QUESTION:
Do you think that college students are becoming nothing but products for recruiting?
Do you think that college students are becoming nothing but products for recruiting?
I mean isn't college education about just more than getting a job? With all these college rankings and books of rankings.

• ANSWER:
  Actually, I think a lot of this is being driven by the students themselves. I don't know anyone who works at my university who thinks that college is all about getting a job. However, that is usually the first thing we are asked about by students and their parents. If you read the questions on Yahoo! Answers about higher education, you almost never find a question about the love of learning. When was the last time someone said, "I love history and want to know as much about it as possible. Where can I get the best possible education to guide me in gaining that knowledge?". Most of them are about, "How much will I get paid if I graduate with a degree in X from College A?" or, "I need a job paying $Z/year. What major should I choose?". Of course, the recruiters want the best possible future employees, but I really don't think they are driving this attitude, and while I think that the rankings add fuel to the fire, they haven't created it. I think that somehow our society has gone off track and told incoming students to expect something that colleges never were created to provide. If the colleges are to survive, they have had to adapt. It is kind of sad.

QUESTION:
Opinions/reviews/rankings for these colleges?
I'm interested in the following colleges, but I was just wondering if there are any official rankings, as well as reviews, for these colleges?

Rochester Institute of Technology
Ithaca College
Pace University

I found some small reviews on PrincetonReview, but they are only a small blurb. I'm looking for something like actual student opinions, student rankings, etc.
And I almost forgot one more: Rutgers.

• ANSWER:
  I work at Stony Brook University and I've met students that have attending all of those institutions and I think they would rank them in this order of preference:
  Pace - best (very well known and respected)
  RIT - next
  Ithaca - last

QUESTION:
Are GPA and class rankings everything?
I'm a prospective college student (currently a junior in high school) and I don't possess the greatest GPA. I have been doing my research and have found that some prestigious colleges such as UCLA admit some 272/10,749 (an EXTREMELY small percentage, but still) freshman applicants with a high school GPA range of 3.30 - 3.69. Who are these 272 people? Are they just part of the famed football team or are they regular freshman? What sets these 272 apart from those who got rejected out of the 10,749 applicants?

• ANSWER:
  Check out:

  http://susankayton.com/college.htm

  Twenty years ago, it was pretty easy to predict which students would be admitted, since the highly-selective colleges admitted about 1/3 of the applicants. All the bright, interesting kids were admitted back then. However, nowadays, colleges no longer have room for all the bright, interesting kids since about five times as many kids apply for the same number of slots, so luck plays a huge factor. If you play tuba and the school's marching band's only tuba player is graduating in June, you might get admitted! Or they might be looking for a baritone for the men's a capella group. Or perhaps they need someone from Wyoming so they can boast they have a student from each of the 50 states. Or you juggle and the admissions officer who's reading your application also is a juggler, so he gives you the thumbs-up. If you get in, you aren't "better" than the kids who don't get in - you're just luckier.

  Its luck man - pure unadulterated luck. The reason a few with lowish GPA's got in is probably the 10% rule mentioned by an MIT admissions officer. They reserve 10% of places for those students that don't cure cancer to add a little diversity. Being in that 10% is just luck. Simple as that.

  Thanks
  Bill

QUESTION:
Help me choose a good college from these colleges please! I would like to have as many answers possible! ^_^?
Is anyone here a student at Hartwick college in Oneonta. Is it a good college. My other acceptances were from Baruch, Hunter, Wagner (all from new york) and also Emmanueal college of Boston. Wagner even offered me a grant of $ 24,800 for four yrs, and Hartwick claims to give me a merit scholarship. I would consider myself to be a rather shy person, friendly but shy,and I would want to go to a college and not be ridiculed on my very first day. Please let me know if you belong to any of the colleges listed below. I'd love to talk to you about them, if you don't mind. Also, this college experience would be an extremely new thing for me and I'm slghtly scared as I recently had a leg injury and I might not be able to engage in sports for a while. And Hartwick has this 'awakening' program. I was wondering If I'd be embarassed because I might fail at the more "sporty events". What college has the better rankings/ratings? Please contact me if you could be of any help, I'd really appreciate it
What college should I choose if I had a choice between wagner and hartwick? Someone told me that people at wagner were really racist and I'm a US citizen, but i've beenout of the states for about 3 yrs now. I'm afraid i might have a hard time fitting in.

• ANSWER:
  Here's the thing: Only you can choose the college that is right for you. You were accepted to these schools, which means you applied to them--which means you must know something about them.

  Not being able to participate in an orientation program (Hartwick) is not a reason to avoid going to a school for four years. Plenty of people are bad at sports, and people will understand that you are injured.

  College is a new experience for just about every freshman. You'll all be in it together.

  For rankings, you'll have to look at a copy of the U.S. News and World Report book. None of them are likely to be top schools, but that doesn't matter. What matters is fit--whether it's the best fit for you. Hunter and Baruch are in the middle of the city--those may be intimidating for you, unless you already live in the city. I know a few people who went to Wagner. It's in Staten Island, so it's much less urban than the CUNY schools.

  Don't commit to Hartwick until you see the merit aid on paper. It's weird that, three weeks before you have to decide, they wouldn't have already presented their package to you.

  Visit each school. Look at what types of majors they offer. Select your school based on these elements--not some arbitrary ranking in a book or whether you feel comfortable participating in an orientation program.
  Good luck.

QUESTION:
I have some friends of mine who are police officers?
I have some patrol officers who became my friends after meeting them in the streets of Los Angeles, California. I am a college student in CSU and came to have a very decent conversation with them by chance and eventually ended up sharing contacts. I loved making new friends and it was one of my hobbies. When I was on vacation and had a lot of time, I served them in restaurants like Outback and Benniguns sometimes under the amount of budget my father allowed during my college campus life. I am attending a four-year college, majoring in economics. But all of my friends graduated from two-year community college criminal justice course. My grandfather is a very rich man in Republic of Korea who owns a movie theater company costing around fifty million dollars(when exchanged to US monetary system) in Kang-nam, and I am planning to work in his company after I graduate CSU economics and help his business.

One of my friend said, "Hey, I don't think I'm going to go much further in life, I only have a associate's degree, and the amount of thing I can do in my department with this level of education is a bit limited." I said to them, "California State University is pretty mediocre college too, look up the college rankings of it on internet." in an attempt to cheer them up.

Is it true that a education level higher than associate's degree in criminal justice is needed to have jobs with higher hierarchy as a law enforcement officer?

• ANSWER:
  My department, which is larger than LAPD , other departments will vary. There are over 12,00 different departments in the US.

  To apply you must have 60 semester hours which + an AA but you do not need the degree.
  To attempt promotion to sergeant or above you must have a bachelors or equivalent (120 semester hours with 60 at 200 level or better).

  The ranking of the college means nothing as long as it is accredited by the proper organizations. All state schools in all states are accredited.

QUESTION:
Your thoughts on college rankings?
Do you think they're fair and take everything into consideration, or just academics and research?

I think usually academically rankings are pretty right. Not always of course, I've noticed a few private schools that are in the top that have significantly lower admissions standards and less rigorous academics than state schools but yet are much further ahead of the state schools.

But one thing the rankings don't take into consideration is overall student happiness. There's a website, studentsreview.com, that has actual student views and opinions on the school's academics and social life. I've noticed that quite a few "top" schools, though they have excellent academics, sometimes have numerous bad reviews by students regarding various random aspects of the university (social life, students, food, atmosphere, etc.)

But I've also noticed that some tier four or unranked universities often have very high reviews from students, some being between 95-100% overall score. Though they may not have world renowned professors or millions of dollars to spend on facilities, the atmosphere is much more relaxed and students seem to enjoy their college experience more without the pressures and competition of being at a top school.

Now I'm not saying all top schools are like this, some top schools had extremely high reviews, and some unranked schools had extremely low reviews. But I don't put much stock in the rankings because college isn't only about work, work, work, it's also about experiencing life on your own and experimenting with new things and new people of all backgrounds and GPA's.

So my main question is, do you put much stock in the rankings (ie. US World News or Princeton Review)?

And please don't insult my views on what I think college should be about. It's my opinion, you have yours, let's all respect each other. People on YA tend to have attitudes when others don't agree with them.

• ANSWER:
  First, your question is well presented and shows you have put a great deal of thought into this. I think that your own insights are correct. School rankings are highly flawed and influenced by many factors that may have little to do with your personal experience. This is sort of the "one size fits all" approach that never really fits anyone well. For example, some students cherish a smaller liberal arts environment where they get to know their professors on a personal level and the administration goes out of its way to create a friendly and inspired environment. Yet, many of these same schools do not rank highly, in large measure because they are so obscure, have less alumni endowments, have less major research, etc. I'll tell you a personal insight of my own: While rankings largely rely on macro factors (like endowments, research, "big name" professors), these very same "prestige" factors are RARELY relevant to an undergraduate. Sure, they matter, but have you noticed this peculiarity? I had a Nobel Prize laureate as my physics professor at a highly ranked Ivy. You would think that the class was much better than average? Wrong. There is little connection between a big name professor and teaching ability (Einstein was a notoriously "bad" teacher, although of course he was a genius). So what does really matter is what is important to you. Most students value a social life, professors who are willing to listen and be helpful, and an administration that is not completely impersonal or inept. State schools may be quite prestigious, but most have very distant professors (not all are like this) and administrations that are poor at handling students' needs. They have a social life, by and large, but you often feel like you are one of a million students (not one IN a million). Large private schools are not much better. It just so happens, however, that about 80% of those "top ranked" schools are large public or private universities.

  Another insight: unless you intend to go out into the workforce right after undergrad, I suggest actually choosing a school not based on its macro prestige (i.e. the top-ranked schools on something like US News) but a smaller, yet very focused school that is competitive in an area you like. Here's why I say this. If you go to a smaller school that fosters a better student academic environment, you are likely to learn more and do better academically. This will be a big plus when you apply to a graduate program, because, frankly, graduate programs place very little emphasis on where you went to undergrad (Side note: The undergrad institution;s prestige is important, to varying degrees depending on the graduate program, but between a great GPA and a great undergraduate college, the great GPA far outweighs the latter). Where you go to school is important, to be sure. But you would potentially sacrifice your academic and social life for a "name". The question then is, how important is a name to you? If you go straight to the workforce, maybe that great undergraduate institution's name might give you an edge. And to some extent that also helps when you apply to a graduate program. But there's much more than just that prestige factor. As you said, some of the lower tier colleges and universities get some great reviews from alumni. (Of course, there are great highly ranked schools and crappy lower-ranked ones too).

  Your approach- to look to a wide variety of sources, including student reviews and even college blogs- is much more helpful in giving you the bigger picture than just some off-the-stand magazine that focuses too much on factors that often have little to do with your own experience.

QUESTION:
Is it true that high school GPA's get inflated a lot in Florida?
I'm an out of state student going to a college in Florida. I noticed that a lot of people (like my former dorm roommate) were not the sharpest tools in the shed, yet somehow passed a ton of AP classes and had really high GPA's. I didn't think much of it until my friends dad, who is a professor, said that Florida is known for inflating high school GPA's for the sake of college rankings. Is this true?

• ANSWER:
  At most public schools down here, yes. It's really annoying. They take our spots in universities and flunk out in a year, meanwhile we missed our chance of getting a single spot... We could have stayed and passed the entire four years. The public schools want the opportunity to say that one of their students got into Harvard, Yale, etc... They don't tell you that the students can't handle the work load and flunk out.

  If you find a student from a private school though... They've been challenged and deserved whatever GPA they received.

QUESTION:
What public colleges/universities are the most liberal or most conservative?
So I've seen all the rankings about what colleges are the most liberal or most conservative but the only schools that make the list are private. Does anyone know what public universities have reputations for having political cultures that are mostly left-wing or mostly right-wing?

For example:

University of Michigan - more liberal
University of Virginia - more conservative

I'm just asking this out of curiosity. I went to a public university in California where most of the students were quite right-wing on most political issues (if you believe me). I'm wondering if there's any other public schools with noticeable political slants.

• ANSWER:
  Most conservative:
  Bob Jones (look it up...it's so conservative it's almost laughable)
  Washington & Lee
  Brigham Young
  U Notre Dame
  Samford
  U Dallas
  Wheaton
  Any military/marine academy
  Texas A&M
  U Chicago (to an extent)
  Furman
  William & Mary
  Grove City College
  Indiana Wesleyan
  Thomas Aquinas
  Duke
  College of the Ozarks
  Tulane

  Most liberal:
  Smith
  Mount Holyoke
  UC Berkeley
  Hampshire
  Reed
  Sarah Lawrence
  Vassar
  Wesleyan (CT)
  Bard
  Bennington
  Brown
  NYU
  Columbia
  St. John's (MD)
  Johns Hopkins
  Swarthmore
  Amherst
  UCLA
  Occidental
  Cornell
  Wellesley
  Bryn Mawr
  Stanford
  Grinnell
  Harvey Mudd
  Macalester
  U Washington

QUESTION:
What is the best college for accounting?
I'm currently a sophmore in high school and I am really interested in a career in accounting since I'm good with numbers and such. I am a really good student and in the top 5% of my class. I'm trying to get into the best college possible. Most college rankings such as US News& World Report rank the top colleges but none of them offer undergraduate programs in accounting or even business management.
What is the best college that offers a program in accounting or businness management, etc.

• ANSWER:
  NYU, UPenn's Wharton School, and Indiana University Bloomington

QUESTION:
San DIego State or Florida International University?
I am a community college student in Riverside, CA. I plan to major in international business and SDSU and FIU have really solid rankings in IB. Are both of these campuses tough to get admitted into? their average transfer GPA? Florida or San Diego for international business? any advice helps...thanx!

• ANSWER:
  Aiming high huh????

QUESTION:
Woud you guys please check my grammar?
Would you guys please check my grammar?

No, they do not vaguely say “It was extremely tough for us to choose who might be the most befitted student with our college, but after long consideration, you had to choose other students over you". If they just said it like that I wouldn’t believe it either. However, for example, Colgate University, from which I just got rejected, says that “more than 7,900 talented students applied for 760 places in the class.” It is not just lip service and almost every college says this. One even said that “it was the second most competitive in history.” I think you will see it when U.S. news releases new rankings of colleges with acceptance rates. I think I’m going to UNC and give huge financial burden to my family and me too. I haven’t bought a shirt for two years because of the guilty feelings that my parents are spending so much money for me being here. And now, instead of buying clothes, I am going to have to get my body in shape and walk around naked. I know UNC is great university and I want to go there… but it’s too e x p e n s I v e for international students…………………………………………. And it’s not like I can work in a few years. I have to finish college, go to graduate school, and serve military. It takes about eight years. To cover up 200,000 dollars, I have to work like another four years, right? Then I have to wait twelve years before I really take benefits from studying abroad. Do you think there is any other way to earn money except tutoring in Korea during vacation?

• ANSWER:
  --"It was extremely difficult for us to choose who would be the most befitted (or eligible) student for our college, but after long consideration, we had to choose someone other than you." ...
  --I think I am going to UNC, which will unfortunately give my family a huge financial burden because of their exceedingly high tuition and fees. ...
  --the part with ............. seems funny.
  --.........Also, I will not even be able to work for for the next few years! ...
  --go to graduate school, and serve in the military, which all takes about 8 years to do. To pay off the 200,000 dollars, I will have to work probably four more years! Does that sound right?

  I don't know exactly what you're writing this for but I hope that helped a little

QUESTION:
should i get a dell or hp laptop?
which company has better laptops. and for each company which kind of laptop is better, the regular or mini laptop? besides both company's websites, where can i find a site where laptops have rankings and ratings and where can i find release dates of laptops. im a college student who's gonna do alot of writing next semester. thanks in advance.

• ANSWER:
  you should get and hp because they are more for things like every day computing which you will be doing mostly because you're in college and you should get one with a large hard drive like the hp pavilion and its affordable and versatile with the new simplified windows os windows 7 also with a quick intel pentium processor

QUESTION:
College admission chances depending on colleges already admitted in...?
well, i applied to the university of illinois-Urbana Champaign for computer science....according to usnews, UIUC(for comp sci) is ranked really high(third)

http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/engineering-doctorate-computer

I GOT IN!!!!!!(also to the university of Maryland-College Park)
other sources are also quoting a really high rank fo UIUC(CS)..

so here is my question...if uiuc is really that highly ranked in comp sci, will i get into colleges that are lower ranked in Computer Science BUT ranked higher overall.
say, USC or Columbia University...??
i have been to chicago and im pretty sure i cant live comfortably over there(hence my question about getting accepted in other colleges)..
has this happened to you or anyone you know(getting into a better colg but not as good in the same major?

im a student from India.
These are my scores and stuff..
SAT total-2010
Critical Reading-680
Math-670
Writing-660
My GPA is 3.6/4.0(approximately, since there is no actual method for conversion)

*I have a few good extra-curriculars.

Math 2- 620
Physics-640

• ANSWER:
  not necissarily.

QUESTION:
College Rankings by Abroad Capability?
I'm going to be applying to college soon, and I'd like to find a list (if it exists) of American colleges and universities based on how accessible and "good" they are about letting students go abroad out of the country. Where is this list?!?

• ANSWER:
  There isn't such a list, but I'd have to say that the vast majority of schools these days strongly encourage students to study abroad, so there is little reason for such a list. Many schools will restrict where students can go in an effort to ensure an adequate educational program taken abroad and the safety of their students, but it is not a matter of "letting" students go.

QUESTION:
How good of a college could I get into?
I'm getting a 4.1 weighted gpa, about a 3.7 unweighted. As a junior I'm taking AP chemistry in addition to physics honors, and the rest of my classes are all honors (with the exception of gym and my elective, of course. As a senior I plan to take AP biology, AP calculous, and AP physics along with humanities honors and forensics.

As far as SAT's go I haven't taken them yet but I scored a 186 on my PSAT's (out of 240) which put me in the 91st percentile. I'm taking another SAT prep course which should boost my score.

I'm in my school's stage crew, I'm a bass drummer on the exhibition line in a champion-level drum corps, and I'm expecting to get eagle scout by my 18th birthday.

My major is going to be biochemistry or biotechnologies. My ultimate goal is to do research in prosthetic limbs, things like synthetic muscles or improving the controlling of the limbs.

Speakers in my school about going to college have all been somewhat helpful, but nothing my school provides really helps in figuring out what kind of college I can go to. So, given how I've been doing academically, what level school should I be looking at? poor, bellow average, average, above average, great, top 10(For the sake of a scale, I know I probably can't get into schools that good.)? Is there a place I can go to find college rankings or some kind of description of how the average student at a given college did in high school? anything to help me find out how good of a college I can safely look into.

• ANSWER:
  Anything but the top 20-30 would be doable. Even NYU would be doable. The schools I would suggest are New College Florida and Harvey Mudd:

  http://www.ncf.edu/

  http://www.hmc.edu/

  They send a lot (about 2/3's) to graduate school which is where the action really in these days.

  For others check out:

  http://www.ctcl.org/

  http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/30/education/edlife/gems.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&sq=20%20Hidden%20Gems&st=nyt&scp=1

  Thanks
  Bill

QUESTION:
Which undergraduate colleges have a strong english department?
I am looking to transfer from a community college to a school with a great undergraduate english program, but am still undecided as to which schools to apply. I would like to know which schools have a strong english program (which is most important to me) that's intellectually stimulating and challenging. I'm going to be a transfer student, so I would like it if the college is somewhat transfer friendly, so that I won't be the only one who's out of place sort of speak, where everyone else knows each other already. I would really like it if the student body worked collaboratively instead of befriending one another just to know each other's GPA and such. In other words, I'm not looking for an overtly, cut-throat kind of competiveness, but rather a friendly environment where people can work cohesively. And I would like to work with professors who are open-minded and give genuine attention and help to students instead of being invested in their own want of accomplishments. I know...such schools with all the things that I'm looking for does not exist, right? But I would greatly appreciate it if you shared some colleges with something similar to what I am looking for. Personal experience would be much more preferred over rankings from some college magazine.

10 POINTS for most informative, thorough answer!!! Thanks in advance.

PS- I want to become a novelist and/or journalist in the future.

• ANSWER:
  You can find top listing of US undergraduate english programs in this site - collegefinder.bebto.com
  It also has info about each, tips to apply and which salary should you expect (to comparison)

QUESTION:
Which undergraduate colleges have a strong/reputable english program?
I am looking to transfer from a community college to a school with a great undergraduate english program, but am still undecided as to which schools to apply. I would like to know which schools have a strong english program (which is most important to me) that's intellectually stimulating and challenging. I'm going to be a transfer student, so I would like it if the college is somewhat transfer friendly, so that I won't be the only one who's out of place sort of speak, where everyone else knows each other already. I would really like it if the student body worked collaboratively instead of befriending one another just to know each other's GPA and such. In other words, I'm not looking for an overtly, cut-throat kind of competiveness, but rather a friendly environment where people can work cohesively. And I would like to work with professors who are open-minded and give genuine attention and help to students instead of being invested in their own want of accomplishments. I know...such schools with all the things that I'm looking for does not exist, right? But I would greatly appreciate it if you shared some colleges with something similar to what I am looking for. Personal experience would be much more preferred over rankings from some college magazine.

10 POINTS for most informative, thorough answer!!! Thanks in advance.

PS- I want to become a novelist and/or journalist in the future.

• ANSWER:
  U of Iowa! Excellent English and writing programs. I understand it's a fairly collegial university as well. Rather large, in Iowa City which is a clean and safe city.

QUESTION:
Transfer-friendly colleges with a strong english department for undergraduates!?
I am looking to transfer from a community college to a school with a great undergraduate english program, but am still undecided as to which schools to apply. I would like to know which schools have a strong english program (which is most important to me) that's intellectually stimulating and challenging. I'm going to be a transfer student, so I would like it if the college is somewhat transfer friendly, so that I won't be the only one who's out of place sort of speak, where everyone else knows each other already. I would really like it if the student body worked collaboratively instead of befriending one another just to know each other's GPA and such. In other words, I'm not looking for an overtly, cut-throat kind of competiveness, but rather a friendly environment where people can work cohesively. And I would like to work with professors who are open-minded and give genuine attention and help to students instead of being invested in their own want of accomplishments. I know...such schools with all the things that I'm looking for does not exist, right? But I would greatly appreciate it if you shared some colleges with something similar to what I am looking for. Personal experience would be much more preferred over rankings from some college magazine.

10 POINTS for most informative, thorough answer!!! Thanks in advance.

• ANSWER:
  You can find top listing of english undergraduate college courses in this site - collegefinder.bebto.com
  It also has info about each, tips to apply, transfer and which salary should you expect (to comparison)

QUESTION:
Do you know any transfer-friendly colleges with a great undergraduate english program?
I am looking to transfer from a community college to a school with a great undergraduate english program, but am still undecided as to which schools to apply. I would like to know which schools have a strong english program (which is most important to me) that's intellectually stimulating and challenging. I'm going to be a transfer student, so I would like it if the college is somewhat transfer friendly, so that I won't be the only one who's out of place sort of speak, where everyone else knows each other already. I would really like it if the student body worked collaboratively instead of befriending one another just to know each other's GPA and such. In other words, I'm not looking for an overtly, cut-throat kind of competiveness, but rather a friendly environment where people can work cohesively. And I would like to work with professors who are open-minded and give genuine attention and help to students instead of being invested in their own want of accomplishments. I know...such schools with all the things that I'm looking for does not exist, right? But I would greatly appreciate it if you shared some colleges with something similar to what I am looking for. Personal experience would be much more preferred over rankings from some college magazine.

10 POINTS for most informative, thorough answer!!! Thanks in advance.

• ANSWER:
  Any prestigious liberal arts college would be great.
  You dont specify what you'd like to do with your degree, but if you're interested in creative writing, I suggest a larger university.

  New Mexico State University has a good creative writing program. People in Las Cruces are very friendly, so you will be alright. It is not a prestigious university, but it is well-established and you will find great faculty members. (New Mexico is known for having an underachieving public school system, so if you're a bright college student, professors will do all they can to make sure you are successful.)
  It is also very cheap, even for out-of-state students.

QUESTION:
Medical students and doctors can you help me?
I'm currently a junior in highschool and i plan on entering the medical field either as a psychiatrist or an ob/gyn. I also recently have begun considering nursing after learning more about it. What type of colleges/universities should I be looking at? For this field are college rankings very important? How can i find out what schools are good for biology majors? or good for pre-medical studies in general. please help. even if you just know someone who might now please email me. thnx. my email is misz_unreadable@yahoo.com. chao =]

• ANSWER:
  I cannot comment on nursing @ all because I do not know anything about it. Either way you should pick the best college you can make into. Ranking is not as important as your grades, but ranking still matters. You should work backwards--find several medical schools you are interested in (say in your state) and find out WHERE their incoming students come from. (The office should have that info for students in all 4 years). I only know about Californian schools.

  ps. I came back and saw the answer posted above me. Just wanted to point out medical school is FOUR years, not three (of course some people can accelerate, but it's quite rare). There are all kinds of variations like MD/PhD, MSTP, but the general program is 4 years of med school, followed by a residency, which for ob/gyn and psych should both be 3 years (this can be wrong, I am a pediatrician and left residency a while ago), and then you do what we call FELLOWSHIP if you specialize (for example, child psychiatry or oncology gynecology). a fellowship is an extended residency to get more training. Residency and fellowship don't pay much (-40 K a year), remember. Anyways, you are very young still, but finding a doctor to "shadow" is a good idea. One small warning: get to know some doctor to really learn, not with the idea of "this guy/woman will write a letter for me". I knew a professor who wrote in his letter "this student approached me because she wanted a letter". Personally I also told high school students if you just want to come to my clinic for several afternoons so I will write a letter for you, forget it. The best letter you will get will still suffer from lack of content. Be yourself and find a good physician who likes to teach. Volunteering @ Stanford ER where you just pour coffee for every patient is ok but not that helpful (what I did for a long time!)

QUESTION:
What do you think of college rankings and how are they determined?
I am really really troubled by these rankings. For instance, when I was looking into grad schools, I chose a school in Australia that was ranked as one of the top 100 schools in the world according US News and The Times ranking. But when I started there, I had no clue how that school could possibly have such a high ranking. The buildings were run down, the professors didn't seem qualified and 99% of their students were from Asia and didn't know any English, but paid 10 times the tuition. Yet they allowed them to study there. There were no admissions tests and no internal English tests that the school required. It works like this for most universities in Australia and is big business. Yet many of these schools are in the top 100.

I only made this stupid decision to study there based on these stupid rankings I was looking at before and was misguided. So I have no clue how these rankings are determined and am wondering if it's more of a marketing scam to earn money.

• ANSWER:
  I am positive you have asked this question before. Students from non-English speaking countries are tested on their English comprehension using the same test that is used to get into American/UK/Canada schools. When they are with students from their own countries - sure they are going to speak their own language.

  The rankings take everything into account - research, grant revenue, student satisfaction, breath of subjects. Anyone who choses a university based solely on the ranking score really should not be complaining - you need to look at the specific reputation based on the topic you wish to study.

  i.e. you would not go to ANU to study marine ecology.

QUESTION:
Which US college offer spring semester for freshmen?
I'm a student from Melbourne, and I will graduate in November 2010. I would like to go to US, but most colleges there only offer the regular fall application. I'm interested in colleges with good rankings in engineering, and one of the school that does have spring semester is Wisconsin-Madison.

Are there any other colleges available for spring applicants?

• ANSWER:
  Yes, just about every college has a spring semester

QUESTION:
What are the 2010 rankings that the "Design Intelligence" survey released for Architecture Schools?
I am a student looking to find out the ranking of some colleges... especially Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Carnegie Mellon, and Penn State.
I really could use an answer... PLEASE

• ANSWER:
  i have know idea, but if you know any of the schools you can contact them and ask for the results i'm sure their be happy to give them to you

QUESTION:
If your high school doesn't give class rankings, will this hurt your chances for a good college/university?
my high school doesn't rank their students, only gives a GPA. if a college or university we'd like to apply to requires to know the class ranking, how would this affect our chances of being accepted? my school thinks that having class rankings creates unnecessary competition since most of us do well.

also, do you only know your class ranking if you're valedictorian or salutatorian of your graduating class in this case?

• ANSWER:
  the college can ask ur high school for ur class ranking

QUESTION:
Getting into a top college?
I'm a freshman in high school and I'm beginning to look toward college with a more purposeful eye. Throughout middle school, I received first-rate grades, so I think I've created a suitable platform with which I can succeed in high school. I'm currently enrolled in all honors classes, including honors Spanish II and honors orchestra. The only class that I'm taking that isn't an honors course is Latin I, which isn't offered at my school at the honors level.
They're posting the list of class rankings for the first term tomorrow, and I'm a little nervous. The idea of being accepted into an Ivy League school is alluring, and I'm starting to wonder if that truly is my goal.
I've read that in order to get into top colleges, students need to be taking the most rigorous course load available to them, meanwhile earning perfect grades, top SAT scores, participating in school activities and community service, etc.
I understand all of that, but it also worries me. Of course, my rigorous class schedule has piled on the homework, and I'm exhausted. I don't mind dedicating myself to school, but there are times when there just aren't enough hours in the night to complete all of the homework that is assigned. So far, I have all A's and A+'s, but I don't know how long that will last. My test grades haven't been as high as they should be because I simply don't have enough time to study. When I finally complete my homework at one o'clock in the morning, I'm too tired to study for a science test. So I'm forced to study in the morning and on the bus ride to school.
Sorry for the tirade. To summarize, I'm basically wondering how one can possibly earn near-perfect grades when taking classes that require hours of homework and independent study each night -- classes that expect you to dedicate yourself entirely to that specific class.
The fact that I'm taking Latin is also a problem. I signed up for it thinking that it would be helpful for the SATs and such, but I'm worried that it will actually hurt my GPA. It's not an honors class, so I receive the same amount of credit for taking Latin as one would for food service or physical fitness.Yet Latin is time-consuming -- time in which I could be studying for another class.
In short, how can I handle all of this?

• ANSWER:
  lol sounds a lot like my HS life =P. ok it looks like you can handle all the subjects and the extracurriculars but just need more time. A 2100+ in the SAT is what you really want to aim for if you want to attend Ivy League. You really don't have to worry about getting that A+ in every single Honors class as colleges realize and appreciate the intensity and difficulty of a subject. Taking a variety of classes shows that you are able to appreciate all kinds of disciplines and the fact that you are taking normal Latin goes to show that you are a determined student. Try to get at least 1 hour of study everyday, read a lot and participate in the extracurriculars on the weekends or if you have to, after school. Believe me when I say after all the trouble, reading that Admission Letter with your friends and family makes it all worth it. Best of luck to you mate! =)

QUESTION:
Chances of getting into American University or GW?
I'm only in my first half of junior year HS, but I will be applying to college soon (next year). AU is my first choice and GW second, but they both seem like great schools and I'm still researching!

My GPA: 3.8
I'm going to have 9 credits of college courses by next year, I was accepted as an early admission at my local community college. My GPA in my college is a 4.0

Difficulty: 1 AP world history course, and my college courses also count as AP alternative, so that would be 4 more AP courses, plus accelerated American history, accelerated english, and accelerated biology.

SATS: haven't taken yet

I've started my own business at age 16, making family DVDs for local families. So I have a background in entrepreneur work, and multimedia

other extracurriculars: lettered in varsity cheerleading, speech and debate, college student gov, book club

Volunteer Service: 2 United Way events, local pen pal program with PA prison, YWCA, and privately run mission work in the United Kingdom for 2 years

Awards: Principal's award and 1st in my class during freshman year (my new school doesn't have class rankings)

So what are my chances, and what should I do to further boost my chances?

• ANSWER:
  My grades, courses, and extracurriculars were about the same as yours when I was accepted to both. GW offered me significantly more financial aid than AU. I ended up going elsewhere (that offered just a smidge more money than GW). I will say the GW has much more prestige/name recognition for after college if that's going to change the way you think about them.

QUESTION:
What does the AFROTC entail?
I'm interested in joining the AFROTC but need more information on it (I've looked at its site and it doesn't answer the questions I have).

-How long do I have to be in the AFROTC during college once I join, can I begin in the middle of the academic year?

-How do cadet statuses work? How are cadets ranked? What are these rankings and what do they represent?

-I want to go into medical school, so will I be expected to serve after receiving my undergraduate degree or after I become an MD?

What are the classes like, how do they work with an average college student's schedule?

-How much working out does joining this entail? Is there some sort of physical fitness benchmark I'd have to meet as a girl to get in and stay in the program?

-On what occasions do you have an appointment with whoever your head officer is (or whatever their position may be called)?

-Is there a specific way you must come before this head officer?

-Is it possible to be on friendly terms with your head officer or does the relationship have to be strictly formal?

-By the time I'm a senior in college, what will I have accomplished in the AFROTC? (what does the average cadet accomplish by this time)

-What's the next step in AFROTC after graduating from college?

AS MANY OR AS LITTLE QUESTIONS YOU CAN ANSWER WOULD BE APPRECIATED!

• ANSWER:
  Basically you can sign up for two or four years. You can sign up during the middle of the semester, but you would not start counting until the start of the next real semester.

  Alot of the rest of your questions depend on if it is two or four years in the program. If you do two years, you have to take more classes per semester. Doing ROTC usually increases the time you are in college by a semester or a year depending on how heavy your course load is.

  The basic idea is that you have weekly pt (I believe twice a week) and then you have a couple of hours worth of class time.

  You have to maintain weight according to height and do certain run times and pushups and situps. If you don't you can't get your stipend, or a scholarship and will be placed on probation.

  Then during the summer you do your field training. The next summer or summers after that you can do things that are more like summer camp:tour a base, go to a training school for a little while.

  Since it trains you for your time in the military, you most likely won't be pals with your head officer, but hopefully you will be on friendly terms. AKA- you wont go to his house for a barbeque and beers, but you will say hi and go to him if you need advice.

  After you graduate ROTC, you get your commission as a 2nt lt. I BELIEVE you can delay your commission to go to medical school or law school, but am not sure. I do know that you can do ROTC in law school (and would think medical school as well). If so, why not do it then?

  From what I have seen, you can still be a normal college kid in alot of respects. You will have a little less free time, and will have to watch your behavior a little more (representing the armed forces). But it is def the easiest way to get your commission.

QUESTION:
How do I go about choosing a boarding school (high school level)?
I would like something in the New York area (Boston is O.K. too). Tuition is not important. I guess for next fall some deadlines may be coming up? Small class size, a good foreign language department, stats of the graduating students getting into good colleges. Those are some areas of need.
The main thing at this point is that I need to be pointed to good sites that have alot of information; not only rankings but also discussions/forum postings on the subject.

Thank you!

• ANSWER:
  Well if you are looking for a school in New York, I suggest Masters School.Good arts and great academics. the website is Mastersny.org Or you can apply to some schools in New Jersey area like Lawrenceville or Peddie. There are alot of good schools. You can go to boardingschoolreview.com

QUESTION:
i go to a 4th tier university but its undergraduate business program is ranked 71st nationally???
i hear 4th tier means the university is in the lowest college rankings, but i am a part of a college on campus that ranks 71st nationally -- that being business administration.

with that being said, although i go to a 'crap' university (San Diego State), will there at least be some recognition from business employers towards business students at San Diego State?

• ANSWER:
  San Diego State is not a crap university. It doesn't matter where you went to school. Businesses are always looking to hire college graduates no matter where they went to school. Don't worry about it.

QUESTION:
I'm starting to panic/get nervous a little about the college I've just been accepted early decision to. Advice?
Well, I recently applied early decision to St. Mary's College of Maryland, a public liberal arts school in Southern Maryland. Being an in-stater, I get to pay the impossibly low tuition while still getting the liberal arts education I want. I visited once and I had such a good feeling about it - I loved that it was rural, near the lake, gorgeous campus, good rankings (happiest students, most beautiful campus, etc.), and lots of study abroad/internship opportunities available, and I think good professors. It seemed like the perfect fit for me. And I was so, so incredibly happy I got in.

But I go to an elite private school and while I have above-average grades, people seem to judge me for my choice in college. These students have gotten into Yale, Columbia, and Princeton. The others, my own friends, have gotten into Vassar, Wellesley, and Pomona. I started to feel bad that the St. Mary's lacks name recognition even in-state. Plus I feel like my parents and family would have been more proud of me if I had gotten into an elite school, even though they keep telling me how proud they are of me, etc.

Meanwhile, I looked at studentsreview.com and I saw some negative (9 other negative, 8 positive reviews altogether) reviews. These reviews confirmed my worst fears -- lazy student body, cold clique-y narrow-minded people, bad professors, bad career service center, poor academics, and terrible administration.

I'm a career-oriented person, I've already planned out my goals within the next five years (I have a year-by-year guideline to each year in college of internship and study abroad programs, I also plan to double-major in Political Science and East Asian Studies). I want to go to UPenn or Princeton for grad school. I want to be an international news journalist working for either Aljazeera, BBC, or whatever else I like by that time.

I'm sure you don't really care about my career aspirations, but they do connect to my question. Since St. Mary's isn't a career-oriented (it's more of a, "Come here! We have everything! You can figure out what you wanna do here." sort of atmosphere) and since it's not elite or well-known, I feel like it would be a disadvantage to my career. Plus I have gotten sucked into elitism a little, people aren't going to be impressed when I tell them I'm an alumni of St. Mary's. I'm disappointed (despite the many positive reactions I've gotten, its the few negative things that really bother me.)

My point is, what do you think of this? Do you think your undergraduate college will hinder where you go in life, especially in a somewhat cutthroat, competitive field such as international journalism?

• ANSWER:
  You just have to make the most of any education you get elitist or not. It is up to you to make the most of of your educational experiences.

QUESTION:
Teacher made racist comment today?
If a teacher says, during a lesson on government, "Asians are the best students. They make up 12% of the [California] population, yet they make up 40% of the [California] college student population," people on yahoo answers seem to think that he is not being racist, but simply stating a fact. However, if the same teacher said that, "Caucasians were the most successful and happiest people in the world, they make up most of the Forbes richest 100 people, and European countries are always in the top rankings for overall happiness within their borders", most people would see this statement as racist. Why is this?

• ANSWER:
  Just wait for the black posters to see this and claim its not racist, then go to a post similar to this about black people being poor or commit crimes, and they will call it racist. Hypocrites.

QUESTION:
military options for college students?
So I am about to start my junior year in college as a double major of pre-engineering and mathematics with an education minor. I was wondering, other than OCS or OTS and ROTC, what options would the miltary have for me? Enlisted or officer. Are there advanced rankings? Is there a special corps for mathematicians/engineers/scientists? *Duh army corps of engineers* So nevermind I guess include ROTC and OCS too if they are required for a special position. I guess I am looking to sign on to be a scientist/mathematician/engineer/researcher exclusively and not have to go through and be placed based on accessions. Thanks Y.A.

• ANSWER:
  That doesnt happen for engineers.

  We have the Medical Specalist Corps as a way for quick / direct entry of medical types but engineers work different.

  Engineers have to be accessed normally and may not even be branched Engineer. Only after about 5-7 years service can you apply to get into the Corps of Engineers and start working on those national waterways.

  Even smaller use for scientists. I did meet one of the 8 or so Entomologists in the Army but he was fairly senior.

  No hope for your goals as an enlisted rank. Unless you want to be a lab tech -- that you can enlist for!

QUESTION:
UIUC vs UMD??. Which is better option?
I got admissions from following universities as ECONOMICS major as an international student.

1) University of Maryland - College Park
2) University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign
3) Oxford College of Emory University
4) Indiana University - Bloomington

(Well, I don't think the rankings of the department won't matter so seriously since I'm undergrad)

I'm not an American, but I thought UMD can offer me better options since it is close to the DC.
But, considering overall rankings and college size, UIUC seems pretty attractive too.
Well.. Oxford College is kind of cool that I eventually end up with degree from Emory.
But, Oxford College seems like inferior option... I just have sort of image like that.

IU-Bloomington is also a great college, but since I'm not going to B-school I don't think it's
the best option among all.

ANY IDEA WHICH ONE CAN BE BEST OPTION AS ECON MAJOR?

• ANSWER:
  Well I'm going to Maryland next year and I chose it because of its location (near D.C) and it's diverse student body

  good luck

QUESTION:
list of private colleges?
what are private colleges that have pretty good rankings and have a small faculty to student ratio

• ANSWER:
  Amherst
  Williams
  Swarthmore
  Wellesley (all women)
  Middlebury
  Bowdoin
  Pomona
  Carleton
  Davidson
  Haverford
  (the top 10)

QUESTION:
The liberal arts student and employment...?
I'm going to Grinnell College, which is the #14 best liberal arts college in the US. Do employers really value LAC graduates? Will recruiters bother to check the rankings of my college or will they just write it off as some small college they haven't heard of? In terms of employment, would I have just better off going to a more well known state school, like University of Illinois in Champaign? I don't think I should have - I didn't want to be a statistic and really, the program is better/harder than Champaign.
Wouldn't mentioning the ranking of my school during an interview look ...like bragging? I guess I earned the right if I went to Harvard or MIT... but Grinnell, while still great, is just not as good or reputable.

• ANSWER:

QUESTION:
Is INDEPENDENT completion of homework assignments out of vogue, or am I just antiquated? ?
Something has really caught my attention since becoming a member of Yahoo Answers and I am somewhat troubled by what I am seeing. As some of you may know, the USA is near the bottom of academic ratings among progressive countries.

WORLD EDUCATION RANKINGS
UNICEF rankings of educational systems in the world's richest countries, indicating the percentage of 14 and 15 year olds scoring below a minimum level in literacy, math and science.
1. South Korea 1.4 percent
2. Japan 2.2
3. Finland 4.4
4. Canada 5
5. Australia 6.2
6. Austria 8.2
7. Britain 9.4
8. Ireland 10.2
9. Sweden 10.8
10. Czech Republic 12.2
- (tie) New Zealand 12.2
12. France 12.6
13. Switzerland 13
14. Belgium 14
- (tie) Iceland 14
16. Hungary 14.2
- (tie) Norway 14.2
18. United States 16.2
19. Germany 17
- (tie) Denmark 17
21. Spain 18.6
22. Italy 20.2
23. Greece 23.2
24. Portugal 23

Although these rankings may have changed a bit over the past few years, the USA continues to lag behind sorrowfully in it's educational standing with dropout rates on the rise.

My concern then is in regard to the plethora of questions posed on this forum by both high school and college students who obviously have NOT completed homework assignments: reading books, math, research papers, interviews, etc. Although during my 13 years of higher education, I graduated near or at the top of my class, I never figured out how to inculcate the necessary material while foregoing the homework.

Realizing that I am old (40-50ish), am I just simply outdated in my thought and are internet forums and so on todays standard for homework completion? There is no way to deny some of the advantages of group homework completion; however, my concerns remain. In my day, asking someone else for the answers was simply called cheating, if caught there were serious consequences. Today, it seems to be the norm!

• ANSWER:
  The bigger concern is that if you do it yourself you OWN it. The point is not getting the "answer". It's in thinking for yourself...coming to your own conclusions, reasoning.

QUESTION:
I'm so aggravated with the current Obama administration!?
I checked the healthcare rankings and awknowledged a couple of things that came to my attention. The ones that are ranked ahead of ours either have no funded army, currently not in a war, and easier to maintain people because it's a smaller country. So in my opinion it is somewhat irrelevant to our situation. And the ones that have a lower ranking either are poor countries, have governmental issues, in a war, or all of the above.

How can you solve problems by spending more money? If we spend more for this reform, which we already know it is a socialist provider, costs too much at the moment. Which means we are going to have to tax everyone because it is too expensive and our country will go further down in debt not bankruptcy, because we are already well below bankrupt. But bow down to the current administration and follow whatever they ask, which leads to socialism (i.e. communism) because we have no other choice, but to follow whatever they want us to do, either it be pay for a single payer healthcare because we know that people who cant afford private anymore will go to a public option and then private healthcare will go out of business, unless they give out tax breaks, which I doubt. Just like Private universities give out grants and scholarships, to make this work we need tax breaks.

This also will affect the healthcare profession vastly because 40 million new patients and no new doctors? This will lead to longer lines, the demeanor from your docors will go down as well as the quality because of more work with the likelyhood of less time to finish all the patients.This is not including the freeloaders. Cmon now education cost too much to become a physician, surgeon etc... College students who go for that profession are already in debt after their studies so the result of a increase in doctors won't happen, when americans have less money with the increase of taxes.

I just heard that obama plans on extending the school year out because our education isn't satisfactory. This will result in a increase in taxes year out. That is ridiculous. Furthermore, that is not the problem, because we have what 2 and a half months of summer vacation? What he want to decrease Christmas vacation as well? What he really needs to do is focus on getting quality teachers, better curriculum, and more funding for more school supplies. You are already brain dead after 8 hours of class. So 10 to 11 hours of class won't do any good.

How about the texting problem we have in America. That is a problem indeed. But going on about banning all phones from cars? People are still going to do it anyways... They just want to ticket more people and get more money out of the American peoples pocket. Might as well ban all drive thru's because you don't have your complete attention on the road when you are eating while you drive.

• ANSWER:
  Ha ah!!! He preaches "more education"! OK! but where are the kids going to get it from?? AND! what kind of education will they be getting if all the teachers start to introduce Politics and their agendas to little children?? Singing songs about our glorious leader? Overriding the wishes of the parents, which is exactly what they are doing, by making it mandetory for these kids to listen to this garbage! They are a captive audience, which is something this Administration can't seem to get with the adults!!!
  Now, by the looks of it, by hook or by crook, they are going to MAKE it mandetory for us to accept this healthcare Plan! They don't care if there isn't enough doctors to service the People!!! That's not what this Plan is all about!!! Do you honestly think, after they have started collecting all these taxes and fines, they are actually going to put it into the Pot and use it for the benefit of all of us!??? You are dreaming if you think it will! What I want to know is, if the doctors walk out of this web, will they be able to practice their skills on their own, without any interference from the Government? Or, will the Government physically shut them all down? Strong arm tactics!
  Do you really think Mr and Mrs average American citizen are going to sit back and let all this happen?
  What exactly DOES this Government want, besides our money?? Once that's gone, what will they go after then?? Personally, I don't think THEY know themselves, cos they have got themselves all tangled up in this web of Obama's and his secret Administration, the only thing they can do now, is go along with the "gag", or step down and join the masses and face the music!
  IF they had EVER had a solid Plan in mind, they wouldn't be backing off so many times, and reforming this healthcare of theirs over and over again!! The truth is! they didn't have a clue in the first place, and they just hoped they could get this Plan passed before The People woke up, and worry about sorting out the Plan later!! NOw, nine months have passed, and the Plan hasn't been delivered!! Abort! Abort!! Try again Uncle Sam!!!

QUESTION:
For all of the money that we, as Americans, are pumping into the school systems, why are American students...?
almost always near the bottom of the rankings worldwide in nearly every academic category, especially mathematics?

And yet students come to us from across the world for our colleges...

Should our high schools become more specialized and offer a more focused curriculum to their students, similar to the college experience?

It seems that our secondary schools' curricula are covering too broad a range of topics in not enough depth for our students to learn anything of real substance.

• ANSWER:
  Check in to the number of hours students spend in the classroom across those rankings. You will see a high positive correlation between number of hours/days and performance. US only requires 180 days/year, pitiful.

QUESTION:
what college would i be able to get into if i maintain or raise the rankings?
im a sophmore in highschool and i am rank 101 out of 482 students, and my weighted average is 91.50
=)

• ANSWER:
  High school ranking really doesn't help. What are your SAT and ACT scores then I could tell you. I was 32 out of 873 and I bombed on both.

QUESTION:
how do highschools calculate class rank?
i was 148 of 622 students in my freshman year, which is pretty bad. But im planning to get a much higher class ranking my sophmore and junior year. Do colleges look at class rankings of indivudual years? or do they jumble all of it together? If i have a bad class rank my freshman year, will it affect my overall class rank?

• ANSWER:
  They use the combined GPA and class rank from all of the years together (usually Freshman-Junior year since you will fill out college apps first semester of your senior year). They put more weight on GPA than class rank, especially at very competitive schools. When they do use rank they usually go by what percentile you're in. Being top 10 in a class of 100 is a lot easier than a class of 1000, so percentile is easier to compare across different high schools. Also, if your grades get better after freshman year they will usually take that into account that you are improving.

  As for how they calculate rank, each school is different. Most schools will give honors/AP/foreign language 5 (possibly 6 points) on a 4 point scale. Some will also give more points to someone taking a full load of classes versus someone with study halls. Ask a counselor or teacher how your school does it.

QUESTION:
Some help me!i can't understand this article !:(?
Some colleges may opt out of rankings
They didn't call for an all-out boycott, but presidents of dozens of liberal arts colleges signaled their intent Tuesday to stop cooperating with U.S. News & World Report's college rankings. What that means exactly is not spelled out. Because most college presidents must answer to trustees, faculty and other constituents, "the decision to participate or withdraw from the U.S. News rankings rests with the individual institutions," says a statement released Tuesday by the Annapolis Group, whose members include 121 liberal arts colleges.Even so, "the majority" of the 80 presidents who attended the group's annual meeting in Annapolis, Md., "expressed their intent not to participate in the annual … ranking exercise."
The group also said it would work with other organizations to develop a Web-based alternative to rankings that would provide parents and students with meaningful ways to compare schools. please write me a quick short summary about this~
oh and there's more but if u want to see it go to this website http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2007-06-20-college-rankings_N.htm
srry! i can usually write my own summaries not that i'm lazy. it's just rilly confusing!!please help : )

• ANSWER:
  This just means that the liberal arts colleges don't agree with the college rankings from US News and World Report. USNWR makes a list every year of top-ranking colleges and universities, and apparently liberal arts colleges haven't been doing so hot. Now the liberal arts schools are starting to disagree with the ranks.

  Hope this helps!

QUESTION:
im applying to pt school and was wondering if theres a site for rankings...?
what are rankings of pt schools in ny, or nj? is there a site? is it very hard to get into or do they accept people who get B's? Also, when do students take there GED? junior year of college? senior year?
i mean GRE not GED!

• ANSWER:
  GRE is an exam for undergraduates
  you need to be in your third or fourth year in college to do that

  and india today does polls for schools and colleges

  try searching their website

QUESTION:
Does anyone know anything about Green Mountain College in Vermont?
I saw this college on a list as one of the ten best environmental schools in America, which is what i plan to study. I have done some research but I am still not entirely sold.

Has anyone attended there? visited? hired a graduate or student there?

It sames really small. 800 kids.. wouldnt there be more if it was a great school? supposedly they have over a %70 acceptance rate.. which is pretty high for most of the schools on the list I found.

I have heard some crazy things about schools up there.. "they dont even give tests" "there is no real learning" "people are only there for the experience" as awesome and enjoyable as this sounds I will need some real learning in college. Im sure alot of that stuff is here-say, and not true but it had to come from somewhere. I have gathered that Green Mountain is very progressive in the learning process but what I said earlier seems too far. Any ensuring thoughts?

comparing my slightly above average grades and very good extricurricular record to the accepted students, I think I would be accepted pretty easily, which gives me further skepticism as to the legitmacy of this school being as reputable as college rankings claim.

so my final question-
Is Green Mountain a great school? and by great I mean-

reputable, high standing among employers
actual learning
enjoyable
cool people
great college experience
worth the money

thanks..

• ANSWER:
  Hey!

  My name is Camille, and I'm actually a junior at GMC. I study Conservation Biology here, with a minor in Environmental Studies.

  In case you did not know, Green Mountain College is known for its Environmental Liberal Arts curriculum. The ELA curriculum is much like the general eds at any other college, except each class is focused on how the particular topic pertains to environmental studies. Each students takes about 10 ELA courses while at GMC, no matter what they may be studying. Because of this, all student, History majors or Environmental Management majors, walk away from GMC with a fundamental understanding of the natural environment.

  While we offer traditional majors (history, writing, etc.) we are known for our unique majors in the areas of the natural environment. Some of these include Sustainable Agriculture, Renewable Energy and Design, Natural Resource Management and Adventure Education. The students here are united in an environmental mission--which explains how we became Sierra Magazine's Greenest School. We also support students who are interested in designing their own major, and have options for studying unique interests.

  We are accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Despite our small size, we have an active and academically focused body of students. We do have a very high acceptance rate, but this is likely because we receive a somewhat small number of applications. I will say that generally only students who are environmentally focused apply here--it is not a college for the average young person. Hopefully with our new ranking from Sierra we will see an increase in our number of applications!

  I know what you mean with rumors about "Vermont Schools," but I can say they aren't true. We are not just a bunch of stoners who come to GMC to ski Killington (though a number of us do love the Mountain, and FREE adventure recreation opportunities!) Just like any other school, we are challenged with exams and papers. Our professors are very personable, and go by their first names. I know each and everyone of my professors, have eaten dinner with them, worked on my resumes with them, had them write me letters of recommendation, worked alongside them on research, house-sat for them, etc. Our small size is an attribute.

  As for cool people, rural Vermont is the place to be. There is no shortage of progressive farmers, political activists, or devoted community members. I love each and every kooky personality I have met here.

  And let me just say this...we have an organic farm right on campus, chickens and all.

  If you have any questions, call and speak with Hope at 800-776-6675. Give her my name, or even just ask to speak with me. Good luck in your college search!

  Camille

QUESTION:
will someone proof read this for grammatical errors?
Please! this paper is due tomorrow and i just need to make sure the grammar and punctuation are correct!!

When reviewing candidates for academic admissions, admissions officers should consider criteria other than ACT/SAT scores. Certain criteria, such as academic awards a student has earned, the student’s income and the student’s family’s income should determine whether or not the student is eligible for financial aid and/or scholarships.
As Robert Kuttner explains in his article titled “College Rankings or Junk Science” on prospect.org, “When higher tuitions spin off scholarships for other affluent kids intended mainly to raise college rankings, the result is to doubly raise barriers to poor and middle class kids, with both higher tuition costs and diminished aid.” The result of this is poorer kids doing worse in school than kids from more affluent families.
The solution to this problem? First, determine whether the student lacks the benefits of a more affluent family and the better school system that comes along with that. If a student comes from a poorer home and has to keep a job in order to take care of themselves, they should receive financial aid over those students who come from more affluent families who can afford to pay for their child’s education without the help of the state.
Also, students who have earned academic awards from their high school show a dedication to their education and deserve scholarships over those who might just have high ACT/SAT scores .

• ANSWER:
  One long sentence moves from singular to plural - starts out 'a student' and ends up 'themselves/they'.

  If a student comes from a poorer home and has to keep a job in order to take care of themselves, they should receive financial aid over those students who come from more affluent families who can afford to pay for their child’s education without the help of the state.

  Change all to plural:

  If ( ) studentS come( ) from ( ) poorer homeS and HAVE to keep a job in order to take care of themselves, they should receive financial aid over those students who come from more affluent families who can afford to pay for their child’s education without the help of the state.

  The last, single-sentence paragraph should be incorporated with the preceding paragraph.

QUESTION:
lehigh unversity?
one of my friends told me that lehigh is a bit of a party school. I know its a good school with smart people, as they rank #31 according to http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/brief/t1natudoc_brief.php Essentially he said that a lot of people there party, but are good enough students to do the work too. Is there any truth to this?

• ANSWER:
  It is a good school, I know someone who graduated from there and he is so brilliant, I think that he should have studied rocket science, but instead he went on to study dentistry and is now a very successful dentist. It shouldn't matter whether or not a school is a so called "party school" it is a student's responsibility to remain focused and understand that he/she is there to learn, not party.

QUESTION:
Best Universities With Coed (freshmen) Dorms??
I'm a student with good grades from the Gifted program through High School, and my friend (female) and I want more than anything to live together.

Our school of choice is USC, which does not have coed dorms (I emailed the Housing Dept to find this out, despite Collegeboard.com's misleading info). Living in an apartment in LA is proving to be an almost-impossible feat..

SO: I am looking to find another school that is high in the tiers of college rankings which offers coed dorms for Freshmen. We also happen to be more interested in living in a place like San Francisco or New York than suburban/rural areas.

• ANSWER:
  i think this is least important when picking a school its just as great to live in different dorms cause you will have more experiences in different dorms and can meet more people plus you can wait til maybe your second year and just get an apartment together

QUESTION:
College Choices, which should I go too?
I'm still got a couple more years to go, but I'm curious to know which college is the best choice? I'm looking into go into Pre-med. I'm looking in the range from 9-35 (rankings according to US News and World Report). I'm a good student, and think this range is just right for me. I'm not from a rich family, so I'm looking into a school that can provide my family with a reasonable tuition. Here are the schools I am considering (I'm from Kansas by the way, and I do not have any interest in staying here :0) :

North Carolina at Chapel Hill (I like what I hear about it)
Boston College
Richmond
Duke
Northwestern
Vanderbilt
Tufts
Georgetown
Rice
Cornell
Washington (St. Louis)
Washington and Lee
Brown
Johns Hopkins
Chicago
Virginia

Those are some of the most likely canidates. Which one do you think would be a good match for me? I'd like to have a good college expirience, a place with social people, good academics, and optional would be good school spirit. I'd also prefer an urban environment, as it would be a new expirience than Kansas, but not neccessary. If you went to any of these colleges, or are going to one, please tell me about your expiriences. Which are good, which are bad? I'm just trying to find the right place for me.

• ANSWER:

QUESTION:
Stories about selling your soul to get into College?
Hey everyone!

I'm writing a speech about our tendency to sell our identity -- who we are -- in order to gain fame, recognition, money, or opportunity. In other words, our tendency to manipulate who we are in pursuit of what we think are the "most valuable" things in life.

Anyways, one aspect of my speech is talking about how this problem is exemplified in the college admissions process. Specifically, I'm looking for a story (preferably from a reputable source, like CNN, or the NYT, or something) about a student selling his soul to get into college, whether that's by starting a million clubs he really didn't care about or constructing his college application list using only the US News rankings or anything like that.

Any help? I know its kind of hard

• ANSWER:
  I sold my soul to Sallie Mae to make it into college. And I know I'm not the only one.

QUESTION:
im a student currently preparin 4 PMTs help me out plz answer 2 dis?
can any1 let me know 'bout d medical colleges in india & their entrance tests along with their rankings , mode of selection & a rough idea releated to d availability of their forms & expected dates for conduct of thier exams
also do tell me about biotechnology institutes in india plz answer 2 dis

• ANSWER:
  That is weird I know of a lot of people who come from India to go to American medical schools then go back to practice in India but I don't know of anyone who goes there to study.

QUESTION:
Is the "economic recovery" we keep hearing about actually a college bubble?

http://www.economist.com/node/16941775

FIFTY years ago, in the glorious age of three-martini lunches and all-smoking offices, America’s car companies were universally admired. Everybody wanted to know the secrets of their success. How did they churn out dazzling new models every year? How did they manage so many people so successfully (General Motors was then the biggest private-sector employer in the world)? And how did they keep their customers so happy?

Today the world is equally in awe of American universities. They dominate global rankings: on the Shanghai Ranking Consultancy’s list of the world’s best universities, 17 of the top 20 are American, and 35 of the top 50. They employ 70% of living Nobel prizewinners in science and economics and produce a disproportionate share of the world’s most-cited articles in academic journals. Everyone wants to know their secret recipe.

Which raises a mischievous question. Could America’s universities go the way of its car companies? On the face of it, this seems highly unlikely. Student enrolments are higher than ever this year, as Americans who cannot find jobs linger or return to education. Cambridge, Massachusetts, shows no outward sign of becoming Detroit. Yet there are serious questions about America’s ivory towers.

Two right-wing think-tanks, the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and the Goldwater Institute, have both produced damning reports about America’s university system. Two left-wing academics, Andrew Hacker and Claudia Dreifus, have published an even more damning book: “Higher Education? How Colleges are Wasting Our Money and Failing Our Kids and What We Can Do About It”. And US News & World Report, a centrist magazine, says in its annual survey of American colleges that: “If colleges were businesses, they would be ripe for hostile takeovers, complete with serious cost-cutting and painful reorganisations.”

College fees have for decades risen faster than Americans’ ability to pay them. Median household income has grown by a factor of 6.5 in the past 40 years, but the cost of attending a state college has increased by a factor of 15 for in-state students and 24 for out-of-state students. The cost of attending a private college has increased by a factor of more than 13 (a year in the Ivy League will set you back ,000, excluding bed and board). Academic inflation makes medical inflation look modest by comparison.

As costs soar, diligence is tumbling. In 1961 full-time students in four-year colleges spent 24 hours a week studying; that has fallen to 14, estimates the AEI. Drop-out and deferment rates are also hair-curling: only 40% of students graduate in four years.

The most plausible explanation is that professors are not particularly interested in students’ welfare. Promotion and tenure depend on published research, not good teaching. Professors strike an implicit bargain with their students: we will give you light workloads and inflated grades so long as you leave us alone to do our research. Mr Hacker and Ms Dreifus point out that senior professors in Ivy League universities now get sabbaticals every third year rather than every seventh. This year 20 of Harvard’s 48 history professors will be on leave.

America’s commitment to research is one of the glories of its higher-education system. But for how long? The supply of papers that apply gender theory to literary criticism remains ample. But there is evidence of diminishing returns in an area perhaps more vital to the country’s economic dynamism: science and technology. The Kauffman Foundation, which studies entrepreneurship, argues that the productivity of federal funding for R&D, in terms of patents and licences, has been falling for some years. Funding is spread too thinly. It would yield better results if concentrated on centres of excellence, but fashionable chatter about the “knowledge economy” stirs every congressional backwoodsman to stick his fingers into the university pie.

The Goldwater Institute points to a third poison to add to rising prices and declining productivity: administrative bloat. Between 1993 and 2007 spending on university bureaucrats at America’s 198 leading universities rose much faster than spending on teaching faculty. Administration costs at elite private universities rose even faster than at public ones. For example, Harvard increased its administrative spending per student by 300%. In some universities, such as Arizona State University, almost half the full-time employees are administrators. Nearly all university presidents conduct themselves like corporate titans, with salaries, perks and entourages to match.

• ANSWER:
  I heard about this on NPR. You are no doubt correct. Another factor is the loss the colleges with large endowments have endured due to the latest Wall Street crash.
  I'll be interested to read what Hacker and Dreifus have to say regarding "What we can do about it".

QUESTION:
Where can I find a website of the best undergraduate colleges BY MAJOR?
Ya im a senior. i am interested in biomedical and other crap. and i like some schools but dont know what they are good for. please help.
I AM THINKING OF UCSD, JHU, mcgill, utexas, annarbor, uva and unc and maybe duke

• ANSWER:
  I dont think there is a single website that tells you the best undergrad colleges by major. I think you would have to look for it.

  If you want to major in the biomedical crap, you should take a look at John Hopkins University, UCSD, UCLA (just to name a few). They are great schools for that field.

  If you posted the schools that you like, i could tell you want they are good for......

QUESTION:
Website for best Colleges by Major?
Is there a website that lists the top 10 colleges for specific majors? I remember seeing a site like that but I can't find it again.

• ANSWER:

  http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com/search/adv_typeofschool.jsp

  if you search then it lets you narrow it down by a lot of different things... but if you want just majors then just skip all the other stuff and go right to majors...

  collegeboard.com is good for a lot of different things when you are applying... good luck!

QUESTION:
What is the best college major to become a billionaire?
What is the best college major to become a billionaire?

Need to keep in mind that finance capital and not industrial capital dominates.

See now that I was wrong to worship God or any stand in for god like the Idea, morality, love or virtue.

Power is virtue, weakness is sin

Money is God, it is the magickal substance that can turn anything into its opposite. It can let you live 1000 lives by buying the lives of others. It can buy you any talent.

• ANSWER:
  politics...
  business...

  “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.
  Talent will not;
  Nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent.
  Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
  Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.

  Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
  The slogan "press on" has solved and always will
  solve the problems of the human race”

  Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933)

QUESTION:
What is the best college major to become a billionaire? Need to keep in mind that finance capital and not ind?
What is the best college major to become a billionaire?

Need to keep in mind that finance capital and not industrial capital dominates.

See now that I was wrong to worship God or any stand in for god like the Idea, morality, love or virtue.

Power is virtue, weakness is sin

Money is God, it is the magickal substance that can turn anything into its opposite. It can let you live 1000 lives by buying the lives of others. It can buy you any talent.

• ANSWER:
  Given the randomness of those who have acquired a billion dollars in wealth, I'd say you could choose any major you want.

QUESTION:
What is the best way for my son to be looked at by major league scouts or college??
My son is currently sixteen years of age and has talent in the game of baseball. We currently live in South Florida and would like to get info on travel ball and programs like that....Thanks for the help!

• ANSWER:
  well you should get some footage of your son playing baseball, and send it to like whatever youre looking into, like a college baseball coach's email, and he will send scouts to the game if he likes you, and if he impresses the scouts, then hes off to a great future.

QUESTION:
Which undergrad college major is best to take in order to become a Family Physician?
I have been told the best to take is anatomy, biochemistry, immunology, neurology, genetics, or pathology. I've also been told I have to go to medical school and have some experience supervised by professional doctors before I can become a doctor. What is your opinion on the best major to take in order to be most prepared for becoming a family physician?

• ANSWER:
  Becoming a doctor of any kind means you must go to medical school, usually four years of classes, then complete two years of an internship before you may practice. Most doctors also complete a three-year residency after internship in their specialty, such as family medicine.

  There is no required type of bachelor's degree you have to have to get admitted to med school, but you may have to take extra classes to catch up to your classmates if you have not studied much chemistry or biology.

  Of the doctors I've known, there were undergraduate majors in chemistry, microbiology, and biology. The others I never asked.

QUESTION:
What's the best SUNY college for an English major?
I'm interested in transferring to a SUNY college by the Fall of next year, however, I'm not too sure what college I should try and apply to.

I want to get my degree in English, and get a certificate to teach English abroad. What's the best SUNY college for an English major?

• ANSWER:
  Pretty much all the SUNY Schools have english offered as a major
  but the teaching abroad degree will come after your bachelors degree from a SUNY.

QUESTION:
Rank these common college majors by difficulty. Best answer get 10 points!?
(#1 being the hardest; please provide some explanation)

Accounting
Business Management
Nursing
Pharmacy
Finance
Marketing
Electrical Engineering
Civil Engineering
Computer Science
Computer Engineering

• ANSWER:
  Hardest: Electrical Engineering
  Computer engineering
  Computer science
  Civil engineering
  pharmacy
  nursing
  accounting
  business management
  marketing
  finance
  the first four are the hardest because they all involve a heavy amount of advanced math such as calculus and differential equations. Pharmacy is next because of the amount of chem involved. Nursing because of the stress; and the rest are more or less the same kind of stuff.

QUESTION:
Im a college student and Im wondering what is the best major to go into?
I know that this is a controversial issue. Some say the gpa matters ,others say the degree. I dont know what i want to go into. But i just want some opinions and possibilites to look at. By saying the best major to go into i mean as far as pretty much being guaranteed a sucessful,lucrative job coming out of college.

Thanks! Have a nice day!

• ANSWER:
  That really depends on how long you want to be in school. Physician's assistants usually go to school for about 6 years and come out with great salaries (over 70,000 at the 25th percentile!). Lawyers also have great earning potential (but are not, by any means, guaranteed high salaries), and law is quite a competitive field. A huge benefit to law school is that your undergraduate degree can be in pretty much anything, since there isn't a "pre-law major" at most universities. Your LSAT and your GPA are the most important considerations here. Nurses are usually in demand, but the waiting list for nursing programs (at least where I live) can be long. Dental hygienists have starting salaries around /hour and very flexible schedules, but do not always get benefits. Dental hygiene programs are about 3 years, 2 years focusing on hygiene and 1 year focusing on general education requirements. Obviously you could command a high salary as a doctor, but doctors are in school for 12 years + (including residency). Many people go for generic business degrees, which leave a lot of opportunities open. There is a huge demand for social workers, and you can get a job in the field with a bachelors degree, but the pay is poor. There is no major that guarantees you a high-paying job that will be easy to find. What really matters is your interest.

  http://www.careervoyages.gov/top50occupations-main.cfm

  There are some in demand careers. If money is the most important thing to you, you should look at the careers for which demand is expected to grow and figure things out from there based on your interests, the pay, and the amount of education required.

QUESTION:
The Best Major (college)?
Hey, i'm going to college, but i couldn't be more clueless when it comes to choosing a college major: any ideas? By the way, i was awesome in social studies back in high school, and also pretty good in science stuff.

• ANSWER:
  If you're concerned about salary potential, you might find this list helpful: http://www.payscale.com/best-colleges/degrees.asp It ranks various college majors based on salary, showing the median starting and mid-career salary for each one. Of course, following your interests and exploring different options is always a good idea.

  Hope that helps and good luck

QUESTION:
What do you think are the best college majors?
By BEST I mean, the ones that offer the most job opportunities. I know many people who get their degree and because of the job market for whatever they have chosen, they are walking around with a degree, unable to get a job. So I don't mean most interesting, highest paying, I just simply mean which majors do you think offer the greatest opportunities?
If you know specifically in Texas, that'd be even better. Thanks!

• ANSWER:
  Engineering, Technology, Computer Science, or any applied science. The US doesn't have enough engineers and scientists to meet demand, so companies bring people over from other countries. That should tell you that these degrees are in high demand. Finding a good engineer in the USA is difficult because most of them already have jobs.

QUESTION:
What is the best college for an engineering type major in calfornia?
Im doing a college study project and Im trying to find out a college that is known by most people for being a good school. By the way I play ice hockey, lacrosse so probably like division 3 or 2 would be nice

• ANSWER:
  hey, i cant answer your question but i did want to write an answer just to let you know that someone actually read it. better luck next time and i hope your problem was resolved.

QUESTION:
best college major....?
What is the best college major for me? I love being a leader, it brings out the best in me. I have confidence and enjoy working with people but I don't mind working by myself. Math is my worst subject but I don't mind it. I actually enjoy Math even though I'm not too good at it. Physical fitness is my biggest passion. I love working hard but also having a good amount of free time so I can work out. I want a good paying career, around 50-60k a year, but I also want a career that I would enjoy.

• ANSWER:

QUESTION:
which college guide book is the best?
I wonder which college guide book is the best? The U.S. News Ultimate College Guide 2009 or the Best 368 Colleges, 2009 from the Princeton Review?

Is there any college guide book include college ranking by major?

• ANSWER:
  US News has ranking by major, but for graduate programs and it's online at the website. I would get either one, and agree with the other person. There both great guide's so get either one. I would get Princeton Review, but that's just me. Good Luck

QUESTION:
College rankings by major? Can't find decent sites...?
Where can I find a detailed site (or any resource, really) that showcases college rankings by major?
I've been looking specifically for the best english and overall fine arts programs (specifically creative writing, photography, and film making), but I'm not having much luck.

• ANSWER:

QUESTION:
What is the best Major to study in college for a science student?
By science, i mean maths, chemistry and physics. No biology. I am looking for a major where the graduate can find a lot of jobs and get a high salary.
I am also interested in Engineering. Which field of engineering is popular nowadays?

• ANSWER:
  You could always do a double major with chemistry/physics and maths, or major in maths and minor in chemistry. It depends on your school, some universities have more specific majors, and some have science programs that are broader.

QUESTION:
College rankings by major?
Where can I find a detailed site (or any resource, really) that showcases college rankings by major?
I've been looking specifically for the best english and overall fine arts programs (specifically creative writing, photography, and film making), but I'm not having much luck.

• ANSWER:

QUESTION:
What is the best college in California for Biomedical engineering?
Ok I really want to study and make artificial legs, hands and all that artificial stuff.....I am not sure if Biomedical engineering is for this major...But if is not can you tell me what it is and good colleges to major in....By the way I got really good skills in 3D modeling in computers i made a 9.14 Porsche engine, and a few other cool things like that and i hope that can give me a great chance in majoring and making Artificial body parts.....Thank you

• ANSWER:
  Information is below.

QUESTION:
Best College in California for Art History Major?
I am at a community college, have all my general ed. units complete, and plan on transferring by next spring. My major is Art History.

What is the best college, preferably in Southern Cal., Christian-based, and with a Grad School, for pursuing a BA in Art History?

I eventually plan to get my PhD in Art History and teach at a university.

Help is appreciated! God bless!!
I am considering UCSB.

How is itsfinancial aid/grants department?

Does it have a strong art history/teaching program?

Any thoughts are definitely welcome.

• ANSWER:
  I am not absolutely sure which is best, but here is some information about a student intern program at the Getty Museum in LA for which you may qualify:

  http://www.angelsgateart.org/opportunities.html

  In addition, the Getty also cooperates with UCLA for a special program on art conservation. I know that that is not exactly the field you are interested in, but it would be fascinating for an art historian to be exposed to some of that as well. Here is their website:

  http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/bytopic/education/

  I believe that the art teacher at the high school where I taught up until retiring recently had attended either USC or UCLA. There are many art institutes nearby including LACMA, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. UCSB would also be a wonderful choice.

  Best of luck to you!

QUESTION:
What's the best college major for my interests?
The classes i succeeded most in in high school and enjoyed were history and french.
i don't like maths and i'm not creative/artistic.
i don't know if i'm into science. I'm not very confident in that area even though my former goal is to become a doctor (my science grades aren't stellar and i'm not motivated by the subject)
Usually when I peruse the internet, i usually read stuff relating to sociology, how brain works/how people think (but not the sciencey details about chemical names etc. that's boring. mostly the psychological part) the world bank and developing countries, hair care (lol) etc

If i had supernatural powers, one would be to understand how people think so i can read what's on their mind since i'm pretty sensitive to human emotions and try not to offend anyone and make people happy.

see, i'm all over the place in my interests. somebody help me.
the only idea i can come up with now is intl. studies and become a dipolmat. but i need more ideas.

i'm a college freshman

• ANSWER:
  major in history, classical studies, mid-evil studies, french language, a major in psycology

QUESTION:
Does anybody know a website where they ranks colleges by majors?
for example the best accounting school in the country or the best college physics program.

Im looking for this information on biochemistry, which schools have strong programs?

• ANSWER:
  Well I found the biochemistry best by searching and finding another yahoo question: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080823124352AA4qHRK

  http://www.globalscholar.com/collegefinder/: This site allows you to compare colleges on different degrees, majors, etc.

  I hope that helped!

QUESTION:
Which Liberal Arts major provides the best opportunities after college?
Political Science, Economics, History, Sociology, and Philosophy

By opportunities, I mean most amount of good (or decent) paying jobs after a college undergrad degree.

At the same time which major involves the most amount of discussions?

Also which major is most enjoyable and useful in your life?

• ANSWER:
  Economics provides the most opportunities with an undergrad degree. Mostly it is because you will have some exposure to mathematics involved with economic models.

  Philosophy and Political Science involves the most amount of discussion.

  Everything is useful, depending on what you get out of it. As for most enjoyable, that is up to the student. Everyone likes one topic more than another.

QUESTION:
What is the best major to pick for Buisness?
My goal is to become a manager for a Bmw dealership and someday own my own dealership. what is the best major to follow in college. currently I am a Business Management Major and Ive been told by many people that a major in finance with a minor in Marketing is the best option in the business world. should i change my major or just start a minor with management as my major?

• ANSWER:
  Congrats on your decision to go into business.

  you're asking great questions.
  I would disagree with the choice of majors, personally.
  Finance is good, but the marketing one can be weak.
  Marketing is pretty easy to pick up, actually.

  If you're thinking of opening a car dealership, you're going to be an entrepreneur. So, take accounting classes. Finance is geared more towards investment professionals. Accounting is for managing the books of a business.

  You should really look at the end goal, and that is to get an MBA from a Division 1 school, like Tuck, U of Illinois, and others. For that, you'll need excellent grades in undergrad.

  For your info, opening a BMW dealership is not just about knowledge. You have to have a lot of money that you can put up. Even if you're a manager at a BMW, and know how the car business operates, you still may not have the capital (money) to buy a dealership. A dealership easily requires a million dollars to open (I'm not kidding).

  You should go to BMW.com, and figure out the process for asking to open a dealership. They will give you the financial requirements.

  I hope this doesn't put you off. Business is a great major. But like all majors, there is lots of competition.
  I hope you become very wealthy.

QUESTION:
What is the best way to choose your college major and minor studies?
Here is my problem!! I just graduated from high school class of 07 and just turned 18, i took a break from school only to decide what i wanted to do for my future career i didnt want to rush or feel pressured into going to college (by my family) right after high school so i took a few months off from school.

I have resently registered at my local community college for classes in january but i do not know what classes to take because i want to transfer after one year to UMD or GW (local colleges). I know i like working with cars but from my research as a career it's not enough money for me the base salary is about 30k but i may work on cars as a hobby but not as a career!!

IF YOU WERE ONCE IN A SIMILAR SITUATION HOW DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR CAREER I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS

• ANSWER:
  GM,
  The majority of students feel like this. I know I did! There is a book about just this challenge called, "What Color Is Your Rainbow?" There are many more, as well. The college will be able to test you -usually for free- regarding your best abilities. It's what interests us, and what we're good at doing that we are wisest to choose from. You should love what you do, you have to do it for a long time.

  Once you start school, take at least one class to work on your general education requirements, then take a class that just looks like fun. Reading the catalog of classes can tell you a lot about what majors exist at that college, and the variety of classes you can take. Buy a catalog for the universities you want to attend for the same reason, or go to the library there and read it without buying it. Doing that can really expand your ideas, and fuel your dreams.

QUESTION:
What's the best college for me to go to become a pilot?
Right now i'm looking to go on to college and become a pilot. i just have a few questions.

-what is the best college and why?
-how much experience will i need to be hired by a major airline?
-will anyone give me a job out of college -regional airlines?

• ANSWER:
  Embry-Riddle has the highest reputation, but in fact it doesn't make much difference. VERY FEW civilian-trained pilots ever get to the left seat of a major airline's cockpit.
  Many pilots spend years working for peanuts in flight schools as instructors or as co-pilot for small regional carriers without EVER being called up to the "majors".

QUESTION:
What is the very best college an Indian girl (class of 2010) who is looking for a busines-related major?
I just want to see what I should aim for by someone else's opinion.
I want a school that's diverse, in a city, and is one of the "best" schools that has a reputation for excellence and is in the Northeast USA.

• ANSWER:
  I suggest going to princeton review, and selecting '' business schools'' in the major search. The problem is that sometimes, they require your email adress to log in. It's risk free, and the info they give you about school is fantastic. So check it out!

QUESTION:
What are some of the best colleges for a biology major?
Almost every college offers a biology major but I need to know which ones are really good. I live in Missouri and would prefer a college here, but I'm open to other states also. My limitations are money and the fact that my handwriting is too sloppy to do the writing portion of the act. act 32, class rank 10 (top 3%), and between 25-30 credits of ap and dual enrollment by end of year (so colleges that accept alot of these would be a plus).
By the way, I am not interested in marine biology or any other biology focusing on the macro aspect of life. I am more interested in the chemical makeup of life so if you know a good biochemical or molecular biology college please give that also, but I'd rather do a general biology major and then specialize in graduate school.

• ANSWER:
  There are some really great colleges in Massachusetts. Especially if you want to major in marine biology.

QUESTION:
I have 3 years of college experience as a Marketing Major, what are the best jobs I can get?
I am currently an undergrad student with 3 years of College under my belt. I am a Marketing major considering trying to start my career by working full time, and finishing my degree at night. I have my own reasons for this, so please don't leave any answers trying to diswade me.

I wanted to know if I can get any jobs better than "you want fries with that". So far, during the summer I worked as a Temp making an hour. Can I get a better full time job than that? Maybe as an assistant, or something else?

Please help!

• ANSWER:
  You should look into a career in either the housekeeping or food service industry. Good luck!

QUESTION:
What would be a good math related major to take in college for me?
Hey, I'm just about to be a senior in high school, and I was wondering what major would suit me best. By the end of senior year, I will have taken both statistics and AP Calculus. I am not too smart when it comes to science, especially chemistry, but I'm going to take physics this year as well. Since my strengths are mainly math oriented, I'm thinking that I will do best with a math related major. I'll be taking a class in media design this year too. Thanks

• ANSWER:
  The highest paying major with the best job opportunities if you stop at a 4-year degree is engineering (all types). Next are computer science and physics. Math itself isn't quite as useful; it's applications are more useful.

QUESTION:
How hard is it to go to college at 20? and best college to go to?
I'm 17 right now and my parents are splitting up. I'm worried about college since beside the fact that family finances are probably going to nose-dive and the fact that I'm in a religion that believes college is useless so my parents aren't paying for it(whatever) anyway, I'm moving out next year when I'm 18 to prevent one of my parents feeling like I choose one or the other because of favoritism..... its a long story. well I know that I won't be able to apply to school this year anyways so I was wondering how hard it would be to get accepted to major colleges if I apply at 20 or something with some money saved and lifeskills gained.(I'm planning on going to costa rica with friends for half a year aka: killer essay of my experiences) I know i would have to keep up with my studies and probably retake my SAT or something but would it mean at age 20 my dreams of going to some of the best schools are over... is it harder or easier i just don't know...
PLEASE HELP I really don't want to give up my dreams of going to that awesome college...
by the way what awesome colleges did you go to or wish you had... how was dorm life, the professors, and what was your freedom like on the campus. it would really like your help in making my decision in that respect also.
Yeah community would be cheaper but I'm not sure I could find a community college that provides a degree in biochemistry or what ever i plan on doing around that field.

• ANSWER:

QUESTION:
What is the best major for a entrepreneur/investor looking to deal with real estate?
I am transferring from a local community college to Arkansas State University Jonesboro with around 50 hours of my basic courses. I would like to have my major set in stone by then but I'm currently at a loss.
Because of my special ability to make money without working traditional jobs everyone tells me to major in Business. So thats the plan right now. I love helping people so I was hoping to learn more about becoming a financial adviser. I just don't want to be in a situation where it takes years to make decent money.

I want to use my investment skills in the real estate market asap. But I need a reliable decent paying job to begin how I would like. I'm currently under the Finance degree route, but I'm afraid that it will be too broad for me to land a good job out of college.

So should I continue with a business degree? More specifically for someone wanting to own duplexes/ trailer parks/flip property would a finance degree/w business minor be the best option?

Thanks all.
Thanks for both of yours answers but I need a little more help. I realize that I do not actually need a degree to work in the real estate field, but I do want a decent paying job fairly quick out of college.I want to make 30k/yr pretty quick out of college save up money and buy a duplex or rental unit of any type. Pay this off asap then buy another and so on. Just a basic strategy that should work since I'm a single young person. I know that a finance degree will eventually help me in anything related to business, but I do not want to be stuck in a situation where I cannot find a job with a degree in Finance. Also I am not dropping out. I want a four year degree to keep graduate school & political interest in the future open.

So the question is- How confident can I be in landing a decent landing job out of college with a degree in finance? Or should I get a degree that guarantees me a job completely unrelated and just read books about real estate?

• ANSWER:
  You sound a lot like me...

  I went the same route as you: Got a finance degree, bought a duplex in college, pulled equity out two years later and bought a fourplex, got a job after college helping entrepreneurs and startups with angel investments and now I work as a business consultant and I own a couple of businesses myself.

  So...from my perspective, you seem to be on the right track with real estate. It is a good investment especially if you can live there for two years when you purchase it. Owner occupied properties have lower down payment and longer loan terms so long as they are 4 units or less.

  Regarding the degree...Finance is by far the best degree if you are interested in real estate. Analyzing cash flows, figuring "net present value" and capitalization rates are imperative to making sound investment decisions that will make you a profit.

  The problem I have found with a finance degree is not that it is too broad, the problem is that the workplace views people with accounting degrees as more suitable for financial analysis positions than people with finance degrees.

  I know that sounds crazy, and to a large part it is... People who have been trained to read and interpret financial statements do it better than people who have been trained as bean counters. Finance is a relatively new field so I believe over time it will become more accepted and better for graduates of the program.

  Until then, my advice is stick with the Finance degree but add in an accounting minor or even double major with accounting/finance (then you can sit for your CPA). You will never regret taking those extra classes when it comes time to apply and interview.

  Regarding a "good paying job" 30K a year shouldn't be a problem (depending on where you live). In 2002 I made 29K a year starting, after two years I was up to 36K, then I transfered jobs/markets and now I make 52K (but I also got an MBA).

  Good Luck
  Mr. BizPlan

QUESTION:
What is the best major to take in Community College if in the future you plan to major in psychology?
I'm a singer/song writer and that is my dream job and I've been pursuing that but I decided to go back to school because the entertainment business can't promise success. I'm 23 and my second love is Psychology/therapy/counseling something along those lines. So I decided to major in pyschology once I transfer to a university. I read that it is best to concentrate on the most important credits( Math, English, etc..) & that it isn't necessary to major in psychology in CC. I do realize how much schooling I will have to endure,LoL. I figure by the age of 35 I should be somewhere set in my 2nd choice career.... but my question is what should I major in during my time in Community College? If I was to major in performing arts will I be able to transfer wit no problem? Or are there certain classes I need from a certain major now for the future?
I'm just really confused on what classes and route I should take in order to be in that field. Any information, ideas or advice would be great!
I thought about social work because it's less schooling but honestly it doesnt pay enough in the long run. If you have any other career ideas w/High pay. I would appreciate those too. Thanx in advace

• ANSWER:
  Get ahold of an academic counselor at the university you plan to transfer to. You should be able to get ahold of a curriculum check sheet for your program. Then verify that every course you take at the community college will transfer AND satisfy a requirement of the degree.

  I know a couple people that got associates degrees at a CC only to find out that much of their coursework only transferred to the university as elective credit. They ended up taking a lot more courses than they needed to.

QUESTION:
Which college is best for business profession?
I am going to try to major in business or architect I haven't quite decided between the two, but I have looked through probably over 500 colleges by looking at cost, ranking, college life, etc. and I have come down to five colleges; (Virginia tech, James Madison University, Calvin College, Clemson College, and the University of Washington) can anyone please tell which would be best. Thank You

• ANSWER:
  I attended Calvin College (in Grand Rapids, Michigan for those that are not familiar with it) and graduated with a degree in business and communications in 1998. Since that time, I have been able to use my skills successfully in the business world. The program adequately prepared me for the problems that I would be facing after finding employment. I have recently been accepted into the MBA program in finance at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. In this case, it seems that at least one outside observer agrees that I have a sound foundation in my understanding of business.

QUESTION:
If I want to pursue a career in music industry by being a performer what would be the best choice in college?
I'm debating whether to go into music business or performance as a major and not sure where to go or which would be best. help please!

• ANSWER:
  I think you can answer this question yourself. How i can help you is by giving you a list of careers in music , it in here http://www.cvtips.com/career_in_music.html , then you can decide which is the better option Music Business or as a performer. I think once you decide on that, you can easily choose a college.

QUESTION:
whats the best college that has a really good musical theatre major it doesn't matter where it is?
so we all know a lot of people say don't do musical theatre its a waste its not even a career well i go by this quote "Choose a job you love, and never work a day in your life" but that is really why i want to do it so please i need choices

• ANSWER:
  UCLA does.
  So does the University of Tennessee... but they only have a theatre major, you take musical theatre classes to complete your major.
  Most colleges are like this, you'll really just have to shop around.

QUESTION:
What college/university in Florida is best for the sciences?
I am looking to major in chem or bio. What school should I go to? UF, FSU, UCF, UM, or something else? I know I can look at rankings of the schools on sites like princeton review, but they grade academics overall, not by major. So, what is the best school for science? Please say why too. Thanks!
i forgot to add that i prefer smaller class sizes and hate being in small towns with nothing around (within driving distance)

• ANSWER:
  I go to UCF and they have a nice Biology major there.

  UF is very competitive and it's very difficult. One of my friends was a bio major and failed out b/c she failed a class. If you're used to the studying, UF is def. the right choice for you!

  This doesn't mean that UCF is easy, just not as hard as UF. Unlike UF, UCF offers grade forgiveness, meaning if you fail a class, you can take it over and replace the grade. You can grade forgiveness twice during your undergrad. career. At UF, there is NO grade forgiveness and the grade you get will stay with you forever, it's b/c UF is much more prestigious of a school.

  I haven't heard anything from FSU. UM I'm sure is nice if you can afford to pay the money for it.

QUESTION:
Which major corresponds best with AP Human Geography?
I recently self-studied for the AP Human Geography test. I expected it to be cumbersome and tedious, but it was actually fascinating; every moment spent studying was a thought provoking pleasure.

Now my question: 'Human Geography' isn't a major listed by any (?) colleges. If I wanted to continue in the discipline, what WOULD I have to major in?

• ANSWER:

QUESTION:
What are the best colleges if you are going to major in International Relations?
I am planning on majoring in International Relations in college. I know that the University of Mississippi has a good program does anyone know of any other schools?

By the way please do not put any Ivy League Schools.

Thanks for your help,

Caitlin

• ANSWER:
  Georgetown's School of Foreign Service is the best in the country bar none.

QUESTION:
Have question about college for political science major?
Im in the 10th grade in high school and have a couple of questions. My grades were in the 89-91 range first half of the year but the second half i am expecting to have a 96+ average.(not sure what that is on the 4.0 scale.) I play a couple of sports soccer and basketball. I am in the school government and planning on taking a couple ap classes next year such as government and english. I am also in the environmental club and am going to start preparing for college by doing more extracurricular. I would like to major in political science. Which colleges are the best for a major in political science and do i have a chance of going to them if so what is necessary as far as grades and sat scores?

• ANSWER:
  The top national universities are listed at this site:

  http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/brief/t1natudoc_brief.php

  The top fourth or so of these would be difficult to get in.

  You will likely want to go to a college rather than a university to earn your bachelor's degree. Links to these are provided by region and type of college at this site:

  http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/rankindex_brief.php

  Choose a baccalaureate college rather than a liberal arts college; most of them are easier to get in.

  I admire your determination to raise your GPA and wish you the best of success.

  s

QUESTION:
best college based on my gpa?
I have approximately a 3.7 gpa and am in a Math and Science program at my school. Last year I got a 4 on my AP Calc exam and am taking AP Comp Sci and AP Gov this year, and I'd like to major in engineering. Which college/university on the eastern shore (preferably in Virginia or states close by) would be best for me?
P.S. Already applied to VA Tech. THANKS!

• ANSWER:

QUESTION:
what is the best way to lose 30-35 lbs by Nov for a busy college student?
I am 19 5'5" weigh 173lbs I am a health professions major with close to little time to exercise and while I don't mind exercising I just don't want anything crazy like running 5 miles etc. I would also like to have a jumpstart weight loss of abt 10-15 lbs within the next 3 wks or less before school starts so pleaseee help me thank you in advance.

• ANSWER:
  the first step you gotta take is eating healthy and measuring your portions,,,,I know college life can be hectic but even if it's necessary you've got to schedule the time you eat. This will keep your metabolism active, do your 3 meals with snacks in between like fruits and exercise is a must! Count your calories and do exercise so you can burn them!

QUESTION:
college major and minor- combined?
I know i want to go to school for photojournalism, however there aren't many schools on the east coast that offer it as a major. The schools that do offer it aren't exactly the types of schools I'd like to go to. Mostly because the two best ones are really expensive and by what I've heard people say about them, they won't offer the best college experience which is something I'd like to have. I have looked at school with majors in both photography and journalism and i can also minor in them. is there anyway i can major in photography and minor in journalism and combine them in some form to have the same knowledge that the actual photojournalism major offered at the other schools? or should i still leave the other schools on my list?

-schools that I've looked at are: Rochester Institute of Technology, Point Park University, SUNY New Paltz, Corcoran College of Art and Design

• ANSWER:
  yes, i think the major and minor combination is an excellent idea. it will teach you the skills you need. i'd leave the schools you have and then add on some that will allow you to do your combination.

QUESTION:
Which of these laptops is best for college?
I'm going to be a mathematical science major by the way.

Acer Aspire AS5742-6811
Asus K53E-B1
Samsung R540-11
Samsung R580
Dell Inspiron 1564
Sony VAIO VPC-EB13FXBI

Any background information on these machines would be great.

• ANSWER:
  Check out this blog, it has great information for you. Hope you can pick one you like.

  http://lovetosharethis.blogspot.com/2011/06/best-laptops-to-buy.html

QUESTION:
Best college for photography?
In the United States..

By best I mean... where do you get your money's worth for the quality? Should I go to a community college first then transfer, or start out at a university?

I obviously plan on majoring in photography and possibly in physcology as well.

Eventually I want to work for national geographic ( I know, quite the dream)

Adivce lol?
oops psychology** my bad

• ANSWER:
  Some of the best photo colleges in the US are Brooks Institute, Art Center, and Rochester Institute of Technology. I go to the Art Institute and I'm pretty happy there.

  Photography school is pretty expensive. Take your Gen Eds at a community college, then transfer in.

QUESTION:
Which college has the best medical major opportunities?
I have decided that I want to be a plastic surgeon or an orthodontist. The fact that you can change how someone views themselves by changing a minor detail about them captivates me.

With that information being known, I'd like to give you my list of colleges.

UCLA, UCSD, USC, and Vanderbilt

Now, I need to know which of these schools have the best opportunities for either of the careers I want to pursue. I know, I could stand a chance of getting into any of these schools. What one is the best for someone like myself with the same goals, though?
Also, what should I major in? I realize medicine is not a major.

• ANSWER:
  Medicine is not a major. You can take the premed classes at any 4-year college or university and then apply to medical school after that. The highest ranked college you can get into, like, and afford is the best place to go. Medical school is very expensive, so the 'afford' part is important.

QUESTION:
What are the best colleges to go to for, if i eventually want to become a Vet? 10 points best answer!?
I am a junior in high school and i am interested in eventually becoming a veterinarian. I know that most colleges dont have the major of pre-vet, so i was wondering what are some good colleges with strong animal science or biology courses. I just want to increase my chances of getting into veterinary school by going to the best college possible.
Thanks so much!

• ANSWER:
  Well, it would help to know what area of the country you are in.
  You can do your undergraduate work at almost any US school. It's true that most don't list "pre-vet" as a major. This is because pre-vet isn't really a major. It's just the list of classes that are required to get into vet school. It doesn't grant a degree and you would need to declare another major in addition to pre-vet (if you go to a school that has pre-vet).
  I strongly encourage you to stay in-state and go wherever offers you the most scholarship/aid money. You will have to take out a lot of loans for vet school so it's important to keep your undergrad debt as low as possible.
  Look at your local state school or any school that offers animal science and it should be fine. What school you go to doesn't really matter to the admission's committee. All that matters is that you earn good grades and get a lot of experience working for a vet.
  You probably already know that there are only 28 US schools that you can go to for vet school. Again though, if there is an in-state option then that's probably your best bet. If there isn't an in-state option then look at schools that admit a large number of out-of-state students (Kansas State is one). Don't waste your time with UC Davis unless you live in California because they admit very few that are out of state.
  The veterinary profession is very close knit and where you graduate from doesn't really matter when it comes to residency programs or job opportunities. So, choose the school that you feel most comfortable with and is the best choice financially.

QUESTION:
What laptop would be best for a business major (accounting) in college?
I am going to be in college next year and am beginning to take a look at different laptops. I am pretty sure I am going to major in accounting and need help deciding what computer would be best. I really like the MacBook but I can't due to compatibility issues (quickbooks, peachtree are not supported by mac, etc). For PC's I really like the ThinkPads and Dell.

Any business/accounting majors have any advice? What laptop do you recommend for me? I'm looking in the 0-00 range and i would hope for at least 120gb and 2 gb ram. Thanks!!

• ANSWER:
  I'm not a business/accounting major, but I've bought a few notebook computers in my life. I need to make a few assumptions before making a recommendation: most students like lighter notebooks, and a larger screen which is viewable outside seems desirable.

  Given this, I recommend the Thinkpad T61. I like the Thinkpad brand, and the T61 is a good fit. You can customize it and still be within your budget. I suggest that you get the 2G as a single DIMM, leaving one slot free for later. You might want to add another 2G down the line.

  I recommend selecting the WSXGA+ display, since it is easier to read if you take your computer outside to work.

  For another , I recommend upgrading to the 160GB 7200RPM drive. I like applications to open quickly, and disk speed is a big factor. (So is RAM if you have a lot of applications open at once).

  You also have the option of using a MacBook and running quickbooks et.al. under VMWare. I doubt you could do this within your budget, but I'll mention it for completeness.

  I poked around on the Lenovo web site, and this configuration would be around 00.

QUESTION:
I Want to be a Pediatric dentist.. What do you think would be the best major?
I know the best way to go is Biology, however, I would like to major in something that I would be able to fall back on and be in the health care field in the event that I don't get accepted to medical school. Please Help! By the way, I am about to be a Sophomore in college in the fall, so this is a very important issue.. thanks

• ANSWER:
  Any strong science should be good. I did biochemistry before dental school. Lots of my friends did biology and physiology. Talk to a counselor at your school who works directly with premed/predent. They should be able to point you in a good direction. If you are thinking pediatric try to get a job in a peds office - looks great on the resume and that way you'll be sure it is something you really want to do. Good luck!!!!!

QUESTION:
I Want to become a Pediatric Dentist... What do you think the best major would be?
I know the best way to go is Biology, however, I would like to major in something that I would be able to fall back on and be in the health care field in the event that I don't get accepted to medical school. Please Help! By the way, I am about to be a Sophomore in college in the fall, so this is a very important issue.. thanks

• ANSWER:
  You're a sophomore and you haven't met with an adviser yet?
  See if your school has a "pre-med" concentration. You will need to take a lot of sciences.
  Dental school is just as competitive as medical school.
  It's good to have a fall-back plan and biology has a lot of different options.
  Pharmacy, Radiology, Anesthesia, Biochemistry, Environmental sciences, etc.
  You need to see what else appeals to you.
  Have you "shadowed" a dentist yet? (volunteered at an office or two) - you'll need to do that if you are serious about dental school, or do the same thing in a doctor's office if you apply to medical school. It's expected.
  The "health care field" is pretty wide and varied. Talk to people in the fields, volunteer at a hospital or such. Get more information and see what it is you really want to do.
  it's a huge commitment of time and money, so you better make sure it's what you really want.

QUESTION:
What is the best college degree to have if you want to be a doctor and why?
I''m pursuing a career as a physician but I'm not sure how I should start. Will I benefit by majoring and getting a Biology Degree? or is it just as acceptable to get a different degree ie business degree instead? The only requirements to get into medical school is to have a degree, and have taken the required classes; which can be done without being a biology major? Please give me some feed back on which major you think is best? I like to give myself room for error, in case medical school doesn't work out I'd like to have a degree to fall back on that is not biology. I feel limited to only curtain jobs with a biology degree. All answers are appreciated. Thanks ahead of time.

• ANSWER:
  You can get absolutely any degree, as long as you satisfy the science requirements of the med school program you want to apply to. There is usually only about 2 classes in Health Sciences that need to be taken, which isn't bad at all. Biology will help you with some of the stuff covered in med school, but since you'll be studying the things you need in med school - why waste your time doing that degree in undergrad? Biology degree is a very, very hard one to excel at and to get into medical school you need an excellent GPA. Your only other option then is to either do a masters in bio or go work in research, which is very different from being a doctor. You should take up a degree that interests you the most! People that get into medical school have degrees even in art, or music! Think about what kind of doctor you'd like to be, research the kinds there are and how many spaces each med school has for students wanting to get into that field. Psychology is an amazing degree to have, social work, child development, neurology, nursing! All would be appreciated as a background for a doctor. Whilst I suggest that you take up the degree you are most interested in, I do suggest that you keep it within a reasonable limit (i.e. I'm not sure how useful a drama degree might be to a doctor, but something like physiotherapy might be, or kinesiology).