What students say about local colleges
Alas, no one reviewed UAlbany's new walk-through fountain.
Unigo, a new site aimed at giving prospective college students the scoop on schools, debuted this week. It uses a sort of Zagat-style approach in which students already at the schools write reviews.
So what were the reviews like for local colleges? We picked out some highlights (and lowlights).
UAlbany
Tests here are described as "super easy". A person using the id Ludwig von Mises writes "I WOULD PRIVATIZE THE WHOLE THING" and also says "The most popular thing is to be apathetic and high." One reviewer highlights "amazing bus transportation" that just becomes "second nature" for students.
Skidmore
Many of the reviewers mention how much they love the small size of Skidmore and its emphasis on academics. Saratoga is described as "an ideal college town."One reviewer disputes Skidmore's "Smokemore" stereotype: "maybe half [of the students] smoke pot but only one-sixth smoke constantly."
Union
Union also gets positive mention for its small size and academics, though one person says it "can feel very small at times." One reviewer describes it as generally "preppy, rich, overwhelmingly white" where "most students wear Lacoste, Vera Bradley, Longchamp, Ralph Lauren." Another says the best thing about the school "is all the free stuff you get."
RPI
A reviewer cuts right to it: "Academics at RPI are hard. What do you expect?" Students are described as "very driven." One reviewer says it's true that the students are "nerdy." Another says you never see all of RPI's supposed "anti-social nerds" because "they are always locked away in their rooms."
We couldn't find any reviews for Siena or St. Rose.
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Comments
What about St. Rose?
... said Amy on Sep 23, 2008 at 4:11 PM | link
Couldn't find any student reviews for Siena? How about St. Rose? My guess is the students weren't motivated to put down the pint glasses long enough to answer...
... said Ellen on Sep 23, 2008 at 4:25 PM | link
What about St. Rose?
Erp... forgot to mention we couldn't find reviews for them, either. They might exist, but Unigo's site seems to be straining under the load of being mentioned in the NYT Mag.
... said Greg on Sep 23, 2008 at 6:08 PM | link
As a College of St Rose grad, I cannot be "okay" with not having a review up here! So here's my opinion, for what it is worth...
Yes, we drink, we party, we pack the college bars, but we also study. We study hard. We pass with high marks (those who don't study don't make it), and we are well educated come graduation. There is a reason our school costs so much, and that is because of the amount of knowledge a student will leave with. Not only that, but a St Rose diploma is worth every dime spent based on reputation alone. All you need on a job interview is a St Rose diploma and you are that much further ahead.
Maybe I'm biased having gone there, but I went back for Grad school, so that is definitely worth something..!
... said MS on Sep 23, 2008 at 8:20 PM | link
While I agree with MS that my Saint Rose diploma was worth every dime, it is not because of the stellar teaching or quality institution. Rather because I was so dissatisfied with my education and leadership that I pushed myself to do more than what was assigned in my classes, I pursued classes at other schools that I was able to transfer and completed as many internships as possible.
I tried to transfer to other schools three times, but because of how St. Rose structures their programs and credit transfer equations, I would have had to start from scratch at each new school.
And that's just what I think about education aspect of the school. Don't get me started on ridiculousness that is their Residence Life department and Campus Security or their systematic destruction of Pine Hills.
... said ellie on Sep 24, 2008 at 2:49 PM | link
I don't think it's any coincidence that the people arrested in the big drug bust in Pine Hills this morning were St. Rose students (yeah, I looked 'em up on facebook. I was bored).
http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=723329&category=&BCCode=&newsdate=9/24/2008
St. Rose students seem to have little regard for anything other than the bars on Madison and partying.
... said Ellen on Sep 24, 2008 at 3:21 PM | link