<p>How are the undergrads treated as compared to the graduate students? Who's teaching the undergrad courses?</p>
<p>I've always heard that schools with large graduate enrollment spend their time and resources on the graduate/research area because it is very lucrative for the college. Is this true for CMU? or are the undergrads getting their fair share of the schools resources?</p>
<p>regards,</p>
<p>M</p>
<p>My D's experience in the Mellon College of Science is that the professors know you by your first name!! They only teach undergrads...and while there are TA's to grade papers and tests, most of the lecturing is done by the professors...she is really happy in this environment...after coming from a small high school she is probably use to this kind of attention. Of course, I can only speak of the Mellon College....great programs!!! especially Chem and Physics!!!</p>
<p>Ditto in SCS, mostly professors, quality of teaching gets high grades from S (and on "rate your professor" websites). btw S is 5th yr student getting a Masters. Last year he was a TA. He had office hours one evening for 2 or 3 hours, I forget which, so if anyone needed help he could give it. Also he helped correct homeworks and exams. He did no teaching, but then he isn't in a phd program.</p>
<p>Who is teaching What made it to CMU's board! Barf!</p>
<p>Personally, The real question is who is LEARNING, regardless of who is teaching. We should remember that the ultimate responsibility is the student's. If the kids aren't getting it, then they will be getting it when the parents stop paying.</p>
<p>Sgio: How's D's physics- overall doing well? Fly home for break or the dreaded bus?</p>
<p>2331clk from your response #3: Our S (junior) is very sersiously thinking about a master's ME either 1 year program or 2 year. Are we correct that the 2 year program has tuition paid and a small stipend if student does some TA duties? And the 1 year program-the student pays all? What is your son's experience and did he apply to other universities other than CMU for the master program? </p>
<p>Kid back home (OR) into drought conditions. Short sleeve weather. Daffadils & Fruit trees in full bloom and earliest I've seen the bloom in 25yrs, Planted garden peas last weekend and will plant another batch this week whereas I don't normally plant until April. Canadian geese have left last Sunday, normally they don't leave until late March or April. Male hummingbirds have been back 2 weeks and females arrived this week. </p>
<p>Don't envy the Easteners. Always too cold for me.</p>
<p>My apology for being terse- I parse my thoughts too hard. </p>
<p>S has only mentioned that some of ME profs have not taught a particular course in a while (or never) and consequently there is uneven communications. He is running into a problem of a prego professor and another on sabbatical and consequently the other profs are trying to cover the workload. </p>
<p>Just the breaks. Happens to us all in the workplace.</p>
<p>I agree it was a legit question.</p>
<p>S is amp student, that's their name for it, standing for accelerated masters program. As a TA he was paid an hourly wage by the U.</p>
<p>Amp for his program (he double majored in CS and another field, his masters in May will be in that other field, not CS) was one extra year plus a summer, which he did between yrs 3 and 4. The good thing is he finishes up all 3 degrees this May, so he is technically an undergrad and his financial aid carried over for the fifth year.</p>
<p>He didn't apply anywhere else, but did have to take GRE, get 3 recommendations, etc, he had to formally apply like someone from another school would have to.</p>
<p>It is a reasonable question (even though I posted the Who's Teaching itstoomuch mentioned over on the parents board). Some schools are notorious for their indifference to teaching undergraduates and others are better known for focusing on teaching. There isn't much known about the schools in between.</p>
<p>Oddly enough, my S chose CMU over an enormous state university where students not in one of the honors programs are essentially numbers. It's possible for someone to fight to get a good education at that state school, there's no doubt about it. I just feel that you're better off at a school where you can use that same energy to push beyond what the school teaches, not overcome its lack of teaching.</p>
<p>My S met with faculty at both schools and talked to students and looked at what they were doing. At least in his major, he knows he can go further at CMU.</p>
<p>Unfortunately the question often comes down to $$. Public schools are under tremedous pressures to provide an education with the fewest dollars for more students. There are probably publics that do a very good job perhaps because of their culture and reputation. There are privates that also do not do a good job even with ph.d's . In our state the situation is very serious and in CA where the budget is more constrained- probably critical.</p>
<p>There is another question in that how does the professor gain teaching experience. Surely do we want a beginning prof to gain the teaching craft from teaching upper level courses? Would Einstein make a good freshman physics professor?</p>
<p>What about doctors? Interns practice on who? The wealthy, poor, less sick, more ill? </p>
<p>Mctree, I don't know the answers and we took the best guess based on CMU's reputation. We rely on our son to make the best possible outcome whatever the teaching circumstances. Good luck.</p>
<p>McTree: Did a search on your username. </p>
<p>IF you want to inquire why our son chose CMU. He use the combination of three references: USNWR, Rand McNally (distance must be greater than 1200miles), Expedita (no direct flights).</p>
<p>We did not know about CC at the time. We consulted one local parent whose son was a junior at the time. Son made his decision on the three sources and we said, "yes, dear."</p>
<p>Son's system works. And this college selection method may work for your's.
good luck.</p>
<p>Hi, ITSTOOMUCH. D is home as of yesterday evening. She hitched a ride with two "OINK" boys from Pitt to Philly and stayed with her brother who is at PENN grad. He lives and works there Anyway, the boys spent the night and they went to a concert Sat. evening. My D always has some kind of social plan set up for these guys who do her favors. Then last night took the CHINESE bus from Philly to NY...cost all of $12. It's the way to go!! Then she will be visiting brother #1 who lives in Somerville MA and staying with him for a few days tomorrow evening. So far she wants to take the CHINESE bus to Boston as well! I think that is all of $18 to $20 each way. </p>
<p>We asked about the classes. Says CHEM, PHYS, and Metaphysics have been easy. Having difficulty with the CALC but found a good study group and hopefully is keeping her head above water. I hope those CALC grades don't prevent her from getting internships in her major which is still CHEM as of yesterday. She has always been talented in the sciences..seems to have good logic and reasoning. But when the MATH gets too obscure, it becomes problematic. </p>
<p>Re: her personal life. She claims all these guys have girlfriends and she is JUST ONE OF THE GUYS. She says they don't look at her in THAT way. Sad really. She is a BIG girl if you know what I mean. After they drop their girlfriends off from a date, they gather as a small group and hang out and go to concerts, parties, etc. with her and this weekend with her brother who has now graduated to GRAD parties from frat parties. He attends WHARTON grad program. I suppose she's alot of fun and can be quite entertaining...she has lived in Australia and we made sure she has had some extensive travel to Europe and South America so she certainly is not dull. These CMU guys she has been hanging about with have never left Pennsylvania and are local to Pittsburgh.
Her most recent comment about one of them is that "He doesn't appreciate anything!!! All his new experiences." That adventurous and inquisitive personal trait appears to be a pre-requisite for her...you need to be able to explore, to try new things, visit new places. That I suppose she gets from her MOM....I made my family to go the GALAPAGOS Islands several years ago. Next I want to try Antartica. Where else can you see penguins??? </p>
<p>Hope your son survived his second semester. Keep me posted.
Regards, Sue</p>
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<p>Mctree, I don't know the answers and we took the best guess based on CMU's reputation.</p>
<br>
<p>Sorry I disappeared for a couple days. I appreciate all of the responses. It was an honest question to help our S decide. I'm not a big fan of USN&R, too few variables and it seems that the typical guidance counselor rarely looks beyond the college ranking to see if a school is right for the individual (I apologize in advance to all of the good guidance counselors that are reading this forum). Thanks for the info and I'll keep listening.</p>
<p>M</p>
<p>Internships are hot now. He's been offered 4 positions, chasing down a 5th that is not paying enough but he really wants, and a backup to do AMP during summer. </p>
<p>McTree: There is one part of USNWR that stands out at CMU more than any other school: Number of recruiters.</p>
<p>You are right about the number of recruiters being a real-world evaluation of the school. Unfortunately I don't think that they use it to rank schools.</p>
<p>USNR states that they use "data from each college for up to 15 indicators of academic excellence. ", but then they list the following categories, so I assume those 15 indicators are nested within these areas. So it's possible that the recruiting number is hidden somewhere.</p>
<p>Peer Assessment 25%
Retention 20%
Faculty Resources 20%
Student Selectivity 15%
Financial Resources 10%
Graduation Rate 5%
Alumni Giving Rate 5%</p>
<p>I'm glad to hear that your son is doing well and taking advantage of the resources available, it's key to a good educational experience and a good return on their investment (and yours) of time.</p>
<p>best regards,</p>
<p>M</p>