Depends on What You Want to Be & What Grad Schools You Want
Written: Feb 06 '00 (Updated Feb 07 '00)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Great Value for Computer Science, Safety Science, Teaching and PreGrad Prep. (depends where you want to go). Also, ME!!! ";^) Not kidding. Also, most teachers, seek them out and show that you appreciate your major and them..
Cons: Not for braniacs nor a very exciting environment.
|
|
|
| EDuPUNK's Full Review: Indiana University of Pennsylvania |
TOC:
1. My Background (Experience with the School)
2. My Current Work (Since Leaving the School)
3. Review of the School
4. How Does It Compare With Others
5. What Has Impacted Me Most
6. Who Should Attend
----------------------------------REVIEW----------------------------
1. MY BACKGROUND:
I graduated in 1991 and won the Bartolomucci Award, which is given to the Most Outstanding Marketing/Management Graduate. I went to High School in Indiana County (United High), where I was Valedictorian. I went to IUP (Indiana University of Pennsylvania) because of personal/family problems, i.e. IUP was cheap and near.
2. MY CURRENT WORK:
After IUP, I went on to graduate from Northwestern University School of Law in 1995 (I was the first IUP graduate to ever attend Northwestern). Presently, I am partner and founder (with a classmate from Northwestern) of an Investment Banking Firm in Romania.
[Currently looking to putting an e-team together BTW to start a website, with my partners and I seeking the financing, or a team to start and market a Romanian programming company (we have the programmers) to obtain offshore contracts for programming, website design, multimedia programming.
3. REVIEW OF SCHOOL
Well, it depends what you want to know.
...Campus & Facilities....The campus is cramped and ugly [mainly because the campus is cramped, resulting in a lot of concrete]. IUP has almost 15,000 students (including both full-time and part-time). I've been to schools with less than 3,000 students [Messiah College, PA; Grove City, PA; Salisbury State, MD; and Edinboro U., PA] with campuses twice as spacious as IUP's or much more pretty [Univ. of Pitt. at Johnstown]. HOWEVER,the facilities (not counting dorms) are surprisingly excellent (especially for the tuition).
IUP has some very nice computing [though they need expanded], gym and library facilities. Departments that have really nice facilities include the business school, the school for fashion/culinary & hospitality [I am not sure of the exact department name], the art department and the safety science department.
As for dorms, IUP's are nothing exciting but are about the same as those I've seen in other state schools - Penn State [which is actually quasi-state], Clarion Univ., PA, and private schools for that matter.
...Life & Student Body....As far as life and clubs, it is pretty small town and it is not a student body field with up and comers and intellectuals [recommend seeing James Brundage's review for more on this]. It should be pointed out the school runs a lot of cultural programs, including some very cool art and other exhibits and great recitals.
...Education....It depends on the major. Based on employability, which is the main one that should matter, the following are the strongest fields at IUP(with indication of competitive area):
> Safety Science (Nationally competitive);
> Education (I believe regional);
> Computer Science (Normally regional, but in this market, you could go Nationwide easily): Distinguished alumni would include the person who gave $3 million to the school (sorry, I forget name, someone clue me in, it's Robert "something." I would also include a friend of mine from high school, who is now the network administrator for Jones Day Reavis & Pogue (one of the countries top 10 largest law firms).
For other fields, I would carefully question the department heads. I would definitely say the school and academic environment is not for extremely ambitious persons [though I guess if you are extremely ambitious - I am - and especially if you have resources - I don't - the school would do just fine for you cause you would make your own opportunities].
As for business, my school, I don't really consider it strong, especially for placement. That said, there are some very strong professors. My experience with the school has been redeemed mainly because of that. I still maintain regular contact with one professor (and probably should introduce and reintroduce myself for more).
As a general sum, I can tell you that overall, the relationships you make and can hold onto in school will mean more to your success than the school you go to [unless it's the very elite - the IVY's, and even there, the alumni network is a huge attraction].
4. How Does It Compare With Others
Compared with other schools at its academic quality level - California University, Clarion Unversity, etc. - IUP is probably a better choice [to be fair, I don't know enough about those schools to determine].
Academically (and environment wise), it would not compare with any good private school and not with any of the recognizable state schools.
5. What Has Impacted Me Most
If you haven't guessed, it has been the support of one of the Professors and of the former head of the computer support department, who gave me a work study position, even the position usually goes to computer science students. Until my current job, it was the best job I ever had and set the course for me to be an exceptional computer user for not having an IT background.
P.S. My main regret was not taking his advice during my last year working for him (my senior year). He told me back in 1990 [before WinNT; when Novell and Banyan Vines were the big thing] that networks would be the big thing of the future and advised me to get into it [I specialized on software setup and support not network installation]. Boy, I wish I would have taken his advice and used the time there to learn how to set up and administer networks. LOL
6. Who Should Attend
Well, if you have the opportunity to go to a recognized school (at the time I went, my SAT was above the average SAT for schools such as Duke, UVA, Penn, understand?). People like me should not go.
But for those who go, show that you love learning and are an achiever (don't be surprised if you get criticized behind your back and resented for it - I was because I showed it in class. BTW, I wasn't doing it for the attention or to show off. I was doing it because I either enjoyed the class or because, I am not exagerating, I found it so boring and insufferable when the teacher would ask the questions and there would be that awkward silence because nobody wanted to answer the question while others answered and would give incredibly inept answers).
BTW, don't even think of contacting me for advice or help if you were one to resent and criticize the achievers in your class.
<(;^> ~
Also, if you are interested in safety science, computer science or teaching, go. If you are interested in going to grad. school (Univ. of Pitt, Dickinson, Ohio State, Penn State), you can attend with the safe knowledge that graduates do regularly get in to grad school their.
Don't go if your goal is to get into the elite grad. schools (the IVY's, Stanford, etc. - though students have gotten into Northwestern Law School (Me), Univ. of Penn Medical School and Yale University. - I forget what school, it wasn't law though. I believe someone even entered Harvard MBA - I would have to check). In sum, you better be damn good, cause you literally will be one in several hundred thousand (remember, this school graduate about 3,000 - 4,000 per year).
If you want to go for the top, definitely contact me, cause if you pan out, I will be one of the best contacts/networking experiences you will ever have.
Recommended:
No
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
EDuPUNK
|
|
Location: Penn Run, PA
Reviews written: 13
Trusted by: 3 members
About Me:
Founder of Investment Banking Firm, J.D. & Marketing, Hobbies incl. Producing Bands & Graphic Design.
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2008 Shopping.com, Inc.