<p>This is why I think it is going to be a very competitive year for Towson.</p>
<p>Salisbury hands down. You can get fresh chicken really cheap and it is close to the beach.</p>
<p>Speaking as a recruiter, academic reputation doesn’t vary year to year insofar as it impacts where to hire. Our recruiting plans change over time- i.e. if we notice a large drop off in quality at a school where we’ve typically hired 10 graduating students but only make offers to 8, then we’ll track that… and eventually that school may get dropped. Similarly, we try to observe schools which have dramatically ramped up the quality of their student body over a 5 year period (Vanderbilt being a good example of that) or schools which are primarily regional but start to develop a national student body. (Alabama).</p>
<p>But just because there is an economic downturn and so more higher stats kids end up at a certain college for a year or two, don’t count on that moving the needle four years later when employers come calling. It doesn’t work that way. College recruiting is a costly numbers game- we have to take people away from their day jobs and send them on the road to meet students, and so the schools with lots and lots of students who meet our specs are just a better bet for us than a school where we have to cherry pick.</p>
<p>This is not to advocate for Towson vs. Salsbury-- I don’t think that picking on a college on the basis of what you think the job opportunities will be five years from now is the best strategy anyway. But looking at the recruiting calendar for this fall and spring at both schools is highly predictive of what you will see for several years out- if national and well regarded regional companies are coming on campus this Fall, that is reasonably assuring for the future. And if you don’t recognize most of the companies, or they are primarily small and local businesses which hire one or two kids a year when they need them but don’t have an actual program in place to train and mentor new grads that would be a red flag for me.</p>
<p>Just my two cents. Schools can get added to our roster when there is a dramatic shift in the student body… not because a couple of high stat kids who can no longer afford a private college end up enrolling in a local state school. That doesn’t register for us.</p>
<p>umcp11 and blosson - thank you both for very informative posts - you have given me more to think about. Frankly, I’m more confused than I was before - I had not even thought of looking at things like job recruiting calendars. My question is simply - which would be better for a B student as a safety school with an intended business major - Towson or Salisbury. Frankly, I hope he does not end up at either one - but if he had only those 2 acceptances or our finances worsened and those were the only affordable options - which would be better? </p>
<p>I think Towson has the better location - but Salisbury is smaller and has a brand new business facility. Salisbury is listed ain PR and Fiske - Towson is not - yet within MD - most people would say Towson is more prestigious. So - if you had to pick - which do you think provides a better college experience and a better business degree?</p>
<p>I have a personal bias towards large. My own kids found that in a large school even if you don’t click with your roommate or your lab partner or the person you sit next to in Freshman econ, there are lots and lots of different social networks to get attached to. So your experiences are not so dependent on the luck of the draw- one of my kids claimed that everyone on the Freshman hall was awful- every single one of them- and yet had a fantastic year with tons of friends. That would have been hard in a small college (but of course not impossible and i’m sure more socially adept kids manage it all the time! But this kid was my shy flower.)</p>
<p>So remember that before your kid even starts to network with employers, he has to make it through Freshman and Sophomore year! So I’d encourage him to pick the college where he’s got the greatest chance of making friends, getting involved in meaningful activities (i.e. not just beer pong or frat hijinks) and getting excited about something- anything- on the academic front so he can do well and be challenged intellectually.</p>
<p>After that- looking at the recruiting calendars is just a tool to cross check your son’s decision. I think if he’s interested in some sort of business career, going to a college which does not have meaningful career guidance and good resources to tap into the business community is problematic. But not fatal if he’s a real go-getter and can make his own contacts. But problematic if he’s going to expect someone on the college staff to hold his hand, help with his resume, etc. That’s what you get at a place like U Maryland- well developed programs to get the kids out and hired after they get the degree.</p>
<p>So interesting how people have such different views of small vs. large - my impression has been that students have more opportunities at smaller schools, more one-on-one advising, etc. I do agree that UMD CP’s Smith school of business is very well regarded - I just don’t think my son would be admitted and we have been saying all along that we did not want a school that big for him</p>
<p>I like what you wrote about picking the college where the kid has the best chance of making friends and getting involved with meaningful activities - in my analysis - that question would be answered by Towson very easily - once I think on it from that angle - so thanks - that makes sense.</p>
<p>Blossom: Great point–I am going to look at the recruitment calendar after we see where my son gets accepted.</p>
<p>At the large spring open house at Towson, I inquired about how many kids had jobs at graduation with a Business degree. Answer was 50%. Not sure if this is good or not because we really have a terrible economy with many out of work. However, when I saw Claremont-McKenna had 100% placement record in Econ-Finance, you realize that some schools have better placement records than others. </p>
<p>I don’t know if UMCP has a 100% placement record.</p>
<p>Anyone know about placement records with this lousy economy before any parent commits to expensive schoools?</p>
<p>mdcissp - the only problem I see is - how will looking at placement records for the Class of 2010 help you judge what will be a successful placement rate in 2015? And if 90% of the graduates who seek jobs find them - how will you know whether your son will be in the 90% hired group or the 10% living at home in parent’s basement group? I guess you could look at the trend over a few years and say College A always has at least a 70% placement rate while College B historically has had only a 50% placement rate - but I think with a 5-year timeframe looking forward - things could change.</p>
<p>Here is the Smith school of business stats: [Career</a> Management - Robert H. Smith School of Business - University of Maryland, College Park](<a href=“http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/career/students/undergrad/stats.aspx]Career”>http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/career/students/undergrad/stats.aspx)</p>
<p>At first glance, not much higher than Towson or Salisbury, but you can see they break it down into categories like “employed versus pursuing higher education versus postponing job search for whatever reason versus actually unemployed etc.” </p>
<p>I have to say I was shocked at the high number of “actually unemployed” people - close to 30%. A bit scary 
</p>
<p>Within the business school, people tend to enjoy the experience and really like the advising. There are some complaints about some profs who have full-time jobs (at a corporation, or even at other universities) who don’t care as much about the students as profs in other fields, or don’t have as much time for them. The other side to this is that there are a lot of networking opportunities if students seek them out - being a good student means a lot, it can definitely mean a job after graduation. And some complaints about some classes being “silly” or “frivolous” (probably depends on whether you’re a marketing major or a financing major whether your classes will be frivolous!). But, that’s certainly not the majority of the experience of students. And there is a huge emphasis (within your peer group at least) on getting good grades, internships, etc. It seems a little more competitive than other departments. This has both it’s good and bad sides. But overall CP is a MUCH, much more “chill” school than a lot of the schools my friends went to. Sweatshirts and sweat pants is typical attire even for a sorority girl here, and there’s always the regular mix of students who do care about grades and those that don’t.</p>
<p>Re: the party atmosphere, certainly Maryland is considered to be a more academic school than Towson or Salisbury. Really, though, at every school a student must seek out his or niche - there are plenty of students who aren’t the crazy party type at UMCP (I’m not, none of my friends are), but I’m sure the same is true for Towson or Salisbury too. Really the only school that’s considered to NOT have a party reputation in the system is UMBC. The downside to that is it is still sort of considered a commuter school with a less active on-campus (and to some extent off campus) life than the other three we’ve been talking about.</p>
<p>I can’t really say much more about Towson versus Salisbury than I have said already, but I whole-heartedly agree about your sons and daughters going where they feel they fit in most, where they feel they have the best opportunity to join the activities that are meaningful to them and do important things with their time. It’s a tough recruiting world out there sure, but when it comes down to it, grades, experience, and recommendations are what matters, always. Go to a school where you can get good grades so you can get good internships and good recommendations and a good job, go to a school where you can get involved with things you are passionate about.</p>
<p>My company looks at grades in context-- good grades at a school not known for tough academics or in a less-than-rigorous major don’t mean a heck of a lot. So I would define “doing well academically” as more than just good grades. I’d rather see an engineer with a 3.2 than a sociology major with a 4.0, all things being equal. I’d rather see a sociology major who wrote an honors thesis on micro-credit and family structure in Africa than a marketing major who loaded up on classes on consumer behavior and didn’t seem to go outside his or her comfort sphere intellectually. Etc. It’s not about any one major or a particular GPA or any single element- most companies look for entry level employees who demonstrate that they know how to learn, can push and challenge themselves outside their own zone, can think critically and rationally about big problems, and can do a deep dive (i.e the “major”) and immerse themselves in a topic while becoming well rounded in the process (i.e. doing well in other, non-major classes.)</p>
<p>It is not my personal observation that small schools do a better job of career counseling than large schools. It takes a critical mass of investment in a career center with a range of employees who can cover a wide range of career types to provide an across-the-board experience for a diverse student body. There can be someone who advises kids interested in the not-for-profit sector and someone who covers banking and insurance and someone who knows consumer products and the hospitality industry, and still someone else who handles fellowships and overseas study opportunities, plus someone who advises law school applicants and still someone else for med school and B-school. You won’t find all of this at a small school. Your kid may not need it- again, someone highly directed and a real go-getter can do all of this networking on his or her own, and all the information is available online anyway for a kid who can manage their own “future planning”. But for many students, having a flesh and blood counselor who helps edit resumes, can plug a kid into internship opportunities, or facilitates networking with recent alums, is really what makes the engine zoom on a job search.</p>
<p>There are small schools which have what I think are outstanding career services and/or outstanding employment results- Swarthmore, Wellesley, Williams come to mind but there are many others. But these tend to be colleges with truly ambitious and energetic student bodies to begin with- and out=of=the ordinary alumni networks, so it’s hard to figure out which factor is really at play. The Catholic colleges I think also have outstanding and helpful alumni networks.</p>
<p>So there’s no single answer. But in general, I have not found that small colleges provide a better career counseling experience than the large ones- most 21 or 22 year olds don’t need hand-holding and nurturing, they need access to information, professional and experienced career services personnel, and a very full recruiting calendar of potential employers who come calling. Even if a company doesn’t recruit on a particular campus-- there may be an annual career fair for juniors and seniors where representatives come to give info sessions and pass out the information on how to apply. Or there could be a regional event in a city close by, and the college facilitates their students participation. And sometimes none of this matters- students take matters into their own hands and make opportunities happen on their own. Or a kid is at a college with phenomenal advising and resources and all the help in the world and he still ends up in your basement watching Simpsons reruns.</p>
<p>Too many variables- and I don’t know your kid.</p>
<p>Neighbor’s D graduated from Salisbury in May – int’l business major. Was B+ student in HS, so-so test scores. Graduated magna cum laude from Salisbury. NOT a partier. Lived in the dorm one year, then moved to campus apartments. Just got a FT job in DC a couple of weeks ago. Has been living at home since graduation, but expect she’ll be out of the house by the end of this year. Was accepted to Clemson as a spring admit, went to Salisbury the fall of freshman year fully expecting to transfer to Clemson, but got to Salisbury and never looked back.</p>
<p>Her sibling is now a soph at Salibury. Had no trouble finding the parties.</p>
<p>Kids in our neighborhood (B/B+ GPA, 1500-1900 SATs) split pretty evenly between Towson and Salisbury.</p>
<p>I’m not a business major “I’d go crazy with that major” so I may not be of help, but I did tour both Salisbury and Towson’s Campuses. I new right away that Salisbury was to rural for my major. I’m a communications major and both schools had great programs, but location means everything for interning while in college so Towson was definitely the top choice. Towson is ranked 46th in the northeast area and that’s better then many expensive private schools. My impression of Salisbury was party, party, party! The whole time on the tour they would talk about the nearby beaches and how much fun watching movies on a big screen in a pool is. I got a firm impression of party school from Salisbury that I didn’t get from Towson. I didn’t chose UMB because they no longer had a film program, and going out of state was an expense I wouldn’t take on. If I could go anywhere and not worry about price it would be Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. I would have no problem with admittance to any school with my current college GPA, but I’m also responsible about how much I am willing to spend on school. Make sure your kids know if they want to be the 50% or 70% to find jobs after college then they need to be committed and network and intern like crazy!!! If they take classes that challenge them and show a true commitment they will be successful. I have tutored students in my major for the last 2 years and because of that I am asked to teach classes when teachers can’t be there. I’m currently teaching a summer scholar program at my old county college before starting at Towson this fall. Get to know teachers “they write your recommendation letters” tutor students “you make allot of friends” and network I can’t say anymore.</p>
<p>Good morning. I’m wondering if anyone can give me an honest comparison between Towson and Salisbury. My son (math major) is looking at both, and though the cost of Salisbury is initially lower, Towson has offered generous academic money, which means it would be considerably less expensive to go there. Money aside, I think Towson has more to offer, but my son seems to like the size and feel of Salisbury’s campus, and he tends to like the idea of being a big fish in a small pond. If you compare SAT scores and acceptance rates, it appears that Salisbury is more selective, but is that really true? I’ve read previous posts, and the perception in the past was that Towson was a better school. I realize neither are highly competitive schools, but these are his choices.</p>
<p>I want to listen to my son’s intuition, yet, I also want to make sure he is not selling himself short. He’s an excellent student with SATs way above both schools’ requirements. We’d love for him to apply to a more competitive school, but that’s not what he wants. He also wants to play sports, and both these schools would allow him to do that.</p>
<p>In the end, it’s my son’s decision, but we want to help guide him to the best choice, whatever that may be…</p>
<p>Tharvswimmom,</p>
<p>Happykid prefers the more urban setting at Towson, and likes the ready access to public transit that gets her home to the DC suburbs when she wants to be here. The kids I know at Salisbury are very happy there. It really is up to the student. Happykid did not like the food at Salisbury at all. But again, some kids would have a different preference.</p>
<p>The Chem major I know at Salisbury is a “big fish”, but is challenged by her coursework, and is absolutely thriving.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info. I personally think Towson’s surrounding area is much more appealing, but again, I don’t have to live there! If my son goes with his gut and ends up at Salisbury, I worry he’ll outgrow the small campus and surrounding area. Right now he’s not thinking about that. Then there’s the money thing…my husband is not sold on paying more for a college that appears to offer less. This is causing some friction between the two of them…</p>
<p>Hi - have visited both - know kids at both. One thing we considered was the possibility of internships and summer jobs. Many more opportunities at Towson given the surrounding area and proximity to Baltimore. I also think the student body is a little more driven and academically focused at Towson. Just my opinion, but Salisbury seems to attract more “slacker” students whose focus is recreation and partying.</p>
<p>How soon does your son need to make a decision? Is he starting in January, or would it be in the fall? If he would start in fall 2013 and doesn’t have to say YES just yet to Towson in order to guarantee that scholarship, I’d suggest you send both husband and son back to their corners, and tell them to stop worrying about this until at least January. A lot can change in everyones’ lives between now and the reply cut-off date next May 1.</p>