PASSHE Institutions Merging

[Ship69]

Sorry, Sorry, Sorry. Didn't mean to trigger anybody with my word choice. I just meant that Shippensburg is not in a metro area that would lend itself to high commuter numbers (like a West Chester, for example). Completely agree that it has easy highway access and that it is far less remote than some other PSAC schools.

Hey, that's fine. It's not a matter of "triggering" someone. I just didn't agree with certain aspects of your statement. It's no big deal.

[BlueBlood]

Sorry, Sorry, Sorry. Didn't mean to trigger anybody with my word choice. I just meant that Shippensburg is not in a metro area that would lend itself to high commuter numbers (like a West Chester, for example). Completely agree that it has easy highway access and that it is far less remote than some other PSAC schools.

[Fightingscot82]

I had a job at one point that basically took me to all 67 counties in Pa. at one time or another, and I would certainly consider Clarion, Lock Haven, and Mansfield to be a good deal more remote than Shippensburg to most of the state's populated areas. IUP isn't exactly easy to reach from the east. Edinboro is not really convenient to anyone outside of the Erie area. A lot of it just depends on your starting point. Ship is an easy drive to the Cumberland-Dauphin area that, while not a major metropolis, is a sizable population center and one of the few rapidly growing areas in Pa.

Edinboro is not convenient to anyone looking to commute from the west or from the south beyond Meadville - but people do. I met commuters from Mercer and Ashtabula. But its 3 miles off of I-79. You can turn off the exit and you'll pass campus without turning. For the rest of us, 79 and 90 are highways that we take on a trip. In NWPA they are commuter roads the way 376 and 279 are in Pittsburgh or 76, 476, and 676 around Philly.

Edinboro is also a suburb of Erie and a lot of couples have one person working north and another south like Meadville. Very few university employees live in Edinboro. Its nearly all townies and if an employee they're a coach spending tons of time on campus or they're a more hourly employee like facilities or clerical. There is also a large vacation home neighborhood on Edinboro Lake so the town thrives in the summer between vacationers and the huge soccer camps they have every couple weekends. I was just there last week and the town hasn't looked better since Covid.

[IUPNation]

I know. I've driven there many times. I think it's reasonably remote. Depends on where you are coming from. None of the PSAC schools are really remote because they aren't hard to get to. I think a lot of people from the Phila. and Pgh.. metro areas would consider Ship to be remote.

To me remote is far off the beaten path. Indiana was kind of remote years ago but with 22 mostly an expanded highway between Altoona and Pittsburgh it’s readily accessible these days.

[iupgroundhog]

I had a job at one point that basically took me to all 67 counties in Pa. at one time or another, and I would certainly consider Clarion, Lock Haven, and Mansfield to be a good deal more remote than Shippensburg to most of the state's populated areas. IUP isn't exactly easy to reach from the east. Edinboro is not really convenient to anyone outside of the Erie area. A lot of it just depends on your starting point. Ship is an easy drive to the Cumberland-Dauphin area that, while not a major metropolis, is a sizable population center and one of the few rapidly growing areas in Pa.

Where is the growth coming from in that area?

[Ship69]

I know. I've driven there many times. I think it's reasonably remote. Depends on where you are coming from. None of the PSAC schools are really remote because they aren't hard to get to. I think a lot of people from the Phila. and Pgh.. metro areas would consider Ship to be remote.

I had a job at one point that basically took me to all 67 counties in Pa. at one time or another, and I would certainly consider Clarion, Lock Haven, and Mansfield to be a good deal more remote than Shippensburg to most of the state's populated areas. IUP isn't exactly easy to reach from the east. Edinboro is not really convenient to anyone outside of the Erie area. A lot of it just depends on your starting point. Ship is an easy drive to the Cumberland-Dauphin area that, while not a major metropolis, is a sizable population center and one of the few rapidly growing areas in Pa.

[iupgroundhog]

Shippensburg is a Control City on the sign for the Blue Mountain Exit off the Turnpike. It’s literally off 81 and near 30. It on the western end of the Harrisburg metro area. It’s not remote. Mansfield is remote.

I know. I've driven there many times. I think it's reasonably remote. Depends on where you are coming from. None of the PSAC schools are really remote because they aren't hard to get to. I think a lot of people from the Phila. and Pgh.. metro areas would consider Ship to be remote.

[IUPNation]

Remote is a relative term but I think Shippensburg could fit into a lot of definitions of "remote." Not to mention to the south and the west you are getting into some serious Appalachia.

Shippensburg is a Control City on the sign for the Blue Mountain Exit off the Turnpike. It’s literally off 81 and near 30. It on the western end of the Harrisburg metro area. It’s not remote. Mansfield is remote.

[iupgroundhog]

Yeah...when I saw the comment of it being remote I kind of chuckled.

Anything below 80 and east of 81 isn't that remote...

Remote is a relative term but I think Shippensburg could fit into a lot of definitions of "remote." Not to mention to the south and the west you are getting into some serious Appalachia.

[IUPNation]

While Ship is a small college town, it really isn't that remote in that it is located on the edge of the fastest-growing county in Pa. I'd say maybe about 15 percent would be commuters. About 30 percent live in college-owned or operated housing, and the rest live off-campus in the Ship area. In my day, many years ago, a higher percentage of students probably lived on campus because they wouldn't have had cars. A lot of kids used to drive home or get rides home on weekends, and I'm sure that is still the case. In many cases I suspect that was so mom would do the laundry and supply some home cooking. Students living more than 35 miles from campus have been asked no to commute for their first couple of years. I'm not entirely sure what current guidelines are. While most students are still from area counties, we have a large contingent from the Philadelphia area and other parts of the state whom I'm sure do not commute.

If you live in Chambersburg, a few miles down Rt. 11, commuting would make sense, but I've known kids even from there who lived on campus. One of our granddaughters, who lived in my town about 35 minutes from Ship, lived in off-campus housing in Shippensburg for her last three years. There was an off-campus building boom a few years back when one president talked of big expansion at the school. Obviously, as is the case with most PASSHE schools, that didn't happen, so those who want off-campus housing usually find it.

Yeah...when I saw the comment of it being remote I kind of chuckled.

Anything below 80 and east of 81 isn't that remote...

[Ship69]

just curious - how many of the remaining 3900 do you think fit the other category of local kids commuting to school?

Edit: I know Ship is kind of remote and might have less commuter access than some other schools; but back in the day I remember kids from Carlisle/Mechanicsburg area doing it. I would assume a decent amount come from the Chambersburg side too.

While Ship is a small college town, it really isn't that remote in that it is located on the edge of the fastest-growing county in Pa. I'd say maybe about 15 percent would be commuters. About 30 percent live in college-owned or operated housing, and the rest live off-campus in the Ship area. In my day, many years ago, a higher percentage of students probably lived on campus because they wouldn't have had cars. A lot of kids used to drive home or get rides home on weekends, and I'm sure that is still the case. In many cases I suspect that was so mom would do the laundry and supply some home cooking. Students living more than 35 miles from campus have been asked no to commute for their first couple of years. I'm not entirely sure what current guidelines are. While most students are still from area counties, we have a large contingent from the Philadelphia area and other parts of the state whom I'm sure do not commute.

If you live in Chambersburg, a few miles down Rt. 11, commuting would make sense, but I've known kids even from there who lived on campus. One of our granddaughters, who lived in my town about 35 minutes from Ship, lived in off-campus housing in Shippensburg for her last three years. There was an off-campus building boom a few years back when one president talked of big expansion at the school. Obviously, as is the case with most PASSHE schools, that didn't happen, so those who want off-campus housing usually find it.

[BlueBlood]

I'll only speak for my alma mater, but I think Shippensburg usually has about 600-some athletes out of about 4,500 students, so that would certainly lead me to believe the great majority of students there are "regular" students.

just curious - how many of the remaining 3900 do you think fit the other category of local kids commuting to school?

Edit: I know Ship is kind of remote and might have less commuter access than some other schools; but back in the day I remember kids from Carlisle/Mechanicsburg area doing it. I would assume a decent amount come from the Chambersburg side too.

[Ship69]

G-MACer who lives in FL. I peruse this thread occasionally because I grew up in PA and am familiar with the schools. Reading the recent comments hits home with me and I've posted similar things on the G-MAC thread before. My kids recently went through the pick a college phase. It was very noticeable to me that kids are looking at "brand name" schools. Almost every friend of theirs fell into 3 categories - 1) a brand-name D1 school that folks will recognize the name of - sometimes a few or several states away; 2) a community college or live-at-home local college, the cost savings route; 3) a D2, D3 or NAIA school (and the caveat here is that literally all of these friends went there to play sports).

Obviously, the fact that I can't think of a single friend that went to a D2, D3 or NAIA schools as a "regular student" would seem to be a very bad sign for D2, D3 and NAIA schools. Yeah, it's just my observation, and it's not scientific. But I've discussed this with other dads (locally here, and friends in other states) - and they are seeing the same thing. Based on above comments, it seems like some of you are seeing it too.

I'll only speak for my alma mater, but I think Shippensburg usually has about 600-some athletes out of about 4,500 students, so that would certainly lead me to believe the great majority of students there are "regular" students.

[IUPNation]

Looks like all of these are either big-time schools or southern schools. I like PASSHE but if a student is looking for a big-time experience or warm weather, there's not much it can do.

A girl I went to HS with and who is a Pee Sack alum is in Florida touring schools with her daughter. Her other daughter already goes to Central Florida.

You couldn’t pay me to go to a southern school. Do they even have indoor plumbing? :-)

[BlueBlood]

G-MACer who lives in FL. I peruse this thread occasionally because I grew up in PA and am familiar with the schools. Reading the recent comments hits home with me and I've posted similar things on the G-MAC thread before. My kids recently went through the pick a college phase. It was very noticeable to me that kids are looking at "brand name" schools. Almost every friend of theirs fell into 3 categories - 1) a brand-name D1 school that folks will recognize the name of - sometimes a few or several states away; 2) a community college or live-at-home local college, the cost savings route; 3) a D2, D3 or NAIA school (and the caveat here is that literally all of these friends went there to play sports).

Obviously, the fact that I can't think of a single friend that went to a D2, D3 or NAIA schools as a "regular student" would seem to be a very bad sign for D2, D3 and NAIA schools. Yeah, it's just my observation, and it's not scientific. But I've discussed this with other dads (locally here, and friends in other states) - and they are seeing the same thing. Based on above comments, it seems like some of you are seeing it too.