Why should my kid chose Butler over Ohio State, Indiana, Purdue, Pitt, etc when looking at a minor in sports communications?
Way, way, way smaller with much more individual attention.
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Smaller
Potentially cheaper - depending on merit
Smaller
Smaller
What is the major? One doesn’t need a minor or even a degree in Sports Comm or any sort of journalism - to be a journalist.
Make sure they have a substantial double major - the odds are they’ll need to use it, no matter where they go.
Obviously, Butler doesn’t have the athletic prowess of the others - so if they want that…then it wouldn’t make sense.
Good luck.
Butler basketball has had some awesome seasons.
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Yea and it’s not a knock. They are a Big East team in basketball. Middling today but that’s neither here nor there. The others are in top flight conferences with big time football.
There’s not a right or wrong. I’m simply noting the difference.
One may find a better, more intimate, more opportunity education at Butler. When I went to Syracuse, everyone wanted to be a sportscaster. So there was not as much opportunity.
I would look at facilities vs # of students and look at alumni outcomes.
That said - not sure of the major - but the odds of succeeding in this field aren’t none but are slim. Make sure there’s a solid primary major.
Mine was history. Not solid per se. I ended up after 9 months in sports tv production in outside sales. Then got an mba and have been in the car industry 27 years.
Everyone’s path will be different and some will have success…maybe OP. But numerically, they’d be wise to have a substantive major.
Thanks
What major?
For ROI, what net cost (*) at each?
*(Tuition+ fees+ room+ board) - (grants, scholarships)=
Don’t subtract loans
Butler would offer a more personalized experience - contact and support from professors, personal adviser (vs. s.o who may change everytime you meet them, whom you see once a semester - think of having a family doctor vs. Being seen by Whoever is available at the hospital), smaller classes…
I’m going to challenge the assumption that big schools like Purdue, Pitt, etc… don’t have personal attention from advisors and professors. That just simply isn’t the case. My daughter was on a first name basis with her dean, most of her profs, and had the same advisors that followed her through all 4 years (one for honors, one for her major, and one for co-op. She also had plenty of classes with less than 20 students and some with fewer than 10.
OP - Your student should choose the school where they feel most comfortable and is affordable for your family. If costs are the same, do a deep dive into the four year plan of study for their major and their minor. Take care to look at the depth of electives.
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Do you think, and I honestly don’t know the answer, that this is because your daughter was an exceptional student? I wonder if a school like Butler wouldn’t have more personal attention for a student who wasn’t top of the class?
Agree with this for sure.
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What schools are comfortably affordable?
What school/environment does the student prefer?
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That’s because she was in Honors though - OP hasn’t mentioned that they got into an Honors college or special program - if it were the case, that would change the calculus.
It doesn’t mean it’s what’s best for OP but one reason Honors colleges exist is because large universities have large, anonymous classes + a more “fend for yourself” environment, something they know, and that’s why they offer the perks Honors Colleges offer to the students they select - those may be a few hundreds out of a few thousands.
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Only one of my D’s advisors was through honors. Everyone gets an advisor for their major that sees them through to graduation. Most of my D’s small classes and professor relationships were outside honors college.
Yes, she was a strong student but it was more because she went to office hours and review sessions and made an effort to get to know her profs.
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Thanks everyone, I appreciate the different perspectives. this is my junior son. My senior was visiting another nearby college and we did a tour at Butler recently. He’s not sure of his major exactly . Journalism - not broadcast , more video production, enjoys watching any sports
The obvious difference is class size, and in one way or another it is the thing that Butler flaunts all over its website as the reason to go there.
This shows up in the numbers such as an 11:1 student:faculty ratio vs the 18:1 student:faculty ratio of instate flagship, IU. It also shows up in the fact that only 3 of 1100 classes have over 100 students while 300 of 4400 classes at IU are over 100. At the other end of the spectrum, 560 of 1100 classes at Butler, or about half, have fewer than 20 students. At IU, small classes under 20 number about 1500 out of 4400, or about a third.
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Unless Butler is offering a substantial scholarship resulting in a meaningful COA difference, there is no reason that I know of why one would give up attending a Big Ten Conference university and all of the advantages regarding variety of courses & majors and superior alumni connections/job opportunities.
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Unless one is more comfortable in a smaller setting with smaller class sizes. IMO this should come down to personal preference.
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In the end make sure there are ample production opportunities for ALL students - outside and inside of class.
You’re not just competing with sports people.
Do they have enough equipment and access for all to use ?
When I went to Syracuse, the answer was no, despite the high ranking. My friend at Montana - they all got jobs. All 20 students. Per capita, this no name school did much better for its graduates. I visited her. They all had their own cameras from the school.
But in your case it’s the editing equipment that’s important.
IU is a top program. But does their equipment access cover the popularity - and beyond sports?
That’s what I’d check at each.
Good luck.
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In addition, what would the primary major be?
What’s your budget?
Have you run the NPC on all these colleges?
Equipment. Good question to add to my list of questions on tours.
We are just beginning this journey, we have a late spring break for tours
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To me the major is the most important thing. Then see if they have adequate opportunities for the minor and how competitive it is. I have known students going to Butler and have seen their basketball team play several years ago first round ncaa Both had good experiences. My daughter went to a small Lac and my son to Michigan. Both sets of professors knew my kid’s names. Class sizes weren’t really that large for most classes at Michigan like 30 /class with 15:1 ratio. So you can find this in both large and smaller schools. It should really come down to the environment the student wants to be in and where they can learn in. Your not going into a Big Ten school and calling the games. Your chance of interviewing players is probably better at Butler. Both might have ample behind the scene opportunities and that is what I would do a deeper dive into. I am just not sure what type of communications we’re talking about.
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