Pitt vs. American

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Pittsburgh
1

<p>I'm a senior from King of Prussia, PA (outside of Philly), I'll be majoring in political science, I plan to go into a career as a lawyer and maybe politics, and I'm between Pitt and American:</p>

<p>I want a pretty big school, I want to be NEAR a city, but not right in the center of downtown. I want the school to have a campus, not just buildings in the streets.
I want to have a nice looking campus with grass, where it's easy to tell where the campus ends. I don't really want to walk across regular streets to get to a class.
I want a school with a lot of school spirit and good athletics (I play in the marching and pep bands).
I want a relatively prestigious school that people would be impressed with.
I want a school where I could get good internship opportunities in the political field.
I want to be very active with many things around campus (marching band, pep band, a cappella, politics, radio or TV station, etc.)</p>

<p>So we all know Pitt has more school spirit and better athletics while American has more internships, but with everything I've said...where should I go?</p>

<p>Help is appreciated!</p>

2

<p>Have you visited both campuses? I think American has the campus feel that you are looking for. Also, I would think that for someone interested in politics, American would be more appealing.</p>

<p>Is price a factor?</p>

3

<p>In most cases I would put Pitt ahead of American but due to its proximity to most things political (and home to way too many lawyers!), American is probably better for your needs (all else being equal).</p>

4

<p>In addition to all the above comments - If you don’t want to walk across regular streets to get to class then Pitt might not be the right school for you.</p>

5

<p>money isn’t an issue because I got a very large grant from American.
And I like pitt, but is there really a campus at all? how much of one?
and at pitt, is it just spaces on a bunch of different streets? is there any sort of campus boundary or does it just extend into the city?</p>

6

<p>This [link</a> has photos](<a href=“http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=141&f=2455&t=5547158]link”>http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=141&f=2455&t=5547158) which may help you some (scroll past the athletic stuff). </p>

<p>The campus may feel different depending where you are on it. There are three or four main areas, but remember, it is all pretty compact. The central area is the gothic part of campus around the Cathedral of Learning is the one that feels most like a campus, and it seems to be separated to an extent from the city, although the cities main museums and library are just across the street. There are three major lawns by the Cathedral of Learning, the Cathedral Lawn to the east, Schenley Plaza to the south, and Soldiers & Sailors to the north, and a large city park is just beyond Schenley Plaza to the South. This helps to give it a campusy feel.</p>

<p>Now, a major business street, Forbes Avenue, runs right into the campus, and another mostly institutional-lined street, 5th Avenue, runs through it too. If you are familiar with Penn, it is very similar to Spruce and Walnut bisecting that campus.</p>

<p>To the north is the mid and upper campus. In the mid-campus is the engineering and physics buildings, and further up the hill, the main concentration of athletic facilities and another center of residence halls. The hillside definitely feels more like a campus. </p>

<p>However, the periphery does blend into the city. Some of that is intentional. Bouquet Gardens is a housing complex that was specifically designed to transition into the residential neighborhood of South Oakland. And if you head west from the freshman tower dorms, it will feel like a city and you smack into a very congested section that houses the university’s medical center.</p>

<p>Pitt is definitely urban. It doesn’t have a separated campuses like the University of Washington or U of Chicago, but it isn’t something like NYU or Drexel that is just a bunch of buildings. Pitt has a little bit of both. It has lawns and green space, but you will have to cross streets to get to class, although a pedestrian bridge will get you across Forbes.</p>

7

<p>Pitt’s a good school and if you chose to attend and major in Poli Sci you will have a good experience.</p>

<p>However, if you are interested in government and politics and feel that will be your career path - go to American.</p>

<p>Western PA isn’t a hot spot for political activity, not for careers. If you want to take that path, go to where the opportunities are, in Washing D.C.</p>

<p>American has a better Poli Sci program and you will have alot more opportunities for networking and volunteering. </p>

<p>Pitt will provide you with a better traditional college experience, school spirit, ect. </p>

<p>If I can offer a suggestion, the University of Maryland seems like a good fit for you. It has a traditional campus, near D.C. with a good political science program. It also has some of the other aspects you are looking for like athletics and school spirit. </p>

<p>I work in politics and please take my advice. If you want to work in this field, begin by positioning yourself at it’s epicenter.</p>

8

<p>I got into Maryland but it’s too big for me and it’s way too much of a party school.
It’s just down to Pitt and American! (and kind of George Mason)</p>

9

<p>I would think GMU would be good for proximity to Wash DC. I have not seen the campus though. They do have a good basketball team!</p>

10

<p>I agree with Govaffairs UM is the way to go given what you say you are looking for. There is partying at every big university…something for everyone. IMHO UM does not have that reputation. A fabulous school for many majors (yours in particular because of proximity to Washington) if one can afford it.</p>

11

<p>I know UM is bigger than Pitt (not sure how much) but it might not make a difference.</p>

<p>Lots of students attend Pitt because of it’s urban feel and the “big city” environment, so Pitt feels bigger than it is, because it’s located in a busy neighborhood in a big city close to downtown. </p>

<p>UM might have more students but actually feel smaller.</p>

<p>Good luck in your decision.</p>

12

<p>My S was in the same position as you, In-state Pitt or scholarship to American (we’re in Montco, too)!! He was interested in IR and SIS and decided on AU because of DC and the opportunities that were available there. Well, after one semester he realized that IR and politics were not for him. He ended up changing his major, and fortunately AU has been able to accommodate that change.
AU is a great school, but would you go there if you weren’t into politics? Think about your other possible interests and make sure AU is the best match for you.</p>

13

<p>^^^ That’s a very good point. I read somewhere that 70 percent of freshmen end up changing their majors. UMd would be good in that case because the school offers so much, you can pick anything under the sun pretty much, and UMd will offer it. I’m sorry, I don’t know anything about the poly sci major per se.</p>

14

<p>I’ve definitely ruled out Maryland, so that’s not in my decision.
I’ve decided I want to be near a city, but not right in the center of it. So Pitt and American both seem good.</p>

<p>Basically, I feel like Pitt has that fun college feel with a ton of school spirit and a lot of happy people while American has great opportunities, but it’s not as fun and there’s not as much school spirit.</p>

<p>I saw American’s campus, and it’s very nice, but kind of small! I don’t mind Pitt’s campus!</p>

15

<p>Pitt is right in the center of a city. You don’t get much more of a city school than Pitt. From your descriptions, American seems to fit. My son is going to Pitt and is excited to be going there, and I like the school very much, but you seem to be describing American for what you want.</p>

16

<p>Well I don’t think that Pitt has the exact layout of a campus you describe for yourself…but I do think it has everything else you are looking for. I think you could be very happy there. Good Luck</p>

17

<p>Though American is in DC, AU students have to compete with GW and, unfortunately, Georgetown students. Just some food for thought. </p>

<p>Pitt has a decent Poli Sci major, and though there aren’t as many politics opportunities there, pitt students would be considered the cream of the crop. </p>

<p>I am just biased towards Pitt because I loved it there. You get the big, college town feel, while being in a decent sized city. And the sports are usually very good. I don’t think AU has a football team (correct me if I’m wrong), and that does take away from the college experience.</p>

<p>Both are great schools, and you will probably like either.</p>