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.
Spotlight Schools Search
Spotlight New York Schools Related to This Career
- Locations: New York, Rego Park
- Programs: 2 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Bachelor
DeVry University's Keller Graduate School of Management
- Locations: New York, Rego Park
- Programs: One relevant program; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Master, Post- Bachelor's Certificate
- Locations: Rochester
- Programs: 2 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Associate, Diploma
- Locations: Bethpage
- Programs: One relevant program; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Bachelor
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Study from Anywhere at Online Schools Related to This Career
- Programs: 5 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Associate, Bachelor, Master
- Programs: 3 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Bachelor
- Programs: 17 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Bachelor, Doctorate, Master
- Programs: 5 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Associate, Bachelor, Master
- Programs: One relevant program; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Bachelor
Keiser University eCampus Online
- Programs: 3 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Associate, Bachelor
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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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. |
Rochester Institute Of Technology • Rochester, NY
Studying Multidisciplinary Studies With Concentrations In Information Technology, Computer Science And Business Management (completion in 2006)
• 8/24/2011
"I think that I learned a lot trough R.I.T. Even if most of it was self taught through reading the text books. The program and courses were excellently selected and prepared."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It is a very good school with impressive credentials. Although there are many excellent choices of degree programs, you still need to work on your own to find out how a computer really works on the inside. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | When looking for a job, prospective employers have all mentioned how good of a school R.I.T. is and are all impressed with my grade point average there. |
| Program Quality | 7 | The business courses were excellent at preparing you for a career in which you interact with co-workers or customers most of the time. My education lacked the actual hands-on experience involved in physically working on hardware. |
| Instruction | 7 | The instruction and courses were very informative. However, I think it was the course selections themselves that were instructive, not the teachers. |
| How Difficult | 8 | My bachelors degree was earned though distance learning which required a lot of reading and discipline on my part. If you ran into trouble or something you did not understand, it was difficult to get timely help. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | With distance learning, the courses are very heavily based on reading the book and doing short projects to reinforce what you read. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | The classes were all distance learning and allowed the student to work whenever it was convenient for them. There were only a few classes that would meet in a chat room at specific times during the week. |
| Social Life | 3 | As an online student, I did not meet any of my classmates. We got to know names from having many of the same classes, but did not interact much other than in class discussions where we agreed or disagreed on different discussion topics. |
| Placement Services | 5 | Again, I did not take advantage of the school's job placement and career services. This was primarily because the jobs that I saw listed at the school were all around Rochester and I did not want to live there. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I have not taken advantage of any alumni programs or network, so I cannot fairly rate the alumni network and support. |
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. |
Ithaca College • Ithaca, NY
Studying Business Administration & Computer Science (completion in 2012)
• 11/10/2011
"I have a degree and am not in overwhelming debt because Ithaca College gives great financial aid. However if I did it all over again I wouldn't have gone here."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | The computer courses aren't that great; overcrowded, and barely teach you anything but processes. There are very few who can really troubleshoot problems in the real world without a forum or handbook explaining how. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | We are well known for our Park school of communication. The Business program just received its accreditation but is far behind other programs at universities such as RPI and Bentley. |
| Program Quality | 5 | Our computer services are adequate but imperfect. We do not have all the recent software but the campus does try to update their technology every semester. |
| Instruction | 7 | I have learned a great deal on my own. The computer classes are a joke because most of what you learn is from tutorials online or a textbook that does not need actual instruction. |
| How Difficult | 8 | There is a lot of work due in a short amount of time. It isn't very hard work but is very time consuming. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | For both the computer and business school everything is laid out on a textbook and rarely do the professors add to the content. Those instructors who do vary form the textbook rarely use them. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 2 | Monday, Wednesday and Friday classes are the worst because the amount you learn in that time isn't comparable to what you can learn if you could do most of the work on your own. The computer labs also have odd hours to be able to work in them. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | The business school has a state of the art trading room with both Bloomberg and Thomson services. The other labs around campus are more limited. |
| Social Life | 8 | Half the time is spent on Cornell's campus frat parties. The downtown life is great but the bars close at 1 :00 AM. The parties for Ithaca College aren't up to par for what college parties should be. |
| Placement Services | 3 | Most people aren't relying on the university to gain jobs in the business or computer fields. They look towards outside projects and even part time jobs at stores like Apple to extend their careers. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | I don't know of many alumni who have not taken further degrees from other institutions for computer management systems. However, there is a great base to work at the ITS services after one graduates. |
Rochester Institute Of Technology • Rochester, NY
Studying Applied Networking And Systems Administration (completion in 2012)
• 11/11/2011
"I seem to do well with the tasks that my employer assigns. They clearly taught me to learn on my own and I possess the ability to think on my feet when I'm presented with an uncongenial task. My employer also says that I write some of the best documentation about their systems they have ever seen."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | RIT is a great school if you plan to take it seriously. The only thing that I regret is the student loans I have taken out to attend RIT. When I graduate I'll be about $125,000 in debt. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | Our school participated in CCDC, a security competition and we once won regional's. Whenever I tell anyone that I go to RIT they seem to hold me in a higher regard. |
| Program Quality | 10 | They cover everything extremely well. Teach you how to teach yourself. |
| Instruction | 9 | Sometimes they didn't provide enough guidance in figuring things out and left you feeling frustrated. This caused me to rush through assignments rather than trying to learn what I was doing. |
| How Difficult | 10 | They have a number of advanced classes that challenge you to document and present your knowledge. The Systems Admin classes are by far some of the hardest things I have ever had to do. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Labs are a required part of many of the programs. We also have a huge Co-op program where most students are required to work as an paid intern from anywhere from 9 months to 15 months. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | Summer class offerings are somewhat non existent once you start to get into the advanced classes in your program, so it's only flexible if you're left taking liberal arts classes. They do offer a bunch of evening classes and online classes but almost no weekend classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | They have a huge library and plenty of computer labs all around campus. Most of the classrooms are nice. Academic advisors are knowledgeable. Tutors are available. Professors are required to have open office hours. |
| Social Life | 7 | Officially sanctioned events are lame. The parties hosted by students are much better. |
| Placement Services | 10 | They have an entire department ready to help with your resume and to talk to you about interviews and possible job leads. They have their own website where employers can post their job openings for students to apply. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | They provide a biannual publication with RIT news for Alumni. They also have a website dedicated to meeting and networking with Alumni from RIT. You can even see where alumni work and you can contact them if interested. |
Erie Community College • Williamsville, NY
Studying Information Technology (completion in 2011)
• 11/9/2011
"I knew going in I wouldn't get the most I desired out of the experience, but I didn't have the money for a bigger school. For what it was, it was fine. The majority of the students were there because they had to be, not because they wanted to be. It was very detrimental in a lot of ways."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I would recommend it to those who want to start small, and then move on to a larger 4-year college or to those who simply can't afford larger schools. For kids right out of high-school it seems like it would be an easy transition. Small classrooms, accessible teachers... it's like a slightly more mature high-school environment. But only slightly. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | It depends more on the student. If they're willing to put in the effort they will succeed. If not, they won't and their diploma will mean very little. |
| Program Quality | 3 | The classes were offered sparingly because of the lack of interest in my major at this school. It took me a year longer than it should have to get the credits I required. |
| Instruction | 5 | Some professors where extremely professional and taught the material superbly. Others were only there to collect a pay-check and cared very little about whether the material was being adequately conveyed. |
| How Difficult | 3 | Work load was not more than what was bearable. Most of the classes were far too easy to pass. People that were clearly not grasping concepts were still getting 3.00s |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There was surprisingly little hands work on for a technology course. The books gave excellent groundwork however. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | They offered many general education courses online, evening and weekend courses, a winter term and 2 summer terms. Even with a newborn son, and a part time job I was able to get a schedule that worked. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | The school had everything I needed, but could have done with some upgrades. They were in the process of upgrading computer lab hardware my last semester. |
| Social Life | I was there to further my education. Although I made friends with classmates, I had little time for extra-curricular. They did plan social events and had a sports program but I never participated. | |
| Placement Services | 1 | As an adult learner continuing my education, it was very difficult to secure an internship. And without an internship, job placement was virtually impossible. |
| Alumni Network | From my observations, there is very little interest in alumni support. It is only a community college. |
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. |
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