Hello everyone,
I studied at a CC in Washington for two years and now looking to transferring university. I got accepted to Penn State and waiting for UW. Which university has better philosophy program? I know Penn State is in middle of nowhere but is it bad thing? How academics are different at both schools?
Penn State is indeed in the middle of nowhere, but only you can decide if that’s a bad thing. With 40k students on campus and downtown State College right across the street from my dorm, I only had to take the bus off-campus about once a week (to the local animal shelter). There are always things going on, and unless being in an urban area is VERY important to you, you’ll likely be so busy with academics/ECs that you won’t have time to wish there was a big city nearby. 
Consider if you can afford that steep OOS tuition.
Exactly what I was thinking “Busy with academics with no time to enjoy the big city”. Does it reflect that everyone over there is super smart and academics are more book smart orientated?
Regarding the tuition, honestly for me its like betting in a educational casino. I am betting all my saving on education in hope of recovering after I graduate.
At Penn State, specifically? No, I’ve heard people talking about being proud of getting in with a 1700 SAT. But the classes are no joke (isn’t academics inherently “book-smart”?). And the honors college, should you be interested, has a bigger concentration of high achievers.
On the doctoral level, Penn State is a top 10 philosophy program, whereas UW is more mid-ranked. That doesn’t necessarily easily translate to the undergrad level, though, for a variety of reasons. Basically, any solidly ranked college/university probably has solid departments in most of the things they offer, so really that shouldn’t be the deciding factory between the two.
Whether Penn State’s location is a bad thing depends on you. I live in State College. College students tend to make their own fun, and for the undergrads here seems to be a lot of things to do. There’s a downtown area with lots of bars, and there are tons of student groups on campus and lots of events. Also, State College surprisingly attracts some interesting acts for far cheaper than you would see in cities: Kevin Hart (the comedian) came here in March; there was a Garth Brooks/Trisha Yearwood concert here in April, and the Broadway production of Mamma Mia! was here in…February, I think? They’ve also brought smaller acts and groups in - like I went to see an African music troupe, and I saw Laverne Cox speak on campus (she was amazing!)
I disagree that you’ll be “too busy” to enjoy your surroundings. I went to college in an urban area, and I definitely enjoyed all the things my city had to offer - it really just depends on what you choose to do as a student. But it’s a matter of preference - some people love the vibrant campus life that evolves when you live in a small town where everything revolves around the university. And some people love going to a college in an urban area and enjoying the city. Some urban colleges do have very vibrant campus life; I don’t know if UW is that.
Noooooo. Not for a degree in philosophy, especially, but not generally speaking either. Penn State’s total cost of attendance is just under $50K a year for OOS students, so if you attend for two years the cost will be $100K. Unless you or your parents can make a significant dent in that, or you get a lot of scholarship aid (unlikely), that is likely to be far too much to borrow. Tuition, fees, room & board at UW is half the cost of PSU’s, and you’re likely to get more financial aid and assistance from Washington state since you are transferring from a CC. (If you’re commuting from home, the cost is even cheaper.)
Also, are you considering your other Washington state universities? The other public universities in Washington are highly regarded and quite inexpensive; Eastern, Western, and Central Washington are cheaper than UW-Seattle, and Washington State is slightly cheaper because the cost of living is lower. If you wanted to go to a big state university in the middle of nowhere, Washington State seems like a more prudent financial choice than Penn State.
bodangles: Ok but you can get through it right? Of course one has to study to pass. Thanks for response tho. 
juillet: Yes it totally depends on the person himself how does he interact with his atmosphere. Living in a big city doesn’t mean a person will be much out going and social. It’s is very personal opinion about the living and environment. I think at the end, how much of students will be involved in city life activities or the other way? and after all you can take a flight to NY which is close. But i believe that bigger cities have more opportunities overall.
No, tuition for a quarter with 15 credits is $11,000 and there are 3 quarters yearly. UW is not half of the PSU, it’s nearly the same. Why did you said a big ‘no’ on degree in philosophy? There are no good job chances for philosophers?
No, I might try other universities if not accepted to UW.
According to the Philosophcal Gourmet, it’s not even in the top 50.
http://www.philosophicalgourmet.com/overall.asp
I have several friends that majored in philosophy. I can’t tell you about most of their job prospects since many of them immediately went to graduate school after graduation. (philosophy is a very popular pre-law major.) Here are a few things I can tell you though: Out of graduation, you’ll probably be viewed less favorably compared to other writing majors like English and political science. Even though the writing for philosophy is equally, if not more, rigorous. I can still write pretty well these days. While I do very little writing in my day-to-day work, when I have done it, it has been well regarded.
When I graduated in the summer of 2012, the economy was weak, and it was still an employer’s market. I had some difficulty out of college due to lacking a lot of practical knowledge and not really knowing what I wanted to do. In the interviews I did have, however, my degree and alma mater were well regarded and respected.
After I graduated, I supplemented my education with a lot of practical knowledge and training. These are all things I could have done as an undergraduate, but didn’t for reasons I won’t get into here. There’s nothing wrong with majoring in philosophy. If I had to do things over again, I would still major in it. If I could do things over again though, I’d probably take a few internships or perhaps double major with something more practical. These are things I’d recommend you do if you decide to major in philosophy.
FWIW, I wouldn’t recommend going to Penn State. Try finding a good balance between what’s best and most affordable. And that option will probably be somewhere in Washington. Best of luck!
For a variety of reasons, here is vote for Udub.
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I am betting all my saving on education in hope of recovering after I graduate.
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You’ve got to be kidding.
That’s a very naive position.
How much do you have saved?
Go to UW. Going to PSU would be a total waste of money.
@beyphy Thanks for a detailed overview on the outcomes of this degree. I can understand what to expect from general philosophy degree. I am more toward sociology or political science as of my interests too. I applied to Rutgers but got rejected! I think i will try again for it.
@mom2collegekids I have no other option i guess. I want to finish my degree in philosophy in 2years. I have around $150,000.
That’s why I postponed my starting date and going back to community college in Washington so I could apply for few other universities including UW. UW will be my first priority tho.
Are you a Washington State resident?
If you qualify for instate rates at a Wash school, then go to one of them.
Do not “bet your savings on hopes of recovering after you graduate” on an OOS school. That would be very bad bet.
after you graduate from a Wash public and still have most of your saved money left, you’ll be glad that you didn’t foolishly waste it on some OOS public.
If you are instate for either one of the schools, go there.
Hmmm, why is that? I would expect a philosophy major to be strong in the usual strengths associated with humanities majors (writing skills, humanities-type thinking) but also have strengths in logical thinking that are much less assured with English and political science majors. So if an employer is not looking for skills or knowledge specific to an English or political science major, why would the employer favor those majors over a philosophy major?
^I agree with UCBAlumnus here. In my experience, philosophy majors are seen as favorably as English majors. THey have excellent outcomes with med schools, not just law schools, as well as PHD programs not just in philosophy (if they took the relevant coursework). The rigor associated with their training can be appreciated as long as they’ve developed a skill set through internships in companies and businesses.
I also agree with happy1’s succinct evaluation: go where it’s cheapest for you.
Yes, by all means enroll at UW, Washington State, Western Washington or Evergreen State College. Student writing skills are very important at each of them.