College

[yesman065]

What about ND???

[9th Engineer]

Speaking as one of the few cellar members currently in college, don't throw away any sources of information. Just saying that rankings aren't total crap, they're guidelines to give you a starting point. The biggest things you want from a school are dedicated profs who have personal experience and high achievement in the subjects they teach, and connections to professional organizations and programs that you will want to use during your major. Most of the time, higher ranked schools have more stuff available to students, but do your research and look up what criteria the list is based on.

My personal advice? Avoid tiny schools that keep on harping about personalized attention. A tiny faculty-to-student ratio is really only useful for your first semester freshman year. If you're a good student who's motivated, you won't have a problem developing a relationship with your profs, they're on the lookout for students like that.
Small schools can hurt you in other ways as well. Here at U Pitt, the professors doing research generally laugh at the idea of taking students from tiny colleges because they find them too spoon fed and attention seeking. It isn't always appropriate to expect a personal relationship with your bosses. A big school will get your used to working on your own with a realistic level of guidance, not constant hand holding, that doesn't work in real life.

(Also, our medical school, which is #1 for transplants, really doesn't even consider applicants from the 'hand-holder U's)

Lots of activities might be fun, but after the four years people are going to want experience in YOUR area of focus. Being all over the board and never doing prolonged work in one area (multiple years) is taken to mean you can't focus yourself.

[Ibby]

I've tried that one already. Seriously.

[xoxoxoBruce]

OK, that explains, "My dad pretty much shoved a copy of US News's list of top colleges down my throat this weekend,...".

[breakingnews]

Originally Posted by Ibram

But no southern colleges. Not even Austin. I can't live in the south, I just can't do it.

Don't rule out the South so quick, dude. Cities like Austin and Atlanta are really progressive places these days. In Atlanta I found the people friendlier and the culture extremely laid back, which sounds like it might be your thing. And if you wanna get into art or music, you may find these two cities in particular very accommodating.

And a note on majoring in journalism .... it's not necessary to "study" journalism. Take the intro classes and then join the newspaper or the radio station - you'll learn more than you need to know. College media is often more professional than you'd imagine.

[Ibby]

My mom is a journalism major and a psych minor, and she somewhat recommends doing a journalism major. She also kinda wants me to go to like, law school... thats pretty out too.

And I just know I could never live in the south. Going down that way to visit family is excruciating enough. Austin would probably be a cool city, but as soon as you get outside Austin... you're back in hicksville. I can't stand the south - sorry, southern folk.
You're allowed to hate on the south if you're a southern boy, anyway.

[breakingnews]

Originally Posted by Ibram

My mom is a journalism major and a psych minor, and she somewhat recommends doing a journalism major. She also kinda wants me to go to like, law school... thats pretty out too.

Eh, you got years ahead of you. Pick something you like and show your parents a well-laid out plan - they'll get off your case if you produce some output.

And I just know I could never live in the south. Going down that way to visit family is excruciating enough. Austin would probably be a cool city, but as soon as you get outside Austin... you're back in hicksville. I can't stand the south - sorry, southern folk.
You're allowed to hate on the south if you're a southern boy, anyway.

Ditto UT - like 90% of the northeast is just as whitewashed - if not worse - than below the mason-dixon line. I felt just as much out of place driving through parts of NJ as I did taking road trips to Mississippi and Alabama.

[Undertoad]

as soon as you get outside Austin... you're back in hicksville.

There goes the rust belt: NJ DE PA OH MI IN IL WI and certain parts of NY are hick incorporated outside of the suburban areas. NASCAR has advanced as far north as NH.

[Flint]

Austin and surrounding areas is a very cool place.

I just took my vacation on Canyon Lake, went to Schlitterbahn in New Braunfels, and visited historic Gruene.

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by Ibram

Austin would probably be a cool city, but as soon as you get outside Austin... you're back in hicksville.

Well who needs to ever leave Austin? I mean, as soon as you get outside your city you're in the jungle, right?

[Nivek]

You seem to be about my age (I'm a junior in high school). And I live in South Carolina...what you got against us southerners? Sure we've got a few senile old racists who put up their dukes at the sound of the word "Iraqi" but other than that I'd like to think we're kinda nice. Kinda. I'd like to think.

I'm actually thinking University of South Carolina for several reasons, and here are a few: 1) I want to be a pilot, so I figure I'll take some aeronautical engineering, physics, math, and communication...all of which are available with at USC with a relatively good reputation (Clemson's engineering program is a little better but neither are spectacular). 2) I'm very familiar with the campus because my older sister attended and graduated (Cum Laude with honors, in fact), so we made several trips to visit/move her stuff/family events/etc. 3) It's an hour and a half away, so the 'rents won't be all sad and I can make trips home without much difficulty. 4) I'm familiar with the Southern culture and crap; I won't be too much of an outcast, plus I'll get in-state tuition, more scholarship opportunities, etc.

I'm not real sure why I just spilled my life's goals and plans out on a thread that's not even mine, but I did. Good luck on finding the right place.

[9th Engineer]

Tolerant guy, isn't he?

[Urbane Guerrilla]

You could cope culturally with about anything in California, then.

[Cloud]

As soon as you get outside Austin . . . it's hicksville.

That's pretty much true outside all major metro areas. Even in California.

Learn to appreciate a variety of people. That's one of the things college is about.

[Ibby]

I do appreciate a variety of people. Don't get my wrong... for all my bluster, I love the south. The people are nice, generally, and boy do southerners know how to eat... but I just can't stand them, politically. And aiya, if I can't talk politics, I just can't live there.