Prospective Barrett Applicant

Colleges and Universities A-Z Arizona State University
1

<p>Hi!</p>

<p>I’m considering applying to Barrett since they offer such good scholarships to National Merit Scholars. The other schools I’m looking at are mostly elite, some Ivies, some small Liberal Arts schools. I’m wondering if Barrett offers a somewhat similar environment to these elite schools, within the larger ASU student body. One girl posted on another thread that she found the party scene at ASU inescapable, even at Barrett, and decided to transfer. What do people think about this? I’m also worried about the heat in Phoenix, and the nature of the ASU campus- it seems somewhat lacking in pretty green space and beautiful architecture. Still, I love the Southwest, I think I would like to go to school in a city, ASU seems to have great school spirit, and I’m obviously attracted by the great scholarship opportunities. Advice?</p>

<p>I’m also wondering if anyone can give me some other schools that give similar financial aid. I’ve heard Alabama is a solid option… any other suggestions?</p>

<p>Any guidance would be greatly appreciated!</p>

2

<p>JAlfred, same sentiment here regarding our son in GA. His two older sisters were / are at Harvard - trust me, there’s a pretty strong party scene there too. I think that Barrett could be a perfect fit for him - he wants a major marching band scene, which rules out the Ivies and most highly-selective schools - but the green space factor may be a tough adjustment for him as well. Since Barrett is semi-autonomous with its own campus, I looked up the stats that I could find on the students (SATs, % in top 10% in HS, student body size, etc.) and tried to come up with the best comparable for it among national Us and LACs. What I found is that Barrett appears to be a less-preppy public version of Wake Forest, which is especially intriguing to my wife and me since we’re both Wake Forest grads.</p>

3

<p>Barrett (and any college) is what you make of it. I opted not to apply for Barrett (kicking myself now, I would have made it in, but anyways), and I wasn’t excited at all for ASU (it was the cheap in-state safety for me). Then I joined the ASU Sun Devil Marching Band. I’m extremely involved with band here, and I can guarantee that the SDMB is why I love it at ASU.</p>

<p>The heat on campus really isn’t too bad, except for the first three weeks of the fall and the last three weeks of the spring (although ASU is adopting a bi-semester system beginning Spring 2012 that pretty much avoids all heat since classes will end two weeks earlier).</p>

<p>Phoenix is a great city to live in. I’ve lived here all my life and while I can’t wait to leave to expand my horizons, I know a lot of people from other places that love it more than other cities they’ve lived in.</p>

<p>I wouldn’t say that Barrett is going to have the same atmosphere as Ivies, but on campus (I’m assuming you’re planning on the Tempe campus), they definitely have their own environment. When you walk through the Barrett dorm complex, it is apparent that they are their own crowd. The one thing that is definitely different from Ivies is that you’ll still be taking large lecture classes with the regular student body. A lot of times there will be an honors section of a class though, if that’s what you prefer.</p>

<p>The party scene at ASU is escapable. I haven’t read the post about this issue, but I haven’t been forced into any party ever. The trick here is having a strong sense of self. If you want to party, party. If you don’t want to party, don’t be afraid to say no (and maybe study by yourself for an evening).</p>

<p>ASU doesn’t have the grandest buildings, and green space definitely isn’t everywhere, but it is here. Once you take a walk on campus, you can find plenty of gardens that you’re allowed to sit in if you’d like. While there isn’t that much grass (it takes a lot to get grass to survive in a desert), all the grass that is around is taken care of.</p>

<p>As far as schools with similar financial aid: try Ohio State. They gave me a solid scholarship and have a pretty awesome honors program as well. They also have a scholars program which is one tier below honors if you chose to take a slightly easier route. They are very similar to ASU in many ways, but they aren’t in the desert.</p>

4

<p>Thanks! Those were very helpful. Thanks for the Ohio State tip.
Does anybody know anything about the ASU outdoors club? How active is it, how many good opportunities are there near Phoenix for outdoor recreation, etc.?
Any other ideas for schools that give good scholarships?</p>

5

<p>I visited Barrett, it was very nice, I like ASU a lot. Does anybody happen to know anything about the ASU Outdoors Club? Or have contact information for someone who does?</p>

6

<p>I am a Barrett student and while I like it, I do not think it compares to a strong Liberal Arts college or an Ivy. Is it the best option for those wishing to stay in Arizona? Yes.</p>

<p>Partying is not too bad. People usually just pregame at Barrett and then head over to Mill or other dorms/apartments. And if you are not into partying, I would say Bama is definitely not the way to go. Any SEC school is going to have massive ragers. </p>

<p>Honestly, you will get a solid education, a wealth of internships and career opportunities at a competitive price. That’s why people chose Barrett. And so far, in my case it has paid off.</p>