Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Computer Support Specialists
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Manhattan Community College, John Jay, ASA Institute, and La Guardia Community College.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Part-Time: For schools emphasizing part-time studies, consider Maria College, Farmingdale State College, Touro College, and New York City College of Technology.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Barnard College, Maria College, Mildred Elley School, and Daemen.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Medgar Evers College, Monroe College, Monroe College-New Rochelle, and Bronx Community College.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Maria College, The Graduate Center, Mercy College, and Sage College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of United States Military Academy, Columbia, NYU, and Vassar.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of United States Military Academy, Hamilton College, Vassar, and Union College.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Columbia, Cornell, Hamilton College, and Vassar.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Columbia, United States Military Academy, Cornell, and Vassar.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Vassar, Hamilton College, Union College, and Yeshiva University.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
Sort Reviews By:Sorting by: • Show All Details • Hide All Details
Bronx Community College • Bronx, NY
Studying Pre-Pharmacy (completion in 1982)
• 8/11/2011
"It was all very average."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | I am not using anything other than math in my work life. |
| Program Reputation | 1 | It's a school in the Bronx and doesn't have a good reputation at all. |
| Program Quality | 1 | When I went to school, my teachers did not care about any of the students. The school only cared about how much money they will be making off of each student. |
| Instruction | 2 | I did not get a very good education at that school. |
| How Difficult | 5 | N/A |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | In most classes it was a book we went off of. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | Night classes were available. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | Class room, labs, etc. were very accessible. |
| Social Life | 8 | I did get to meet people from all over the world. In this respect I did have a good experience. |
| Placement Services | 1 | There were no job placement services at that time. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | Never had contact after I left. |
ACS - Alliance Computing Solutions • Flushing, NY
Studying Computer Technician (completion in 2010)
• 8/11/2011
"I felt that this school offered what I wanted. I just wanted to take the class and pass the final exam. Both became reality."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Some people do not have the time for a long school year. In addition, many people want to take a specific course relating to the technical field rather than waste your time on other things. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | The school is very straightforward with the materials it needs to cover. That is why so many people keep going back to it. |
| Program Quality | 10 | The school provided a very professional atmosphere. When it was time to take the test, they set the ideal conditions in order for me to take the test without being disturbed. |
| Instruction | 5 | The information covered was great in scope. Therefore, the instructor rushed through the short semester. |
| How Difficult | 5 | Although the professor was not that great, I still passed because of me. I took it upon myself to research everything completely in order to pass the final exam. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The class I attended was on weekends. We spent 4 hours in the classroom while the weekday was spent at home doing independent studying. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | From the looks of it, this school tries to work with everyone. They offer about 2 to 3 different schedules, depending on your lifestyle. |
| Academic Facilities | 3 | This school does not offer much in the way of facilities. This program was created more for a person who is doing an independent study course and does not need the school's help to a certain degree. |
| Social Life | 1 | The school's concentration was on classes and taking tests. |
| Placement Services | 2 | This was not the school's strong point. I already had a job and therefore I was not looking for job placement. |
| Alumni Network | 2 | The alumni was the least of my worries. I had to rely on myself to get the work done. |
Queensborough Community College • Bayside, NY
Studying Computer Engineering Technology (completion in 2005)
• 9/6/2011
"I was taught well by my professors, and they set me up for success. School was a satisfying experience socially as well. The campus was set up in a way so that all my classes were close to one another, and easy to find. All in all, a great experience."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Great professors and great facilities make for great learning. QBCC was instrumental in getting me prepared for the real world. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | I'm not too sure about the current reputation. I know they were doing very well when I attended. |
| Program Quality | 10 | It was a well-thought out program. The campus was conveniently located as well. |
| Instruction | 10 | They let me know exactly what I had in store. I felt prepared to find work, and very confident. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I have been working with computers for a long time, and they were able to show me some new tricks. The difficulty ramped up by the 3rd semester, but by then I was ready. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Working with the hardware was a large focus of my learning. However, I was also shown many new facets of computing through books and lectures. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Online access was very easy. Professors were great about responding to emails at all hours. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Great computer labs, always clean and available. Also, very up to date software and hardware. |
| Social Life | 7 | I made friends I still speak to there. I didn't attend many traditional school social activities, but outside of school was a good time! |
| Placement Services | 10 | There are plenty of resources at the school. Faculty and advisers were more than willing to meet on a one-on-one basis to provide information relevant to job searches. |
| Alumni Network | 6 | I haven't needed to use any alumni support. The professor I was closest to went to another school. |
St. Joseph's College • Patchogue, NY
Studying Computer Information Systems (completion in 2005)
• 10/4/2011
"Overall, I did enjoy my time at St. Joe's. A large majority of the professors were very helpful and I still have contact with some of them at this time."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | If you are looking for a school where you might get the same professor for multiple computer classes, then keep an eye out. Otherwise if you are looking for more hands on work, you may want to consider a tech certificate program. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | This school is more know for its child study program. The CIS degree was newer to the school when I had joined. |
| Program Quality | 10 | The classes were well structured. The professors were very helpful both in and out of the class room. |
| Instruction | 8 | Not everything necessary for a computer position is discussed - it's more the fundamentals and theories that are taught. There should be more hands on, real world experience provided. |
| How Difficult | 4 | Some professors had easy to follow classes and tests. Others had easy to follow classes followed by extremely difficult testing. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | A lot of the experiences were not hands on and came straight from the book. Only the internships allowed for hands on work. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | Most classes were available at varied schedules. At other times, though, classes and prerequisites were not always available in sequence. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | There were multiple computer labs available. The library was open late for additional studies. |
| Social Life | 3 | My schedule did not really allow for me to attend many events. I was involved in a few clubs when time allowed. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I was provided with multiple unpaid intern experiences. Unfortunately, none of these became a full time career opportunity. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | The school still has job placement assistance available to alumni. Additionally, I am still in contact with some of my professors. |
Iona College • New Rochelle, NY
Studying Computer Science (completion in 1994)
• 10/16/2011
"Iona completely fit my needs. The program was very good, instructors were good and locations were convenient."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The program was very good. Instructors were respectful and qualified. It was an overall very good experience. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | Iona is a well-known college in the area. It is known to have quality programs. |
| Program Quality | 8 | School offered a nice selection of courses and teachers were decent. It suited my needs and was local. |
| Instruction | 7 | Some courses provided instruction, which supported job activities. Other courses did not and were theoretical. |
| How Difficult | 8 | I attended part-time. Some courses were very challenging, others moderately challenging. Like all schools, it depends on the instructor. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | About 75% of the work was book learning. 25% of the work involved hands-on computer activities. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | Courses were offered in the evening and summer. In addition, courses were offered at two different locations. |
| Academic Facilities | Although I did not use the facilities, I believe they were offered. I did not hear any complaints concerning the services. | |
| Social Life | 5 | Grad school students taking night courses do not generally form social groups. The experience was as expected. |
| Placement Services | I am unaware of any placement programs. Never received any information regarding placement programs. | |
| Alumni Network | 6 | I do not belong to the alumni group. However, I am aware that it is very active and has a nice following. |
The Anthem Institute • New York City, NY
Studying Network Administration/Engineering (completion in 2000)
• 10/18/2011
"It helped me change careers, but I wouldn't really recommend it for most professionals."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | If you don't already have a degree, most people won't take you seriously to enter this field at a decent-paying job unless you have IT experience or a lot of certifications. There are tons of entry-level help desk jobs that almost anyone could do, but why waste the money on this training to do that type of work? |
| Program Reputation | 3 | People dismiss the program, since it's short term and accepts people with no college education. Plus, it seems like a lot of students aren't serious or don't have the social/emotional skills to be successful in professional IT departments. |
| Program Quality | 5 | I learned quite a bit with the hands-on work, but people don't really respect the school much, so without my unrelated BA degree, I would have never gotten great jobs. |
| Instruction | 6 | Teachers were mostly very enthusiastic about the subjects and wanted us to learn. The hands-on design of the program was essential. |
| How Difficult | 4 | You didn't need a college degree to succeed in the program, as long as you showed some initiative. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Sometimes the instructor would say to ignore the book altogether, and we'd just do hands-on work. Each student was given a laptop to complete their work and practice after hours. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | They offered day/night and full-time/part-time options. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | It wasn't set up like a school, but more like an office setting with some classrooms. They did have tutors available, but no labs or space to hang out much after classes. |
| Social Life | 6 | There were only a couple women, but I hit it off well with the men, and everyone was pretty friendly. Because we spent 35 hours a week together in one room, we got fairly close. There weren't any organized activities though; no sports, clubs or parties. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I got a good job, but it was only because I already had a BA degree in another field. Most of my classmates struggled to find even basic help desk jobs. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | There is no real alumni network, as far as I know. |
Oswego State University • Oswego, NY
Studying Information Science (completion in 2000)
• 10/12/2011
"The infrastructure was there. However, I am not sure they knew how to use it and they certainly didn't have any visionaries looking for what the students should be learning down the line."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | I would not recommend Oswego State. I would recommend a community college and a part-time job in the field and, if you want to continue, then finish up by getting a full-time job and go to school part-time ... and certainly not at Oswego. |
| Program Reputation | 2 | I don't think it really has a reputation one way or the other. It is known more for being a solid journalism school. |
| Program Quality | 5 | In 2000 the program felt a bit old-hat for me. I recently looked at a local college to get a BS in IS/IT but even then it looks like something I could learn from a book. These programs spend too much time explaining things I already know. |
| Instruction | 2 | This is where my curriculum was awful. We spent as much time talking about things that were "old" for 2000 (like TCP/IP and BIOS) and not enough preparing for what is coming. It was more like a history class rather than a preparation or learning track. |
| How Difficult | 1 | There was almost nothing I didn't already know and it was extremely easy for me to pass. I wish I were a bit less arrogant at the time (I could've learned on my own) but the school's pedestrian attempt at "teaching" only strengthened my belief that I knew everything there was to know about IT - even though that wasn't (and isn't) true. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most of my classes were three days a week and there were never two consecutive classes where I wasn't doing something on my own and presenting it to the teacher. It usually went: instruction-task-instruction-presentation, etc. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | This is where I really enjoyed Oswego and I don't know if it is like this elsewhere. Because a great deal of the learning was hands-on, you could really be at "class" whenever you wanted on days when there wasn't any instruction. The year I left, they started instituting distance learning and I swore that I'd do it, but I did not. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The equipment and availability was top-notch. I was the first among my friends/peers to have broadband access in the dorm rooms and the machines were fantastic for the time. |
| Social Life | 10 | A large reason why I wasn't the most serious student was that I had so much fun. Even now, I am still proud to say I am a Laker. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I didn't take advantage of these services. There was no mention of internships or anything of the sort. Perhaps my lack of initiative caused this but it was never mentioned. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I will say it is average only because I have never tried to reach out and use any of the tools they supposedly have. To be fair, I changed my mind at the start of my sophomore (32 credits) year that I just wanted to fulfill the requirements for an associate's instead of my original plan to go for the BS, so it was all very hurried in my final year. |
Vassar College • Poughkeepsie, NY
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2008)
• 11/1/2011
"Vassar was great. I'd recommend anyone in the area check it out, especially if they're looking for a small liberal arts school."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | If you're looking for a school to just learn how to support computers, Vassar is probably overkill (especially compared to a trade school). If you're looking to learn a lot more, though, Vassar has great professors and tons of options, making it really easy to do a double major or a similar track. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | As I said, the school is more focused on the liberal arts, so it sort of downplays the CS department. But if you've heard of the department, I'm sure you've heard good things. |
| Program Quality | 9 | The only real problem is that the school doesn't really like the program. It's more focused on the liberal arts. But the program itself has survived and done well. |
| Instruction | 10 | It's a top notch institution. Most of the professors spend time out in the field for many years before settling down to teach, and all the professors had PhDs or equivalent degrees. |
| How Difficult | 9 | As befitting a top notch education, it was often quite hard. Lots of late nights were spent trying to debug code. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Really, you had lots of options. For the most part, yes, it was book learning, but I took a class where we built a microcomputer from scratch. Another class involved us building a robot to compete against other student groups. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | There weren't any weekend classes, and very few summer & online options. But I had classes start as early as 8am and as late as 7pm, so, during the week, you've got options. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | There were computer labs all over campus, and the library was huge. My advisor was extremely helpful whenever I went to her. |
| Social Life | 8 | Politically, everyone tends to think roughly the same, which can be annoying. But as long as you stay away from politics, most of the people were very interesting. |
| Placement Services | Honestly, I never used the job placement service, so it's not fair for me to grade them. From what I heard, it was pretty good. | |
| Alumni Network | 10 | Their network is almost too good. When I moved, they found me without me having to tell them anything. |
Long Island University • Purchase, NY
Studying Library And Information Science (completion in 2002)
• 10/20/2011
"Would have liked more in-depth study. But it was what it is."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | So much of this job involved dealing with unreasonable people. Good for those who don't mind the stress, not so much for anyone else. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | Pretty good, but it's in a failing field. |
| Program Quality | 5 | Good school. Knew what it was doing. |
| Instruction | 6 | Interesting professors. Broad curriculum. |
| How Difficult | 6 | Two years for a masters degree. Lot of reading and study. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The school utilized a nice combination of both book and hands on. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | The school was very flexible. Lots of evening classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 3 | It was an outpost campus, so there wasn't a whole lot. |
| Social Life | 1 | It was mainly people coming in after work. No a lot of time for socializing. |
| Placement Services | 1 | None to speak of. Once you graduated you were on your own. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | What alumni network? There is none far as I can tell. |
NYU • New York, NY
Studying Communication Arts (completion in 1991)
• 10/23/2011
"I was generally satisfied. The school offers many opportunities."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | My current career and my school have little to do with one another. My education played a minimal role. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | NYU has a good reputation. |
| Program Quality | 5 | I did not study computer training at my university. |
| Instruction | 7 | NYU has good professors. |
| How Difficult | 5 | The program was not particularly hard. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | They were very book oriented. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | They have relatively flexible schedules. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | They have great academic resources. |
| Social Life | 7 | It was a good experience overall. They had nice buildings and good professors. |
| Placement Services | 6 | They have decent job placement services. |
| Alumni Network | I will assume average, as I never take part in alumni activities. |
Sarah Lawrence College • Bronxville, NY
Studying English (completion in 1993)
• 11/27/2011
"I don't really have firsthand experience with any other school to draw comparisons to."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | The career I eventually wound up in had nothing to do with what I studied in. For my career, I would recommend a more technically oriented school. |
| Program Reputation | Twenty years ago, its reputation was excellent. I don't know if it still is or if things have changed. | |
| Program Quality | 7 | It had excellent professors in literature and cultural criticism. Unfortunately, these fields are not in high demand in the employment market. |
| Instruction | 7 | There was no career preparation whatsoever. However, the professors were very engaging and interactive. |
| How Difficult | 3 | The curriculum was as difficult or as easy as the student cared to make it. The opportunity was there if you wanted to take advantage of it. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Small classes encouraged lots of dialogue between the students and instructors. You couldn't have someone bring in a tape recorder for you and expect to get the same experience. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 2 | It was a normal undergraduate program. There was no continuing education track. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Anything the library didn't have on the shelf could be acquired via interlibrary loan within a few days. Professors universally had a very open-door policy, as class sizes were small enough to make that feasible. |
| Social Life | 7 | There was nothing in the way of athletics. There was a normal amount of partying, and the faculty weren't cops about it. |
| Placement Services | 1 | There were no job placement or career services whatsoever. At the time, I didn't know that was something to be expected. |
| Alumni Network | 2 | I get a newsletter now and then. There's an alumni LinkedIn group, but I don't think the school has anything to do with it. |
Columbia University • New York City, NY
Studying Political Science (completion in 2004)
• 12/14/2011
"I am satisfied with my school. In hindsight, I could have picked a better fit, but going to Columbia has opened up many opportunities for me, and for that, I am very thankful."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend Columbia University to anyone pursuing any career. Granted, if they wanted to be a Unix Engineer, I would suggest that they look into the Computer Science department, rather than the Political Science department. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | Columbia University is highly regarded. The political science department has many notable instructors, which is typically the basis for a program's reputation. |
| Program Quality | 9 | My major did not help me with my current career, but it did provide a solid liberal arts education. This education prepared me well for business life, and the knowledge is applicable to all industries. |
| Instruction | 9 | The quality of instruction was typically very high. Like any top-tier university, some instructors are more concerned with research than teaching, but most of the instructors were very concerned with our education. I feel great about the quality of education and the preparation that it provided me. |
| How Difficult | 8 | Columbia University is a very difficult school to attend, regardless of the major. In my area, I was required to read countless books on political science topics, and that forced me to focus on time management in order to complete the required work. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The Political Science program is typically centered around book learning; however, part of the core curriculum requires taking a lab in some science. The Computer Science department is a good mix of book and hands on, since you have to learn and then write code. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | Columbia provided a good mix of different times for classes across all majors. There are always required classes, which can make scheduling difficult; however, it typically is not a problem. Columbia does offer summer classes and will allow you to transfer in credits from other schools' summer programs. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Columbia provides decent facilities. Sometimes the facilities can be a bit old, since the university itself is over 250 years old; however, they do update facilities very frequently. |
| Social Life | 7 | The school spirit at Columbia is almost nonexistent. At many schools, school spirit is centered around athletics, at which Columbia does not excel. Many people go to Columbia not because they love the school, but because they love New York City. Being in the city was a lot of fun. |
| Placement Services | I have not utilized the career services yet, so I cannot personally comment on the quality. | |
| Alumni Network | 7 | Columbia University had a good alumni network. However, most of the alums and thus the network are located in larger cities, primarily in New York. That being said, they seem very nice and motivated. However, I do not have any personal experience utilizing the alumni network. |
State University Of New York College At Fredonia • Fredonia, NY
Studying Biochemistry (completion in 2009)
• 12/19/2011
"I am only satisfied with the fact that I was hired for a position unrelated to my degree at the university, following my graduation."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | This college is an acceptable school. There are certain departments and majors that receive more funding than others, which becomes apparent when not involved in these programs. |
| Program Reputation | 3 | There is very little knowledge of the college's biochemistry program. The school is a liberal arts school that specializes in music education. |
| Program Quality | 5 | This school did not have much laboratory work. There was very little experience from my education. |
| Instruction | 6 | The instruction was sufficient. However, there was little demonstration of the instruction. |
| How Difficult | 1 | Reading a book and taking an exam online was very easy. The lack of difficulty seemed as if the education process was unsuccessful. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The school was entirely book learning. There were no hands-on demonstrations at all. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | There was little flexibility for registration of classes. The classes were set by the instructor, with little chance of modification. |
| Academic Facilities | 2 | There is a minimal budget for the biochemistry program here. It seems as if the single instructor in this program was unaware of funding the department. |
| Social Life | 5 | There was little in terms of organized social events. The university did, however, provide a single performance of a musical group each year. |
| Placement Services | 10 | I acquired a job at the school after graduation. This seems to be the best possible job placement for a college. |
| Alumni Network | I have no knowledge of this from my educational institution. |
SUNY Stony Brook • Stony Brook, NY
Studying Computer Engineering (completion in 2007)
• 12/23/2011
"Overall, I would definitely recommend the school for a future career in IT. Just do not get excited that there will be enough to do socially on the weekends."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The school provides the background and experience to give students a jump on the competition. Professors are there to help every step of the way, and many can give you insight as to how it really is outside of the academic world. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | Last I heard (from the quarterly alumni mailings), the school added a new department head to the program. This could only be good news that the program is expanding. |
| Program Quality | 8 | My school is not known for their IT degrees, but rather their science (bio/physics/pre-doctoral) degrees. The IT department is growing at the school; just not fast enough, unfortunately. |
| Instruction | 8 | Professors having real-world experience was a big plus. They were able to give their own insight as to how IT plays a role in the corporate structure and how independent IT shops function as well. |
| How Difficult | 1 | I enjoy studying computers and almost everything IT, so this all came as second nature. I would not even look at the work as 'study material,' but rather areas of knowledge that could give me an edge. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | This all depends on the class. Overall, I would say it was about even. A number of classes gave us real-world experience, like dealing with hardware issues and rolling out new software across a network. Other classes were 100% case studies from textbooks. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | I believe the earliest class was 7:20am, with the latest class beginning at 8pm. The school had extreme flexibility with class scheduling and work, which was a big plus for those working full time and going to school. There were no online classes at the time of my graduation. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Computer labs in just about every other building, a huge 4-story library and large campus grounds all helped accommodate the learning process. Professors constantly held office hours, many twice a week. |
| Social Life | 3 | The school is mainly considered a 'commuter school,' and unfortunately, even those who lived in the dorms would go home on the weekend. It was like a ghost town from Friday to Sunday. |
| Placement Services | 9 | The school actually helped me land my first internship via their career department. If it was not for their job placement, I may not be where I am today. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | Aside from the quarterly mailings to donate money, I am not active in their alumni association. I do hear that they have a career outreach program that helps place alums into jobs. |
Hartwick College • Oneonta, NY
Studying Computer Information Sciences (completion in 1998)
• 1/24/2012
"I don't want to blame the school. I didn't feel prepared for the real world and I wonder if I didn't learn what I needed to know because I don't feel that my career is going where I want it to."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I would not recommend it based just on the curriculum, but it's a good school that is less overwhelming than large state schools can be. |
| Program Reputation | I am not aware of the reputation at this point. I do know that they are in the 100 most wired schools list. | |
| Program Quality | 7 | I felt that I was already out of date when I left. I didn't feel I had enough programming experience. |
| Instruction | 7 | Good instructors with lots of time to spend helping students. As I said earlier, I'm not sure there were enough programming classes in my major. |
| How Difficult | 5 | Except for math classes, the classes were not too hard, especially not the programming classes. Some classes were based on other classes that weren't required. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Good mix of books vs experience. Had the opportunity to do off campus things a lot. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 4 | Not very flexible. Almost all classes were during weekdays. As a mostly dorm housed student college, that's expected. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Very good access to computers. Again, it's among the 100 most wired schools. |
| Social Life | 8 | I enjoyed the people that I met at the school. I found the classes for the most part to be well taught. |
| Placement Services | 3 | I was not aware of any career placement services that they offered. I did not use any career placement services from my college. |
| Alumni Network | I know there is an alumni association. I haven't used it yet, so I can't say how good it is. |
Finger Lakes Community College • Canandaigua, NY
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2010)
• 1/26/2012
"Like I had mentioned, it was a small school. It was very much like a large High School. Most students also went to the local high school and stayed in their own social groups."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | It's more about music recording and conservation. If you want a tech oriented school, it's not the best. |
| Program Reputation | 4 | I'm not positive about how it rates. It's not really a tech school, so I would assume it's low. |
| Program Quality | 6 | It was a community college, so it was all very vanilla and basic. It at least prepared me to work in an academic environment. |
| Instruction | 7 | The professors (at school) were all seasoned professionals. It helped that most of them had industry experience and were not just book worms. |
| How Difficult | 4 | Again, as a community college, course load / work was fairly easy. Biggest challenge was taking science courses for the degree requirements. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most teachers I had were leftovers from industry work. Having been working, they realized the importance of not just theories, but practical hands on work. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | They had quite a few options for classes available. They also had many night / online classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 4 | The Computer Science department seemed to be lacking. The infrastructure was average at best - it was mostly a music / conservation college. |
| Social Life | 4 | Not really a large school, so the funding was lacking. They did have organized events for freshmen when I first started, though. |
| Placement Services | Again, I've never used any of these services. They don't advertise them much, so if they're not going to put much $ / effort into it, they must not be confident with their skills. | |
| Alumni Network | I've never been involved in the alumni network. They don't advertise it much either. |
Genesee Community College • Batavia, NY
Studying Computer Information Science (completion in 2011)
• 2/5/2012
"My learning experience was great, and my degree has proven to be worthwhile."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | GCC offers a great education, at a community college price. There is the opportunity to do a 2+2 program and transfer to a 4 year college. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | It is a community college, but there is a lot of opportunity there. |
| Program Quality | 10 | The school has very talented and caring teachers. |
| Instruction | 10 | The school has very talented and caring teachers. |
| How Difficult | 7 | It's not very difficult to those with a background in computer information. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most of our work was in-class, which was great, but there was some book and reading material to be done outside of class. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | They hold classes on weekends, nights until 9:00 PM, and almost all classes are offered online or as a hybrid. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Every teacher has study lab hours, there are professional tutors available during all day time hours, and great computer lab and library resources. |
| Social Life | 9 | There are a lot of on campus social activities talking place, including a student common area for recreation and frequent events like concerts or game nights. |
| Placement Services | 8 | The team working in the job placement department are caring, understanding, and are great at assessing your degree, skill set, and background to find opportunities. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | There is an alumni network but I never participated. |
New York Institute Of Technology • Garden City, NY
Studying MBA (completion in 2006)
• 2/27/2012
"I gained the technical knowledge needed to kick-start my career. On a daily basis I use the knowledge gained in school on the job."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Yes I would. The flexibility comprehensiveness of the programs is the main reason I would recommend my alma mater. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | I have heard nothing but good things about the program. |
| Program Quality | 10 | The school specializes in technology based subjects. The instructors are very knowledgeable. |
| Instruction | 9 | I found my courses relevant to the workforce. I was definitely thoroughly prepared for my field. |
| How Difficult | 8 | The difficulty depended on the load. I carried a combination of Business and IS courses which included research projects which were comprehensive. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I participated in a one-year internship which gave me a chance to see book learning in action. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | I completed my degree attending only evenings and Saturdays. I also occasionally did classes via video terminal. I could have also attended online. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Anything I needed was provided. Study groups were formed through the department and professors were always available. |
| Social Life | 5 | As an adult graduate student with a full-time job, school spirit was not a priority for me. The only events I attended pertained to career development. |
| Placement Services | 10 | At my current job, there are 10 people in the department, 7 of whom were directly recruited by the HR representative corresponding with the career services department. |
| Alumni Network | 9 | I attended job fairs which I was informed of via email. My resume was reviewed and rewritten. I had interview training and also was interviewed on campus through the career services office. |
SUNY Empire College • Hartsdale, NY
Studying Information Technology (completion in 2000)
• 3/13/2012
"I think the school did a good job on preparing people. The IT world is hard because it is constantly changing. The school did provide a good knowledge base for the students and helped with viewing IT from different perspectives."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I think the course work was relevant. I also feel the web based environment works well for people who want to get a degree but are working and need flexibility. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | The school is part of the state university system. It is regarded as a good accredited program. |
| Program Quality | 9 | I think the program was very thorough. It had a range of courses available. There were management and technical courses available. |
| Instruction | 7 | I think the instructors were very knowledgeable. The curriculum was useful to get a general idea of the IT world. I find that real world practices are much different as there is always something not working how it is supposed to and you have to find new and creative ways to do things. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I don't think the program was particularly hard. I already had a four year degree when I started the program so I was used to the workload. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The courses were very book oriented. There were some courses, such as the C++ class, that were very hands-on. Otherwise, it was mostly book based. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Classes were mostly web based. We were allowed to sign in at our convenience as long as we finished our work by the deadlines provided. |
| Academic Facilities | Since the courses were web based, I did not have any reason to use their academic facilities. I only had a couple of brief meetings at the campus. | |
| Social Life | I did not participate in any social experiences at the school. Being mostly web based, there was little opportunity for this. | |
| Placement Services | I did not use this service. I was already working in the IT field when I started taking classes with the school. | |
| Alumni Network | I do not participate in alumni events. I do get emails and mailings on a regular basis about different events. |
SUNY Old Westbury • Old Westbury, NY
Studying Humanities (completion in 1998)
• 3/15/2012
"I was satisfied with my schooling, because it did teach me a lot, and a lot about myself. However, if I were to do it over, I would major in something else."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Even though I didn't pursue the field I majored in, my school has an excellent Computer Science department, which is the field that I cam currently in. I did minor if Computer Science, while I attended. |
| Program Reputation | I can't currently rate my school's reputation when in comes to the Humanities department. However, when I was enrolled, it was a top notch department, with accredited professors. | |
| Program Quality | 8 | My major opened my eyes to people, and other Cultures. This helped in my everyday interactions with people. |
| Instruction | 9 | The courses I took in college prepared me for the outside world. Also the quality of the subject matter was on point, which I am reassured by the people of other cultures that I have studied. This is especially visible when I'm able to speak to them about their culture, and knowing what I'm talking about. |
| How Difficult | 7 | It was a lot of reading and writing of research papers. The most difficult part for me was completing my thesis. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It was a mixture of both because our professors were very knowledgeable in their teachings. Most of them have lived in the places that they taught about. Which gave them hands on knowledge about the cultures they were teaching. Which in my opinion, one can't get through reading books. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | At the time I went to school, online classes weren't available anywhere, they were very flexible with the summer offerings though. As I came closer to the end of the classes for my major, I was limited to when they were offered. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | My school made every effort for their students to succeed. We had tutors, libraries stayed opened late, professors' office hours were reasonable, and had many computers available to their students. |
| Social Life | 10 | This school was very involved with school spirit. We had big social events that were held by the school as well as a big Fraternity/Sorority presence. Which also held a lot of events. |
| Placement Services | I didn't use the job placement services. However they did have a few job fairs for Seniors. | |
| Alumni Network | I personally have never networked with my fellow alumni. Not sure if my school has some type of alumni network, besides social media outlets. |
Online Course Finder
Find the path to your
education in 3 easy steps.