Famous College Campuses That Made the Big Screen
College campuses are full of fun facts and claims to fame. My personal favorite fact about my alma mater is the McDonald’s on campus is the only McDonald’s in the world to dispense Pepsi products, as the University of Maryland is serious about being a Pepsi-only school! While that is a pretty great claim to fame, how much cooler would it be if I could brag that my school was featured in a movie?!
Check out this list of universities featured in films WiseChoice just compiled. Now when you are touring these campuses, make sure to ask which bench Matt Damon sat on or which quad Reese Witherspoon walked across!
University vs. College: Is There a Difference?
Are you like me, lying awake at night, pondering the great questions of the universe, wondering what is the difference between a university and a college? (Or, is there a difference?) If so, then fret no more, you will rest easy tonight! I have used the terms “college” and “university” interchangeably on this blog and I figured I owed it to you to research the differences and share what I learned. I learned that I was right all along… well, kind of.
I always thought the differences between the two was that a university is made up of various colleges (College of Arts and Humanities, College of Education, College of Chemical and Life Sciences, etc.), whereas a college is an institution specializing in just one of those fields of study, and that colleges are usually smaller than universities (up to 12,000 students vs. up to 56,000). But then I started thinking of schools with “college” in their names, like Dartmouth and Boston Colleges and realized they offer undergraduate and graduate degrees in arts, science, business, and more… So, like Rebecca in “Confessions of a Shopaholic,” and every other person with internet access, I Googled it. Read the rest of this entry »
Colleges: Public vs. Private…Which is Better?
I spent my first two years of college at a smallish, private university with about 6,000 students, and my last two years at a large public university with around 30,000 students.* Were there differences? Of course, and most of the differences were related to the size and the resources of the school, not necessarily because one was private and one was public.
I graduated from my home state’s flagship university, University of Maryland, which meant I got to attend a great school at an in-state tuition price. It was significantly less expensive than the private university I transferred from— a total benefit of having a well-funded and impressive public school in your own state. But don’t be fooled into thinking that all public universities are inexpensive. Often the cost of tuition for in-state residents is discounted through government funding, but out-of-state students could find themselves paying just as much as they would at a private college. Read the rest of this entry »
How to Get the Most Out of a College Fair
Ladies and gentleman, it is finally here! The college fair! Granted, you may not find funnel cake and ferris wheels, but nonetheless, it is still an exciting fair. A college fair is a gathering of colleges and universities (ranging anywhere from ten to hundreds of schools) in one convenient location. They allow prospective students to talk with college representatives to learn more about their specific institutions. College fairs are useful because they can help you learn more about a college you already know well, help you eliminate some from your list, or acquaint you with schools you never considered. Your high school counselor is an excellent resource to find college fairs in your area. You can also review the 2010 National College Fairs Schedule to find a fair close to you. Read the rest of this entry »
College Planning Tips From an “Inside Source”
I have a mild obsession with organization. Color-coded binders and sticky notes were staple items in my backpack all throughout high school (…and college, and graduate school). When the time came to apply to college, I put my organizational skills to good use. I went to the bookstore and perused hundreds of pages of college selection books. I took bountiful notes, I dog-eared pages, I highlighted, I labeled, I read everything about every college. Despite my meticulous approach (which was still helpful), the college application process remained daunting. Why? Because after all my efforts, I still did not have the faintest clue about what I wanted in a school. Read the rest of this entry »
What’s the Purpose for a College Education?
I am a creative person, a free thinker… a student of the world, if you will. And that’s exactly why an Arts and Humanities degree was right for me. I loved taking classes in comparative religions, gender and race studies, the history of dance and the philosophy of machines. I am also well aware that none of those classes had any practical use in my daily life, certainly not the way a class in thermodynamics would be useful to a mechanical engineer. But I see the purpose for a college education beyond a professional application. I believe strongly in the value of expanding your mind and studying random and interesting subjects while you can. Of course that’s not to negate the fact that I then went to graduate school in hopes of becoming more employable, or that on occasion, I wish I was a dentist. Read the rest of this entry »
Ten Colleges & Universities Offering the Biggest Bang for Your Buck
There’s a reason people line up at the mall before dawn on the biggest sale days. It’s because everybody loves a bargain, and at WiseChoice, we believe college tuition should be no different. We’ve just recently released our list of top ten colleges in the U.S. offering the greatest value with some of the best financial aid you can find.
How does going to school in our nation’s capital on a scholarship sound? Be sure to check out Catholic University of America which offers subsidized federal nursing scholarships and loans and many merit-based scholarships. What about a state university set in the Rocky Mountains offering major scholarships to out-of-state students and freshman? Montana State University may be the school for you. Read the rest of this entry »
College Transfer, Continued: Real Life Examples
“What’s wrong with transferring?” Jay Mathews of The Washington Post asks this question of a survey completed by WiseChoice. The survey, which included over 800 college freshmen nationwide, found that 33% were already thinking about transferring. That seems like quite a large percentage to WiseChoice, especially just a few months into the first semester of college. WiseChoice believes that if students took more time to research their selected schools before applying, many could eliminate transferring and instead, find college to be a rewarding experience right from the start. (Not to mention, avoiding the headaches and costs associated with transferring.)
However, Mr. Mathews argues that transferring to another college is part of the maturation process, “trying something and seeing if it works, then moving on if it doesn’t.”
So, what do others have to say about transferring? Read real life examples from those who transferred colleges and the situations they encountered.
The Realities of the College Transfer
“If you don’t like your college, you can always transfer.” How many times have you heard that? You must admit, it seems to take the pressure off of finding the right college. You choose a college, and if it doesn’t work out, you transfer. Sounds easy enough, right?
But before you make a decision just to end the tiresome college research, let’s look at the implications of transferring: Read the rest of this entry »
Do Your College Research Now and Skip the Transfer Later
Planning for college can definitely be intimidating. After all, there are THOUSANDS of colleges out there, each with beautiful web sites and brochures of students studying on the “quad” or bicycling through the fall leaves. It’s enough to make you think that no matter where you go, you will have a wonderful college experience. You just need to focus on your SAT, GPA, and essays to submit strong college applications. Right?
But don’t be fooled, because reality can strike hard. That college that you never visited but really meant to—can quickly turn into a big regret. Perhaps you thrive in a competitive academic environment and find the students in your classes to be apathetic. Or maybe the campus doesn’t offer the activities you love to do in your free time. College acceptance doesn’t necessarily mean college satisfaction. Read the rest of this entry »
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