<p>i got into PennState Smeal and at Boston Univ i only got into the College of General Studies and wont be able to start business till Junior yr..im still confused on where to go..which do u think is a better overall school..(location, social life, business program..)</p>
<p>Definatly PSU. I heard the CGS program is a joke and a waste of all that money to go into a program which is basically grade 13 for people who couldn't get into anything else at BU.</p>
<p>obviously penn state.</p>
<p>alot of people are telling me to go to PennState because i only got into CGS at BU..but i feel when i look at the location/internship aspect..BU is a much better choice being in a financial district..and i think this can open up many opportunities</p>
<p>i know i won't be able to really get invovled in the business aspect of things until junior year at BU..but does anyone know what the transition is like from CGS to the school of management?</p>
<p>i've always liked pennstate and the school itself being its own town. and i know they have a great business program, but when i think of how isolated the campus is and what opportunities there really are, i kind of get set back.</p>
<p>if someone knows something different and if my assumptions are wrong, can you please help me out, because as of now i don't know what to look for (location? business program?)..and what will i be better off with in the future?</p>
<p>r1d3sno, I was in a similar predicament up until yesterday. (PSU - Liberal Arts vs. BU CAS) I am choosing Penn State. And I'll tell you why, but in the end, it comes down to the cheesy thing of "it's a personal preference" "it's up to you" and "you're the one going there for 4 years, not us." </p>
<p>BU may be in a more central location but that doesn't mean you won't have the same internship opportunities at Penn State. In fact, since Penn State has the largest alumni in the world and is a university that has recruiters flocking, you'll have tons. I visited the other day and when I wandered the hallways of the college administrative buildings, the walls were COVERED with internship opportunities. Not only internships in the cities, but internships with Penn State professors and local researchers. (If you did want to stay close over a summer or something) </p>
<p>On my Liberal Arts admitted students tour thing, many of the kids had majored in political science and said they had no problems getting stuff to do in DC, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. Those cities are only about 3 hours away, after all. Penn State also has this GREAT career services program - <a href="http://www.sa.psu.edu/career/%5B/url%5D">http://www.sa.psu.edu/career/</a> - check it out. They network you and prepare you for jobs anywhere you want. </p>
<p>And I don't need to tell you this, but you're amazing for getting into Smeal. It's highly-regarded; I'm not going to lie, it's no Wharton, but companies definitely don't sneeze at it. I think it would be sad to pass it up. You're already in! At BU, you'd have to work harder to get into the program you want and it <em>is</em> possible that you might not get in. </p>
<p>(On a personal note, how could you possibly pass up Beaver Stadium? Come on now. ;))</p>
<p>BU's CGS has a reputation for being a joke, and maybe it is, I wouldn't know. But when I was there for the CAS open house, there were never any cracks made about it, I never heard any negative comments when it came up in conversation. Getting into SMG for <em>anybody</em> is difficult, so I imagine it would be the same for people coming in from CGS. I also learned that the internships abroad are slightly more limited than I thought they were - for example, if a person is going pre-med, then Dresden, Germany is practically it in terms of study abroad. But as you said, it's in Boston. And there are financial benefits of that. </p>
<p>Overall, I chose Penn State over BU because of the campus. At BU, it's beautiful and the kids that are there love it, but I wanted to be at a place where I could chill out on the lawn and read a book. Or sit on a bench and quietly contemplate the beauty of fall foilage without having Commonwealth avenue running through my dreams. I know I'll regret not being in the center of the city (that's why I applied to BU in the first place), but going to football games, donning blue and white 24/7, and being part of the largest alumni association in the world when I graduate outweighed the central location. </p>
<p>(On another personal note, I HATED Warren Towers at BU. Seriously. 2 bathroom stalls and 2 showers per 25 girls/boys? And study lounges that look like interrogation rooms...seriously?!) </p>
<p>But I don't want to bias you. BU does have a wealth of things to offer. However, Penn State does too. Don't let central Pennsylvania scare you (I'm going there from Houston!) and good luck with your decision. Maybe I'll see you in the fall!</p>
<p>Basically, it will depend on your location preference!! Do oyu want to be in center city Boston or center state PA. Bothe BU CGS and PSU Smeal are both about the same (in a challenge to get in). But also with BU CGS, you are not positively going to get the major you want. It all depends on if they accept you into the major and how hard you work! Good luck!</p>
<p>college of general studies at any college is the stupidest thing ever; it defeats the point of college to enter the 13th grade and take a set of mandated courses without choice for 2 years</p>