<p>Would like to hear opinions.....Penn State or UD? I live in New York and can't decide which college. I am undeclared, so it is hard to analyze which has a better program for me. Any thoughts???</p>
<p>well im from new york too and im going to penn state 
why dont you try and visit both schools? I love to share the stat that PSU was ranked to have the #1 students by job recruiters.</p>
<p>I’ve spent time in both schools, and like them both. I am hoping someone can share some information that might make it easier for me to decide.</p>
<p>I’m almost completely biased as I’ve accepted my offer of admission to PSU, but: I do know PSU’s division of undergrad studies (the program for undecided majors) is designed to help you figure out what you’d like to major in. It isn’t like most colleges which let you choose to be “undecided” and then don’t have any help for you (besides any meetings you set up with an adviser) beyond that. </p>
<p>[Division</a> of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) - Pennsylvania State University](<a href=“http://dus.psu.edu/]Division”>http://dus.psu.edu/)</p>
<p>My advice would be this: if money is an issue for your family, go to UD (I’m assuming that is cheaper than PSU OOS, if it isn’t feel free to correct me). If money isn’t an issue, go to Penn State.</p>
<p>It’s going to depend so much on what you want to major in — we visited UDel quite a bit (S1 had friends there and my MIL lives nearby) and were really impressed. It is very, very much like PSU in almost every way but scale…and if you are OOS, obviously there’s a money issue. Honestly, I would choose UDel, but I am not a fan of huge schools. I don’t know anyone who has gone there who didn’t love it (it’s a big choice locally simply because it is like PSU and yet smaller.) edawns is also correct in that PSU’s DUS program really is very proactive in helping you choose a major if you are undecided.</p>
<p>We are located in the Philly area and my D also has both schools on her list (accepted at PSU and waiting for decision from Delaware), but she is not considering Penn State at all because of (1) the Sandusky scandal, (2) the huge size of Penn State and (3) the relatively inconvenient location of Penn State vs. U Del.</p>
<p>Some other difference which may or may not interest you. Penn State is about 65% PA resident students vs. Delaware which is about 75% nonresidents. I have heard from some oos students that a lot of kids from PA go to Penn State with their ready made group of friends from high school and they are not interested in making new friends. That said, there are so many studentsn at Penn State that if you are outgoing this should not be an insurmountable problem.</p>
<p>As an undecided student, are you completely undecided or do you have 2 or 3 different majors that you want to try? Note that at PSU some majors have enrollment controls (especially in the business and engineering schools). Entrance to major requirements may require a minimum GPA. Also, you may not have the liesure to decided, say, in junior year that you want to be a business major. Because you have to declare your major and have all your requirements in place by spring of sophomore year. Again, this may not be an issue depending on the majors that you are thinking of pursuing.</p>
<p>I would also say that Penn State has a big party culture and you need to be aware that if you partake of too much partying vs. studying your grades will suffer. If you already have good study habits and know how to balance studying with fun again you should be fine.</p>
<p>I feel that Penn State has a lot to offer but may not be the right fit for every student. Think about what you are looking for from your college experience and see how Penn State vs. Delaware stack up.</p>
<p>Another important difference in these two school is PSU has traditional semesters while UD has a 4-1-4 program. The one month winter semester can be used to take a study abroad. UD posted some amazing pictures from various winter study abroad sessions on their facebook page. I feel that if you would like a taste of study abroad, UD’s winter session offers a way to do that without sacrificing a whole semester. The winter session can also be used to take a required class that you want to get out of the way. That said, I have heard that the study abroad is expensive, and if you stay in a dorm on campus for the winter session there is an additional charge.</p>
<p>Also- sports are huge at Penn State and they compete in the Big Ten while Delaware has the full array of sports but is in a less competive league (CAA). So, consider whether that is important to you or not.</p>
<p>What is your intended major? Programs such as Chemical Engineering at the University of Delaware are hidden gems.</p>
<p>PAmom59, don’t take this the wrong way but you’ve heard quite a bit that isn’t really an accurate description of Penn State. I have a freshman student-athlete there now. UPark is a big school and believe it or not the “Sandusky Scandal” affected those outside of Penn State more than it did the students currently enrolled there. All of that news coverage, etc.–these kids were attending classes and practices and really didn’t have time to absorb all that we, outside of Penn State, were subjected to. In fact, the campus itself was relatively quite during that whole time as the noise and mayhem didn’t occur on campus. Also, believe it or not, EVERY school is a party school if that’s the atmosphere you seek, it all depends on where you’re priorities are. I attended a very small, jesuit college back in my day, and there was a party to be had every night of the week if that’s what you were looking for every night of the week. Believe it or not, many of these kids DO achieve good grades and DO know how to monitor their activities. Lastly, my freshman has friends from all over the world that he’s met at UPark, so the PA kids all stick together is more of a perception based on rumors than actual truth. In fact, when I was on this board a year ago–that was the exact, and I mean exact comment made by a student who was unhappy there. While I certainly respect your right to state what you think about UPark, I thought I should clarify misperceptions about what is actually going on at the school based on my many, many trips there this year for my child’s competitions as well as his experience there this year and what is “rumors” heard from hundreds of miles away. But you’re free to disagree.</p>
<p>As a current (in-state) student at UP, I definitely echo lyndeenj’s sentiment.</p>
<p>As far as the original question goes, usually if you’re torn between two schools people suggest going for the cheaper one, which (if the programs you’re interested in are similar enough) I’d suggest as well.</p>
<p>@lyndeenj- in my D’s opinion the Sandusky scandal really tarnished Penn State’s image and she could not see herself attending- it has nothing to do with the impact on students who already attend Penn State and from what I read in the news the students great school spirit has carried them through a turbulent fall semester.</p>
<p>I’m glad that your son’s experience at Penn State has been great!</p>
<p>My son narrowed down his acceptances to Penn State and Delaware, and ultimately chose Penn State. After going to both Accepted Student Programs, and making plans to sit in on classes, it was no contest…he chose Penn State. Penn State had everything to offer: a fabulous program for undecided students (DUS), numerous course offerings, a great assortment of clubs and intramurals, an active alumni association, internship and job placement opportunities, a dining director who has a wonderful program for kids with food allergies, classes that he enjoyed…given by professors who were engaging, the list goes on and on. The more he visited U Del, the more he didn’t like it. The Sandusky scandal certainly didn’t hurt PSU’s ranking in 2012…#45 compared to UDel’s #75. I think there are pros and cons to each school, but partying isn’t just for PSU, there is plenty partying going on at UDel if you want it. Penn State happens to run very efficiently, perhaps that is why it consistently gets accolades for “runs as smooth as butter”. U Del has had its problems lately…not communicating properly when there was an evacuation in one of the Residence Halls recently, based on a reported bomb threat (students were told to find someone to stay with for the night), Perkins Student Center was also evacuated during our visit this past fall (also due to a bomb threat), and 80 dorms were shut down in Rodney due to mold in September. There isn’t one “perfect” school…your child just has to find the school that’s right for them.</p>
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Uhh, you do mean 80 dorm rooms don’t you?</p>
<p>My S graduated from UD 4 years ago. We had problems on every tuition bill. Scholarships, loans, or grant were missing and he had to spend time getting the bills fixed. You would think that they would have the billing part down to an art. He did love the school, though. Partying is available to those that want it wherever you go to school. Heck, high schoolers find parties and they’re living at home.</p>
<p>As far as the Penn State scandal, we were concerned about the overall effect on the school and it’s reputation. My D added some additional schools to her application list when the news broke. Since that time, she visited again and we’ve talked to several alumni and she decided that Penn State was the school for her. She is really excited about participating in THON next year. I think that the education and alumni network outweigh the athletic department, especially since the responsible parties are gone. At least, that is our hope, and hers.</p>
<p>^^^ Not debating but just wanted to point out one thing: Since the USNWR rankings for undergraduate programs come out every September, the current PSU ranking does NOT reflect the Sandusky scandal. I think the number of applicants, which would have been partially affected, actually went up a little this year. It would be interesting to watch the yield. That could be a more significant indicator.</p>
<p>Not sure how the scandal would impact the ratings…</p>
<p>The ratings are pretty quantitative. I suppose the bad publicity could affect selectivity and alumni donations. I would expect a slight dip in the rankings. So what? To me, this does not diminish the value of the school.</p>