<p>I am currently a second semester sophomore in an unranked Tier 2 Regional College. I have been accepted to some top National Universities and National Liberal Arts universities, but I am succeeding at my current college and feel comfortable there. I have already made dean's list twice; but wondering if going to a "national university" where it may look better on a resume to get a degree from vs an unranked tier 2 regional college where I am top of my class...</p>
<p>what do you think i should do..stay where I am and continue to do good and graduate top of my class although it's unranked and it's a tier 2 regional college or possibly switch and risk dropping in class rank to go to a well known national college?</p>
<p>Hard to say based on the small amount of information you’ve provided. </p>
<p>Generally speaking, I’d say if you are happy and successful where you are, there’s no reason to transfer just for the name value. That’s especially true if you expect to stay in the area, where the Regional college probably has some recognition. However, if you’re feeling unchallenged or that you’ve outgrown the current school, then go for it.</p>
<p>Yeah, I like the school I am at. I just have a major problem with the faculty and advisors. They aren’t helpful at all, never reply to messages or phone calls - they’re never in their offices. So I can’t even get a hold of them to set up a meeting to go over what I need done. It’s just a horrible system they have set-up. However, with that being said - I read a lot of reviews and EVERY school seems to have a faculty problem of some sort. Other then that, I like the small environment, small classes and ability to communicate with the teachers 1 on 1 and they know your name. Which may not be the same at a national university with 10,000+ students. I am willing to stick it out, just work hard for the next two years and get my degree - I was just wondering if it was a smart choice to transfer based on statistics such as a D1 - Tier 1 ranked National University vs a regional unranked tier 2 college…they’re all accredited which is great but I am just confused since they’re not willing to work with students. I have to constantly remind them for things to get done, and 9 out of 10 times it doesn’t get done.</p>
<p>I think you are going to run into that everywhere. My H is a professor at a top Uni, and he’s guilty of not responding to some student’s e-mails. it simply isn’t possible for him to organize his life around all his students’ schedules. Is there some reason you can’t see the professors during office hours?</p>
<p>Also you may find things easier once you declare a major and start working more exclusively within that department.</p>
<p>At most schools, the junior and senior level courses tend to be much smaller than the freshman and sophomore level courses.</p>
<p>However, based on the limited amount of information, it is hard to suggest anything. For example, does your current school have sufficient breadth and depth of courses in your major? If not, do the potential transfer schools have that? Are there any cost differences? etc.</p>
<p>Yeah it’s pretty tough, I am a commuter student. Teachers are also the advisors at my school, they’re almost all part-time. So you have to be in their class, email them or call them to set up a time to meet with them…and if they don’t respond, it’s literally impossible. I left 3 phone calls and 2 emails for one advisor and hasnt responded in over a month. It’s repetitive though. I just have to work twice as hard to make sure I get myself through school since I have no real advisors to help guide me and it can get stressful. But I imagine that’s everywhere which is why I don’t want to transfer for something you have no control over. Also, the prices at my prospective colleges are almost exactly the same at the college I am attending right now. They lack full-time help from faculty and don’t have a wide variety of classes, some are opposite year classes, so if you don’t catch it on time - you may have to stay a semester or year later which would suck.</p>
[quote]
[Researchers] conducted in-depth studies of twenty-four colleges and universities that had higher than predicted graduation rates and higher than predicted rates of student engagement (based on the National Survey of Student Engagement). Among other characteristics, these institutions had an “unshakeable focus on student learning.” Their emphasis on undergraduate learning was manifested in a range of practices, from institutional openness to new and experimental instructional techniques to faculty investing more time in students and taking greater responsibility for them<a href=“%22Academically%20Adrift,%22%20p.%20116,%20citing%20George%20Kuh%20et.%20al,%20%22Student%20Success%20in%20College,%22%20emphasis%20added”>/quote</a></p>
<p>Yes, and it’s hard to see how organizing his life around student’s schedules means ignoring emails. I do hope the OP knows there are many profs out there who answer every email and many schools where it would be unusual for a prof not to.</p>
<p>*Yes, and it’s hard to see how organizing his life around student’s schedules means ignoring emails. *</p>
<p>Exactly…what does a student’s schedule have ANYTHING to do with sending an email response? That’s the beauty of emails over phone calls or meetings…the sender sends when convenient and the reader reads when convenient. Perhaps that very complicated thought process needs to explained to Dr. Esteemed Prof. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>To NewMusic…have these new schools given you your FA packages yet? If you need aid to attend, then you need to wait to see that info. Many schools do not give much aid to transfers. Don’t cut ties with your current school until you’ve seen those FA pkgs.</p>
<p>If you are outstanding at your current school, you can probably get all sorts of valuable experiences - research, student conferences like NCUR, personal recommendation letters, honor societies - that could make the difference in the future. Big fish, small pond stuff…where you might end up in a better place than the proverbial little fish in the big pond in the end.</p>
<p>I am wanting to graduate with a BA in Biology from my current college then apply to graduate schools. Will a 3.5+ Cum. GPA and High class ranking, carry much weight as a Bio Major…or is it another “useless” degree?</p>
<p>Because my only other options are Criminal Justice and Business, which are dime a dozen and these programs lack at my current schools…so is Biology fine?</p>
<p>Those other posts were from the beginning of college - after taking a few courses, I found that I didn’t like it Business as much - especially at my current school. But I have taken tons of science related courses since middle school and they always seem to fit me much better. Like I said, I am open minded about what I want to do. I have no exact career that I want. I am just searching for what best fits me and seeing if things come together. That’s also why I am trying to see if a Bio degree carries much weight if you excel at a regional college.</p>
<p>I have no exact career that I want. I am just searching for what best fits me and seeing if things come together. That’s also why I am trying to see if a Bio degree carries much weight if you excel at a regional college.</p>
<p>a bio degree can be an iffy major. The country has a glut of bio majors. If you’re not going on to med/dental, etc school, there’s not a lot to do with that major.</p>
<p>Biology is a hugely popular major, so the huge number of graduates (who do not get into medical, osteopathic, dental, veterinary, pharmacy, etc.) school flood the job market for biology specific jobs (many of which are low paid lab technician jobs).</p>
<p>Of course, like many of the humanities and social studies majors, you can seek jobs that are not specific to your major.</p>