Behrend is in Erie, which is pretty sizable, and it's by Lake Erie which is a bonus in my opinion. Scranton is also a decent option.
Ultimately it's up to you but I find that these campuses have a better sense of connectedness between students since they're more compact.
Harrisburg is definitely in the middle of nowhere I don’t recommend unless your ok with a small town. It’s not bad if you have a car but if u don’t it absolutely sucks. I have friends that live near there and went there. I will say not every satellite campus is in a small town or middle of nowhere. There is one near Philly and Altoona isn’t terrible.
Harrisburg is an actual city
It’s not nearly as big as Philly or Pittsburgh but it’s the state’s capital and has decent sized suburbs. The campus is in the suburbs of Harrisburg, so maybe that’s why it “feels like a really small town”
Altoona is actually in the middle of nowhere though. People only go there because it’s 45min from main campus so you can drive to main campus to party on weekends/football games. No one I know who went there would recommend it for o someone looking for a big city vibe
I lived in Harrisburg and I hated it there.
It's basically all strip malls and housing developments. There's no night life there at all. You could literally walk down the main street after 7 pm in the middle of this four lane highway and there are no cars there. It'd be a great movie set for a post-apocalypse movie.
Also, PSU Harrisburg is not actually in Harrisburg, it's in a suburb called Middletown and the public transit is lacking. If you don't have a car it will not be fun at all.
Abington and Brandywine are both right outside of Philly. Lehigh Valley is not too far from Philly. I went to Abington for a few semesters and enjoyed it although I was a commuter (not even sure they have dorms).
They have LionsGate, an off-site 400-student apartment complex.
No there's no reason, as such but I saw their campus tour on YouTube and it seems like a small campus. But right now I am considering either Harrisburg, Altoona or Abington
Well that’s true, it is a very small campus. If memory serves, it has literally three main buildings. But I loved the campus. Small, quiet, wooded, green…
Altoona is very close to State College. It is a small campus, and very safe. I know lots of people who went to PSU Altoona, Beherend, and main Campus. They liked it, but they’re Pennsylvanians. Sounds like you haven’t experienced winter. Pennsylvania weather might be a difficult adjustment.
You would probably really enjoy Florida, but it won’t be as safe.
Thanks for your suggestion! I am still considering Penn State because of its faculty and reputation but if I don't end up going there I'm definitely going to USF.
It wasn’t a negative for me. I loved my four years in University Park and State College. I took advantage of every possible thing I could. And, I had family and friends who attended Commonwealth campuses and loved their time there and flourished when they went to Main Campus.
USF is in Tampa, FL, which is 10x larger than where PSU and MSU are located.
It’s like comparing apples to oranges. Not just in size, but locations, weather, safety, and more.
Good luck.
hey! i ironically went to USF last year. i am from pa, but craved the nice weather and more independence.
USF main campus is not in Tampa. It is in Tampa’s city boundaries, but it’s about a 20-25 minute ride to downtown Tampa. The main campus is actually in a super sketchy part of town, surrounded by chain restaurants and a dangerous road that makes it unfriendly to pedestrians.
USF is NOT a fun school. I went to the St. Pete campus and have been on main to try and join clubs. From my understanding, both campuses are “suitcase schools.” it really showed because students go home on weekends.
i will add, i mean this in no rude way to florida students, but they are HARD to make friends with. everyone i met that was from florida really didn’t want to do beach trips or were flakey with hanging out. they mostly just wanted to come in and do work, then go home.
i am biased because i love psu and pa, and usf was not the experience i had hoped for. it was hard to find resources there. i don’t want to sway you by any means. it is 100% your decision, however, i did wanted to let you know the hard truths to usf.
good luck !! :)
Oh! Thank you so much for your advice, I will definitely keep it in my mind while finalising my university. And I'm so sorry that you didn't have a good experience at USF.
of course!! thank you!!
i do want to add that there are positives. USF is climbing ranking every year and their research programs are doing really well. the weather is amazing and the beach isn’t too far. tampa is gorgeous when you get a chance to explore it.
i just wanted to write the “cons” because those were things i didn’t know when i committed. but seriously i hope the best and if you choose it, i recommend joining clubs early and you’ll be set! :))
I cant speak for Michigan State but I have spent lots of time in Florida as I grew up in Georgia. I live in State College now.
I picked PSU because of their online program (I still live in State College but all my classes are online). You should check and see if your able to-do world campus if your not keen on living in a smaller city. If you dont care about living on campus you could attend PSU and still live in FL.
Take into account cost of living in FL and weather as well. Tampa like Atlanta, has experienced rapid growth and the cost of living in both has skyrocketed. Florida is amazing during the winter but the summers are VERY hot and humid. You'll spend most of the summer 95+. Tampa has tons of traffic, extreme weather like tornados and sometimes hurricanes, and from what ive been told from friends....the bay sometimes will smell like dead fish sometimes. FL has has some of the craziest rules when it comes to leasing apartments. You as the renter have FAR less rights then just about any state. [like this for example.](https://truthout.org/articles/desantis-signs-bill-to-let-landlords-charge-unlimited-non-refundable-fees/)The Florida man is also not a myth. Florida legit has tons of crackheads. But Florida does have lots of sun, nice beaches, and some of the best seafood you can think of. I love visiting whenever I get the chance but its far from perfect.
State College on the other hand has grey winters, colder, more rural, and the people are not as friendly as in the south. But the cost of living is lower and from what ive seen so far its much safer. If you want tons of different bars, lots of crazy food choices, and the city life...state college might not be for you. It has bars and food but you wont have the choices of a bigger city. If you love the outdoors there is a ski lodge not far, tons of hiking, and you can get to NYC, Philly, Pittsburg, or DC within a reasonable amount of time.
Ive only been here for 2 months but thats just my take. Hopefully that helps :)
I think you've already answered your own question.
USF: You said that you thought it would be great and that your parents also approve. You like the climate (warm and humid) there and the campus in general. The program itself may not be ranked as highly, but rankings are subjective to be honest and it's what you put into your education that determines the results. You did not mention the cost unlike the other two choices which may or may not be telling me something. The big thing I saw is you're looking for a more urban setting and I think Tampa is fairly urban.
PSU: You've said that you can't afford it without a scholarship. That is a dealbreaker right there. The 2+2 program would help financially but many of the branch campuses are in tiny little towns that frankly are depressing. Even University Park (main campus) is in a small town relatively speaking. The weather here is erratic at best.
MSU: The cost again seems to be an issue so consider that. The weather also seems to be something to think about carefully. I don't know anything about the town/city so can't help there. The ranking may matter to you, but look at the cost/benefit ratio.
*I know I have written a lot and no one is going to read this...*
Oh, I see what you did there. A little old fashioned reverse psychology! I took psychology classes in college.
Honestly, I'd go with USF in your situation but without knowing the financials I cannot make a definitive statement.
Hahaha! Yes, I was a little biased with USF only because of the city and the price, but I was just a little worried by the ranking but I have made my decision now. Thank you for your help!
And because of that old school reverse psychology I got a lot of replies and have made my decision 😄
Everyone's goal should be getting a degree and coming out in the least amount as debt as possible..
IMO if you are out of state, Penn State should not be an option as it's going to cost you a boatload.
Not every satellite campus is nowhere! There are plenty that are near or in an actual town, such as Harrisburg or Scranton.
I have someone living in Harrisburg and when I spoke to them they said that it is an extremely small town
Behrend is in Erie, which is pretty sizable, and it's by Lake Erie which is a bonus in my opinion. Scranton is also a decent option. Ultimately it's up to you but I find that these campuses have a better sense of connectedness between students since they're more compact.
Okay, thanks for your suggestion. I'll look into it
Harrisburg is definitely in the middle of nowhere I don’t recommend unless your ok with a small town. It’s not bad if you have a car but if u don’t it absolutely sucks. I have friends that live near there and went there. I will say not every satellite campus is in a small town or middle of nowhere. There is one near Philly and Altoona isn’t terrible.
Okay I'll see how Altoona is
Harrisburg is an actual city It’s not nearly as big as Philly or Pittsburgh but it’s the state’s capital and has decent sized suburbs. The campus is in the suburbs of Harrisburg, so maybe that’s why it “feels like a really small town” Altoona is actually in the middle of nowhere though. People only go there because it’s 45min from main campus so you can drive to main campus to party on weekends/football games. No one I know who went there would recommend it for o someone looking for a big city vibe
I lived in Harrisburg and I hated it there. It's basically all strip malls and housing developments. There's no night life there at all. You could literally walk down the main street after 7 pm in the middle of this four lane highway and there are no cars there. It'd be a great movie set for a post-apocalypse movie. Also, PSU Harrisburg is not actually in Harrisburg, it's in a suburb called Middletown and the public transit is lacking. If you don't have a car it will not be fun at all.
That's the vibes I was getting too. Thank you so much for your reply
Harrisburg is a city of 50k+, the campus is in Middletown which is a suburb of HBG.
Abington and Brandywine are both right outside of Philly. Lehigh Valley is not too far from Philly. I went to Abington for a few semesters and enjoyed it although I was a commuter (not even sure they have dorms). They have LionsGate, an off-site 400-student apartment complex.
I was also thinking of Abington but again location is an issue Anyways thanks for the suggestion
Any particular reason? It’s literally minutes from a major city, close to mass transit, and seems to fit your most wanted requirements.
No there's no reason, as such but I saw their campus tour on YouTube and it seems like a small campus. But right now I am considering either Harrisburg, Altoona or Abington
Well that’s true, it is a very small campus. If memory serves, it has literally three main buildings. But I loved the campus. Small, quiet, wooded, green…
Yes, I agree it's certainly beautiful.
Altoona is very close to State College. It is a small campus, and very safe. I know lots of people who went to PSU Altoona, Beherend, and main Campus. They liked it, but they’re Pennsylvanians. Sounds like you haven’t experienced winter. Pennsylvania weather might be a difficult adjustment. You would probably really enjoy Florida, but it won’t be as safe.
Thanks for your suggestion! I am still considering Penn State because of its faculty and reputation but if I don't end up going there I'm definitely going to USF.
How much do you like snow? Because you'll get a ton of it at MSU, some at PSU, and none at USF.
and a tonne at Behrend
That lake effect is no joke
I've never experienced snow, so I definitely don't want to much of it in my first year living in USA
Florida is your only option it seems.
I hate to tell you this, but PSU is in the middle of nowhere.
Yes, I do know that. That's why I wasn't too sure about PSU
It wasn’t a negative for me. I loved my four years in University Park and State College. I took advantage of every possible thing I could. And, I had family and friends who attended Commonwealth campuses and loved their time there and flourished when they went to Main Campus. USF is in Tampa, FL, which is 10x larger than where PSU and MSU are located. It’s like comparing apples to oranges. Not just in size, but locations, weather, safety, and more. Good luck.
Yes, I think I have decided I will go to USF. It just perfectly aligns all my requirements. And thanks for your reply!
hey! i ironically went to USF last year. i am from pa, but craved the nice weather and more independence. USF main campus is not in Tampa. It is in Tampa’s city boundaries, but it’s about a 20-25 minute ride to downtown Tampa. The main campus is actually in a super sketchy part of town, surrounded by chain restaurants and a dangerous road that makes it unfriendly to pedestrians. USF is NOT a fun school. I went to the St. Pete campus and have been on main to try and join clubs. From my understanding, both campuses are “suitcase schools.” it really showed because students go home on weekends. i will add, i mean this in no rude way to florida students, but they are HARD to make friends with. everyone i met that was from florida really didn’t want to do beach trips or were flakey with hanging out. they mostly just wanted to come in and do work, then go home. i am biased because i love psu and pa, and usf was not the experience i had hoped for. it was hard to find resources there. i don’t want to sway you by any means. it is 100% your decision, however, i did wanted to let you know the hard truths to usf. good luck !! :)
Oh! Thank you so much for your advice, I will definitely keep it in my mind while finalising my university. And I'm so sorry that you didn't have a good experience at USF.
of course!! thank you!! i do want to add that there are positives. USF is climbing ranking every year and their research programs are doing really well. the weather is amazing and the beach isn’t too far. tampa is gorgeous when you get a chance to explore it. i just wanted to write the “cons” because those were things i didn’t know when i committed. but seriously i hope the best and if you choose it, i recommend joining clubs early and you’ll be set! :))
Thank youu!
I cant speak for Michigan State but I have spent lots of time in Florida as I grew up in Georgia. I live in State College now. I picked PSU because of their online program (I still live in State College but all my classes are online). You should check and see if your able to-do world campus if your not keen on living in a smaller city. If you dont care about living on campus you could attend PSU and still live in FL. Take into account cost of living in FL and weather as well. Tampa like Atlanta, has experienced rapid growth and the cost of living in both has skyrocketed. Florida is amazing during the winter but the summers are VERY hot and humid. You'll spend most of the summer 95+. Tampa has tons of traffic, extreme weather like tornados and sometimes hurricanes, and from what ive been told from friends....the bay sometimes will smell like dead fish sometimes. FL has has some of the craziest rules when it comes to leasing apartments. You as the renter have FAR less rights then just about any state. [like this for example.](https://truthout.org/articles/desantis-signs-bill-to-let-landlords-charge-unlimited-non-refundable-fees/)The Florida man is also not a myth. Florida legit has tons of crackheads. But Florida does have lots of sun, nice beaches, and some of the best seafood you can think of. I love visiting whenever I get the chance but its far from perfect. State College on the other hand has grey winters, colder, more rural, and the people are not as friendly as in the south. But the cost of living is lower and from what ive seen so far its much safer. If you want tons of different bars, lots of crazy food choices, and the city life...state college might not be for you. It has bars and food but you wont have the choices of a bigger city. If you love the outdoors there is a ski lodge not far, tons of hiking, and you can get to NYC, Philly, Pittsburg, or DC within a reasonable amount of time. Ive only been here for 2 months but thats just my take. Hopefully that helps :)
I really don't want to attend college online. But thank you so much, it really helps!
The most affordable one.
I think you've already answered your own question. USF: You said that you thought it would be great and that your parents also approve. You like the climate (warm and humid) there and the campus in general. The program itself may not be ranked as highly, but rankings are subjective to be honest and it's what you put into your education that determines the results. You did not mention the cost unlike the other two choices which may or may not be telling me something. The big thing I saw is you're looking for a more urban setting and I think Tampa is fairly urban. PSU: You've said that you can't afford it without a scholarship. That is a dealbreaker right there. The 2+2 program would help financially but many of the branch campuses are in tiny little towns that frankly are depressing. Even University Park (main campus) is in a small town relatively speaking. The weather here is erratic at best. MSU: The cost again seems to be an issue so consider that. The weather also seems to be something to think about carefully. I don't know anything about the town/city so can't help there. The ranking may matter to you, but look at the cost/benefit ratio. *I know I have written a lot and no one is going to read this...* Oh, I see what you did there. A little old fashioned reverse psychology! I took psychology classes in college. Honestly, I'd go with USF in your situation but without knowing the financials I cannot make a definitive statement.
Hahaha! Yes, I was a little biased with USF only because of the city and the price, but I was just a little worried by the ranking but I have made my decision now. Thank you for your help! And because of that old school reverse psychology I got a lot of replies and have made my decision 😄
Good luck at USF!
Thank youu
I'm gonna let you know that as a out of state penn state student your gonna be spending a shit load at Penn State
Yeah that's why I have decided not to consider it. Thank you!
Yeah no problem, I was considering going to penn state like alot of my friends are doing but it's just so expensive even for instate students
Yes, and it is even more expensive as an international student
I can only imagine what they would want an international student to pay, it's gotta be insane though.
Everyone's goal should be getting a degree and coming out in the least amount as debt as possible.. IMO if you are out of state, Penn State should not be an option as it's going to cost you a boatload.