<p>University of Dallas is a good Catholic school that may get you more money than some of the better known Catholic universities. </p>
<p>I know an actuary that went to Wisconsin. He majored in Math, not Actuarial Science. Just a thought.</p>
<p>@rusko18 </p>
<p>are you really the student? your posts sound like you really are a concerned parent. (not like a kid at all)</p>
<p>Every univ except a bible school is going to have a lot of drinking (greeks or not)…even the Catholic schools. When you get a bunch of 18-22yo kids together, you are going to have a lot of socializing, booze, and sex. it doesnt matter if there are things to do in the city or not. Kids attending school in NYC, LA, Chicago, etc…also drink and party.</p>
<p>However, at any school, you can find kids who arent into that and will join you in other activities.</p>
<p>Just find some affordable choices that you like?</p>
<p>M2CK, I should have gone to school with you! LOL. :)</p>
<p>I assume you mean St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN? I think that is a great choice for you.</p>
<p>I saw Utah State university on there. Tuition + room + board is around $23,500 out of state. </p>
<p>I suspect there will be less drinking there because of the large Momon population. </p>
<p>There is also a Newman club, so you can find other Catholics. </p>
<p>Yes, it’s St Thomas in MN, which looks good…llbrenner, thanks for your reply about Drake, that looks like a top choice for me too.</p>
<p>Maybe you can give Temple University a try? It gives scholarships, and if you pulled up your other section to 600+, you will be in the top 25% for the SAT in all sections. I have known people to do well from their business school, although I didn’t know any actuarial science majors. </p>
<p>My very good friend is an actuary who majored in Applied Math & Statistics and it seems that her boyfriend (also an actuary) was better served because he was part of an undergrad business school. Their schools are of similar caliber, but his had stronger recruiting. It’s definitely something to consider.</p>
<p>I have actually been thinking about Temple, they have one of the best programs in the country, but I’ve read it’s not in a great location in north Philly…any advice on that?</p>
<p>I can comment about Temple: it borders on some sketchy neighborhoods, indeed, but Philly is a great city for young people. Lots going on, and it’s much, MUCH more affordable than NYC, SF, DC, or even Boston. You can live off-campus for less than you might pay in the dorms, and Temple is right on both a subway and a SEPTA rail line. Some neighborhoods are gentrifying, and they can vary from block to block. The immediate campus is fine, and they have excellent security. </p>
<p>@rusko18 - I am an actuary, so I feel qualified to comment here. The number one thing employers will look at is your ability to pass the exams. College is the 2nd most important factor. Also, most of the actuarial jobs are on the east coast or in the midwest. Therefore, I would focus on east coast or midwest colleges with good reputations. Drake is a solid option in the midwest. But also look at University of Illinois, University of Iowa, and University of Wisconsin-Madison. Big Ten schools typically have very good actuarial science programs. Besides Michigan (which might be out of your academic range given your scores), those are where the most actuarial hires come from at the big employers. Stick to a school most people know. For example I would eliminate St. Thomas and Towson from your list. Drake is pretty well known though, plus Des Moines has The Principal there - which hires a lot of actuaries. Good luck. </p>
<p>Towson is very well-known in the DC/VA/MD/PA/Del area. St Thomas is well-known in the upper Midwest. Drake is well-known in the Midwest too. All three are relatively comparable in terms of academic rigor, selectivity, internship and career opportunities, and regional reputation. Clearly, though, don’t pick Towson if you hope to work in Dubuque, or Drake if you want to work in the MidAtlantic… So OP should think about where s/he wants to work later on, and if s/he has no preference, apply to different schools and see which one(s) offer the best financial deal.</p>
<p>@kmanshouse
A 1780 likely isn’t high enough for UIUC or Wisconsin. Iowa would in fact be a good target though.</p>
<p>We’ve hired many actuaries from St Thomas at our S&P 500 Fiancial Services firm in Minneapolis. Also UMn and Madison.</p>
<p>Interesting - I’ve never even heard of St. Thomas - and I’m in Chicago. I’ve heard of Towson, but not as an actuarial school. OP, if you want to keep your options open as far as geography, my suggestion would be a large school that has more than a regional presence. If you know your region, then it appears you have choices here. Consulting firms in the midwest flock to UIUC the most, if you can get in there.</p>
<p>Should I not consider Drake or University of St. Thomas if I know I want to eventually live on the East coast? I know internships are important, and I want to be able to do them in the summer on the East coast. Would schools in the Midwest not be able to help me with setting up those internships? </p>
<p>My concern about Towson is that while it is a “Center of Actuarial Excellence” it seems weaker overall as a school…does anyone have an opinion about going to a school with a lesser reputation overall but that has a great program in your field?</p>
<p>wayneandgarth, have you noticed any differences in preparation between St. Thomas grads and U of Minnesota Twin Cities grads when recruiting actuarial science majors?</p>
<p>I am also torn between the idea of a big state school and a smaller school such as Lebanon Valley College in PA that offers more interaction with professors whereas classes at the big universities are often taught by TAs.</p>
<p>Does anyone, especially if you’re familiar with actuary science, have any opinions on SUNY Albany or Ohio University as safety schools for actuary science?</p>
<p>OP wrote: </p>
<h2>My concern about Towson is that while it is a “Center of Actuarial Excellence” it seems weaker overall as a school…does anyone have an opinion about going to a school with a lesser reputation overall but that has a great program in your field?</h2>
<p>Usually, the number of credit hours in your program is roughly 1/3 to 1/2 of the total number of credits to graduate. So, you will still be taking courses outside of your major to satisfy all sorts of requirements. Also, you would like to have the flexibility of changing your major. IMHO, it’s better to go to a school with an overall reasonable reputation and has a decent program in your interests. You should think about adding SUNY Stony Brook and Univ. of Buffalo, also a SUNY. BTW, TA’s do not usually teach upper level courses. And even the lower level math courses, starting from Calculus, are taught by professors in large lectures - it’s the small recitation sections that are handled by TA’s.</p>
<p>On a different note, have you thought about taking the ACT? Your SAT verbal and writing are on the lower end for most large state universities. In my experience as a math professor, that catches up with people when they take upper level math courses, where a fairly high level of reading comprehension is needed. Just trying to give you a heads up, so that you can at least be prepared.</p>
<p>As others have noted, narrowing down so early to such a specific career choice such as actuaries may not be in your best interest. Best to look at programs which have an actuarial track, but also have good programs in business etc. </p>
<p>@rusko18, I have not noticed a difference between st Thomas and U of M grads. They both do well.</p>
<p>Mathprof63, thanks for the great advice about overall reputation, and also to think about taking the ACT…I am looking into that.</p>
Drake would not be a bad option. But it’s not “near Des Moines”. It’s in the middle of Des Moines. It’s northwest of down town and not in the nicest of neighborhoods.
St. Thomas is going to be more regionally known in hiring specifically in the Twin Cities and maybe Wisconsin. East coast employers will generally not have heard of it.