Last minute college help

[skibum1087]

This is not ski related but if anyone had a little extra time and some input id appreciate it a lot! Saturday is the deadline for deciding where to go to college and I am still not committed to anywhere. Instead of asking questions about each college, I was going to list what I thought of my options and see if anyone could let me know if I had a wrong impression.

Western Washington University- This is where I am leaning towards. I think it will have reasonably sized classes (I would be in the honors program) a fun active campus that would be a nice change from living in small town Maine without the hassles of Seattle. I am thinking of either Bio or business as my major and it seems they have fine programs in both. And they have the best skiing options. Also any info on the best places for housing there would be great.

Seattle University- Really small classes but no real college community, kind of a commuter school. Good access to skiing but no one at the school seems to be into it really, not much of a ski club at least. Not better than Western as far as academics go.

University of Puget Sound- Not really worth an extra 13 thousand dollars a year unless I was really into a small Liberal Arts setting.

University of Washington (On the wait list so might not even be an option)- Huge awful undergrad classes. Endless possibilities of activities between the big school and in Seattle, but, also have to worry about falling through the cracks. Really good skiing/climbing contingent of students.

Any other input on any of these schools again would be really appreciated, either in this thread or a pm. I figure any of these schools should work out well, but I want to be sure of my decision.
Thanks a lot
Spencer

[Sphinx]

UW absolutely rules. And Seattle is a big city that feels like a conglomerate of small cities. I'd rather live here than Bellingham.

I like a big school, then I can walk across campus and not see anyone I know.

[Viva]

Why would you want to go with a bio major? That is, what would be the ultimate goal? If you're doing it for shits and giggles or you want to become a teacher, then W. Washington would be a fine choice, especially since Bellingham is a cool town and you'd get to spank BakerBoi.

U. of Puget Sound is supposed to be good, but I really can't comment on them

If you're looking for a career in science, U. Washington would be tremendous as you would have a myriad of class offerings as well as research opportunities in some of the best labs in the world. In the biological sciences, U. Washington is on par with Berkeley, UCSD, CalTech, Harvardet al.

Mind you, I'm not taking a knock at Western Washington- you can get a great education anywhere -it's just the U. Washington can offer you so much more if you really desire a career in the biosciences.

There's even a possibility that I may end up at U. Washington. Stay tuned...

[SkiingBear]

I can't comment on any of the schools in particular, but figured I'd offer my thoughts anyway. Sounds like W. Washington is more of a "small school" setting, and I'm a big fan of that. (Just did a search and saw enrollment at 12,000-13,000) I loved the fact that I almost always ran into someone I knew when I was walking across campus (I went to a school of 8,000 students...tops). I also enjoyed the smaller class sizes and the more personal interactions with professors that I had.

That said, there are benefits to big schools too. Can't tell from your post, but if you're still on the fence as to what you really want to do, big schools offer a variety of majors that allow you to change at without a messy transfer. Bigger schools also tend to have a more diverse student body allowing you to find the crowd that you want to be with. I can't comment personally, but I've heard too many horror stories about not being able to get one-on-one time with some professors at bigger schools (not always true, but those horror stories come from somewhere).

Okay, so maybe my ramblings won't help any, just my quick thoughts from my college experience. I guess the only real advice I can give is this, go where you want to go. Don't pick a school based on what your parents, or anyone else for that matter, tell you. You are the one that needs to be happy there. Best of luck.

[girlski0912]

Let's start off with U of Puget Sound- STAY FAR FAR AWAY FROM TACOMA!!!!!!!!!!! The small portion of Tacoma where the school is located is really cool, but as soon as you leave your safe little block of happiness you enter redneck meth tweaker hell. That said, it is really pretty close to Crystal.

Seattle U is where I am going to law school, so my perspective is really different. It is a commuter school, but it is also a nice small environment and beautiful campus. As someone earlier posted, Seattle is a very cool city. I moved here from Jackson having never lived in a city before and I love it here. It is very accessible as a city and is easy to get out of quickly. There is great climbing, skiing, and mountain biking immediately outside of the city.

UW is enormous and that was a big part of the reason why I didn't apply there for undergrad. There is something to be said for going to a school that is located within a community as opposed to a city. But, if you are coming from a small town, this type of college community may prove to be too similar to what you grew up in.

Good luck with your decision. It isn't an easy one, but I have a feeling that given your options you could be very happy at any of them (EXCEPT TACOMA!!!!!! TRUST ME ON THIS ONE!!!!!!)

[jimmy page]

I went to Western and had a blast during my years there. Mind you I graduated in 99 and I'm sure that things have changed, but I thought that it was just about the right size. There was also no shortage of outdoor activities to engage in.

If you choose to go to Western I would recommend living in the dorms for your first year and then move off campus with some friends. There is no greek system, so you meet who you meet. And personally I thought that was the best part about the school.

Having grown up around the Tacoma area I would say that Bellingham is a better place overall to live and go to school. Not that UPS isn't a great school, but it's location isn't all that great.

And as far as UW goes, I always thought it was just to big. (But I wasn't smart enough to get in there anyways, so it wasn't really an option)

These are just my observations. I'm sure you will do well no matter where ever you decide to go. Just make sure you go to class.

[skibum1087]

What i like about Westerns size is that it is a pretty large school, especially compared to Seattle or UPS but is still just small egnough not to get lost in the shuffle as far as getting to know professors, but that may be a misinformed opinion. The only thing i really know about Bio is that i was interested in it in high school, but i do not know what i would do with it as far as the future is concerned. Buisness provides a much more realistic option, but at least trying a few bio classes would be nice. Thanks for the replys so far, keep them coming.
Spencer

[SkiingBear]

The only thing i really know about Bio is that i was interested in it in high school, but i do not know what i would do with it as far as the future is concerned.

The best thing you can do is know what you want to do with your degree. I loved chemistry in high school and went to school for chemical engineering. I don't regret getting my degree, but if I could do it all over, it sure wouldn't be ChemE.

This is where, IMHO, our public school system fails the worst. We do nothing to help kids figure out what they want to do, too many required classes that don't help you to figure out who you are. [/hijack]

[skibum1087]

For all of the Western graduates- Any thoughts on specifically which dorms to lean towards and the size of your freshman required courses?
thanks
spencer

[Skier10322]

I go to western right now. I lived in Mathes, had a bunch of friends who live in the Ridge right now and I would say thats better.

If skiing is part of your decision at all I would say Western.

As for class size, they don't seem that big to me, I havent had more than a class or two in two years that was more than a 100 people.

[CUBUCK]

Just a little something I picked up on the way.

Skiing should not be the number one factor you choose a college. Probably shouldn't be 2,3,or 4 either.

[diggy]

Yea, classes are good size, most are pretty small. As for dorms, stay away from Fairhaven unless you want to be a hippy. I would pick somewhere on the ridge, but north campus isn't bad either.

You can always transfer after a couple years. I picked Western over UW with the intent to transfer to UW after a couple years. You might as well take your general classes at a smaller school, plus western is easier to adjust to. I got most of my basic classes done at western and I'm transferring to UW this fall to start engineering.

[backpack]

I went with the big school over small school and definitely don't regret it at all.

There is the issue of professors with 500 students and not having enough "one on one" time, but personally I've never been a big "let's go ask the professor about something I could learn by reading the chapter" kinda guy. Some people need the constant personal interaction with professors... if you think you're one of those people, go somewhere small.

In addition, at a huge campus (like BU), you really have to put some effort into meeting people. I arrived knowing no one within 2000 miles and now I feel more at home in Boston than Utah. Then again a friend from Colorado moved out to BU and left after 1 semester because he didn't know anyone and the classes were "too hard." It really depends on you.

For me, because I didn't know what I wanted to major in, etc. a big school was great because I could try out pretty much every possible area before settling in.

[connersw]

I went to school in Florida so take this for what it is worth. However, I do live in the PNW, and I have done some recruiting/interviewing at these schools for my company.

Pugent Sound - not even in the same ball park--I would not even consider it

Seattle - very solid academically, but as mentioned, it is a big time commuter school. Great for continuing education, going back to school part time, or graduate work, but it is not the type of experience I would want for my undergrad.

UW - excellent school, gorgeous campus, very well respected. If you like the PNW, you like big, and you like the city, then this is the place for you.

WWU - personally, it's my favorite of the bunch. For one, I think the B-ham rocks, and I would love to live there. So many kick ass outdoor activities close by, and I have always had a blast going out to the bars up there. Not quite a small school, but sort of has that feel to it and easy to walk/bike around. For it's size, I was amazed how many students knew eachother and at the amount of hellos from strangers walking by (that's a big clue to me what campuses are like). Not quite as strong academically as UW, but it would also give you an opportunity to shine and stand out as a result.

Just out of curiosity, why are you limiting yourself to such a small area of the country? All of these schools are very different other than their location. Unless something is making you move up there, I would look for colleges that had the similar things I wanted, then narrow them down to a little larger geographic region (like say all the PNW or even all of the west).

[skibum1087]

I looked at school in Colorado, Montana and California as well and these schools ended up being at the top of my list. I am from maine, and one of my big requirments besides skiing was get far away for at least these 4 years to try it out, for something differnt. Your thoughts on how these schools look in the eyes of a company interviewing is really helpful as that is one of my concerns. My mom is worried about Westerns reputation simply becasue she doenst know much about it, but it sounds like it is plenty respected espcially if you do well and are involved. Willammete was also on my short list until last week, but i guess thats basically the exact same area. The responses are great, so far, thanks guys
spencer

[72Twenty]

I watched Big Trouble In Little China last night on FMC. You should be a truck driver instead. It would healp if you learned martial arts, though. Especially if you run into that Lo Pan guy. Hiyah!

[Buzzworthy]

Moms side of family, all Udub grads.

Dads side, WSU grads.

Lived in Bham, old Fairhaven as a kid. Loved Bham.



I'll be honest here on how I picked my school

Lived in Yardley, PA. Got into Penn State, Main Campus, West Virginia University and Ohio University. Visited all three. Got in for Mech. Engineering.
Picked WVU for the mountain biking opportunities, period. Figured I would get a degree from one of three, why not make it fun. Penn State was too big IMO, Ohio State was not a party school at the time. Playboy picked WVU as the top party school 3 of 5 years I was there.

Plus ended up with a degree in Forestry. Go figure.

Career, wife, baby girl, 2 cars, dog.............. did not turn out too bad so far at age 30.

College is not just about classes, there is so much more to learn out there, just make sure you keep up the grades while playin.


And yes, again, I miss Mt. Baker!

[pollard]

I was in the same situation as you and I chose SU. Next fall is gonna be my first quarter. I had no idea that most people on campus are communters. All the the times I've been there the campus seemed pretty alive for a weekend.

[1080Rider]

Moms side of family, all Udub grads.

Dads side, WSU grads.

Lived in Bham, old Fairhaven as a kid. Loved Bham.

That's awesome. I bet the apple cup is fun at your house.

If I had the opportunity to have school paid for and could go a long way from home I sure as hell wouldn't go to western washington (the area, not the school) but it sounds like you've got your mind made up.

Of the schools, I'd say UW. There's nothing more fun than waking up sat. morning, hitting the bottle and heading to watch a football game on a nice fall day w/ 50,000 of your closest friends. The other schools have sporting events but nothing like you'll see at a pac-ten school. If you're not into that type of thing then hit WWU. Seattle U is a good school but will be more expensive than a state school and offers prolly the same quality of education as WWU. But, if you really want to have an incredible college experience head to cali. College is the only time in life that you can actually afford to live in southern cali. Look at it this way. You're going to be broke for 4 years. Why not be broke in the sun, on the beach???

[Lane Meyer]

A - shoot the hostage, and go to Alta and wash dishes at the Peruvian. There's plenty of time for college later.

B -

Just a little something I picked up on the way.

Skiing should not be the number one factor you choose a college. Probably shouldn't be 2,3,or 4 either.

BULLSHIT! I chose where I went to college based on skiing proximity as #2, academics being #1, and I've never regretted it a second - best decision I ever made in my life. I chose my grad school based on academics, not skiing, and I was TOTALLY FUCKING MISERABLE for two years. You have to face your addiction, and nurture it, not ignore it. You will be happier in life if you do this, in the long run.

[CUBUCK]

A - shoot the hostage, and go to Alta and wash dishes at the Peruvian. There's plenty of time for college later.

B -

BULLSHIT! I chose where I went to college based on skiing proximity as #2, academics being #1, and I've never regretted it a second - best decision I ever made in my life. I chose my grad school based on academics, not skiing, and I was TOTALLY FUCKING MISERABLE for two years. You have to face your addiction, and nurture it, not ignore it. You will be happier in life if you do this, in the long run.

Agree with A

If you are a ski junky and go to school for the sole reason to ski then there is a good chance you may pay a shitload and never end up with a degree. I saw it happen to plenty of people at CU. I guess just keep in mind what you are going for and if its to ski than why pay for class just get a part time job in the area.

[The AD]

My suggestion is don't get too hung up on class size. My experience at a Big Ten school was you're only in gigantic 500 person lectures your freshman year, and even then it's a small number of your classes. Once you get into more classes in your major class sizes won't be much different than in high school.

[LAN]

Spencer, what an exciting time for you! I'll chime in. When I was deciding where to go to school, it was between Seattle U, PLU and UW. I too was interested in the science programs that each had to offer. I intended to study Biochemistry, so I checked into each school thoroughly.

My first choice was UW, but I was scared of the freshman class sizes. I ended up at PLU, in Tacoma. Contrary to girlski's rant, I didn't think Tacoma was all that bad. Sure, there's your meth labs and ghetto low-rent type of folks, but the place where you end up is what you make of it. Tacoma has great shops, restaraunts, museums, there's a walking/biking trail on the waterfront, plus a small zoo. When I was in school, I paddled in the morning (for PE credit nonetheless) and taught skiing in the evening.

What I know about UPS is that it's a small, hoity toity private school. Lots of trustafarians. Beautiful campus, greek system (if you're into that) and a decent grad program for physical therapy.

From what I remember about Seattle U, it was a good school when I was looking. If you're Catholic, take note of the Jesuit background. It's a strong school academically, but the science programs and opportunities don't hold a candle to UW.

UW is a huge school, right in the middle of the city. The campus is beautiful, the student body is diverse and it's close to everything (both city and outdoors). I studied ceramics and statistics at UW and loved it. In hindsight, I would've gone to UW as opposed to PLU. Even though it's a big school and you have the potential to drown in the freshman classes, the opportunities you'll have to study science are awesome. Keep in mind that the UW works closely with the University Hospital and Harborview Medical Center. Lots of wealthy people pour their money into the school and the hospitals, which can trickle down to amazing research opportunities. You didn't mention what you wanted to do after college, but UW med school (the only med school in WA state) admits the most in-state candidates from it's undergrad programs, PLU following close behind.

I don't know much about Western, but several friends have gone there and one is currently enrolled. One friend summed up her class final as this: "I have to bake a cake for our final class potluck tomorrow." It's definitely a laid back type of school, with lots of recreational opportunities nearby, plus they throw some wicked parties. But all in all, I don't think it has the breadth and depth of science opportunities as UW.

So ... hopefully all the feedback helps you make the right choice for you. Best of luck and have a great time!

[Stoysluttie1]

Agree with A

If you are a ski junky and go to school for the sole reason to ski then there is a good chance you may pay a shitload and never end up with a degree. I saw it happen to plenty of people at CU. I guess just keep in mind what you are going for and if its to ski than why pay for class just get a part time job in the area.

I may be an exception but i came to Utah because of the skiing..left NC state which had a way better program but c'mon, the skiing in NC???

And now I have a Master's and am contemplating finishing a second Masters.....all while logging an average of about 80 days a year of skiing, a shitload of biking days, many travel days. It can be done...you just have to stick with both of them.

And why WA??? Why not UT??? How much snow did the PNW get this year?

[Buzzworthy]

Just sit in the front, never look behind you and you wont know how big the class is. There, one problem solved.

Your GPA will be higher too, provided you pay attention.


It is the whole experience that you will need to make a decision about.