I’m trying to narrow down schools on my college list by category, because there is no way I’ll be able to visit all of them (I have ~25 schools on my list right now).
The “big” (~10,000+ undergrad enrollment) schools I’m looking at right now are Drexel, Vermont, Pitt, Temple, Fordham, and Penn. Generally speaking, I want a school with professors who actually love to teach undergrads, and will prepare me for grad school. The only reason I’m looking at the really big schools is because I thought that maybe their honors programs would be smaller and have a more LAC feel. Plus, I need some safeties on my list (with the exception of Penn, of course, which isn’t a safety), and the smaller colleges I’m interested in tend to be more selective.
Does anyone have input or advice on these schools, when it comes to which is better. The most important criteria for me are:
Dedication on undergraduate teaching
Greek life is not dominant
College is located within an easy walk or drive to a big city
I can comment on the University of Vermont. I cannot compare it with your other schools however because I do not know them well.
The University of Vermont is a very good university. It has a very good premed program, and premed classes there can be very demanding (as is true at any good school). It is great for animal sciences (eg, it has its own farm). It has many very strong programs, but I would not go there for music and I have some doubts regarding whether I would go there for engineering. There is Greek life, but it is not dominant. The same could be said for hockey. It is walkable to downtown Burlington Vermont, and Burlington is a very attractive small city. There are for example lots of very good restaurants in Burlington, and Burlington is right on a large and attractive lake. It is also only a two hour drive from Montreal (and winters are not much different from winters in Montreal). The honors dorm at UVM is probably the nicest dorm that I have ever seen anywhere. UVM is a bit expensive unless you qualify for a presidential scholarship. The student body is politically liberal. Bernie Sanders is very popular there. It is reasonably diverse in terms of viewpoints and experiences, but it is not all that diverse in terms of skin color.
Need more info. What’s your major? Any cost constraints? Do you need merit scholarships?
Pitt is good school in an urban area of Pittsburgh. Good public transportation to other parts of the city. CMU is next door. Most colleges are liberal. Pitt used to be pretty apathetic politically with a small vocal minority. The rest just want to go to school. Still might be that way.
Greek system is present but not huge and no need to join. Unless things have changed I can’t say that undergrad teaching was a priority. Lot’s of TA’s. Once you got to upper classes the professors were better. Pitt is a public school with tons of research. Honors college is a very competitive admission. Lots of high stats kids get turned away. The do offer other Honors programs like Honors Business, etc.
Overall not great at any one thing but very good across the board with academics, dorms, campus, lifestyle, sports, etc. Not a bad place to spend 4 years (I’m a Pitt grad).
I liked Fordham campus and school. It’s a Jesuit school so liberal for Catholics but it’s still a Catholic school. The Rose Hill campus is pretty and is a traditional looking campus. It’s in the Bronx but we didn’t have any issues. Good Italian food close-by. It’s a private school so I would hope the majority of teachers have Doctorates and are there to teach.
The Lincoln Center campus is close to Columbus Circle. Very urban and from what I’ve heard more liberal leaning. I think a lot of the performing arts students live there. If you really like an urban campus then Fordham LC is for you.
We’ve stopped by Penn and Drexel before and are headed there soon to visit for sons. Also going to visit Temple. Wasn’t overly impressed with either but it was cold and dreary that day. Drexel is a different kind of school. It gets mixed reviews. It runs on quarter system and is very Co-op oriented. That’s why S20 is very interested. I’m looking forward to Temple. I’ve heard from multiple people that the campus is much better than it was years ago.
Haven’t decided on a major. Kind of want to do a double major in physics and a humanities subject. Maybe an Astro/Postmodern Lit double major or something cool like that. My parents have saved up a lot of money for me for college so cost isn’t a huge problem. Also my father is a college professor so I can take advantage of the tuition exchange program at some schools. I could go to his school for free but it’s not very rigorous and a bit too close to home.
Fordham was really nice but there are alarmingly few spots in their Honors college if I remember correctly. Maybe 100 spots? I forget the number. But when the school gives full tuition to most NMF kids, thereby drawing a large number of high-stat kids, it’s not a sure thing.
Not a dealbreaker for everyone but wanted to make sure you were aware since you mentioned Honors College.
Also Fordham does not feel like a 10,000 undergraduate student college as the undergrads are split among the Rose Hill (approx. 6,700 undergrads) and Lincoln Center (approx. 2,500 undergrads) campuses.