sinverguenza

For anyone out there thinking about going to a new university, don't go on tours provided by the school's recruiting department. Go into the various buildings that you see, ask folks where you could find someone with whom you can speak, in depth about the classes you'd like to take. If you're interested in English, find someone in upper-division English classes, at random, who is not getting paid to tell you how cool the school is, and ask them how they feel about the school and their program.

I work at an on campus coffee-shop where tours often pass by and I hear the most outrageous bullshit about my school being fed to prospective students. Seriously, if you don't know what you want to do, find the cheapest college out there or go abroad for a while. If you have an inkling, email some professors and students to ask them if their school is the best in the area or price-range or whatever for their program.

Take my school for example. If you're into theater, criminology, or the outdoors, this is the best place in the state, maybe even on the west coast, for you. If you're looking for a good, bankable education in anything else, look to a larger uni.

*sigh* a rant no one will read.