Where to go to College?

[86 911]

I am in my junior year of high school right now and I need to start looking for colleges. I am in California and getting into a UC will probably not be much of a problem. Right now, I'm thinking of becoming a Corporate Pilot in the future. I'm taking lessons at the local airport in order to get my Private Pilots License (which I will hopefully receive by August). I'm really lost in my search for colleges/universities, not knowing what I really want to do in the future. I really want to stay in the western U.S. (west of the rockies) to go to school. My most prefferable area to attend school would be southern California. My parents are open to anything, but I have no clue where to start looking. Arizona State University is one of my picks right now becuase it has a good aviation department. I might be interested in business as well just as my back up incase something happens or I loose my career interest in flying.
Which college/university would you suggest I research and why?
Thanks, this is a really big help!

[onewhippedpuppy]

Can't help with the CA recomendations, but I would start by searching for California colleges, and finding out which ones offer both an aviation and business program. Flying is great, I can't wait until I can afford to start lessons, but hedging your bets with a business degree is an excellent idea. I suggest CA schools because out of state tuition is a nightmare. If that's not an issue, then you should have a LOT of options.

[Shuie]

Embry Riddle.

[M.D. Holloway]

United States Air Force Academy - one of the best schools in the world and you won;t have a loan to pay off, all the airtime you need and a commission when you graduate. If you don't want to go further (which would be really foolish) you can bag out.

Or - go to USC and study aeronautical engineering and have some fun on all those hotties.

[Moses]

How are we gonna decide your future without the facts?

Drop your shorts, son. What are your GPA and SAT scores? These will define your options.

[M.D. Holloway]

Agh the heck with test scores, its the ink on the check that determines the likelihoof of acceptance. Have your ol man add a few extra zeros to the admissions fee. Parents buy thier way into many a kids school. The Ivys are full of them.

[HardDrive]

University of Washington? Good school, and baby.....we GOT aviation up here....

Seattles a great town, but it will certainly be a change of pace weather wise.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

E-R is in Prescott and very highly regarded but...you're in Prescott. Not much there.

On the other hand Phoenix is hot as blazes when it isn't beautifully mild.

[YTNUKLR]

Just did this like a year ago! If you're like me, you don't know what the hell you want to end up doing, so you are looking at a pretty liberal artsy education, maybe go science...I wanted a big school so I could switch it up and have a good selection of options. I was in Socal, wanted to go Norcal. If I lived in Norcal, I can imagine really wanting to go to a school in Socal.

**PLEASE DON'T BE OFFENDED IF I SLANDER TO YOUR ALMA MATER A BIT** These are my opinions, and my opinions only.

No matter how smart or focused you are, you will probably realize you like having a good time. Most of your day is not spent in classes, so keep in mind what kind of environment you want to surround yourself in. Nature? Reed College in Portland. Good weather? Socal. The beach? Ditto. Sparsely populated places (space to move)? Definitely not anything in L.A. Good schools that I would look at:

1) Simply put, I personally could not be happier with my choice. It's next door to you so likely not appealing, but gotta say it...Go Bears!

2) The Claremont Colleges. Very cool social atmosphere-VERY! Bit small, but intimate. Harvey Mudd if you want to get very technical (think Caltech, MIT), Pitzer if you like bongs (it's not as highly regarded as the others..), Claremont McKenna is great all-around (moderately difficult to get into) and Pomona College is really good (read : tough). You may say that Claremont as a location really isn't that interesting, but college is college; I find I spend a lot more time on campus in class/hanging out than I do "out in Berkeley" or going to SF or something. Might not be so bad? I really like these schools, I have a lot of friends at Claremont Mckenna and 1 at Pitzer (yes he likes his bong a lot).

3) USC. Definitely has an image. You either must fit the image or not mind being associated with it, granted, I think the image is changing a lot (or has changed a lot since 50 years ago). USC is a pretty decent school now with a lot of generally well-rounded, intelligent people. The girls are incredible. Seriously. Did I mention the girls at USC? Anyway, yes, you will learn things at USC. The kegs are a nice touch, too. Don't ever go the hell out into L.A. at night-you will get shot or molested or something bad will happen. Last time (the only) I visited the lovely south central neighborhoods, I found a big dog with rigamortise (sp?) wrapped up in a trash bag. So, a little rain on the beer and girls parade but you can be assured that USC has the security in place to take care of its precious little inhabitants. Try not to develop ego issues if you attend. Marshall School of Business is a ticket to anywhere.

4) I personally find UCLA unappealing. Most of my family attended at found it generally lackluster I suppose, a bit disorienting because of the size and L.A.

5) ASU has a HIGH idiot to smart people ratio. Regardless of the aviation department quality, you may want to reconsider based on this simple fact. A man is only as good as his environment.

Basically, I derive what I do at Cal (Mech. Engineering) from cars...whether I stick with this as a profession is hard to say. I will probably go to business school at some point, do something with that. We'll see. I can see it totally veering off course in other random directions of interest, but make sure it suits you. Check it out thoroughly. There are varying levels of quality to the living situations they typically provide, but generally, the dorms will require you to reevaluate any notion of personal space. They will also help your organizational skills as you pile all your stuff on the same square foot. And, I kid you not, but my first year at Cal I lived in a triple (luckily good guys) in 144 sqft...that is 48 per person...to LIVE! I would not do that bs again, although having friends around all the time was interesting.

If I'm not mistaken, you don't quite have SAT I or SAT II scores, nor the AP scores (if you took any)...my stats were 1450/A average and got into everywhere I applied (some east coast stuff) except for Columbia...I also applied to UCSB (another good choice) as a safety school, NYU, Skidmore (in upstate NY), USC, and UCSD (thumbs down). I did the common application, the UC application (most of the stuff is transferrable) and the columbia one (again, most private applications are very similar, just copy/paste LOL)...keep it simple and don't get too overwhelmed with crap to do/fill out. I am a white male, doesn't help me much applying to schools, but generally, good grades(3.7+), a 1350+SAT, solid essays (make sure to take a lot of time doing these) and a fair amount of school involvement (sports or clubs) will get you in anywhere decent. Decent students will NOT end up in some crap school; somebody somewhere will recognize your intelligence. The Ivies are hard as hell to get into because there are so many people with money giving a flip about the namesake and their flipped up collars. Don't sweat it.

My 2 cents is free

Scott

[pwd72s]

Matt, you could do a lot worse than listening to Scott. I was fortunate enough to meet Scott when he was up here checking out Reed....he's a bright & articulate young guy who is doing it...right now. If flying is your true goal? A childhood buddy of mine retires as a senior pilot at American in July. He made it with a degree from a (not academically challenging) Teacher's College here in Oregon. He was Air Force ROTC, went into the Air Force after graduation, passed the pilot's training, flew F-111's, then "bus driving" for American. How dedicated was he to flying? Since the age of 12, "I want to be a jet pilot"...

[dhoward]

Playboy publishes a list every year....

[tabs]

If U live in CA...then the UC system is the way to go..it is cost effective and it is recognized world over as being a Great School. No ands if or butts...U'd have to go along way to do much better....

I used to smoke cigars with a guy who taught at Clarmont Colleges...he graduated Harvard...bit of an arrogant a$$...growing up one of my neighbors taught Econ at Clarmenot and was a financial advisor to JFK....When I was 7 years old I chewed him up....like I chew U boyz up....

Pffft..I never took an SAT test or had great grades in HS....and I got into UCSB....right through the backdoor of the Community College system as a Transfer Student....I finished in 3.5 years...and its been all down hill since then...

[jyl]

Couple of questions come to mind.

How much relationship does a good "aviation program" at a school have to actually flying?

Is the aviation program more focused on aerospace engineering, and if so, how interested are you in the engineering versus the flying? Over the next 10+ years does US aerospace look like a growing industry with lots of opportunities?

If the aviation program is really focused on the flying, how much do you actually need a college degree to be a pilot (and be employed as such)? If the answer is "not much", would you rather get a degree in something totally different as an alternative in case you lose interest in flying?

Have you looked into the financial attractiveness of a pilot's career? What's the typical earnings, lifestyle, and career path of a major carrier pilot, a regional carrier pilot, a corporate pilot, military pilot, etc? What are the odds of success vs washout? What's the supply of new pilots vs the demand for new pilots?

Why do you want to go to school in SoCal, or the Western US? Weather, lifestyle, comfort/familiarity, cost?

I'm not suggesting anything, just asking logical questions.

[nostatic]

Originally posted by YTNUKLR

2) The Claremont Colleges. Very cool social atmosphere-VERY! Bit small, but intimate. Harvey Mudd if you want to get very technical (think Caltech, MIT), Pitzer if you like bongs (it's not as highly regarded as the others..), Claremont McKenna is great all-around (moderately difficult to get into) and Pomona College is really good (read : tough). You may say that Claremont as a location really isn't that interesting, but college is college; I find I spend a lot more time on campus in class/hanging out than I do "out in Berkeley" or going to SF or something. Might not be so bad? I really like these schools, I have a lot of friends at Claremont Mckenna and 1 at Pitzer (yes he likes his bong a lot).

3) USC. Definitely has an image. You either must fit the image or not mind being associated with it, granted, I think the image is changing a lot (or has changed a lot since 50 years ago). USC is a pretty decent school now with a lot of generally well-rounded, intelligent people. The girls are incredible. Seriously. Did I mention the girls at USC? Anyway, yes, you will learn things at USC. The kegs are a nice touch, too. Don't ever go the hell out into L.A. at night-you will get shot or molested or something bad will happen. Last time (the only) I visited the lovely south central neighborhoods, I found a big dog with rigamortise (sp?) wrapped up in a trash bag. So, a little rain on the beer and girls parade but you can be assured that USC has the security in place to take care of its precious little inhabitants. Try not to develop ego issues if you attend. Marshall School of Business is a ticket to anywhere.

Two completely different places. Claremont is small, USC is large. Small liberal arts colleges would be my choice, but they aren't for everyone. They are good however for those that are not pushy, as in a bigger school only the squeaky wheels get the really good opportunities.

Each of the Claremont schools has a different vibe...along with different rankings/quality. If you dig it, great. Location is hot and smoggy in the summer, but great the rest of the year. It is close enough to much of LA so that there is plenty to do. And if you're into more nature things, you're about 10 minutes from hiking and mtn biking, and 30 minutes from skiing (in season ).

Not sure about the "don't go out at night" comment re:USC. Most of the students have cars, and other than the immediate area, LA is as safe as any other city. And there is more to do here than pretty much anywhere else. USC is really a collection of schools though, and some are better than others. The reputation has grown considerably over the last 20 years, and some of the schools are among the best in the world (Cinema leading the pack). If I stay here for 15 years and vest I'll definitely suggest it to my son. If I had to pay out of pocket...I'd seriously consider other alternatives, most likely UCs.

[YTNUKLR]

nostat, you're right. They are two totally different places. These schools all have their own character, that is for sure.

The "don't go out at night" comment was kind of tongue-in-cheek. In a car, fine. On the freeway, no problem. I drive the 110 routinely at night, visiting friends at USC and in L.A. I just wouldn't feel so good walking around South central at 2 in the morning, ya know?

As far as bang for buck, UCs are the top, no question. I was just throwing out some options. The UCs are big and not for everyone...

All that said, every single one of my high school friends is at some good school in the U.S., and not one has transferred or not liked college...

[svandamme]

go Navy , learn to land on a postage stamp , see exotic locations and then bomb the snot out of them... i'm sure that after beeing a Naval Aviator you'll have no problem beeing a corpjetpilot.. and you'll have better stories then most fratboys...cheap for the parents to, you actually get payed...

[Don Plumley]

Seems like you have an initial three way choice to make:
- Navy or Air Force Academy: Positives on flight hours, training, skills. Priced right as well
- University with Professional Pilot/Aviation degree: (e.g. ASU; OSU; Embry-Riddle) Don't know of any in California
- General Education University

For me, if I wanted to be a professional pilot, I'd focus on either the AF Academy or Embry-Riddle type universities. The right focus, building flight hours, the right social circle/networking. RE Navy vs AF, let's see, be on a ship for 6 months with a bunch of men, or be posted on an air conditioned AF base in Europe, Asia, etc?

As far as General Ed Universities are concerned, once you can get into a certain tier of school (top UC, Ivy, etc.), the reasons to choose are: Major Subject; Networking; Lifestyle. Having graduated from two UC Schools, I'm highly biased to UCLA, Berkeley, Davis and UCSD. They offer a significant bang for your buck and if you align the school with your major, you can't beat the quality of education. That being said, the networking and school pride from USC (did I mention I hate USC) are significant, but centered in the LA area.

I think it is very wise to have a degree in something you enjoy and to give yourself something to fall back upon. Engineering or Business would be typical choices. But at a top-level University, you are not learning a trade, you are learning to think - a way to process information and make informed decisions. When hiring, especially out of school, everything else being equal I'd rather get someone with a liberal arts degree from UCLA than a business degree from No Name College.

Sounds like you've got the grades and scores to get in where you want - so go visit some colleges. Some will feel awkward, some will feel right.

(As an aside, you are certainly ahead of the game from where I was at your age. I picked UC Davis because I drove by it every weekend on my way up to Tahoe. Figured it would enable day skiing (cut class a bunch to do that). By pure serendipity my ultimate major (Physiology) was #1/#2 in the nation. But it's where I met my wife - she went to Davis also because it is two hours from Tahoe. Later in life when I picked a school for my MBA, the reputation and network became much more important than location. )

Good Luck!

[stevepaa]

Seriously, if flying is not in your bones, then I would choose a school other than for the ability to do more flying: nearly every school is near a private airport to do flying. Go visit some and pick the one you want for other reasons. I too went to Davis for undergrad but only because Berkeley was too close to home in Walnut Creek. Nearly any good school is good enough. It is the one for grad school that counts for more, Go Bears.

[vash]

if i were doing it all over again, i would hit up UT Austin. hip town, lots to see and do, very diverse, and it is a killer school. plus side it will be far enough to get away from the parental units, which you may not think is that important, but it is. you can take your pcar there, and that bastard would be smog exempt!!!! need i say more? oh, the women are hot as hell.

downside is, you will have to put up with the humidity. and for the first go around, it is going to be a beotch? did you figure out my CIS gauge?

[YTNUKLR]

SoCal911SC-Yep, it has changed. I knew people at my school (good high school) that didn't get into USC...and we didn't even have one person go to a cal state; 100% went to some 4-year college (mainly UCs, lots of privates), so these are not dumb people we are talking about. A 3.3 and 1300 might not cut it at USC anymore!

vash-Forgot about University of Texas. I considered it, but I didn't want to move to TX, plus the UC system is great. Cool school.