Penn State UP or Univ. Of Delaware???

OOS accepted to both schools…psychology major…cost the same…thoughts???

Have you visited both? Are you okay with a very large school? We saw Penn State the other day, and from the little we saw, it seemed bustling, but seemed congested. Kids were walking single file on the sidewalks. I have never even seen that many people walking around Manhattan. On the plus side, we know a very successful Penn State grad who loves his school more than anything. I also heard the alumni connections are amazing. I think Delaware is smaller, but I don’t know much about it.

^ Yeah, I mean, 40,000 undergrads + 6,000 grads + staff + faculty + tour groups makes for some crowded sidewalks… What you do is get up at like 8 am on a Saturday, then there’s absolutely no one around :smiley:

Generally the size hasn’t had much of an impact on my own experience here but that’s a very personal choice.

Honors College at UDel?
Career goals?

Are you the parent or child?

Are costs a concern at all or will parents pay all costs?

I will be a regular student at both schools (no honors). The costs will be about the same at both schools so not a factor in my decision. I am most concerned with from which school will I have a better chance for employment? Does UDEL have a good alumni network like PSU? Which school has the better reputation academically?

@juillet was a researcher at Penn State for psychology and may be able to provide some advice.

You can compare the programs, required courses, possible options…
http://psych.la.psu.edu/undergraduate
http://psych.la.psu.edu/undergraduate/babs

https://www.psych.udel.edu/undergraduate/for-prospective-students
https://www.psych.udel.edu/undergraduate/psychology-and-neuroscience-majors-and-minors

Are you the parent or student???


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How long was it from your application in with all materials in until you got your decision? Son had all in on 11/1. Wondering how long it will be? <<<

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Posted a few months ago…sounds like the parent, not the student.

I can’t imagine paying high OOS costs for a psych degree. Psych is a staple major good at virtually all universities. Unless you’re quite affluent, it’s not necessary to overspend for a psych degree.

Between the two I think Penn State takes the cake (for the most part) with academic reputation and hyper-engaged alumni base beating out Delaware. This will probably be nice when it comes to searching for jobs/internships.

^The psychology department at Penn State is excellent. The psychology BS option has four specialization tracks you can choose from - life sciences, neuroscience, business, or quantitative skills - that are reflective of viable/lucrative career choices for psychology majors these days. Penn State also has other related majors, like human development and family studies and biobehavioral health, that can be good alternative options to students interested in the behavioral sciences who want to explore other potential majors. Either way, it just means a wealth of classes and faculty members that are doing closely related stuff.

I also really liked Penn State’s resources like the student center and athletic facilities and fitness classes. Buses make travel to Pittsburgh, New York and Philadelphia relatively inexpensive and easy.

I’ve lived in both State College and Manhattan, and I would definitely not say that State College is more bustling or has more people walking than Manhattan :slight_smile: During class change times, however, there will be tons of students running between buildings and taking shuttles to get to classes, and on weekend evenings (especially during football season) there are lots of students outside in the downtown area having a good time. That’s one of the reasons I moved about 10 minutes away from downtown :smiley:

@juillet Maybe it was the day we drove around, but I live in Manhattan, and it seemed busier and more crowded than the sidewalks in my neighborhood. It could very well have been when people were walking to their next class.

Listen to your gut—If you think it feels too big–then go for the mid sized option. I’d encourage you to check out other features of the school. Most kids I know get a job on their own and from their own incentive, often times through internships and not through any network. Which school will provide access to the types of internships you would like? Call the school and see how receptive they are, how accessible are the counselors. How nice and informed are they? Kids at both schools love their school, albeit in different ways and they both offer excellent opportunities to students who are ambitious–so there is no need to look for the unanswerable question of Which is Better? The answer is “The one your choose”. I wouldn’t consider applying to Penn State for ideological reasons, but that might not be a factor for you. It’s tough to choose, but find some criteria that has meaning to you. A supposed alumni network who will help your child find a job in four years can’t be measured with any amount of certainty. “I have heard that…:” is kind of a dangerous road to go down. It offers false promises and plays on your anxieties if you make another choice, which may be the better one. Tell yourself–I am going to choose the one that feels right and forge my path there. Best of luck.

I mean, it’s hardly “supposed.” Penn State has over 600,000 living alumni.