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 Community College of Philadelphia, Erie Institute of Technology, Penn State, and Slippery Rock University.
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 Erie Business Center, Yorktowne Business Institute, University of Pittsburgh-Titusville, and Keystone.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Bryn Mawr, Cedar Crest, Carlow, and Cambria-Rowe Business College.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Cheyney, Community College of Philadelphia, and Peirce College.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Peirce College, Eastern University, Chestnut Hill, and Waynesburg University.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Bryn Mawr, Swarthmore College, Haverford, and UPenn.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Ursinus College, Swarthmore College, Washington & Jefferson College, and Haverford.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at UPenn, Swarthmore College, Carnegie Mellon, and Haverford.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Swarthmore College, UPenn, Haverford, and Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Swarthmore College, Haverford, Bryn Mawr, and Bucknell.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Shippensburg University • Shippensburg, PA
Studying Information Systems Management (completion in 2007)
• 4/29/2011
"I feel like I got a good education at my school. The facilities, the professors, etc. are all in place to help a student succeed, but they are not going to spoon-feed lazy students. I think this is very important!"
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | Although I was very happy with most of my professors, I would like to see a better selection of my major courses. Also, I would really like to see less general education requirements. I think a student should be allowed to take as many major or "technical" (non-general education) courses as they can as I feel these better prepare the student for a career in their chosen fields. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | To be honest, I'm really not sure what Shippensburg University's reputation for my major is. However, my major falls within the John L. Grove College of Business, a division of Shippensburg University. The Business College has a really good reputation among local (and not so local) employers. |
| Program Quality | 8 | Shippensburg University has a very good business college, from which I graduated. The only thing I would have liked more is a better selection of my major courses. For example, I asked about the future offerings of "Computer Forensics" and "Cyber Security". |
| Instruction | 8 | Most of my professors were really excellent (especially Dr. Danesh!). However, there were a couple of instructors who seemed like they were just going through the motions. I like profs who challenge their students to do their best, but are fair. |
| How Difficult | 9 | I took at least 3-4 courses involving computer programming in one fashion or another and these were "homework"-intensive. Also, I attended full-time, taking usually 5 courses per semester. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | My major, of course, was a bit of both. My major courses, which involved programming, analysis & design, etc. were very hands-on (which I liked)! General education courses are mostly taught from book, but even in some of those you had a little hands-on activity. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | I would like to see the school expand their online and evening offerings. Many students cannot afford to drop a job so that they can attend college full-time. Offering classes in an alternative and flexible format makes it so much easier for potential students to get the courses they want/need. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The school has an excellent computer lab, among other things. Professors had an open-door (or by appointment) policy, most being easy to see if needed. Tutors were available for those who needed them. |
| Social Life | 8 | Although I didn't participate in night life, the school has a really good reputation for its social life. There are plenty of events and clubs - something for everyone. |
| Placement Services | 8 | The school provided a "center" where you could get help with resume writing and practicing for interviews. They also frequently advertised these available services to students. |
| Alumni Network | 9 | They do a really good job reaching out to alumni via phone calls and emails. They also publish a magazine which I get on a regular basis. It's well designed and includes updates on fellow alumni career milestones, etc. |
Westminster College • New Wilmington, PA
Studying Public Relations (completion in 2003)
• 9/23/2011
"Mostly satisfied from the computer support experience that I obtained from working at the technology help desk as a student worker. The social aspect was enormous as well, as I made a remarkable number of friends that I am still involved with. Overall, the education wasn't terrific, but the social life and computer support experience paid off."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I gained a well rounded education at this school. I believe that if my degree were actually in the line of work that I am involved in, I would have burned out much sooner than now. My social experiences and public relations education has furthered me in my career much more than if I would have gotten a degree only in a computer support field. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | It is a liberal arts college that has little to no outside reputation for its PR program. I only got involved in it after taking an introductory class. |
| Program Quality | 5 | It was a relatively new program at my school and they were still working out the kinks. After speaking with individuals who were in the same program at other schools, they were much better prepared for the field. |
| Instruction | 5 | Very little career preparation was done - the most involved that this program got in preparing us was asking what field were were interested in and why. Only the top level, obvious information was useful outside of the classroom. |
| How Difficult | 4 | It was very possible to put minimal input into this program and still receive a degree. Work load was extremely minimal and non challenging. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There was very little that wasn't classroom oriented book learning. There were a couple projects that involved activities and events outside the classroom, however it was mostly all memorization from textbooks. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | I never had an issue with scheduling. I live on campus and always had options to take the classes I wanted. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | The availability of professors was adequate - they were always available when needed. It was a welcome learning experience, just a new program that needed time to develop. Classroom space was never an issue. |
| Social Life | 8 | It was almost a high school atmosphere because the school was extremely small (3400 students). There was plenty to do as long as you were somewhat social. They did well for being situated in an Amish town. |
| Placement Services | 4 | Other than providing some fliers in their office, little was done to assist with career guidance. As mentioned earlier with the alumni association, nothing was done to follow up after I graduated. |
| Alumni Network | 4 | They send out a newsletter and ask for money. There has been no direct connection or concern with my current career. |
Penn State • Lehigh Valley, PA
Studying Information Sciences And Technology (completion in 2007)
• 9/25/2011
"I enjoyed my time there. Only downfall is I didn't get a big campus feel."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The book learning still helped me learn. I also know the school itself has a good reputation and a huge network. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | I never really heard about anything other than looking in a booklet. I can't say for sure if they are known for it. |
| Program Quality | 7 | I received a lot of theory and not so much hands on application. I learned more at my job than I did in school. |
| Instruction | 7 | The teachers gave a high quality of instruction. I feel they focused too much on project management. |
| How Difficult | 7 | I would say you needed to have a background in computers. I had a constant workload from the IST classes. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | As stated before there were not many hands on resources. Example: I took a network class with no actual networking equipment. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | They seemed to be open to all kinds of student schedules. I had night, day and online classes, and I know they offered some on weekends. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | My school in particular was a small campus. They could have used more resources to make things more hands on. |
| Social Life | 10 | Because it was a small campus I got to know most of the people. There were no dorms, but everyone got together between classes. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | From what I understand it is really good. I do not belong to any networks. |
Pittsburgh Technical Institute • Oakdale, PA
Studying Network Specialist (completion in 2009)
• 9/29/2011
"It was an easy and relaxed learning environment. The instructors were very helpful with any questions one could ask."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The academics are very good and the classroom atmosphere was very easy to learn in. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | The school continually changes the curriculum to meet the changing industry. The school keeps the instructors informed of these changes. |
| Program Quality | 9 | Computers are always changing so you can never have enough training. I think that the Instructors were very knowledgeable about the courses. |
| Instruction | 10 | My Instructor for the A+ Certification was very easy to understand and he challenged me to learn. The Instructor for the Microsoft courses was energetic and he had a very good understanding of the material that we worked on. |
| How Difficult | 7 | Each day the classes were challenging and very informative. The instructors made each class very good and challenging. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | the instructors gave lab assignments to work on in class and they also gave assignments out of the books. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | They had morning and evening classes |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | The campus is very big and they have a large library. They also have two large labs with computers at the students' disposal. |
| Social Life | 8 | The school encouraged student activities and assisted with these activities. |
| Placement Services | 8 | The had career counseling personnel to help with every aspect of job placement help. They have a web site to help with understanding the different aspects of the job search. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | I receive emails and mail about the different programs available to me as an alum. |
The Pennsylvania State University • University Park, PA
Studying Business Logistics (completion in 1994)
• 9/30/2011
"I have very good feelings about Penn State. I have not been unemployed once since leaving and I have a number of life long friends from school."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I say maybe only because it is in a small town and that is not for everyone. For logistics, however, Penn State is the way to go. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | Penn State is rated very high for Logistics. At the time I went, we were number one in the US. |
| Program Quality | 10 | Penn State provided me with a quality education and foundation for my career. At the time, Penn State was the #1 school for my program. |
| Instruction | 10 | My professors and what they taught were extremely valuable. I only ever had one bad professor and he was removed a few semesters later. |
| How Difficult | 7 | I would say the workload was average. We had projects instead of papers which was a big plus for me. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | For general education, it was very book oriented. Major related classes had a nice mix of book and projects/activities. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | Early on, scheduling was very easy. Later, junior and senior level classes there were only offered in one or two sections, so it was more difficult to get the exact schedule I wanted. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Penn State's facilities were top notch. I was especially impressed with the availability of advising, job search help and computer facilities. |
| Social Life | 10 | For a small town, it was very social. I have life long friends to this day from Penn State. |
| Placement Services | 10 | Penn State Business Logistics took direct interest in recruitment. Instead of career services, interviews for Business Logistics majors often were conducted at the academic department office. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | Penn State has a wide-reaching alumni network. It is not difficult to network with other Penn Staters through a variety of media. |
Pittsburgh Technical Institute • Oakdale, PA
Studying Network Security And Computer Forensics (completion in 2005)
• 10/5/2011
"I learned very little knowledge to help build my career. I got a degree and that was my main goal and I know that helped me get my foot in the door."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | I have talked many people out of going to this school and I would never recommend it. The cost of the programs are way out of proportion with the benefits. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | The school offered programs that were not available elsewhere in town. They are known around the area to produce some strong alumni in the field. |
| Program Quality | 1 | The training I received at my school was very poor and did not prepare me for my field. I used very little of my education in my career even though all my jobs have been directly related. I'm very disappointed in my choice for a school. |
| Instruction | 1 | The instruction was very poor. They taught very basic information that anyone could learn easily from a book. The instruction was repetitive and progressed slowly. I learned as much in each hour of class as I would have learned in five minutes on my own with the course materials. |
| How Difficult | 1 | I barely did any work outside of the scheduled class time. The only work I remember doing outside of class was writing papers. I graduated with honors and exerted myself much less than when I was in high school earning poor grades. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The teachers were very laid back and very few followed the course material. We did everything hands-on and only referenced books if we ran into a problem. Most of the courses that were not technology-based were more book based. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 3 | The school did not have a very flexible schedule. Some classes were always full while other classes schedules were sparse. If you had to make up a class it was very difficult to work it into the schedule. The school did offer morning and evening programs. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | The facilities and resources were good. They had a large library with technical books in it. The computer labs were large and always had plenty of systems open. The class rooms had enough equipment and room. There was a tutoring program which was free of charge and well staffed. |
| Social Life | 5 | There were plenty of opportunities to work together with other students and spend time outside of classes. The school organized some social events. |
| Placement Services | 5 | The school put effort into job placement and took it seriously. They make sure all students get an internship (part of the graduation requirements). I was given several opportunities for internships while I was there. I do not have experience the school's career services because I was able to find a job immediately after my internship without the school's assistance. |
| Alumni Network | 4 | The school did put effort into supporting the students with internships and jobs. But I have never experienced any help from the alumni network. |
Widener University • Chester, PA
Studying Management Information Systems (completion in 1991)
• 10/11/2011
"I felt that my training emphasized mainframe computing. My work was all with networked PCs."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I don't know what they currently offer. I have to assume that they've adapted their curriculum to more current trends in the IT field. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | I don't really know. I've not seen any ratings. |
| Program Quality | 5 | My profs painted a rosy picture which never came true. |
| Instruction | 7 | In general, I liked my courses. I can remember only one particularly poor instructor. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I never thought of myself as a particularly good student. Yet, I was on the Dean's least throughout my studies. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | We had no labs that I can remember. I did enjoy the project in my Data Processing Auditing course. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | I had to take courses when offered. Sometimes I had to travel further than my home campus to do this. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | There was an excellent campus library. I didn't see much evidence of the other services. |
| Social Life | 4 | Being a night student and living a substantial distance from campus, I didn't get involved in much social life. I did enjoy the one football game I attended. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I never made use of these services. I was a full-time employee going to night and weekend classes. |
| Alumni Network | 4 | I don't think much of it. All I ever hear from them is a request for money. |
Penn State • University Park, PA
Studying Information Sciences And Technology (completion in 2007)
• 10/31/2011
"My experience at PSU was very memorable. I am very glad I made the decision to attend PSU."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The program of study is very thorough and it will prepare you adequately for your future. The alumni network is also invaluable. You will find PSU graduates all over the country. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | It is a fairly new program of study but it has done well throughout the years. The facilities on campus are excellent and the students leaving the program are well equipped to be successful in the work force. |
| Program Quality | 10 | The IST program at Penn State was top notch. It has produced many successful IT employees across the nation. The networking at Penn State is like none other. |
| Instruction | 8 | The courses that were required for the major were very challenging. They also gave you exposure to many different aspects of IT (development, project management, Business analysis, etc) so that you can get a feel for what type of work you would like to do in the future. |
| How Difficult | 8 | As mentioned above, the curriculum was very challenging. The intent was for us not to be spoon fed information but instead for us to struggle a bit and learn on our own from time to time. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | As mentioned earlier, the IST program used a problem based learning approach. We would be given a problem and then the resources in order to solve the problem. By design, we were not spoon fed information. This was to prepare us for our future careers. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | The class schedules were very flexible. I had a couple of night courses as well as online courses which were very helpful. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Penn State recently built a new building for this major. This was completed around 2003. The building has all of the bells and whistles you would expect at an IT building. |
| Social Life | 10 | My experience at Penn State was very memorable. There were lots of activities for you to get involved in. The athletics on campus are also very popular. |
| Placement Services | 7 | We were all given an advisor to assist us with career placement. The university also has quite a few career fairs where major companies were brought in to recruit. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | Penn State has one of the largest Alumni groups in the country. Having such a big network is a huge advantage, especially when seeking other opportunities. |
La Salle University • Philadelphia, PA
Studying Information Technology (completion in 2003)
• 10/27/2011
"I loved my college, and recommend it highly. Tuition was fair and the education was excellent."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Absolutely. La Salle is a great choice for those interested in IT. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | As far as I am aware, it is quite well-regarded. I would certainly recommend it. |
| Program Quality | 8 | La Salle did a great job of preparing me for a career in IT. The courses they offered were quite relevant to real-life experiences on the job and the professors had a wealth of knowledge. |
| Instruction | 8 | Education was paramount at La Salle. The IT courses were very useful in preparing me for a helpdesk-type role. |
| How Difficult | 9 | IT courses are hard. Everything from programming courses to the Physics of Electronics - none of these were easy courses and required a lot of effort outside the classroom. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | IT is very hands-on, and needs to be. The subject would be very boring to try to learn via books. Plus, you need a computer to do your work. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | There were no online offerings while I was a student. Classes were mostly during the day, although one or two per semester were in the evening. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Our computer labs were great - always available and there was usually a tutor there to assist, if needed. Academic advisors were readily available as well. |
| Social Life | I did not live on campus, so did not take part in many social activities. Many were offered, though, but as a commuter, it just wasn't as feasible for me to take part. | |
| Placement Services | 5 | I did not utilize my school's job placement assistance. I am sure it worked well for others. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I find that the alumni network and support is ok. I've not found it beneficial. |
Pittsburgh Technical Institute • Oakdale, PA
Studying Information Technology (completion in 2007)
• 11/17/2011
"Although I received a quality education there are some aspects that were lacking when considering the cost. The school should set more realistic expectations for students who had planned to graduate and instantly make a good living."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | The school is great as long as you don't expect too much. It is a great start for those who are looking to begin a degree but aren't sure they are ready to commit to a 4 year program. The nice thing about the school is that it is accredited so the credits will transfer when I do decide to get my Bachelor's. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | I get one of two reactions when telling people about where I attended school. They either seem very impressed because they know the school and what it offers or a look of skepticism because I have a 2 year degree and not a Bachelor's. |
| Program Quality | 7 | Hands on experience at the school was nice as it allowed me to take my knowledge beyond the pages on a book. I feel that my education could have been expanded to include more real world situations. |
| Instruction | 7 | A resume-writing class was a graduation requirement and was great for those who had no idea how to write a resume. The instructor had previously been in a Fortune 500 HR department. Most of the computer training seemed to be straight from the texts we were given. |
| How Difficult | 4 | Some classes were a challenge but were not overwhelming. Classes that did provide a learning curve had the most out-of-class work. Classes outside of the major, such as Algebra and English, seemed to be a joke. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most of the work pertaining to the major was hands on. Other classes such as English and Mathematics were more book. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | My school ran year-round with 2 week breaks. You either took morning or afternoon classes. No other schedule was available which made it very difficult to do anything else. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | The classrooms were adequate and you never felt squished in. The number of people to a class was kept small which was nice for a more hands on approach as it allowed the instructor to give special attention to those who ran into complications. |
| Social Life | 1 | Being a smaller technical school we had no sports to speak of. Gatherings outside of the school were not promoted or talked about. |
| Placement Services | 1 | Since graduation I have received no assistance from my school in regards to job placement. When I was still in school I found that the jobs they had available were either not close enough to home or didn't provide what I was looking for. |
| Alumni Network | 2 | My school had said it had great graduate support but I have yet to see anything great about it. The most communication that I have with my school now is on occasion I will get an email from them talking about Alum reunion information. |
Indiana University Of Pennsylvania • Indiana, PA
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2010)
• 11/28/2011
"The have a good education for a fraction of the price of other schools. They were willing to help me graduate."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | There are many different people who go to IUP, so you will make friends from all walks of life. They also provide you with a top notch education. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | They have a very good reputation. Most schools just talk about computers, IUP was hands on. |
| Program Quality | 9 | IUP CS has prepared me to work in all areas of technology. Their staff is the best around. |
| Instruction | 8 | Computers are the way of the future. Some of the highest paying jobs are computer related. |
| How Difficult | 8 | Computer science has to deal with a lot of math. By the time I was done, I only needed two more math classes for a dual major. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | School was very hands on. That is the way it should be. Anybody can read a book or PowerPoints, but actually getting to work on things is the best. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | Typical college class schedule. There were no night classes and only some night exams. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | There are labs open 24 ours so you can complete your projects. The professors are really nice about extensions. |
| Social Life | 8 | I had the best time of my life at Indiana. I made friends from different countries. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I found a job right away. They make you do internships, where most employers will then hire you. |
| Alumni Network | 6 | They send emails out to alumni. They also want to know what we have been up to. |
Pennsylvania State University • Harrisburg, PA
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2004)
• 1/5/2012
"There are so few bad things to say about this school. The people, professors and environment in general are some of the best I've been involved with."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | This is an extremely good school for Science and Engineering majors. The entry requirements are not so ridiculous that you feel you already need a PhD to apply. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | Reputation can always be better. I chose this school because of all the good things I heard from past/prospective students. |
| Program Quality | 10 | Penn-State provided a good foundation for me to excel in my field. This is different from some other universities that focus on teaching specific applications, etc., instead of focusing on the core skills. |
| Instruction | 10 | The instruction was given in a way that pushes you to think and go beyond what you may feel you're capable of. If I hadn't learned the foundations of my career and was merely shown how to use specific applications, I would not have excelled at the rate I have since completion. |
| How Difficult | 9 | The courses were designed in a way that pushes you. If the professors knew that the majority of students would get an A or B easily, the difficulty would be increased to try to make you really think. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Almost all of my major classes were book learning with demonstrations by the professor. There was always a careful blend of both, which works well for this major because too much hands-on learning can overshadow the importance of learning the foundations. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | The Harrisburg satellite campus has average availability for its size. I believe the main campus offers a much wider range of availability. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | Professors were always willing to help, provided you show your willingness to be helped. Library staff were some of the most helpful people I met. |
| Social Life | 10 | This school has always been known for its above-average school spirit. The fact that this school is in the Big Ten for athletics certainly helps. |
| Placement Services | 3 | The job placement and career assistance requires you to be very tenacious. If you seek help, you will find the advisors are not eager or willing to help unless you have and extremely good GPA. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | The alumni network is highly reliant on the student's own tenacity to do the networking. The fees to participate are outrageous. I'm tired of receiving, a call every month asking for donations to the alumni association. |
Tri-State Business Institute • Erie, PA
Studying CIS (completion in 2010)
• 1/21/2012
"My school offered everything that it promised. I couldn't have asked for any more."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | My school taught me a lot and it did so effectively. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | As I stated earlier, the school started with nothing but computer majors. It is considered one of the best, if not the best, tech school for computer majors in Erie. |
| Program Quality | 10 | My school started with only computer majors. They are the best technical school in Erie. |
| Instruction | 10 | The quality of instruction was great. The instructors were always prepared and knew what they were talking about. |
| How Difficult | 5 | Some things were easy, and some things weren't. I guess it was just an average challenge. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | We had more hands-on learning than book learning. The simple reason is that we had to know how to do things, and the best way is through experience. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | The flexibility was amazing. They had 3 shifts, and if none were good for you, you could split-shift. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Any information we needed was at our fingertips. Everything was more accessible than I could have asked for. |
| Social Life | 5 | There were some parties. I didn't join any clubs, though. |
| Placement Services | 10 | They will not stop until everyone's had interviews. They do make it clear that from that point, it's up to the students. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | We really don't have an alumni network. The only way for us to know what's happening at the school would be to keep in touch with our friends on our own. |
Pennsylvania State University • Harrisburg, PA
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2004)
• 1/5/2012
"There are so few bad things to say about this school that they aren't even worth mentioning. The people, professors, and environment in general are some of the best I've been involved with."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | This is an extremely good school for Science and Engineering majors. The entry requirements are not so ridiculous that you feel you already need PhD to apply. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | The reputation can always be better. I chose this school because of all the good things I heard from past/prospective students. |
| Program Quality | 10 | Penn State provided a good foundation for me to excel in my field. I feel this is different from some other universities that focus on teaching specific applications, etc, instead of focusing on the core. |
| Instruction | 10 | The instruction was given in a way that pushes you to think and go beyond what you may feel you're capable of. If I hadn't learned the foundations of my career and was merely shown how to use specific applications, I would not have excelled at the rate I have since completion. |
| How Difficult | 9 | The courses were designed in a way that pushed you. If the professors knew that the majority of students would get an 'A' or 'B' fairly easy, the difficulty would be increased to try to make them really think. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Almost all of my major classes were book learning focused with demonstrations by the professor. There was always a careful blend of both, which works well for this major because too much hands-on learning can overshadow the importance of learning the foundation. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | The Harrisburg satellite campus has average class availability for it's size. I believe the main campus offers a much wider range of availability. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | Professors were always willing to help, provided you show your willingness to be helped. Library staff were some of the most helpful people I met. |
| Social Life | 10 | This school has always been known for it's above-average school spirit. The fact that this school is in the BIG TEN for athletics speaks for itself. |
| Placement Services | 3 | The job placement and career assistance requires you to be very tenacious in its pursuance with the campus departments. If you seek this help, you will find the advisors are not eager or willing to help unless you have an extremely good GPA, which speaks for itself without the advisor's help. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | The networking is highly reliant on the student's own tenacity to do the networking. The fees to participate are outrageous. I'm tired of receiving, literally, one call per month asking for donations to the alumni association. |
Temple University • Philadelphia, PA
Studying Management Information Systems (completion in 2010)
• 2/2/2012
"The school gave me the skills to perform my current position. It allowed me to pursue a career in IT."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The is a great career if you want to be around technology. Helping others in technology is why I recommend this. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | We are known as one of the top MIS programs. We have received many rewards bases on the program. |
| Program Quality | 10 | One of the top MIS programs in the country. Excellent instructors and connections. |
| Instruction | 10 | The best instructors in the country. We have experienced IT professionals who were at the top of the industry. |
| How Difficult | 9 | Although this is a top program, it was really hard to get through. Our instructors were very demanding of the students. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | We always involved hands-on work with lectures. Even in programming there was a mix of the two. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | The schedules were somewhat flexible. The MIS wasn't so because of the smaller group of majors. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | They just finished a $300 million building. We have high tech mobile labs along with collaboration rooms. |
| Social Life | 5 | Being a city school, there isn't much to do. Temple is a very clique-y school and it's hard to make new friends. |
| Placement Services | 10 | All of my classmates received offers before graduating. They are have great paying IT jobs. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | We have alumni at the CIO level. They continue to come to the school and help hire and mentor the students. |
Harrisburg Area Community College • Harrisburg, PA
Studying CIS (completion in 2006)
• 2/6/2012
"I feel that my time and tuition were excellent investments. I learned enough to quickly get a job in desktop support."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Absolutely, HACC was (and is) a great school for people wanting to go into computer support. I have recommended it to my friends and will continue to do so! |
| Program Reputation | 7 | Interviewers always accepted my HACC training as "good" so they seem to have a strong reputation in the local community. However it's still a community college so I think they'd like any four-year college better. |
| Program Quality | 9 | HACC has a great computer lab and many of the instructors hold day jobs in the IT industry. Because of this the school was great in teaching me what the field is really like. |
| Instruction | 9 | Although it was "only" a community college I think they did a great job in preparing me for what I would face in the field. A lot of the situations they prepared me for are the same that I face in the day-to-day duties at my job. |
| How Difficult | 3 | I found it very easy to follow along with the instruction and class work. But I'm a quick study so it was simpler for me than it was for some of the other students. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | A very good mix. We'd have classroom instruction for about half the class period, then we'd go to the computer lab for hands-on. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Awesome, they have lots of class times available because it's such a popular program. Many of the classes are also available online. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The facilities are great, there is a big computer lab and also lots of space. The professors do their best to be available but sometimes they are too busy. |
| Social Life | 8 | I loved meeting and taking classes with the students. I didn't do much with athletics so I can't judge there. |
| Placement Services | I ended up getting my own job through searching online. I didn't utilize the school's placement services, but they have always offered help so they probably would help if I asked. | |
| Alumni Network | 8 | It's great, I can still come in and talk to current students and past graduates whenever I want. There is an alumni message board where I still talk to many of my former classmates. |
McCann School Of Business & Technology • Scranton, PA
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2005)
• 2/11/2012
"It gave me a degree. Got my foot in the door to better myself."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I would caution that the credits don't transfer. But it gives you a degree to better yourself. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | It's not what they're known for. They only give you the basics. |
| Program Quality | 7 | Served its purpose of getting me out of retail. But it could have been better. |
| Instruction | 5 | Was a new school. They weren't totally prepared. |
| How Difficult | 5 | It wasn't really that hard. Computer-related things have always come easy to me. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Was mostly books and theory. No computer labs for hands on. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | Not very flexible, but they have day and evening options. Nothing online. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | Wasn't very good when I was there. But I heard they got better after I graduated. |
| Social Life | 5 | They didn't have an athletics program. They didn't do social events. |
| Placement Services | 3 | They advertise lifetime placement, but if you call, all they do is look in the local paper. |
| Alumni Network | 4 | They advertise lifetime job placement, but they aren't very helpful. |
Drexel University • Philadelphia, PA
Studying Computing Technology (completion in 2008)
• 2/12/2012
"I love Drexel University and I would attend it again. I highly recommend it to others and have a niece who will be following in my footsteps next fall with an enrollment into Drexel University."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend everyone attend Drexel University. After leaving, I could have chosen from nearly 20 job titles - very diverse. I still have several options to choose from, which is great in today's economy, and I will never forget the impressions the instructors left. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | In the area, Drexel is one of the best schools. Drexel was one of the top choices and still is for computing majors. |
| Program Quality | 7 | Drexel University was great. I was very excited with the material that I learned at the time and cannot think of anything else that I would have added. |
| Instruction | 7 | The instruction quality depended on the instructor. All of the instructors were well qualified and had a lot to offer to any student in their class. However, for a few classes, I felt as if the instructor may have been a last-minute substitute and the class could have been completed with instructions - the instructor was not necessary. |
| How Difficult | 6 | My program of study was difficult, because of the broad range of topics studied. I felt overwhelmed a lot. I took mostly online and accelerated weekend classes. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There were some basic classes that were book oriented. But as a technology major, all of the technology classes were hands on at the campus, and you did the book study yourself at home. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | I had no problems getting the courses I needed, with the exception of a few at the end of my career that may have only been held twice a year, so I had to wait a semester to take them. The school offered on-campus, online, day, night and weekend classes - all of which I participated in. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The school's technology and course material were always the latest. The classroom sizes that I had were all small and intimate. It was clear that the instructors were available; on the first day of every class, we were given all of their contact information and hours, as well as access to support - this was all a part of the syllabus. My only complaint would have been the age of some of the buildings at the time. They have newer or remodeled facilities since. |
| Social Life | 5 | Drexel is a competitive university when it comes to sports. I was not much of a social person. I was an adult commuting student and did not participate in any events or activities. I did like the atmosphere; the staff was very personable and the students got along great. |
| Placement Services | I saw a wealth of resources for job placement, but did not participate in any. I had to make the difficult decision of leaving the company I was working at for 5 years or taking a chance in a tough economy. I chose to stay and I am still with the same employer. | |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I have not experienced the alumni network, except for attempting to gain access to electronic library resources at home. While enrolled, there were many opportunities for alumni support, events and communications. |
Temple • Philadelphia, PA
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2007)
• 3/2/2012
"Good, solid school, with a good curriculum and caring teachers. When I left I felt I knew something very well."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I highly reccomend Temple for its skilled professors and their desire to teach. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | The school is more of an underdog due to its roots being medical and art. Over the years they have become minor leaders in tech and biomedical. |
| Program Quality | 8 | The school has very good professors who provide the right materials needed to not only pass, but make you successful in your field for life. |
| Instruction | 9 | They provided a very detailed and lab-oriented curriculum. |
| How Difficult | 8 | It was thought provoking. The classes madee you feel that you really learned something. It really revealed which people studied and did lab work versus the ones who tried to skate by. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It was balanced between lab and book studying. We had a daily lab that went along with the studying. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | There is some flexibility, but for the most part your schedule was your schedule and you never had to adjust much. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | At the time I felt they were a little behind the times. I realize now that learning older technology gave us a better understanding of tech and where it is today and where it is going in the future. |
| Social Life | 5 | There was minimal time for a lot of outside access. They had college basketball, which I made a point to attend as often as I could. |
| Placement Services | 7 | Fairly good. They provided me with good leads for intenships, one of which tuned into my current job. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | The alumni does a good job communicating to you what is going on. I found the alumni network also great for finding leads and contacts to springboard my career. |
Alvernia University • Reading, PA
Studying Computer Information Systems (completion in 2009)
• 3/14/2012
"I was very satisfied with my school. Their classes were interesting and current. They had flexible schedules and I was always able to get help when I needed it. The degree I earned has helped me tremendously and allowed me to excel in IT support."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I would recommend this school because it was great and I learned a lot. However, the program is geared more towards programmers so I wouldn't recommend it to those who are strictly pursuing a career in IT support. The programming background is a plus though and it helps to broaden your skill set. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | They have a good reputation and frequently host job fairs that bring out IT employers. They also reached university status in 2009 so that improved Alvernia's reputation. |
| Program Quality | 7 | Their focus was more on programming rather than IT support. I feel that a program more dedicated to the support side of IT would have been more beneficial. |
| Instruction | 8 | I did learn a lot from this program. The professors were very knowledgeable and helpful. The program was very current and applicable in the real world, especially for programmers. |
| How Difficult | 7 | The program was challenging but never anything that couldn't be solved with hard work and study. The homework wasn't too difficult but quizzes could be because of time constraints. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It was a good mix but I think it leaned more toward book learning. There was a lot of learning about theory and less to do with hands-on learning. I think most students would benefit more from hands-on learning because it is more desired in the workplace. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | The class schedule flexibility was great. They offered multiple evening, summer and online classes. I took two online classes while attending Alvernia and this was very beneficial to a working student such as myself. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | The facilities and resources were very good and very available. There were many computer labs and some were open 24 hours a day. The library was relatively new and my academic adviser had an open-door policy. |
| Social Life | 5 | I worked throughout college so I missed out on many of the social activities. However, they did offer many opportunities including movie nights, activity nights, sporting events, dinners, etc. |
| Placement Services | 6 | Two of my professors reached out to me after I graduated to inform me of open jobs. The school's job placements were less helpful. I found an internship on my own once I knew I wasn't going to get much help. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | Two of my professors reached out to me after graduation to see how I was doing and to also let me know about jobs that were available. I have not kept in touch with any alumni either as I have relocated to another state. |
York Technical Institute • York, PA
Studying Computer Systems Specialist (completion in 2000)
• 3/27/2012
"I had chosen a technical school to eliminate the general education classes that I thought were a waste of time. That said, I feel that I got a decent education based on the decision I had made."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I would recommend this school for those who want to quickly train for a profession and know what they want to do. If you are undecided about your career I would suggest a four year university instead as it allows for more flexibility and career options. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | In regards to similar technical institutes in the area, I would say the courses are similar with the same reputation. The school gives you a good base but you will not be a specialist in any one area. |
| Program Quality | 7 | The courses were relevant at the time but there was not an option to focus your classes on an area of support. It also would have been nice to have instructors encourage students to obtain industry certifications while in school to help in our field later on. |
| Instruction | 7 | Most of the instructors I worked with at YTI were very knowledgeable in their area of expertise, although some were significantly better than others. I would have preferred to see more exposure other aspects of IT throughout the course to help choose a career direction within IT as there are a lot of different areas to it. |
| How Difficult | 4 | I thought the course load was relatively easy for myself. I could pass classes and tests with flying colors without much studying. The work load was average as most of the technical classes were intertwined with easier business courses. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | All technical classes were a combination of book work and lab work. We would learn about the concepts of what we were learning about in class/lecture settings and apply them in the lab environment so we could actually implement the items we discussed. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | Schedules were flexible in the aspect that you could pick based on time of day; morning, afternoons or evenings. All of the classes fell into what you choose, you would have a block of classes in that time frame only. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | At the time I was at the school there was a dedicated area for our course with lab setups available for testing and building different environments. Each student had their own drive to make their configurations on for their classes. |
| Social Life | Being a technical school there was not an athletics program or campus housing. I wouldn't say there is much in the way of school spirit. | |
| Placement Services | 4 | The school assisted with helping locate an internship that was required for graduation, but beyond that no further assistance was offered. I have not used their services since graduation. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | I had not received much information from the school after graduation in regards to alumni support. I have not been back to or in contact with the school in any way since then. |
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