<p>You’re right about the smokers. They are rampant.</p>
<p>It’s sad because most people I know that go there are on Pell grant or heavy financial aid…and a lot of them can’t even afford to live on campus… yet they waste their hard earned money on weed, alcohol and cigarettes…</p>
<p>I get that drug abuse is common on all campuses from Harvard to community college…but it’s just sad that people waste their money on stuff like that. Even the nursing students smoke a lot…I think that’s the most ironic part. My sister actually went to GSU for nursing and she said it was like that even back then.</p>
<p>smh it’s all due to the big skanky hoodrat club scene. You always see club promotors all over housing and campus. When I go visit I can’t leave the library area without getting a bunch of flyers and promotion cards from hood folk.</p>
<p>I wonder how the GHSU-ASU merger is going to affect nursing and pre-nursing students in Georgia. I’m sure the newly formed GRU is also going to start attracting possible GSU students away…just as KSU, Georgia Southern and GCSU has done. University of North Georgia will probably only attract some students away.</p>
<p>GRU’s new undergraduate component is going to be a nice alternative for those who didn’t get into UGA, GT or Emory. I doubt they will significantly raise the admission standards. Especially if GRU is merged with UGA. According to the rumors this may be in the pipeline. It would explain such a throwaway name like “Georgia Regents University” and the new UGA-GHSU medical partnership opening up their campus in Athens.</p>
<p>GRU… Who comes up with these names?</p>
<p>I don’t think GSU’s enrollment is going to be harmed by the ASU-GHSU merger as much as we would think. Most of the top tier pre-medical or pre-dental students already transfer to Emory or UGA. For nursing, I can’t say. That may be a hit or miss. I don’t know if GRU offers a Bachelors degree in Nursing. Their nursing program is higher ranked than both GSU and Georgia Southern. As for a UGA-GRU merger. Now that would be something. I think it’s very possible, but who knows what the Board of Regents is thinking these days. It would save millions of dollars each year if we could cut out the bloat of GHSU administration. Michael Adam’s leaving is also be a godsend for UGA. </p>
<p>GSU mainly needs to focus on schools that compete with it for students. I think the OP is right. KSU has been picking up in growth significantly. GSU needs to start attracting brighter and better students who choose Georgia Southern, GCSU, KSU, UNG and SPSU over Georgia State. Now they have GRU to worry about as well. The best way to do go about it is to focus on building their programs instead of converting old hotels into resident halls and funneling millions into a losing football team. What’s going to happen when Kennesaw State gets a football team in 2014? It’s nonsense.</p>
<p>Focus on improving undergraduate education and retaining students. Focus on giving financial aid to students to keep them at GSU. Build up the honors program.</p>
<p>There are four research universities in Georgia; UGA, Georgia Tech, GSU and GRU. </p>
<p>Until now, Georgia Health Sciences University(now GRU) hasn’t had a big undergraduate program. With the ASU merger, not only will any and all potential ASU students apply to GRU, but so will students from Georgia State’s applicant pool(speaking from a GPA and SAT score perspective). I agree that GSU should audit it’s budget to get rid of some of the waste. I can’t imagine their football team or housing brings in very much money. However, I don’t agree on dumping the establishing push. I think GSU should still focus on branding. </p>
<p>Like you said, when KSU gets a football team in 2014 what will happen then? And then we have University of North Georgia significantly increasing their enrollment with the Gainesville State merger. Georgia Southern played UGA this year, they’re already well established. By the way, ex-UGA coach Vince Dooley is working with KSU Athletics for their football team. I think we can expect a pretty decent team. A football team for a commuter school simply doesn’t make sense. The focus should be on campus development and establishment. All USG institutions are pushing to develop their campus. Why should GSU not participate? This IS a research university after all. </p>
<p>So while KSU is building science labs and dorms, Georgia Southern is expanding it’s football stadium. UGA and Georgia Tech have been building away. Meanwhile, GSU is campus-less, brand-less and without a strong regional reputation, let alone a national reputation. Branding is important for students. College degrees are a dime-o-dozen these days. It’s important to be proud of where you go and how that name is perceived on the public at large.</p>
<p>When it comes down to it, branding doesn’t get graduates good jobs. A strong program will. A strong program will result in branding. </p>
<p>UGA was ranked 15th in the Open Door study abroad rankings last year. This year they’re ranked 12th in the nation. KSU established a permanent study abroad program in Italy this year. </p>
<p>UNG is also focusing on international business and studying abroad. This is news from today.
[Liaocheng</a> visitors celebrate North Georgia friendships, partnerships](<a href=“http://www.northgeorgia.edu/North_Georgia_News/Articles/Headlines/General/Liaocheng_visitors_celebrate_North_Georgia_friendships,_partnerships.aspx]Liaocheng”>http://www.northgeorgia.edu/North_Georgia_News/Articles/Headlines/General/Liaocheng_visitors_celebrate_North_Georgia_friendships,_partnerships.aspx)</p>
<p>This is just one example. GSU is a commuter school. That is their focus. It has been since they were founded. Online courses, distance learning, part-time focus and post-bacc assistance should be a goal. Housing and football is nice for undergrads, but not when the program and students are suffering.</p>
<p>Few truer words how been spoken, MD1785.</p>
<p>I appreciate the discourse Md1786 and Halcyontimes. It’s really insightful. I think GRU’s nursing program might have some impact. There are a lot of nursing students at GSU. The better students might choose the stronger program and head off to Georgia Southern or GRU. </p>
<p>I agree, most pre-med kids I knew at GSU are now at Emory, Mercer or UGA. Computer science and engineering students always transfer to Georgia Tech…much like SPSU students. The nursing students may be attracted to a medical/dental school attached to the nursing school…plus the program is higher ranked and probably stronger there.</p>
<p>I think the focus should me on combating KSU and Georgia Southern. North Georgia kids are probably out of GSU’s range. The AVERAGE GPA is a 3.5 at UNG.</p>
<p>MissMia is right. Everyone’s on financial aid, but everyone wastes their money killing their mind with cigs and drugs. It doesn’t make sense. And the football team takes money away from students who would be better benefited from improving the programs.</p>
<p>lmao truee about the smokers. But thats why we have tobacco help groups their are a lot of students at GSU who need to quit ! I think the health center also offers counseling and stuff like that from your student fees. </p>
<p>And yes financial aid is pretty disorganized here. We have to wait in the dreaded One Stop Shop line every year. Its a big line that stretches through sparks hall. Most of the employees at GSU are students. Its cheaper for them that way…but I don’t think people have problems getting financial aid</p>
<p>GSU has a lot of influence from HBCUs. Rumor is we got our mascot(the panthers) from clark atlanta U who had the panthers first…it stems from the black panthers movement I think</p>
<p>wow.</p>
<p>They’re going to change college funding from being based on enrollment to being based on graduation rates. It’s probably a good move, but it’s going to screw over schools like Georgia State and SPSU that have a dismal graduation rate.</p>
<p>With Georgia State’s 18% graduation rate, that’s going to be troublesome. It’s not all the traditional student’s fault though. Many post-bacc and transfer students take classes part time at GSU, SPSU and even Kennesaw. I agree that it’s a step up from basing funding on enrollment. We want quality, not quantity. </p>
<p>For UGA and Georgia Tech this will be a boon. These schools already have higher 4 year graduation rates and they will continue to raise admission standards to avoid “high risk students.”</p>
<p>For the smaller schools it’s slim pickings. I wish there was a better way, but in this economy you have to be the best or beat it.</p>
<p>I think it’ll also lead to grade inflation. Professors will start giving Cs to students who deserve Fs and Ds effectively decreasing the value of a college degree. I think that’s true for smaller schools all the more. Larger universities like UGA, Georgia Tech and private schools like Mercer and Emory have massive endowments and gifts from alumni and boosters.</p>
<p>Smaller schools don’t have that safety net. It’s a sad day for higher ed around the nation.</p>
<p>This will definitely affect the quality of the grading scale/curve.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.umbc.edu/bestcolleges/us001.PDF[/url]”>http://www.umbc.edu/bestcolleges/us001.PDF</a></p>
<p>KSU made US New’s most up-and-coming colleges ranking. Go Owls</p>
<p>I don’t think GSU is going to go that downhill but other schools may improve faster then we are</p>
<p>The main thing is the nursing school. KSU might attract some students away bc of the safer campus and name. Everything is competitive. Even the pre-med people have to compete for volunteering at Grady with Emory and Tech people. Alot of my friends say they can’t get a timeslot because of those kids. Plus they have their own shuttle but a lot of GSU kids commute </p>
<p>But I still like GSU just bc i’m more comfortable here then KSU or GA Southern. I like living in the city</p>
<p>The 10-year trend is very interesting. I did not know Georgia Southern surpassed Georgia State in average SAT score.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info</p>
<p>Halcyontimes—I think you should check your graduation rate number, you are way, way, way off!!!</p>
<p>Bobbycats— I think you have made up your mind (from the beginning of your thread). Go to KSU and be happy. I don’t think there was a need to bash GSU!!!</p>
<p>His value was correct. 18% graduate in 4 years. 48% graduate within six years.</p>
<p>[Georgia</a> State University | Best College | US News](<a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/georgia-state-1574]Georgia”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/georgia-state-1574)
<a href=“BigFuture College Search”>BigFuture College Search;
<p>But it’s important to realize that many of Georgia State students are part time students or post-bacc students(older people who come back to school). Georgia State is a commuter school, and many also work part time. Georgia State’s average age is 24 years old which is higher than most research universities. </p>
<p>I would pay more attention to the freshman retention rate. 83% students return for sophomore year. This is low, but people may leave for different reasons. </p>
<p>There was some interesting information in this post, but it seems OP is happily a Kennesaw State Owl.</p>
<p>I had a super long response written out but my computer logged me out by the time I hit submit. Soo instead I want to simply speak on my perspective of this topic. I know bobbycats mentioned having advice about the university but to be quite honest the post seemed to detour and instead make mention of all of Kennesaw’s great accomplishments and didn’t touch the surface on Georgia State’s great accomplishments as well.</p>
<p>Let me just say that I am a graduate of Georgia State University and very proud of it! But I also recognize many universities have great strengths as well. Which is awesome! I hope that we would have a wide range of opportunity regardless of where we receive our education. I do feel that certain things were understated such as the retention rate that was mentioned. While data does show that there is an 18% retention rate in 4 years for students of the 2005 cohort, let’s consider this…how many students decide to change their major, double major, transfer to another university, receive another degree, etc. before reaching graduation??? Now, I am one of those students who completed a degree in 4 years but that’s not the case for everybody. And that’s true regardless of the university you choose.</p>
<p>Oh wait…and let me add that KSU had a 4 year graduation retention rate of 12% for that same cohort. The 6 year graduation rate of Georgia State students was 47% for that cohort and 41% for KSU students. Once again whose to say that these students didn’t add a major, have to take a semester off for financial reasons, transfer to another university, etc. (This information comes from the National Center for Education Statistics <a href=“http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/[/url]”>http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/</a> )</p>
<p>bobbycats if you are wondering which university to attend, I encourage you to consider a number of factors.</p>
<p>-The major you’re looking to pursue and the programs at both universities
-The location. p.s. I do not consider Georgia State to be “messy” or “dirty”. Our campus is well kept. Now perhaps you’re referring to the city location…well we’re downtown and I still feel they work to maintain the city well
-Housing
-Campus life experience
-Etc. (that etc could be a list of various things for you)</p>
<p>Personally, I love Georgia State and it was the best fit for me. I looked at a combination of factors. If you take another view of Georgia State you may find that it is a fit for you. But it sounds like you really want to be an owl and if so, go for it! Like I said, we all have a right to choose which university we want to attend but both are great universities! I thought about attending KSU when I was a high schooler because of it’s proximity to downtown Atlanta and I liked the schools offerings but Georgia State had that “it” factor and why be close to downtown when I can live IN downtown!!..there’s something about experiencing life here. And there’s something about the pride our students have in the university that warms my heart. Like I said Georgia State was that “it” school for me. The way you describe KSU, well it may be your “it” school. But let’s not deny that Gerogia State is amazin’ lol!! And I believe both universities will continue to see growth. We both have a different vibe and carry a different culture. And it’s great to see diversity at both of them.</p>
<p>Maybe you need to visit again lol or I hope at least some of you reading this will not have a marginalized view about this university as it has helped mold me into who I am today. And my degree, friendships, job, experiences, etc speak volumes to what a great education can do for someone.</p>
<p>p.s. I know this ended up long but I really wanted to share lol…please don’t receive this as an argument but rather as the advice you requested at the beginning of your post! All my best!</p>
<p>Well said speaktruth.</p>
<p>But what was interesting is that for the first time ever, KSU has posted a higher average SAT score than Georgia State.A a considerably higher score too. Although KSU still has a lower average GPA.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/georgia-institute-technology/1444299-students-beware-uga-gt-getting-more-selective.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/georgia-institute-technology/1444299-students-beware-uga-gt-getting-more-selective.html</a></p>
<p>I think anyone reading this thread should just use it as a “good to know” tool rather than an end-all-be all. When it comes to decide which school to go to, you should really think long and hard about your choice. Be it KSU, GSU, Georgia Southern, Georgia Tech, UGA or Harvard. It’s about finding the best fit, academically and socially.</p>