PASSHE Institutions Merging

[Bart]

Yep they overbuilt many of those campuses just as much if not worse than PASSHE. Most should never have had dorms added. Once you have students living there 24/7, there are many other facilities and resources you need to support a campus with dorms. And most of those campuses have under 1,000 total students. The housing showed that this was never about 2+2 getting transfers to State College.

I've mentioned this a dozen times, but their locations are also largely terrible. While PASSHE are in rural towns that have developed around the colleges, Penn State branches are mostly in rusted out former industrial towns like McKeesport, Uniontown, and Hazleton.

I have heard the branch campuses took off during the Great Depression when people couldn't afford to go to college, so college came to them. If these towns are still depressed, nothing has changed, except people moving away when they graduate, but the concept should still work.

[Ship69]

Yep they overbuilt many of those campuses just as much if not worse than PASSHE. Most should never have had dorms added. Once you have students living there 24/7, there are many other facilities and resources you need to support a campus with dorms. And most of those campuses have under 1,000 total students. The housing showed that this was never about 2+2 getting transfers to State College.

I've mentioned this a dozen times, but their locations are also largely terrible. While PASSHE are in rural towns that have developed around the colleges, Penn State branches are mostly in rusted out former industrial towns like McKeesport, Uniontown, and Hazleton.

It's hard for them to sell the Penn State brand to students who aren't on the main campus. Right now most of their branch campuses are underwater and have students who would be better off at a PASSHE school. Pennsylvania's lack of a comprehensive higher education plan has come home to roost. There was a Republican plan in the news tonight that would offer incentives for people with certain majors to stay in state. I got a kick out of that because thousands of PASSHE students DO stay in state every year. There probably are about 12,000 or more Ship graduates in the four-five counties of the Harrisburg area. How about just taking some action to make our public school tuitions, among the highest in the country, a little cheaper? That might help.

[IUPNation]

Add Gwynedd Mercy University on the list of private schools facing the music,

[Bart]

Add Gwynedd Mercy University on the list of private schools facing the music,

At the same time, " University of Pennsylvania admitted 5.4% of applicants this year, which appears to be its most selective year on record. "

[IUPNation]

At the same time, " University of Pennsylvania admitted 5.4% of applicants this year, which appears to be its most selective year on record. "

Crazy right?

Kids today want big names on the diploma

[iupgroundhog]

Crazy right?

Kids today want big names on the diploma

I've worked with so many Penn graduates it would make your head spin. Many are smart. Many were just rich. A lot of them have other character flaws that never showed up on their HS transcripts/ SAT's. Often not as well-rounded as we PASSHE alums.

[Fightingscot82]

Application count and acceptance rate has soared with the Common Application. One application form and the student can select up to 20 colleges. So the best and brightest at North Penn's Woods Keystone Area High School or wherever can apply to all Ivies plus MIT, Carnegie Mellon, Penn State, and Johns Hopkins in one swoop. That doesn't change how many students Penn admits so it makes them appear ultra selective. There's no legal mandate that they justify their acceptances. So in theory, the 4.0 GPA and 1450 SAT kid from Bald Eagle Area isn't getting in but the 3.1 GPA 1200 SAT kid whose dad made an unsolicited $2.5 million donation gets in to Harvard while Johnny Bucktail goes to Penn State.

[Fightingscot82]

I've worked with so many Penn graduates it would make your head spin. Many are smart. Many were just rich. A lot of them have other character flaws that never showed up on their HS transcripts/ SAT's. Often not as well-rounded as we PASSHE alums.

Agree. See my comment about getting into Harvard.

I've worked with a handful of Ivy League grads. Small sample, but similar things you shared. One grew up old money in Southampton and went to some country day school in Westchester County. She couldn't do the job any better than the coworker from Clearfield who went to Clarion and Duquesne.

[IUPNation]

Agree. See my comment about getting into Harvard.

I've worked with a handful of Ivy League grads. Small sample, but similar things you shared. One grew up old money in Southampton and went to some country day school in Westchester County. She couldn't do the job any better than the coworker from Clearfield who went to Clarion and Duquesne.

...and they all end up with IUP grads as their bosses.

:-)

[Fightingscot82]

...and they all end up with IUP grads as their bosses.

:-)

An Edinboro grad was their boss (chefs kiss)

[IUPNation]

An Edinboro grad was their boss (chefs kiss)

HA!

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Application count and acceptance rate has soared with the Common Application. One application form and the student can select up to 20 colleges. So the best and brightest at North Penn's Woods Keystone Area High School or wherever can apply to all Ivies plus MIT, Carnegie Mellon, Penn State, and Johns Hopkins in one swoop. That doesn't change how many students Penn admits so it makes them appear ultra selective. There's no legal mandate that they justify their acceptances. So in theory, the 4.0 GPA and 1450 SAT kid from Bald Eagle Area isn't getting in but the 3.1 GPA 1200 SAT kid whose dad made an unsolicited $2.5 million donation gets in to Harvard while Johnny Bucktail goes to Penn State.

That's unfortunately how the world works. They might as well get used to it.

I just get a kick out of the Duquesne grad with a marketing degree who acts high and mighty -- while working for state school 'peasants' (who got the same degree for half price).

I think (by and large) by the time you're in your 30s nobody cares where you went to school. I couldn't tell you where one person I work with daily went to college. Nor, of course, do I care.

[IUPNation]

That's unfortunately how the world works. They might as well get used to it.

I just get a kick out of the Duquesne grad with a marketing degree who acts high and mighty -- while working for state school 'peasants' (who got the same degree for half price).

I think (by and large) by the time you're in your 30s nobody cares where you went to school. I couldn't tell you where one person I work with daily went to college. Nor, of course, do I care.

Duquesne isn't even Villanova.

And Villanova isn't all that either.

I agree that once you are in the workforce for a while, your degree matters less and your work history and skills matter more.

A degree gets a 21-22 year old in the door someplace if they find a decent employer.

In my group, the schools I know of where my co-workers graduated from are obviously IUP (and I am the top scheduler). Walk On U, North Carolina A&T, Cabrini, Susquehanna, and yes...Penn State. You really don't need a degree either. We have co workers who started in very low level jobs back in the day and they just worked themselves up into the job levels that required a degree if you are coming off the street.

As for PA students, I had a good conversation yesterday at the pool with our lifeguard who is starting her full time job today. She graduated from Auburn but is from here. She said kids up here are seeing videos online of all the fun there is to have at these big southern party foosball schools and that is where they want to go.

So this is why small private colleges are going to keep struggling because they are no fun. Our schools will just be getting all the overflow if they can't get into these big party foosball schools and the kids who just want to go to school, get done and get one with it.

[Ship69]

Duquesne isn't even Villanova.

And Villanova isn't all that either.

I agree that once you are in the workforce for a while, your degree matters less and your work history and skills matter more.

A degree gets a 21-22 year old in the door someplace if they find a decent employer.

In my group, the schools I know of where my co-workers graduated from are obviously IUP (and I am the top scheduler). Walk On U, North Carolina A&T, Cabrini, Susquehanna, and yes...Penn State. You really don't need a degree either. We have co workers who started in very low level jobs back in the day and they just worked themselves up into the job levels that required a degree if you are coming off the street.

As for PA students, I had a good conversation yesterday at the pool with our lifeguard who is starting her full time job today. She graduated from Auburn but is from here. She said kids up here are seeing videos online of all the fun there is to have at these big southern party foosball schools and that is where they want to go.

So this is why small private colleges are going to keep struggling because they are no fun. Our schools will just be getting all the overflow if they can't get into these big party foosball schools and the kids who just want to go to school, get done and get one with it.

Auburn is the classic football-centered Southern party school. They offer fewer total sports than many PASSHE schools. And of course their Einstein of a former football coach, Tommy Tuberville, is now a U.S. Senator. He's the guy, who when asked to name the three branches of the federal government, said the House, the Senate, and the Executive.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Auburn is the classic football-centered Southern party school. They offer fewer total sports than many PASSHE schools. And of course their Einstein of a former football coach, Tommy Tuberville, is now a U.S. Senator. He's the guy, who when asked to name the three branches of the federal government, said the House, the Senate, and the Executive.

Auburn is so remote, too. But, once you're on campus, it's like its own world.

They have the Pitt / Penn State (little brother) syndrome toward Tuscaloosa but it's much, much worse. Conversely, Alabama looks down at Auburn much the same way PSU does to Pitt.

College football-wise, my opinion, nothing comes close to being on those campuses on an SEC Saturday. Pure insanity. If you can ever attend an Iron Bowl, do it without hesitation. Incredible.