Hello everyone, I am a long-time (since 8th grade) on-and-off lurker on here. I am actually already a freshman at Susquehanna. These questions might sound very naive, but I can assure that I am already a student there, but I do not know many people yet, I’d rather not say why that is. I applied to many colleges and universities and chose SU for its combination of amazing merit aid, financial aid, stacking outside merit scholarships, community feel, program (more on that later), and location. I am earning good grades. I was on an extremely tight budget imposed (wisely) by my high-income parents during the college search, and I can honestly say I don’t think I would find a cheaper school besides a community college. So my options for transferring are nonexistent.That is not a knock on SU. I turned down higher-ranked schools mostly because I could not have afforded them, and I am trying hard to love SU. I will preface by saying that the professors have been awesome.
That said, there are some things about the school that I am struggling to overlook. There are things I assumed were present at every school that don’t seem to be present at SU. Without revealing my identity, I will say I still know very little about the school, and I do not personally know anyone who has graduated from SU. No one from my high school has attended, at least not in many years. These questions might sound a bit harsh toward the school, but I am really just curious. I am not trying to be mean, but I think I set my expectations a little too high. I don’t consider myself to be picky. For those of you who graduated from SU, attend SU, or have a kid attending SU, could you answer some of these questions:
1-Am I right that no calculus classes, not even a business calculus class, are required to graduate from the business school?
2-Why is every class worth 4 credits versus 3? Why is the standard load only 4 classes/semester? The classes seem to meet for the same amount of time as 3-credit classes at other schools, and those kids take 5-6 classes/semester.
3-Is the business school indeed as well known in the US as it says it is? Is it at least well-known in Pa? I don’t know how to say this without being mean, but the business school is ranked in the 400s?
4-Is there on-campus recruiting for jobs (pre-covid)? Is there a job portal? I’ve come to understand this is the only way to get into some fields, and I am a bit concerned.
5-Does the school drastically adjust grant FA from year-to-year, barring large EFC increases?
6-Are there on-campus research opportunities? How do students get involved in these?
7-Do students ever get internships in the summer before junior year? As in before sophomore year?
8-Why are freshmen allowed to have cars on-campus?
9-Why isn’t the school putting kids in singles during the pandemic?
10-Why isn’t the school doing mandatory, asymptomatic testing? Why isn’t the school doing arrival testing?
11-Is there a chapter, specifically, of Phi Beta Kappa at the school? If not, will that be a negative to employers?
12-Is it normal at schools for tour guides to be paid? Essentially, paid to talk about the school?
13-Do you have to apply to get on the study abroads that people talk about a lot, like the London one? What is the acceptance rate?
14-I feel strongly that I was put under the impression that students are placed on international internships, as in they do not have to apply for them, but I am starting to sense that is not true?
Thank you.