Going to University in the USA - your help needed!

Sony SAL-50F14 Normal 50mm f/1.4 Autofocus Lens for the Sony

10/24/2008 09:24:42 PM · #1

Hello All :o)

My 17 (almost 18) year old brother is currently looking at going to University in the USA. We live in the UK and do not have any family in the USA so if he does decide to go it will be a HUGE move for him away from anyone who could come to his rescue if there was an emergency.

As you can imagine my Mum is going crazy with worry!

So, I thought I would ask you guys what you think about attending university in the USA. What would you say the pros and cons are? All opinions are welcome, I am just trying to get some information for my Mum to try and put her mind at rest a little!

My brother has had contact with a few different Universities but I'm afraid I can only remember the place where the latest call came from...West Virginia I think!

Thanks in advance for your help with this :o)

Cheers,

Natalya :o)

ETA: I should have said that he's taking the SAT thing soon (I think that's what they are called??)

Message edited by author 2008-10-27 14:50:14.

ladyhawk22

Sony DSLR-A700

10/24/2008 09:29:55 PM · #2

Well, I think that the University experience in the US can vary a great deal depending on the University. Some are more academically disciplined than others. Some are known as "party schools." Others are renowned for their artistic genius.

And, of course, I've only been to University in the US :-) So it might be hard for me to compare. But it really depends on specifics. There are University's so large that they offer *everything* a person could ever want to do. There are others which are so small you work closely with every professor who teaches a class.

I think the main advantage to a US University would be: if you want it, you can find it. Big school, small school, liberal arts education, intense focus on a chosen major.....the hardest thing is narrowing down what you want in a school.

Plus, for your brother, it's the chance to travel abroad--which was something I always wished I had done in college :-)

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

10/24/2008 09:36:13 PM · #3

Don't forget we have a huge range of weather conditions and cuisines available, too. I'd prioritize the questions he needs to answer as:

â�¢ Field of study
â�¢ Large or small school
â�¢ Large or small city
â�¢ Liberal or conservative region
â�¢ How much can you afford -- there can be a two- or three-fold difference in the cost of living in different regions

CEJ

Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

10/24/2008 09:37:58 PM · #4

School name, city and state it is located in would help greatly in getting an answer that would be most helpful.

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

10/24/2008 09:39:31 PM · #5

Thanks to you all so far for the replies. I will try and find out tomorrow the schools he has been contacted by and the ones he is really interested in! :o)

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

10/24/2008 10:08:00 PM · #6

Send him to school in Boston or Providence and I'll stand in loco parentis....

R.

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

10/25/2008 11:53:59 AM · #7

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Send him to school in Boston or Providence and I'll stand in loco parentis....

R.

And I couldn't think of a nice guy to do the job! I'll make sure we call on you if he decides to take a look at either of those places!

His latest call came from James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia and he seems quite interested. Other than that my Mum tells me there are some sort of league tables for the universities, is that right?

Jessi

Mamiya 645Pro TL

Mamiya 80mm f/2.8

10/25/2008 12:05:56 PM · #8

Make sure he goes to a school that has a good international students program. There's a program at my college called Mu Kappa that helps the international students connect with each other and share experiences and become good friends. It's really a great thing for them. I go to a small Christian college called Taylor University, I don't know if he'd be interested in it but it's really a great college, has a lot of fantastic programs (mostly an outstanding communications department).

Let us know where he chooses!!

(I'd offer to help him out, but I'm only 18)

ETA: There are a lot of resources to help with the search...

The Princeton Review ranks colleges and also tells other things about them, like whether or not they're party schools.

US News and World Report puts out a ranking every year. Here's the 2009 rankings. (psst: My college is #1 Midwest Baccalaureate!!!)

Message edited by author 2008-10-25 12:14:32.

photodude

10/25/2008 12:09:04 PM · #9

Is he being recruited to come here as an athlete?

pmichaud

Canon EOS-5D Mark IV

10/25/2008 12:17:46 PM · #10

Talj, we are in Colorado and would be more than happy to help out if he chooses a school out here. (And I can totally understand what your Mum is going through) It's really difficult to see one's child go so far away - even if it's for a good thing. <<<<<<<>>>>>>>>

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

10/25/2008 12:25:12 PM · #11

Originally posted by talj:

And I couldn't think of a nice guy to do the job! I'll make sure we call on you if he decides to take a look at either of those places!

Hahaha! Well, since you can't find a "nice guy" I guess a grumpy 'ol bear will do, eh? ;-)

R.

ErikV

Nikon D7000

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR DG IF-ED

10/25/2008 12:35:11 PM · #12

Originally posted by CEJ:

School name, city and state it is located in would help greatly in getting an answer that would be most helpful.

I agree, best to talk about specific schools as there is such a wide range of qualities and experiences at schools in the US. And this needs to be looked at in the context of what sort of a thing he would like. Also, if he is being recruited as an athlete, which sport he would play makes a difference as well, as most universities are much stronger in some sports than others.

GeneralE

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Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

10/25/2008 12:58:58 PM · #13

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Send him to school in Boston or Providence and I'll stand in loco parentis....

R.

All parents are "loco" parentis ... ;-)

(yes, I know what the phrase really means, and have the college "adventure" to back it up ...)

10/25/2008 02:12:15 PM · #14

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Originally posted by talj:
And I couldn't think of a nice guy to do the job! I'll make sure we call on you if he decides to take a look at either of those places!

Hahaha! Well, since you can't find a "nice guy" I guess a grumpy 'ol bear will do, eh? ;-)

R.

LMAO That should have read NICER guy!!! Damn typoos ;o)

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

10/25/2008 03:31:17 PM · #15

Originally posted by photodude:

Is he being recruited to come here as an athlete?

I've finally managed to catch my brother for a quick chat on the phone and I'm not sure I'm any the wiser! Ever tried getting information out of a 17 year old? lol

From what I understand he is being 'recruited' (what's the right word??) on a Soccer scholarship...

Now on to the best bit of all....he has no idea where he wants to go! See, I told you talking to a 17 year old was difficult!

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

10/25/2008 04:02:09 PM · #16

Originally posted by talj:

Originally posted by photodude:
Is he being recruited to come here as an athlete?

I've finally managed to catch my brother for a quick chat on the phone and I'm not sure I'm any the wiser! Ever tried getting information out of a 17 year old? lol

From what I understand he is being 'recruited' (what's the right word??) on a Soccer scholarship...

Now on to the best bit of all....he has no idea where he wants to go! See, I told you talking to a 17 year old was difficult!

"Recruited" is the right word. Soccer scholarship is good :-)

Here's the Men's national college rankings in soccer for last year:

National Rankings

1.Wake Forest (22-2-2)
2.Ohio State (17-4-5)
3.Virginia Tech (14-4-5)
4.UMass (17-8-1)
5.West Virginia (14-6-2)
6.Connecticut (20-3-1)
7.Notre Dame (14-5-5)
8.Santa Clara (13-1-4)
9.Indiana (13-4-5)
10.Boston College (15-5-1)
11.Illinois - Chicago (14-6-5)
12.Creighton (12-3-5)
13.St. Louis (12-2-5)
14.Northwestern (12-4-3)
15.Bradley (17-6-3)
16.Brown (15-2-1)
17.SMU (13-3-2)
18.Tulsa (12-2-2)
19.Akron (13-3-2)
20.UC-Santa Barbara (11-3-3)
21.Cal Poly (9-3-3)
22.New Mexico (11-4-1)
23.South Florida (14-6-2)
24.Maryland (10-4-4)
25.Michigan State (11-5-4)
26.West Virginia (13-5-2)
27.De Paul (12-8-0)
28.Louisville (10-5-4)
29.Duke (11-6-1)
30.Gonzaga (9-5-4)

If he's an excellent student, arguably the best school on that list is Brown, my alma mater. Boston College is also a fine university; both of these are day-trip distance from Cape Cod. UMass, I'm not sure which campus it is but assuming it's the main campus then that would be 3 hours away by car. Of course, whether either of them is interested in him I do not know. UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly both are California schools, UCSB right on the beach basically just north of Los Angeles and Cal Poly within spitting distance of Big Sur in absolutely beautiful country. Anyway there's a list :-)

R.

Message edited by author 2008-10-25 16:02:39.

icu1965

Sony DSLR-A200

Sony 75-300 mm f/4.5-5.6

10/25/2008 04:35:59 PM · #17

Originally posted by GeneralE:

This is very good advice!
It is a bit intimidating to study abroad, but if he's being recruited for sports it should make it a bit easier to make friends. (He'll have a whole new team of friends!)

10/25/2008 05:08:24 PM · #18

Thanks again for all the advice :o) I have forwarded the link to this thread to my brother and hopefully if he's got any questions he'll let me know and I can fire them at you all ;o)

I'll also keep you posted as he starts deciding whereabouts he'd like to go...I'm sure that will through up a whole host of questions when he really starts thinking about it properly!

photodude

10/25/2008 05:52:24 PM · #19

Sorry Bear Music - the ivy league schools do not give athletic scholarships. So Brown is prob out. He also needs to decide if he is truly here for an education or to improve his skills to play professionally (prob somwhere other than the US, which is not a pro soccer haven). If he thinks he can play professionally he should pick the best program/school for soccer - he's young and can always backtrack school wise if pro soccer doesnt pan out. If pros would be a stretch, then he should pick the best school academically.

XMountaineer

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

10/25/2008 06:16:15 PM · #20

You were talking about 2 schools that I know quite a bit about, James Madison Universiy and someplace in West Virginia....I'm assuming West Virginia University. I'm a graduate of WVU and I lived in Harrisonburg, VA for 6 years and worked in the hospital that boarders the JMU campus. I still own a townhouse there since my wife and I moved back to WV a couple months ago.

If he wants exposure, WVU is the place to go, bigger school, tougher opponents...but probably less playing time.

JMU is in a beautiful area and is a smaller school and occasionally play some big guys.

10/25/2008 10:56:34 PM · #21

Originally posted by XMountaineer:

Hi Lenny, thanks for your reply :o) Do you live near either of the universities now? Would it be ok if I put my brother in touch with you if he has questions about WVU or JMU? If you are happy to do this please PM me your email address. Many thanks :o)

XMountaineer

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

10/25/2008 11:05:34 PM · #22

pm sent