Questions about Kettering University, Drexel University, and the U of Pittsburgh

<p>I've been accepted into all of the above schools. I really like Kettering, but I'm not sure how I feel about working constantly then going to classes. I also read somewhere that the campus is not diverse and that 80% of the population is male. I am female so this is a little scary. Does anyone going to Kettering or who has visit have tips to help? Also, if you guys know anything about the other schools input would be appreciated.</p>

<p>Pitt would offer you the most “normal” college experience. The campus is nice and there is a strong athletic scene. Drexel’s campus is improving, but is not great. It is right next to Penn, so that offers something. Drexel’s coop program is highly regarded. Are you interested in majoring in engineering? Drexel has a lot of commuter students, too. Drexel is expensive if you don’t get scholarship money. I don’t know anything about Kettering.</p>

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<p>Pitt doesn’t have a campus per se. University buildings and dorms are scattered around an urban neighborhood of Pittsburgh known as Oakland. BTW, it is not a particularly pretty area although there are plenty of restaurants, hospitals and museums nearby, as well as a huge urban park (Schenley Park). Carnegie Mellon University, which, unlike Pitt, has a proper (and quite nice) campus, is also nearby.</p>

<p>I agree however that Pitt has a strong athletic scene (football, basketball, etc.) and that there’s a lot of school spirit, thus providing a typical American college experience.</p>

<p>No, I’m definitely not intending on majoring in engineering. I am going to be a business or economics major.</p>

<p>Drexel and Pitt as similar. Kettering cannot compare with them.
Drexel’s co-op program is a big attraction. Their business college has been getting very good press.</p>

<p>Personally I’d hate to have to be in Flint for four years!</p>

<p>Have you visited any of these schools? I know nothing about Drexel. However I graduated from Pitt and I have to disagree with the comment that “Pitt doen’t have a campus per se”. It is fully integrated into the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh. It is a great school- good academics, big time athletics, much to offer culturally. I lived in Flint for 5 years. I would not recommend Flint as a place to spend your college years. The academics and co-op program are top notch (at least the used to be when I lived there).</p>

<p>I’ve spent time at both Pitt and at Penn so I’m quite familiar with Drexel and Pitt. Drexel really doesn’t have a campus at all in the traditional sense and really has no green space. It pretty much is just buildings in West Philly that have been repurposed for the university. It has little to no interaction with Penn, which it abuts. Pitt is also urban and it is built vertically with lots of taller buildings, but it has several large lawns around its major buildings (there are three large lawns close around the gothic/lower part of campus as well as a large lawn adjacent to the student recreation/basketball arena and residence halls on the upper campus). Pitt, in contrast, has a ton of collaboration with its neighbor Carnegie-Mellon and is also adjacent to the city’s major museums, library, botanical garden, and park (which are free to Pitt students). True, Pitt doesn’t have classic collegiate village type of quad or dorms, but it is one of the nicer urban campuses I’ve seen with spectacular buildings like the Cathedral of Learning, Heinz Chapel, its art building and its student union, and it is located in a great urban neighborhood with a good chunk of the city’s primary cultural amenities. It’s doesn’t have a homogeneous architecture like CMU, but I actually like its campus better, but that is in the eye of the beholder. You should definitely try to visit these schools if you haven’t already.</p>

<p>drexel doesn’t offer much of a true “campus” experience, although it is arguably the best of the three. if you like going out on the city, go drexel.</p>

<p>pitt is a very good school also, big in athletics as said above.</p>

<p>kettering? never heard of it.</p>

<p>also, if you don’t like one, it would probably be easy to transfer between the three.</p>

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<p>Um, I go to Pitt and I’m pretty sure Pitt has a campus (it’s just urban) and not buildings scattered around. I don’t go around figuring out if this building belongs to Pitt and that one doesn’t, and all the facilities are near each other in the same general area (otherwise known as… the campus).</p>

<p>So there is a new college added to the equation, Syracuse. @ hoosiermom no I haven’t visited any of these schools. In all honesty, I’ll have to take a summer job just so I can pay for the airfare to get to any of the places. The last time I checked Pitt offered me $0 no scholarships, loans, grants. My parental EFC is 0 by the way. </p>

<p>All of these schools are going to cost me a buttload of money. So I want to know what life is like for current students. Is it worth it?</p>

<p>I think it would be helpful if you gave us some idea about your interests and what you might want to study. Pitt and Syracuse, overall, are known more nationally and internationally than DU or Kettering. That said, the wealthiest person I know is a DU grad.</p>

<p>Here are some rankings to help compare (you’ve probably already looked at some of these)</p>

<p>US News National Universities
Pitt #56
Syracuse #58
Drexel #88</p>

<p>Best Values (US News)
Pitt #39
Syracuse #43</p>

<p>Washington Monthly
Pitt #43
Syracuse #66
Drexel #187</p>

<p>International Rankings
Academic Ranking of World Universities
Pitt #50
Syracuse #303-401
Drexel #402-501</p>

<p>Global University Ranking
Pitt #42
Drexel #96-98
Syracuse #431+</p>

<p>Times Higher Education World University Rankings
Pitt #114
Syracuse & Drexel 201+</p>

<p>I plan on majoring in business or economics. I want to go to a school that will allow me to intensively focus on my major and that offers good opportunities for internships. At the same time I want the school to take its creative classes (writing, philosophy, etc) just as seriously. So I want to go in and get professional skills while being well rounded from the liberal arts disciplines. I also want a strong alum network, so I can develop contacts for starting my own business. If I have to take out a loan I will but I need at least some prestige to go with it.</p>

<p>Drexel has probably the best co-op program. However Pitt and Syracuse are probably ranked higher for undergrad business if that means anything; there is probably little difference between the two. I think US News had Syracuse 38th and Pitt 42nd in undergrad business so there isn’t much difference. I’m not sure what they had Drexel ranked, if at all. It may be easier to do internships at Pitt and Drexel since they are in major cities.</p>

<p>As far as philosophy and creative writing, Pitt is probably the strongest here. It’s philosophy department has been ranked in the top 5 for 30 years or more. It was 2nd in the last National Resource Council rankings and is 4th in the current Philosophical Gourmet rankings. In comparison, Syracuse was 34th. Drexel isn’t ranked, it is sort of thought of as more of a technical (engineering) type school. Pitt is also #1 in History and Philosophy of Science program in the country.</p>

<p>Pitt also has a strong and well regarded creative writing program. Michael Chabon came out of it, and his novel (and adapted movie) Wonder Boys is essentially about the creative writing department and his mentor while at Pitt. Mysteries of Pittsburgh was also based on his time at Pitt.</p>

<p>As far as an alumni network, Pitt would probably be the strongest among those schools just based on size. SU and Pitt would be the top two. School pride seems to also help make for stronger alumni networks, and both have major sports programs to help drive that. Here’s a link to regional Pitt alumni clubs: [Pitt</a> Alumni Association](<a href=“http://www.alumni.pitt.edu/groups/?t=clubs]Pitt”>http://www.alumni.pitt.edu/groups/?t=clubs)</p>

<p>Drexel and University of Pittsburgh would be your best picks. Any large difference in COA?</p>