PSU vs. U of Pittsburgh

<p>ok..i really need help deciding which school i should apply to: Penn State or U of Pitt. my plan is to apply for business school but i can't decide which one will be good in everything such as internships, recruitments, helpful professors..., etc. please give me some advice to which one i should apply to. thanks.</p>

<p>bump (10 char)</p>

<p>Penn State has a better reputation in Business. Apply to both schools though.</p>

<p>Yeah. Apply to both. </p>

<p>If you get into both, get good money from both, etc. - go to Penn State.</p>

<p>Penn State's pretty bad with financial aid or scholarships (unless you're in Schreyers) but if you're in-state then PSU is a good deal.</p>

<p>I've found that (in general) since Penn State is so huge and with so many alumni our there, there are tons of internal and external connections and resources to take advantage of. Two of my roommates are in the business school and they seem to have access to a lot of internship/job placement/real-world sorts of resources just because of the sheer size of the university. I'm in another college and have certainly found the same to be true in my experience as well.</p>

<p>thanks for your thoughts. i guess i'll definitely apply to Penn State!</p>

<p>hey you should head over to the UPitt thread. There's a recent grad from Pitt who transferred from Pennstate after two years. You should talk to him. He knows a lot about both schools. His name is Pat.</p>

<p>I think you should apply to both schools. I'm interested in business too and applying to both schools! It just keeps your options open.. ya know?</p>

<p>Yeah but Pat isn't the most unbiased of people on here. He absolutely hates PSU, so he wont' give you a good comparision.</p>

<p>apply to both - visit - and then see what you prefer.
I second MN's comment -DON'T take advice from Pat, the Pitt guy.
He has a habit of setting up accounts under different names - just to bash PSU.
PSU is not for everyone but it has a lot going for it - and LOTS of happy alumni.
The business school at PSU is good - and on its way up. Not sure about Pitt - but I think it's pretty good too.
Good luck.</p>

<p>really? i didn't know that. thanks for the info. sorry about that RealM.</p>

<p>Wow, I guess I should say something before I am slandered any further.</p>

<p>1.) I wouldn't say I "hate" PSU; I mean, I went there for two years. I was, however, extremely unhappy with my experience there, and I am quite open about that.
2.) Haha, setting up accounts just to bash PSU? Again, I have been very open about my experiences there on THIS account. Why would I set up other accounts just to say the same thing? Could it be that there is more than one person who has had a negative experience there?</p>

<p>To RealM, both business schools are good. I really don't think there's much of a professional advantage in choosing one over the other. You just need to figure out which school you prefer pesonally.</p>

<p>pat - don't know why you would set up accounts to bash PSU either but I know that you did. go ahead and deny it but I caught you. I guess you need to be more careful when you respond to a post under one of those fake accounts. And I know you know what I mean by that...</p>

<p>I know 2 ppl, one a BBA from Pitt and the other from PSU. The one from Pitt has a better job, at DelMonte Foods in Pittsburgh, but the PSU grad had a lot more fun and enjoyed his undergrad experience a lot more. Cost for both no ojbect since both went free-ish (paid about $2K out of pocket per year each.) Are you planning on Univ Park for PSU and Oakland campus for Pitt? Pitt especially is shuffling some of its borderline students to branch campuses so be prepared! PSU likes everyone but the best to start at local/branch campuses scattered around the state.</p>

<p>PSU's Schreyers has a good rep, but being in it doesn't automatically mean good finaid. Like some previous posters said, apply to both and see what happens and narrow it from there once you have more info</p>

<p>Pat hates PSU? sweet, where is this Pat</p>

<p>Yeah, I guess Pat is a bit biased and resentful about psu. I would go to pitt if you prefer an urban setting over a college town type of atmosphere. Their pre-med and science programs are also stronger, I believe, and the school is also smaller and more selective.</p>

<p>Ultimately, you have to get a feel for each school's scene. PSU is huge and the majority of students are into football, other sports, parties, etc--academics often becomes a secondary concern. But if you are a motivated student and don't get distracted by the large social atmosphere, the school has vast resources and academia.</p>

<ul>
<li>Now, a lot of the people here(myself included) who want to transfer or transferred complain about the setting, atmosphere or student body at psu. So, make sure you are comfortable with those aspects before making a decision to avoid regretting your choice and having a disappointing experiece.</li>
</ul>

<p>Agree with Frasi about finding the social environment you're more comfortable with.
Don't agree that Pitt is more selective - the numbers I've seen say that PSU Main has a lower acceptance rate - and Pitt always seems to have openings late in the year. SAT scores and GPAs are close - with an edge to Pitt. Overall, I see the schools as being roughly equal from an academic standpoint - with each school having particular strengths. PSU is just more popular - probably due to the football program - and also because more students seem to like a college town type of environment.
Not sure about freshman retention rates...that's something you might want to look into. I know PSU has a rate in the low 90's - not sure about Pitt.</p>

<p>thanks for your thought toneranger and frasi but can you elaborate more on the school environment? i understand that PSU is more into football, others sports, and parties, but how's the atmosphere there? i mean, are students friendly with international students? if you were an international student, which school would you choose? (considering security of future jobs and personal growth)</p>

<p>thanks in advance!</p>

<p>According to collegeboard, upitt has a higher average for sat in math and verbal. The acceptance for pitt rate is also lower as stated in the site.</p>

<p>The atmosphere is very social, people are very outgoing and uninhibited. Also, there is activity and movement in every corner of the school. The hub and other popular points are packed with people during most of the day. It is the typical state school atmosphere, where outside of class, the students go to parties, have fun, sunbathe, play sports, go to games, etc.</p>

<p>Students are friendly, but the diversity in the school is very low. As an international student myself (and fron NYC), I value diversity and ciltural breadth. At PSU you will find a small community of international students, but for the most part everyone shares the same attitudes. Ultimately, I would go with the larger city and more diverse student body for an easier transition/experience.</p>

<p>--> Check out the videos for PSU at this webpage: <a href="http://www.theu.com/admissions_ratings/pennsylvania_state_university%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.theu.com/admissions_ratings/pennsylvania_state_university&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Although they are trying to cater to the mtv crowd and are limited, they do address the genral social aspects of the school.</p>