applicantsmom

ANy thoughts?

mdf921

We visited and my son is very seriously considering. It's a small, beautiful, well kept campus. All calls and correspondence with them have been very courteous and personable. Accredited business School. Obviously not the reputation of Bucknell, Lehigh or Lafayette, but respectable imo. Surrounding Area: Selinsgrove is tiny, but there is a strip leading to the school with a mall and movies and fast food, etc. Some of the surrounding towns looked a bit depressed to us. But so did Newark Delaware when we visited U-Del. We live close to Drew and FDU in Madison NJ, and the surrounding towns there are beautiful. I am perhaps comparing it to that. In the end, it's all about whether you are interested in a small LAC or a large University. Good Luck!

greyhound

Applicantsmom,

My daughter is a first year student at Susquehanna and had her highs and lows during the first and second semesters. As mdf921 says, it has a small, beautiful campus. It's a place that really surprises because of it's visual attraction and administrative personnel who are very attentive to incoming students and their parents. My daughter was accepted at many good colleges (SUNY BInghamton, SUNY Geneseo, Holy Cross, Lafayette, etc.) and chose SU Honors College because it just felt the best fit to her. After a year, she's found some weaknesses that include students who head home on weekends leaving less friends to "hang-out" with. Maybe this is a good opportunity for studying? As with most college's, the food is only average, and the offerings you sample at prospective student days is better than what's provided on a daily basis. However, their Thanksgiving dinner where professors and Administration serves students, is very good. Classes are challenging. My daughter will live in a single apartment-type room in a recently built beautiful on-campus dorm next year. Something she's really excited about. Dormitories are another plus about this college. We looked at 12 schools, and SU's dormitories are, for the most part, a step above. SU is very competitive with scholarship money and this is one big reason my daughter chose the school. More than half of her tuition costs were met by a merit scholarship (no financial aid was provided). Mdf921 is correct in stating that it comes down to small LAC or large university. There have been times when my daughter has lamented the choice of going to a small school. Larger would provide opportunities that she just can't have at a small LAC. Then again, she gets a real personal education by prof's who, for the most part, care about the student.

curlygirl61

I didn't get the impression that a lot of students head home for the weekend. This is a concern of mine as my son is thinking of attending and is from Maine and has no intentions of leaving on the weekends.

greyhound

It may be that the majority of people my daughter is friends with just happen to leave for the weekend. Many attending students are from PA, so there's more opportunity for them to make that quick run home to get a home cooked meal or pick something up. Attendance at a suitcase college was a concern of my daughter also. I wouldn't classify SU as such, but there are weekends where she's complained that no one's around. Then again, maybe she needs to join more clubs!

northeastmom

That is interesting. We know a current student who lives near us, and for her a ride home would mean about 4 hours of driving.

My son was accepted with a merit scholarship, but it was a less generous package than what greyhound's D received. Our biggest worry was the isolation, and need for a car. We were also nervous about whether kids drink on weekends and then drive. One cannot get public transportation from this school from what we were told. We did love the campus and the personal attention. Those 2 things we found to be fantastic!

BassDad

They do have some free bus runs to the Harrisburg Transportation Center at the start and end of vacation weeks, but not for regular weekends. See Harrisburg Transportation Center for connections that can be made there.

Luvin'_Life

Hi everyone! I'm a high school senior, and just a few short weeks ago I committed to Susquehanna U. for the next four years of my life...quite honestly, it's freaking me out! I know that college is (usually) what you make of it, but I've been hearing all sorts of conflicting reports about SU, and I'm so nervous that I may not have made the right choice...any current students out there who can help me put my mind at ease? I would really appreciate it :-)

curlygirl61

Don't worry about it. My son committed too and I am the one having second thoughts. I don't know what kind of conflicting stories you are hearing about it. What specifically has you worried? Plus, I think it's normal to have some doubts and concerns, but I would not worry about it too much.

Luvin'_Life

curlygirl61,

Thanks a lot for your advice; I'll definitely try to keep the worrying to a minimum! I mean, I chose SU over some other really great schools for a reason, right? Mainly, what worries me (correction: worried me) was this constant use of the word "apathetic" when describing the school's students and faculty. The more I think about it though, it probably really depends on an individual's experience at the school; who knows, maybe they never got involved in activities, or just didn't go out of their way to make things happen!

mdf921

Luvin Life: Have you visited Susquehanna University's "Changing Lives" website? It is filled with letters from former students about their college experiences at Susquehanna. There are some really heartwarming stories about how SU impacted their lives. Here is the link: changinglives.susquehanna.edu I think you will feel more secure about your choice. Every life experience comes with ups and downs, it's how positive you personally decide to be that will make the most difference in how it goes. Much good luck!

LisaSU09

Any incoming students or their parents can feel free to e-mail me with any specific questions or concerns. I'm soon to be a senior at Susquehanna and I am a campus Tour Guide, Summer Preview Day Leader veteran, and Fall Orientation leader. I would be more than happy to help quell any concerns or last minute jitters, and to offer an honest opinion on any topic relating to SU or the Selinsgrove area. You can reach me at molendini@susqu.edu or post on here, although I'm sure I'll check email a lot more than this site.

caboy58

Luvin'_Life'
I assume by now you are a sophomore at SU. What was your first year like?