<p>Today’s “large public state schools” take great prestige in the fact that they rank amongst the finest universities in the world, and that their rankings are upto par with prestigious Ivy League schools. In a general context, they are seen as very affordable, highly ranked institutions that offer an undergraduate academic experience comparable to that of a private Ivy League school. However, there are TONS of factors in why the public shouldn’t be deceived by the image of the school and rankings:</p>
<p>**1. Research Focus: **</p>
<p>Believe it or not, most rankings out there aren’t really ranking the quality of an undergraduate education. They’re ranking the level, rigor and quality of research at the school. Consequently, a school with “good research status” can be thought to offer a good undergraduate experience, and for the most part, that is true.
However, professors and TA’s tend to focus a LOT more time to their research than actually care about teaching the students. The primary reason they were hired is probably not their teaching skills, but their research interests; teaching is a secondary venture and the one which they will tend to ignore more.
There’s pressure on them to research and publish papers, but not so much to encourage a confused undergraduate student to understand a concept.</p>
<p>2. Student Body Size:</p>
<p>In schools of 40,000+ undergraduates (you know what schools I’m talking about), it is very, very easy for freshmen to feel completely lost when they start college (especially the out-of-state students). It is extremely discouraging to see others with circles of friends and then see yourself not fitting anywhere.
The thing that stings is that in SUCH a large school, there is a very high probability that there is some group of people out there whom you “click” perfectly with and would fit right in, but how on earth do you find them? Rely on random chance that they’ll be in one of your classes? Hope that they’ll show up at the club meeting kickoff you’re going to? Wish that they just happen to live on your floor next year, or are randomly assigned as your roommates? Lack of social inclusion can be very disheartening and affects motivation to succeed academically.
Moreover, this has an academic implication as well. With over 40,000 undergraduates, the general classes (math/chem/physics/bio) tend to have large lectures with ~200 students and discussion sections with inexperienced TA’s. It is very hard to do well in a large class like this, and just imagine exposing an incoming “hopeful” engineering major to gigantic lectures of Calculus, Chemistry, Physics and Computer Science. It seems like the professor doesn’t care much about how well you do, the TA’s don’t really know the information as well as the professors (most of the time, they’re completely out of the loop about class structure, etc. - not enough communication with the professor at all).</p>
<p>In smaller schools (~5,000 undergraduates), there is a MUCH greater sense of community and small class sizes directly correlate with better performance (obvious factors).</p>
<p>I’ve attended two large public, state universities (40,000+ student body size) and have noticed this pattern across both of them. I have also attended a much smaller school and the potential for success at the smaller school is infinitely better. I’m not trying to bias anything here, but I believe that those people who aren’t total gregarious charmers who are somehow able to befriend every single person they come across will find it much better at a much smaller school - where the professors care, where there is a much larger sense of community and incentive to do well academically. Overall, I think people seem much happier at smaller schools. I’ve counted at least 7 friends I know (across both the large state schools I attended) who transferred out within a year because of how much they hated it.
The transition from high-school, where you know almost everyone (at least in your grade) and teachers are motivating you to do well, to college, where you’re just a lost fish in the sea and no-one seems to care what you’re doing or how well you do - is NOT easy at all and should not be overlooked when making a decision on whether to attend a large school or a small school.</p>
<p>3. The status of an undergraduate degree</p>
<p>In the end, it all ends up drivel. Undergraduate degrees are beginning to lose the significance and status they once held - if you consider how much people specialize in industry after an undergraduate degree, the piece of paper saying you went to school at “XXX University” for four years is nearly worthless. Why spend so much in tuition at a place where you’re not gonna like it for four entire years?
Just go somewhere you’ll fit in and be happy, get a degree and then specialize in something that really interests you. I’ve seen math graduate students with undergrad degrees in philosophy, people who got accepted to pharmacy school with degrees in English & Creative Writing and engineering majors who are pursuing MFA degrees.
The point is, don’t stress out from all the pressure of going to a big, good school and getting a great undergraduate degree.</p>
<p>Just remember, in the end, we’re all just talking primates on a sphere rotating in empty space. So go somewhere where you’ll be happy and do something you like. Your time on this planet is limited. Make it worthwhile.</p>