<p>My son has been accepted to both High Point and University of Tampa. Tampa was his first choice until he got a look at High Point. I know its bells and whistles there as was curious if anyone had an opinion. He is going for Sports Management and wants to move on to law school. He wants to be a sports agent. Any thoughts on the better school. I have put so much time into all of this and I am going insane. Its my first off to college so I am over thinking this a bit. But I want him to be able to get into law school when he graduates. thanks</p>
<p>This should be a relatively easy question to answer especially since you say you’ve done your research. Which school has a higher percentage of kids attending law school. Should be pretty easy to find. If I was set on attending law school, that little fact would be important.</p>
<p>I would seriously think twice about encouraging your son to major in sports business. Graduates are a dime a dozen. The pay is crap. A major in marketing, econ, etc would be far more flexible and more rigorous…a much better prep for potential law school. </p>
<p><a href=“In Sports Business, Too Many Hopefuls for Too Few Positions - The New York Times”>In Sports Business, Too Many Hopefuls for Too Few Positions - The New York Times;
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<p>I don’t know anything about Tampa, but I found it hard to take High Point seriously. I’m guessing you saw this thread? <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/893590-whats-real-story-high-point-university.html?highlight=high+point[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/893590-whats-real-story-high-point-university.html?highlight=high+point</a></p>
<p>He (and you) needs to check out the relative caliber and course offerings of both schools. Neither one is a top school but there are many law schools so he can probably get into a law school (but having a law degree does not mean passing the bar or making a living at it). He should look at what various law schools expect of their applicants so he can be competitive for law school. He may find that the sports aspect as a college major is irrelevant in eventually practicing sports law. Talk to local/regional lawyers who practice sports law for professional teams to find out what their background is/was. He may be surprised. For a future in law school he should aim for the best undergrad education he can get- his public flagship could be a much better choice. Remember that he will need to learn the same basics in law school as those planning to specialize in every other branch of law, and he will be competing with those students for a spot in law school. A so-so college and law degree with an undergrad sports major may not make him competitive for sports law positions. Those in the field will know.</p>
<p>We are NC natives. We have two sons. The four of us all graduated from NC public universities. Our kids are recent grads. None of their friends would have considered going to High Point. It’s expensive and not well respected in NC in comparison to other colleges/universities in our state. Has he sent out apps. to any other schools?</p>
<p>U of Tampa…but I guess I’m a bit biased. ;)</p>
<p>NC Native here and the mother of two college students in NC, one at a private school and one at one of our fine public universities. I agree completely with PackMom. High Point is simply not taken seriously as a good school here in the state.</p>
<p>Have you compared the curriculums/class offerings/degree paths for the two schools?</p>
<p>Speaking more to the possible point, sports management is not necessarily a good major for someone who wants to be a sports agent. Many sport management programs are really a more specialized business administration major and are more about managing teams or venues/front office/rear office types of things. Because of this, if I had a student interested in this type of work, I would have him do a generalized business administration degree, with maybe an elective course or two directed specifically to the sports arena. There are just so few jobs in sports, and so many kids who have the dream of working in them. And sports teams don’t necessarily favor those with the specialized degree–they are equally happy to hire those with regular business degrees for this kind of position.</p>
<p>If your son is interested in becoming an agent, he should concentrate on classes that will help him be an effective agent. He will need a strong background in accounting, personal finance and investing, and negotiation strategy. He is not going to get that in a sport management major.</p>
<p>Have your son go over the curriculum for the majors he is interested in at all of the schools he is applying to–will he be getting what he wants/needs in each case?</p>
<p>Also have him check out the career/internship offerings, and see where recent students have been placed. Will he be able to get where he wants to go?</p>
<p>He may want to work for a few years before going to law school. Perhaps a job in an accounting firm aimed at individuals, or working in financial planning would be food experience for him.</p>
<p>All this being said, I would think Tampa would be the better choice although neither school is considered a heavy weight.</p>
<p>Where else is your son applying?</p>
<p>Pass on free ice cream and your own named parking spot? Come on people :)</p>
<p>In the Midwest we call those the 2.5/25/25000 colleges. 2.5 GPA, 25 ACT, 25000 EFC :D. No idea why you’d spend this kind of money for a private school…</p>
<p>Check out Springfield College in Springfield, MA. Excellent reputation in the northeast for Sports Management, Sports medicine, physical education, etc. It has had this reputation for at least 50 years. They also have many graduate programs in these areas. Also, just down the road is Western New England University which has a law school and a great reputation the the Northeast.
It is not too late to send out a few more applications and then he will have a few more choices.</p>
<p>I’m also a NC resident, agreeing with the others that High Point is not regarded as a quality institution. Also we hear rumblings about financial trouble over there, it seems that the number of applicants went down this year and they still have a lot of debts to pay off.</p>
<p>I am not biased in any one direction, but I own two (2) successful companies and hire graduates regularly. U-Tampa and High Point are schools that interest or attract a certain type of student. The statistics confirm that academically they do attract talented students, but the mainstream student who chooses to attend for whatever reason is as qualified as the majority of students at other similar types of private colleges or public universities. Schools like U-Tampa and High Point provide a great education to students who attend and apply themselves, they are also as marketable upon graduation verses comparable schools. The most talented graduates that I have hired and that have proven over time be the most valuable and productive are the kids who have drive, are independent, organized, and can communicate. It seems strange to me when people discount a college or universities reputation.</p>
<p>MJP… It is definitely not strange to discount some colleges and universities. The caliber of students varies widely among schools as does the teaching. Anecdote- years ago a friend TA’d more material in a quarter system course than she was later expected to cover in a semester course elsewhere. There is no reason a highly intelligent and motivated student should settle for a lesser peer group or academic offerings. You are not necessarily seeing the “cream of the crop” nationwide or even statewide applying for positions at your companies. It can be harder to get a good education in an atmosphere where every student is not as intense. MIT and High Point are not in the same league. I have not seen where the best and brightest of NC or FL are clamoring to get into the two private schools mentioned by the OP.</p>
<p>OP- your son should aim for the best academic school he is comfortable with and not for one because of a sports related major offered if law school is his goal. He will be competing with all law school applicants, wanting to specialize in sports law will not be a reason for law schools to take him over other candidates who may have a stronger college resume. Also, be prepared for him to discover other interests or majors leading to the same eventual goal.</p>
<p>Yet a fourth NC parent here to say that High Point University is not well-regarded in NC. It is seen as an amenities-laden school for students from wealthy families. This is not just an “education snob” opinion, but a viewpoint shared by many people who would gladly send their children to just about any other college or university in the state.</p>
<p>I know nothing about the University of Tampa.</p>
<p>HPU is one of the “it” schools in our area for kids whose families don’t have to worry about financial aid. I know of several kids who have gone there, including S1’s senior prom date and a girl from our parish who got a basketball scholarship. FWIW, they’ve done well for themselves. One girl graduated with a double major in business and interior design and got a great job right out of school. Her brother, who turned down merit money from other schools to go there, majored in business and is going to grad school at Wake Forest for accounting. Their parents call it Nido’s Country Club, but they’ve been very happy with it.
ETA: I have to agree, though that the amenities seem to overshadow the academic worth of the school.</p>
<p>Thank you all for your responses. It gave me a lot to think about. He also got into Seton Hall which gave him over 90,000 toward financial aid over 4 years. High Point is out. There are so many schools to chose from. Unfortunately we had a budget that we needed to stay under which ruled quite a few schools out.</p>
<p>crazymom, I would compare the graduation rates, cost if that is of great concern and then let your son decide between those with the highest 4 grad rates and those most affordable.</p>
<p>In my neck of the woods (not NC), High Point has become the place for moneyed, conservative, protective parents to send their kids. Wake Forest-lite.</p>
<p>^^^That makes sense, too. All the kids I know who have gone to HPU have parents who are very protective and willing to pay for the environment they want for their kids.</p>