Anonymous
Post 06/17/2014 09:46     Subject: Bad College Campuses
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Threads like these sum up what's happening in higher ed. Everyone focuses on the superficial crap, so colleges spend major $$$ on capital improvements, the cost of which get passed on to students in the form of tuition increases. The quality of an education is built on the quality of teaching and research - I.e. professors, not landscaped quads, palatial dorms, and rec centers.


Well, yes, but I don't hear a lot about the drastic drop in educational caliber of Penn, Johns Hopkins, etc. People are consodering these schools bc of the education, but you still have to have a quality of life. I would certainly rather be somewhere that is beautiful and aesthetically driven than somewhere dark, outdated and underdeveloped if i were working and studying as hard as you have to be in these high level schools.


+1

Aesthetics/environment are important.

But no one needs palatial dorms.


You can have lovely aesthetics and environment without wasting a ton of money. I went to a small liberal arts college for two years in the mid-90's that was a gorgeous campus with perfectly lovely and adequate facilities. In the past 20 years they've gone on a building boom to attract out of state students and the cost of tuition has tripled. It's unnecessary and unjustifiable, and I refuse to give them one red cent. I say this as someone who works in higher ed and sees the trends firsthand. Aesthetics are important but not worth shelling out ridiculous amounts of cash for. It's a waste of money - especially if you are borrowing it and mortgaging your future for college - and people make their college decisions on the wrong factors a lot of the time.


+1
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2014 09:42     Subject: Bad College Campuses
GMU. The newer buildings are better but when I was there the student union building and surrounding quad were downright depressing.
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2014 09:37     Subject: Bad College Campuses
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Threads like these sum up what's happening in higher ed. Everyone focuses on the superficial crap, so colleges spend major $$$ on capital improvements, the cost of which get passed on to students in the form of tuition increases. The quality of an education is built on the quality of teaching and research - I.e. professors, not landscaped quads, palatial dorms, and rec centers.


Well, yes, but I don't hear a lot about the drastic drop in educational caliber of Penn, Johns Hopkins, etc. People are consodering these schools bc of the education, but you still have to have a quality of life. I would certainly rather be somewhere that is beautiful and aesthetically driven than somewhere dark, outdated and underdeveloped if i were working and studying as hard as you have to be in these high level schools.


+1

Aesthetics/environment are important.

But no one needs palatial dorms.


You can have lovely aesthetics and environment without wasting a ton of money. I went to a small liberal arts college for two years in the mid-90's that was a gorgeous campus with perfectly lovely and adequate facilities. In the past 20 years they've gone on a building boom to attract out of state students and the cost of tuition has tripled. It's unnecessary and unjustifiable, and I refuse to give them one red cent. I say this as someone who works in higher ed and sees the trends firsthand. Aesthetics are important but not worth shelling out ridiculous amounts of cash for. It's a waste of money - especially if you are borrowing it and mortgaging your future for college - and people make their college decisions on the wrong factors a lot of the time.


yeah - that seems ridiculous. small and gorgeous sounds perfect.
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2014 09:35     Subject: Bad College Campuses
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Threads like these sum up what's happening in higher ed. Everyone focuses on the superficial crap, so colleges spend major $$$ on capital improvements, the cost of which get passed on to students in the form of tuition increases. The quality of an education is built on the quality of teaching and research - I.e. professors, not landscaped quads, palatial dorms, and rec centers.


Well, yes, but I don't hear a lot about the drastic drop in educational caliber of Penn, Johns Hopkins, etc. People are consodering these schools bc of the education, but you still have to have a quality of life. I would certainly rather be somewhere that is beautiful and aesthetically driven than somewhere dark, outdated and underdeveloped if i were working and studying as hard as you have to be in these high level schools.


Did I say that you did? No. Only that one should carefully consider how much you are paying for the frills that have no impact whatsoever on educational quality.
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2014 09:32     Subject: Bad College Campuses
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Threads like these sum up what's happening in higher ed. Everyone focuses on the superficial crap, so colleges spend major $$$ on capital improvements, the cost of which get passed on to students in the form of tuition increases. The quality of an education is built on the quality of teaching and research - I.e. professors, not landscaped quads, palatial dorms, and rec centers.


Well, yes, but I don't hear a lot about the drastic drop in educational caliber of Penn, Johns Hopkins, etc. People are consodering these schools bc of the education, but you still have to have a quality of life. I would certainly rather be somewhere that is beautiful and aesthetically driven than somewhere dark, outdated and underdeveloped if i were working and studying as hard as you have to be in these high level schools.


+1

Aesthetics/environment are important.

But no one needs palatial dorms.


You can have lovely aesthetics and environment without wasting a ton of money. I went to a small liberal arts college for two years in the mid-90's that was a gorgeous campus with perfectly lovely and adequate facilities. In the past 20 years they've gone on a building boom to attract out of state students and the cost of tuition has tripled. It's unnecessary and unjustifiable, and I refuse to give them one red cent. I say this as someone who works in higher ed and sees the trends firsthand. Aesthetics are important but not worth shelling out ridiculous amounts of cash for. It's a waste of money - especially if you are borrowing it and mortgaging your future for college - and people make their college decisions on the wrong factors a lot of the time.
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2014 07:33     Subject: Bad College Campuses
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Threads like these sum up what's happening in higher ed. Everyone focuses on the superficial crap, so colleges spend major $$$ on capital improvements, the cost of which get passed on to students in the form of tuition increases. The quality of an education is built on the quality of teaching and research - I.e. professors, not landscaped quads, palatial dorms, and rec centers.


Well, yes, but I don't hear a lot about the drastic drop in educational caliber of Penn, Johns Hopkins, etc. People are consodering these schools bc of the education, but you still have to have a quality of life. I would certainly rather be somewhere that is beautiful and aesthetically driven than somewhere dark, outdated and underdeveloped if i were working and studying as hard as you have to be in these high level schools.


+1

Aesthetics/environment are important.

But no one needs palatial dorms.
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2014 07:23     Subject: Bad College Campuses
Anonymous wrote:Threads like these sum up what's happening in higher ed. Everyone focuses on the superficial crap, so colleges spend major $$$ on capital improvements, the cost of which get passed on to students in the form of tuition increases. The quality of an education is built on the quality of teaching and research - I.e. professors, not landscaped quads, palatial dorms, and rec centers.


Well, yes, but I don't hear a lot about the drastic drop in educational caliber of Penn, Johns Hopkins, etc. People are consodering these schools bc of the education, but you still have to have a quality of life. I would certainly rather be somewhere that is beautiful and aesthetically driven than somewhere dark, outdated and underdeveloped if i were working and studying as hard as you have to be in these high level schools.
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2014 06:57     Subject: Bad College Campuses
Threads like these sum up what's happening in higher ed. Everyone focuses on the superficial crap, so colleges spend major $$$ on capital improvements, the cost of which get passed on to students in the form of tuition increases. The quality of an education is built on the quality of teaching and research - I.e. professors, not landscaped quads, palatial dorms, and rec centers.
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2014 06:49     Subject: Bad College Campuses
I visited Binghamton University (NY) once and was amazed at how ugly the architecture is:

http://www2.binghamton.edu/union/images/UU%20Aerial-1.jpg
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2014 06:42     Subject: Bad College Campuses
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I'm not a fan of the Penn campus


It didn't used to be so bad. Overbuilt now.


And totally branded. Steve Wynn Plaza, really? Plus all the Huntsman buildings.


I posted before...there are beautiful old buildings like the Museum the student union. (OK there's my bias.)

The campus is more difficult to navigate now--though maybe it's better for students on foot?-- with giant slabs of building dropped in the middle of what used to be cross streets.

Probably does have a fun urban vibe, though. And Philadelphia is fun for restaurants and pop up art collectives and galleries and music. Good college town.
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2014 04:49     Subject: Bad College Campuses
Johns Hopkins. Parts of Baltimore are scary dangerous and one side of JHU is right there.
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2014 00:59     Subject: Bad College Campuses
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I'm not a fan of the Penn campus


It didn't used to be so bad. Overbuilt now.


And totally branded. Steve Wynn Plaza, really? Plus all the Huntsman buildings.
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2014 00:19     Subject: Re:Bad College Campuses
Bad campuses? NYU, BU, Penn? Are you guys kidding me? These places have the best campuses ever. Sure, there is no quad, but these places are vibrant urban schools where kids want to go because of the location. There is a definite trend with kids toward these urban campus experiences and away from the school located in the "contemplative" (read boring) environment in Nowheresviile, Random State.
Anonymous
Post 06/16/2014 22:42     Subject: Bad College Campuses
For those three of you who said Penn, what makes it so bad? Curious, not challenging you.
Anonymous
Post 06/16/2014 22:39     Subject: Bad College Campuses
I second Penn, UMASS Boston- Kennedy library is nice but the rest looks like jail.

I think the comments on GW are unfair. It is an urban campus like NYU. I think both are fine if that is what a student wants.