<p>Is Washington State University a good school?</p>
<p>bump please.................</p>
<p>It's UW's little Bro. We'll just say that.</p>
<p>Don't be fooled by snide comments from U of W partisans. WSU's undergraduate programs are generally very strong. No it isn't Ivy League, but there are only ten colleges in the Ivy League. You get my point? WSU is often overlooked because of its location (it's essentially in Idaho, SMILE!!!). But that has its advantages; warm spring and fall seasons, skiing in the winter, etc.</p>
<p>Again, the education is solid. When you leave WSU you'll know how to think and to write. A great education without the typical mega-state school bureaucracy. Laid back campus, too.</p>
<p>It's often thought of as a party school. Is that true?</p>
<p>8 colleges in the ivy league</p>
<p>We've had family and friends at both UW and WSU. Both are at least good safeties for in-state kids. Lake Washington is right, there is a big rivalry between the two and due to the size there are many more UW alumni that will almost always have negative things to say about WSU.
WSU got it's rep as a party school because it is right next to the Idaho border and back in the day when the drinking age was 18 in Idaho and 21 in Washington that was a big draw for many kids. That changed 25 years ago but stereotypes are slow to change.</p>
<p>WSU and UW are both good schools. Of course, UW ranks higher, largely because of many strong grad programs. WSU has many strong programs also and a much more residential feel. Management Information Systems is very good, as is pre-vet, pharmacy, engineering and the hotel school. A good portion of the kids in the honors program are in these majors. Communications is excellent-with the Murrow school. Lots of famous alumni there. Pretty decent Pac 10 sports history also. Nice residential campus and community. Good sized frat presence but off to one edge of campus. They don't take over, but that option is there.</p>
<p>Of course the UW is great too. Huge and in a great city. And plenty of partying there too! (WSU is an hour plus to Spokane but Pullman is a nice college town if you don't mind being out a ways on the east side.) Housing is great at WSU, but scarce and expensive at the U-dub. Many older students and commuters and not much of a comunity feel. Not going to get 4 years of housing-maybe not even frosh year. Some join frats for the community. Many do commute and the traffic in Seattle can be a nightmare. Classes are huge and can be tough to schedule. You need to be very organized, self-motivated and proactive to do well there. Honors program is good but small and can be tougher than an Ivy admit.</p>
<p>So, it depends on the person. Many like the UW location better, or the higher ranking matters...even though grad stuff has a lot to do with that. Many go there thinking it will help their chances with med school, when in reality they would probably be better off somewhere like Whitman or Willamette for that. It depends on the major and if you love the city and even weather preferences.</p>
<p>For my kids, they apply to both as safeties but unless they had a strong reason to go to UW we would rather they went to WSU for the overall college experience. I think it is really better for most undergrads. The U-dub has many awesome grad programs though and some great undergrad ones...(like business, for example.) Anyway, don't let people psych you out about WSU. Look into it for yourself and visit...see what you think. You might be pleasantly surprised. It is a great school for the right person.</p>
<p>my nephew attends WSU- came from a two year firefighter program but as soon as he entered WSU the firestation on site was closed- some things have been having budget cuts
Good vet school- but I would probably have my D look at Western or even Central before Washington State- mainly because of size</p>
<p>Re Seattle
traffic isn't bad- but is more than some are used to.
Housing is high- & UW doesn't have a lot of oncampus housing
I expect Pullman has more
Seattle wouldn't be bad for undergrad if the city is new to you- but for other students- I expect they want to go further away.
Neither of my Ds were interested in looking at UW at all- at least for undergrad- and now that D is graduating from an Oregon school, she is planning on staying put- doesn't care she is giving up instate tuition at UW- Oh well.</p>
<p>I know of several people who have gone/are going to WSU. They're just passing aquaintences, and I don't know any of them very well, but when I asked EACH ONE how they liked it there, they each said, in not so many words, that they hated it. One was transferring, I think. The negative things I've heard about WSU far outweigh the positive things--and most came from WSU students. In the end, the not-so-glowing reviews and the boring location totally dissuaded me from applying there.</p>
<p>But then again, WSU may be the perfect school for YOU, which is really all that matters. Visit it, talk to people who go there who have similar interests to you, and don't listen to all the UW hype. WSU is a good school, it just seems to lack in some areas that are important to some people.</p>
<p>Im interested in a biology major with a pre-med concentration. I know UW is amazing for that..but I dont have the grades to get in. Would WSU be good for that? Can I go there for one year and transfer to UW?Thanks.</p>
<p>Critter's perspective is on the mark but let me offer a single disagreement; unless you have really quite stellar grades, both WSU and UW are increasingly no sure bet for state residents. Alas, this is because of budget reductions from the state legislature which result is less resources for ever greater numbers of undergraduates. Others can add detail to my understanding of the situation, but I believe the situation is such that the WSU and UW are no longer guaranteeing admission to community college transfers.</p>
<p>im not really sure exactly stellar is necessarily the right word especially for WSU but niether are exactly shoeins for anyone.</p>
<p>also just curious if there is anyone out there attending wsu is it as much of a party school as its reputation makes it out to be or is that just still left over from the past</p>
<p>well it is close to Idaho- if Pullman is anything like UW- grocery stores seem to cater to students entertainment by having large pyramids of beer in the aisles of the grocery store-
But they have made a concerted effort to reduce drinking and while you can certainly find it if you want- there are many other things to do out and about campus</p>
<p>Oops! Thanks, Lake Washington. You are right again. I didn't meant to say that either school is a safety UNLESS you have top stats. </p>
<p>LOL-Emeraldkity 4. "traffic isn't bad-but is more than some are used to." You live in the Seattle area, don't you? I used to and I know many folks that have moved out of Seattle BECAUSE of the traffic. Guess it just goes to show that perspective differs widely. I admit that in comparison, there are worse cities for traffic, like NYC, for example. DH was just cussing at the traffic trying to get out of there a couple of weeks ago after a conference at Harborview! And yes, housing is absolutely no problem at WSU. Lots of options...apartments, many singles, etc. Also never thought of Seattle as a plus for kids that it would be a "new" experience for as much as many that come from a fairly urban area already and think of Pullman as the end of the earth. We have a nephew at the UW and that is his take. Again, a different outlook. I believe that I read that your D is at Reed. Does she know yet where in Oregon will she go to grad school? Or is she going to be job hunting? Yes, the kids never seem to think about in-state tuition in quite the same way as their parents!</p>
<p>Luckycharms- We have known many WSU students that were very happy with their experience. Many have been surprised that they liked the place when they visited and probably would not have gone there otherwise. It does tend to get a bad rap. I know one of my nephews bad-mouthed the place until he actually made the trip to Pullman. I will say that while it does have its positive points it is definitely NOT for everyone. The location alone would drive some crazy. Others see it as a plus. Many kids are outdoor enthusists. Many from the west side say they like being away from the 'rat race' and like the change in weather and lifestyle. Others like the strong sense of community. I believe it is supposed to be the largest college residential community west of the Mississippi. They have a top notch rec center and Pac 10 sports with great school spirit. And the sports are not dominated by the public in general. There is plenty of partying, mostly in the apartments and the Greek system but there are plenty of alternatives. They bring in big name entertainment-I believe Bill Cosby will be there this year. Whoopi Goldberg was not long ago. Lots of music, etc and many more options is the Spokane area and in Idaho. I am not trying to sell WSU. I just think that it suffers from an image that it doesn't deserve. There are plenty of students that don't like it there as there are at the UW. I think that they are the ones that don't do their homework and rely too much on hearsay. They need to visit for themselves before making a final decision!</p>
<p>Sonoma000-we know students that have been very successful in the pre-med program at WSU but they were in the honors program. They have an arrangement with UW where a certain # are accepted to the U's medical school every year, and they do the first year at the WSU campus. We also have family members that did the pre-med route at UW. The most recent even made it into their med school and was able to do her internship in the Seattle area also, but she is exceptional. It's tough. VERY competitive and cut-throat. You had better be top notch and ready for a fight. Tampering with lab stuff not uncommon. You need to be very, very self-motivated and plan on having a lot of difficulty with the sequencing. May have to go summers. Practically impossible to guarantee biology as a frosh. Check out their website. Nephew is there in an uphill pre-med battle right now. He was a good student, but not stellar. Probably got in because they were looking for more OOS money to subsidize with this year. Would probably have been better off at UPS, Willamette, etc. if he could have gotten in and is starting to realize his mistake. Says everyone started pre-med and he isn't even eligible to apply to the UW med school because he is from Oregon. I don't want to discourage you but there are better paths to med-school for less than perfect students. Check out posts by Carolyn on the subject by searching or look for her on the parent board. Good luck!</p>
<p>chucknorris rules- again, still plenty of parties but other options too. That's an old stereotype. (See above post.) emeraldkity4 is right. They now have a three strike policy and they do kick students out. You have to be making a nuisance of yourself to get in trouble, though.</p>
<p>"I don't want to discourage you but there are better paths to med-school for less than perfect students."-Critter</p>
<p>What would one of those paths be? I want to go the UW but I don't think I can get in. WSU seems more reasonable but I am still curious to know another alternative for med-school and I would LOVE going to the UW Med-School..but then again..who wouldn't?</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>Could you go to community college for a little while maybe? I know that community colleges get a kinda bad rap on this website because they might not be prestigious, but it would be nice to have the chance to take hard classes in a smaller setting and then transfer. If you take the intro. classes at community college, you probably wouldn't have to deal with the big classes at UW...I'm not sure how med schools look at community college credits though...</p>
<p>Well I was intending on going to a 4-year university rather than a community college.</p>
<p>Actually..I was intending on aiming for a BS/MD combined program but i know that is SUPER HARD to get into..Are there any other alternatives?</p>
<p>bump please....................</p>