'd likely attend, send the deposit.</p>

<p>Tallahassee is a college town. FSU and FAMU (Florida A&M) rule. That makes for a fun college experience, especially if you're into the frat/sorority scene and sports. I would be remiss in not mentioning, though, that FSU's campus sits adjacent to a blighted urban area. Small potatoes compared to a place like NYC, but it's there. Students do exercise caution.</p>

<p>FSU has some really terrific academic programs. Those are pretty specific and finite, though. If you're planning on staying in Florida after graduation (and how could you know that now?), you couldn't do better than FSU or UF. Their alum networks are ironclad and trump all other connections. Florida is a state where being a Seminole or a Gator really counts. FSU's business programs in insurance, risk management, and real estate are all very good but geared to Florida as those are important economic drivers in the state. Students in those programs benefit from the school's location in the capital (e.g., internships).</p>

<p>HTH. Good luck with UMiami, too.</p>

11

<p>As an FSU alumnus with two daughters there now, I really don't have an opinion about IU except to say that many visitors to Florida support it.</p>

<p>Per US News, despite the fact that IU is currently rated higher than FSU overall, I think you'll find the student body at FSU is perhaps more academically minded, if I may draw that conclusion from the enrolled Fall SAT average at FSU of 1213 (see: <a href="http://www.ir.fsu.edu/Performance_Indicators/Major/Mj05.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.ir.fsu.edu/Performance_Indicators/Major/Mj05.pdf&lt;/a> ) versus the same average of 1147 at IU( see: <a href="http://factbook.indiana.edu/%7Eurr/beginners/frosh_pro4078_V7_revised.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://factbook.indiana.edu/~urr/beginners/frosh_pro4078_V7_revised.pdf&lt;/a> ).</p>

<p>Enrolled Fall average GPA at FSU is 3.76 (see: <a href="http://www.ir.fsu.edu/Performance_Indicators/Student/S03.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.ir.fsu.edu/Performance_Indicators/Student/S03.pdf&lt;/a> ) and IU is ?</p>

<p>FSU has a 90% freshman retention rate, where IU-Bloomington is 88%.</p>

<p>FSU has a stronger alumni support rating at 22% (the strongest in Florida). IU's alumni support rating is 13%.</p>

<p>These are just some factors to consider. I'd say FSU is the stronger academic school, without looking at all the graduate ratings...some of which are posted here for FSU: FSU</a> Highlights</p>

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<p>Thanks so much for the help. I decided to send the deposit to Indiana. When I applied a few months ago, IU and FSU seemed like the most perfect schools, and I knew I would love their atmospheres. I still think both are amazing, but I feel IU offers something different. I mean, what I love about FSU...SDSU offers as well. The beaches, the warm weather, and the football (While SDSU sucks at football, I love the Chargers so that makes up for it). But with IU I like the idea of the Midwestern college town, with the cold and the snow. And IU's business school is amazing. But anyways, thanks again.</p>

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<p>SoCal,
Have you seen the information about scholarships for out of state students? The scholarships are quite good for a state school and are based on test scores and gpa. I tried to get the link but it was taking too long to load.<br>
This will get you close:
Costs</a> & Financial Aid: Future Freshmen: Office of Admissions: IU Bloomington</p>

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<p>Well, given that I've received a couple of IU degrees and live in B-ton, I thought it just wouldn't be fair for me to weigh in here as I love the school and the town, but.....</p>

<p>As you are considering a business major I'm sure you know that the Kelley School is nationally and internationally recognized as a great business school. It has been for decades. </p>

<p>I found this article in Business Week interesting as it's a slightly different take on rankings. I don't see FSU on the list, but do notice IU is ranked 10. </p>

<p>Undergrad</a> B-School Rankings: Interactive Table</p>

<p>I don't know where the alumni support rating comes from, but my experience is that IU grads tend to love the school and the town. For years my spouse and I have both hoped at least one of our children would choose IU. My college friends say the same thing about their children. Many of us like to move back to Bloomington as adults which is how I ended up here. Others never want to leave. </p>

<p>Bloomington is a special place to go to school and to live. Whether one is interested in Big Ten sports, music, fine arts, etc. there is always something to do when studying is finished. </p>

<p>One thing some might find surprising about this midwestern town is the number of international students we have here. It gives the town a bigger city feel as there are a good number restaurants and groceries featuring the foods and cuisines of the home countries. </p>

<p>Obviously Indiana winters are harsher than anywhere in Florida, but this is the lower midwest. It's not as cold or snowy as places like Chicago or Wisconsin. Thus far we've not had snow. For students, a good city and campus bus system makes the colder months easier to handle. </p>

<p>You might also consider what will happen if you change your mind about a business major. What are the other options available to you at your chosen school? IU tops FSU in terms of the number of other majors and options available. It is also possible for liberal arts and science majors to earn certificates through the business school. </p>

<p>IU has a new president this year. Dr. McRobbie is very well liked and respected by the faculty, the trustees, and the alumni. After a couple of years with a president that lacked the respect and trust of the faculty, it's exciting to have someone in place that clearly loves this university (all of the campuses) and is already working diligently to make it an even better university. It's an exciting time at IU. I expect the university to continue to see an increase in the number of applicants and to become more selective.</p>

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<p>By all means, SoCal, go where you will be happy. I do wish to point out that if you want to avail yourself of IU's myriad degree programs you will be moving from campus to campus around Indiana. IU's Business school does appear to currently be ranked higher than Florida State's Business program. However, since we're putting our best foot forward, our B-school dean is a fantastic, dynamic woman who is leading our B-school aggressively forward. See: College</a> of Business | Dean's Office</p>

<p>FSU's 300+ degree programs are virtually all centered in Tallahassee. ;)</p>

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<p>All Indiana's major undergrad programs are in Bloomington. The rest are branches or grad school programs such as medical school.</p>

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<p>One does NOT need to travel from campus to campus to take advantage of IU's many degree programs. The overwhelming majority of schools, undergraduate degrees and majors are available at the main campus--Bloomington. Two exceptions, and these are professsional programs, are the medical school and the school of dentistry. Both of these are located in Indianapolis. Occasionally nursing students will transfer to a regional campus to finish their degree as the program in Bloomington is very competitive. </p>

<p>For many years the state of Indiana did not have a real community college program. (That has now changed.) The regional campuses of IU and Purdue sort of served that function in addition to providing an opportunity for Hoosiers throughout the state to earn four year degrees while living at home. In-state students may choose to begin their education at a regional campus and transfer to Bloomington. Others will complete their entire degree at the regional campus. Some will take summer classes at a regional campus while living at home and working. The regional campuses duplicate some of the programs at the Bloomington campus, but provide a more affordable option for many. I'm fairly certain the same is true of Purdue's regional campuses.</p>

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<p>As to fundrasing--IU is ahead of FSU by a good margin where it counts=$$$$ raised.</p>

<p>Top institutions in total support 2005-06
Stanford University $911,163,132
Harvard University $594,941,000
Yale University $433,461,932
University of Pennsylvania $409,494,598
Cornell University $406,228,837
University of Southern California $405,745,421
Johns Hopkins University $377,336,025
Columbia University $377,276,204
Duke University $332,034,301
University of Wisconsin at Madison $325,938,048
University of California at Los Angeles $319,580,552
University of Washington $316,251,912
New York University $279,918,813
University of Minnesota $266,991,894
Northwestern University $253,401,792
University of Michigan $251,476,551
Indiana University $247,520,018
University of California at Berkeley $245,966,241
University of Chicago $237,117,399
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill $236,579,182</p>

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<p>IU appears to be somewhat older than FSU. That would certainly explain the funding difference. Looks like a fine school. Perhaps Indiana does a better job funding universities than Florida. We're trying to fix that down here...</p>

<p>Still, I have to go with my alma mater. :) </p>

<p>Go 'Noles!</p>

20

<p>Unfortunately I doubt Indiana does a better job of funding it's universities. We might be making some progess though. </p>

<p>Maybe this is why the funding is higher, "According to the 2006 Council of Alumni Association Executives, IU ranks third among U.S. colleges and universities in the total number of living graduates, and its alumni association is the eighth largest with more than 80,000 members." I think there are over 1/2 million living graduates. </p>

<p>I would always hope someone thought enough of one's alma mater to support it! I know that's one reason I think IU is great. : )</p>