Anonymous wrote:The response of the school/ students and alumni to decades of child destruction in the football team building has been sickening. Every other school in the country would have shut down the disgusting program until everybody got their heads screwed on right.

Not penn state ... They hired a new coach who rounded up a group of hotties to "host " recruits against the rules and one of the girls got gang raped by his players .

That's penn state.

Based on your logic, should MCPS shut down the entire school system because it appears they have a big problem with sex offenders working for MCPS?

The response of the school/ students and alumni to decades of child destruction in the football team building has been sickening. Every other school in the country would have shut down the disgusting program until everybody got their heads screwed on right.

Not penn state ... They hired a new coach who rounded up a group of hotties to "host " recruits against the rules and one of the girls got gang raped by his players .

That's penn state.

I am a PSU alumni. The majority of my college friends came from New York City, Philly, Washington DC area and Pittsburgh. None came from small towns. These posts seem like they are coming from Maryland alumni. I grew up in Maryland and Virginia. That said, I chose Penn State and I did not find it "cliquey" at all.

Yes, the university is in a small town. Instead of driving 15 minutes home on the weekend to do laundry (UMD) mostly all the students stayed on campus on the weekends and participated in student life. In additon, when you attended parties/bars in State College almost all of the people there were fellow students which adds to the college experience too. As another poster mentioned, 99 percent of the students have a wonderful time.

Anonymous wrote:Seems to be a lot of hate for PSU. Is this mostly because it's considered a rival of Maryland?

I don't hate Penn State. I think it's a good school, but I don't think it's a fit for everyone bc the culture is bit more "rah rah" than Maryland or Rutgers or Delaware and the location is much more isolated. I think for the kind of kid who wants to be away in a classic college town and will feed off of a student body that's eager and rallies around Big Ten football, it's a great place and the degrees in engineering and business esp. are pretty good (and come with HUGE alum networks). But I don't think the place fits for everyone.

If a student is around 35+ thousand others and can't find something to do, or a group to be friends with - it will probably be a life-long complaint of their own making.

Seems to be a lot of hate for PSU. Is this mostly because it's considered a rival of Maryland?

PSU esp in recent yrs seems to have picked up a "either you're one of us or you're not" vibe. I'm not saying it's based on skin color or anything, but a typical PSU undergrad is a white suburban or small town person who thinks PSU is the be all and end all. If your DD goes there and decides she neither wants to go Greek nor be involved in football tailgating stuff, sure -- she might make friends through her major, clubs etc. -- OR she may end up feeling a bit on the outside bc she'll be seen as "not one of us."

Anonymous wrote:Could someone explain why anyone would go to Penn State if he or she is admitted to Michigan or Wisconsin?

Family ties, proximity to DC area, particular major. Believe it or not, some kids actually look at specific programs and don't just pick a name school to impress their parents' friends.

Could someone explain why anyone would go to Penn State if he or she is admitted to Michigan or Wisconsin?

Anonymous wrote:The question was how "cliquey" is PSU. So we are in agreement with 82,000 students enrolled(that number seems high - I thought 35,000) - it's not like a high school clique of 20 cool kids.

Are you the one who say "99% of PSU alums are happy" and as proof pointed out that they can fill a big stadium against UMD? If so, the logic is faulty and says nothing of cliques. But yes, PSU has a strong alum network as has been mentioned.

The previous poster is not a PSU student or alumni, I would not rely on them to determine if PSU is cliquey - especially since they are instead recommending their own Big 10 school.

Relating to comparing PSU to Pitt - it really depends on your major for strength of program.

I would consider Pitt before I'd consider Penn State. It tends to draw a different crowd than PSU that would likely be your daughter's "type" (fewer rural/"hometown heroes" types) and is much less Greek and football-obsessed, but it still does have the large U atmosphere.

Another school to consider would be the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I'm from the Twin Cities and cannot say enough about my experience there. Madison is such a cool city. It was so diverse - everyone from rural Wisconsin farm kids, to typical suburban kids, to wealthy ones from the suburbs of Chicago/Milwaukee, hardcore academic kids, those into sports, etc. Greek life was there if you wanted it, but it wasn't something that dominated the campus at all. It would be a great option for someone who wants the Big 10 atmosphere, but wants less of a high school-y/football dominated atmosphere.

The question was how "cliquey" is PSU. So we are in agreement with 82,000 students enrolled(that number seems high - I thought 35,000) - it's not like a high school clique of 20 cool kids.

^^You're confusing % with sheer numbers -- 82,000 people are enrolled at PSU today. So sure, their alums are many and could fill a large stadium. Home games in the middle of nowhere PA take in 106000 people.

October 2015 - not sure of the exact date