STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

honey · Gucci

school q's

jacL · Coach

I would read an essay for you. I was a copy editor in college, so I mostly proofread for grammatical errors and make sure everything flows well. I don't know if I can put much input into the actual piece but I am good at the other stuff.

kiwi · BCBG

honey wrote:

(admin you can move but i figured it get more views here) is anyone an alum of the following schools (undergrad/grad/visiting student -- just trying to get as much info. as possible) *uc berkeley *ucla *columbia *u michigan *dartmouth *nyu *upenn/wharton obviously i can't visit all these schools b/f i apply and info. sessions are not really helpful to me. i'm a sucker for a good sales pitch and i always leave them all psyched about the school. any info. would be great even if it's just that your friend's cousin's stepsister's babydaddy went there. also for those who went to grad school how did you pick which schools to apply to? lastly would anyone be interested in reading my application essays? i know it's a lot to ask, but i need all the input i could get -- and it wouldn't be right away, probably towards the end of oct./beginning of nov. tia

i graduated from dartmouth, and i've visted friends at nyu... not sure what you're asking for, but it sounds like you're looking into MBA programs. if you have any questions, i'll be more than happy to help out

Maddie · Coach

I have close friends I've visited at Penn, Columbia, and Dartmouth as well as talked to one of my professors extensively about his graduate program at Columbia. I'm sure the undergrad experiences are pretty different and almost completely irrelevant to what you're looking for, but his Columbia experience might be useful.

He was getting his PhD in political science, and said that he liked it, but didn't love it. He said it was cool to be in NYC, but grad school is also one of the times in your life where you are poorest and so you can't really enjoy it. Also, I don't know what program you want to go into, but he said he was constantly working so he didn't really get to get out much. But I know he liked the department and his advisor on his dissertation is still a friend and advises him now on his books and research and stuff. He's a professor and obviously a huge nerd, so I think you might have more of a social life than he did, although I also know he made some good friends there.
My friend who goes to Columbia for undergrad likes it ok. He doesn't dislike it, but doesn't love it. It can be a little frat-y and rich, but is also more diverse than your average college. Also, I don't think he's much of a New Yorker, which is obviously not the case for you. But maybe you want to try something different? Sorry, I don't remeber where you were raised or went to undergrad.

My friend at Penn absolutely hates it. She says she can't believe how stupid people are and not to be snotty, but can't understand how they got into an Ivy. My friend at Bryn Mawr says that people from her school will take classes at Penn to boost their GPA cause the other kids are so dumb. Apparently the social scene there for undergrads is all all frats and sororities. This could very easily be different for grad school. She does like Philadelphia though as apparently there are a lot of good restaurants and stuff.

My friend at Dartmouth LOVES it, but is having somewhat the quitessential undergrad experience. It's in the middle of nowhere so there's lots of bonding with her class and crazy young kids shennanigans. So while that all seems like lots of fun, I'm not sure if I personally would want to go there for grad school. Smash actually went there for undergrad so she might be able to give you a better idea.

Hope this was at least somewhat helpful, although mostly about undergrad so possibly not that applicable!

esquiress · Marc Jacobs

honey wrote:

is anyone an alum of the following schools (undergrad/grad/visiting student -- just trying to get as much info. as possible)

*uc berkeley--my friend's husband just got in there for his mba, he loves it but is crazy busy right now (he's in his first semester, supposedly that's the hardest), and he went there for undergrad too so he's definitely a berkeley guy. let me know if you need me to ask him any specific q's. oh and my 21 year old brother goes there for undergrad too, he likes it.

*ucla--i went there for undergrad, i loved it

*columbia--my friend went to law school there, think she liked it, not sure though

*u michigan--can't believe i forgot my friend who went there for undergrad. she liked it and the cost of living is really cheap (relatively speaking, as compared to la or nyc.)

*dartmouth--sorry, don't have anything for this one

*nyu--my friend's boyfriend just got his mba from there (c/o '04), he loved it. can ask more q's for you if you want. oh and my friend's brother's going there for his master's in social work, he likes it but is having trouble adjusting to nyc, don't think that should be problem for you though, since you live there, right?

*upenn/wharton--my friend went there for undergrad, she liked it i think.

obviously i can't visit all these schools b/f i apply and info. sessions are not really helpful to me. i'm a sucker for a good sales pitch and i always leave them all psyched about the school. any info. would be great even if it's just that your friend's cousin's stepsister's babydaddy went there.--no problem, just tell me what questions you have and i'll ask them.

also for those who went to grad school how did you pick which schools to apply to? i just applied to three law schools, all in cali, two in southern cali...i wanted to stay local. and they were all first tier schools and i went to the highest ranked one i got into. so i applied to uc hastings, got in. applied to ucla, didn't get in. applied to usc, got wait listed, then got in, and went there.

oh as for undergrad--i applied to all uc schools, because they were inexpensive and well ranked. i always wanted to get into ucla--it was like my dream back then and i didn't get in at first so i went to uc riverside for a year and a half and then transferred to ucla.

lastly would anyone be interested in reading my application essays? i know it's a lot to ask, but i need all the input i could get -- and it wouldn't be right away, probably towards the end of oct./beginning of nov.--i'd be happy to. just let me know when you're ready.tia -- Edited by honey at 09:10, 2005-09-22

-- Edited by esquiress at 14:07, 2005-09-22

-- Edited by esquiress at 14:12, 2005-09-22

sfclinevandy · Coach

I didn't go to any of these schools but I know people who do...

Columbia- my friend's sister goes there for undergrad... a little different. She LOVES it. She said she loves being in the city, but it's also nice have your own little college community. Academically it's challeging, but not too bad.

Michigan- one of my best friend's from highschool did her undergrad her in Art. Her sister is the above who goes to Columbia. She liked it okay... coming from Georgia the weather sucked but she found a good group of friends. She loved Ann Arbor. At times she felt just like a number when dealing with her general classes but she was in the art school so she was able to get to know a lot of her art professors and people in that program.

Dartmouth- My VERY best friend and college roomate is getting her MBA here and just started this year. The NY Times just named Tuck (the Dartmoth B-school) the best in the country. She is working like a dog, but after working 4 years in investment banking she's used to it. She likes the school a lot, the people so far seem good and she seems to be happy.

U-Penn- I dated a guy who went to U Penn. He sucked so anything I have to say regarding his alma mater will be tainted with my disdain for him

sfclinevandy · Coach

For my masters, I only applied to 2 schools because they were both good and I knew I would get in both.

For law school, I applied to lots of schools. Basically I applied to lots of average, some safety, and some reach schools based on my test scores and grades. Then when I got in places, I considered looking. I would apply to schools in all categories because you always need a safety/backup school, you never know if you are what a reach school wants, plus you might qualify for a scholarship which could help sway your decision (that's what happened to me!)

When I was applying to undergrads, I didn't really want to tour a ton of colleges. I sent off for free informational videos from lots of schools. By watching the videos, I could easily decide if the school was the right fit for me and if I should even bother applying.

gingembre1 · Kate Spade

Nobody's replied for the California schools!! Are you applying for grad or undergrad? Because it makes a huge difference in which school I would recommend...

If you're looking in California for undergrad, I would recommend UCSD over the other two. I'm a bit biased, since I graduated from UCSD, but for an undergraduate experience, I think that you're better off with UCSD. I have friends who went to UCLA, and while it's located in a great place, they weren't very happy with their actual school experience. The ones who are now there for grad school like it much better.

UC Berkeley is notorious for being bad for undergrad. My brother goes there, and he loves it, but it's really because he's involved in marching band. If you would be involved in something like marching band, sports, or (gag) a sorority, then it's different. Otherwise, you'll feel very lost and isolated at Berkeley. GRAD SCHOOL, on the other hand, is a different matter. My friend is in the chem/biology PhD program, and it seems like there are tons of activities for them, everyone knows each other, Berkeley pays lots of attention to you, and everyone seems very happy to be there. I've similar things from grad students in other disciplines as well (poli sci, theology, MBA, etc).

If you want to know more about UCSD, let me know. Did you know it's ranked higher than UCLA in international rankings? Even some US rankings are now putting UCSD ahead of UCLA. Just thought I'd mention that...

twinkle · Coach

i went to nyu (undergrad). loved it at the time but now i feel like i missed having a college experience- there is no campus, school spirit, etc. i think its a better place to go for grad school b/c of this. what are you planning on studying? basically you have to have crazy love for NYC and be ok w/spending tons and tons of money- the school and living around there is insanely expensive! feel free to pm me if you want more info!

bumblebee · Coach

i went to UCLA for undergrad. i loved it--it's a great atmosphere, and the business school is one of the very tippity top. i know a few people who have done the working professional program there at Anderson (i think it is called EMBA) and they RAVE about how great a program it is and how much you learn.

i have to disagree on UCSD--i don't know about people ranking it higher than UCLA (have never heard this in my life) but it is a very good school. what i have heard from friends who went there is that there's not much going on socially and it is very heavily skewed towards math and science disciplines and research--so it's fantastic if that's what you're looking for, but i wouldn't think that it would be a great MBA environment. it's also in kind of an isolated area out of the main san diego hubbub--it's breathtakingly gorgeous around there, but far from restaurants and stuff like that.

this is totally unrelated, but esquiress--i didn't know there was a master's option in social work at nyu?! i have been looking for that very thing and couldn't find it. do you know which department it falls under? education?

esquiress · Marc Jacobs

bumblebee, i have no idea where it falls, but i for sure know it exists, my friend's brother is there right now. i'll call her tonight and ask. i think there's one at columbia too because he got into both places. oh and if i forget (i won't), just pm me and bug me for the info ok?

oh and as for the ucsd thing, i didn't even know they had a business school?

bumblebee · Coach

thanks! off to scout out NYU again. maybe i was looking under "psychology" instead of "social work." you wouldn't think they were the same thing, but for all intents and purposes for NY state licensure, apparently they are.

honey · Gucci

(long) thanks for all the input ladies, i really appreciate it as i said i'm looking for any and all info. so info. on the undergrad experience is helpful especially for schools like tuck/dartmouth since the sense i get is that they are relatively isolated, so info. on the undergrad experience is helpful since i feel like the experience would be similar.

i guess it would be helpful to kind of explain where i'm coming from right now. i would like to get an mba, mainly b/c i think it will transition out of my current job -- which is fine, but a dead end, and b/c it will help me pursue my future goal of creating some sort of retail empire (a girl can dream, right). my primary concerns are rank, location, and overall fit. ultimately i would like settle on the east coast, hence most of my choices are located there. and while i know there are many excellent schools in other areas, i *think* it'd be best to stick to a school that's either well ranked in this region (as a sick twist most of the well ranked ne region schools also happen to be extremely competitive) and/or well ranked nationally. also i kind of like my life right now, and am hesistant to give everything up and start over, since i know very few people outside of the northeast (a smidge sad isn't it). additionally pretty much everyone i've talked too has stressed the importance of networking, so i want to go to a school with a great network of people that i can turn to after i graduate. when i started out my choices were columbia, nyu (nyc area/good programs) and uc berekely & ucla. i'm probably going to add dartmouth to the list and two more schools, one definite safety (though i think my chances of getting into nyu are good) and another reach -- i just don't know which one. but i'm sure it will become much more clear after i take the gmat officially.

jacL -- thanks for the offer. i will take you up on it b/c i need someone to proof for grammar, punctuation, general longwindedness. i tend to be verbose and working for a law firm has only added to that problem.

kiwi -- do you mind if i pm you about dartmouth. i'm particularly interested in campus life and i think that part of the experience would be similar. all i can think of is my undergrad interview, and the guy essentially telling me dartmouth was animal house on skis (seriously he told me i should learn how to ski b/f going there).

maddie -- thanks for the info. your friend at penn's story made me laugh. you'll find (from your posts i've sensed that already) that with a lot of "good" schools it's very much about branding. i know many an ivy-league educated idiot.

esquiress -- there's an essay in your future, and i would greatly appreciate any advice you have. also i'll pm you in the future w/ questions about nyu b/c it's definitely a contender.

sfc -- thanks for the advice, i am definitely going to look into some state programs. i read that article about dartmouth too, which is why i added it to the list. also would you mind if i pm'ed about your friends exp/with q's for you friend?

gingembre1 -- i haven't heard much about usd, i'll look into it, since you seem to be very happy, and it's always good to meet happy alums.

mara -- i'll be pm'in you too. cost of living is a huge concern, and i'm interested to learn how people managed it.

bumblebee -- thanks! again it's always good to hear from happy alum. also i'm going to pm you about some other stuff. i just haven't really had a chance to breathe, but i will take care of it this weekend.

kiwi · BCBG

sure! i'll be happy to answer any questions so pm me anytime

Alikat · Kate Spade

I really like Berkeley. Its a beautiful campus, pretty funky town, and close to SF which I love. Its pretty easy to get around without a car as well.

I know academically they have a great reputation, and are very competitive. Their library is awesome, I used to use it a lot (I went to UC Davis and would check out books for my classes ).

I have a friend who went there for his MBA. All of his friends were super nice, and he spent a month in India doing a business project with classmates. He works in real estate now... doing very well for himself.

I believe Renee goes there for graduate school!

I have some friends at U Michigan graduate school - they like the town and campus a lot.

-- Edited by Alikat at 00:48, 2005-09-23

jacL · Coach

honey wrote:

jacL -- thanks for the offer. i will take you up on it b/c i need someone to proof for grammar, punctuation, general longwindedness. i tend to be verbose and working for a law firm has only added to that problem.

No problem! I actually kind of miss proofing (am I a dork?!).

bumblebee · Coach

looking forward to your PM.

i wanted to point out for you that USD is a different school than UCSD (that may have just been a typo). anyway, one of my best friends just graduated from USD's bus. school. it's a very small (and expensive) private school, and although i know nothing about rankings for b-school, i don't think it's very high on the list. she had a great experience there, though.

i just thought of another for you, though, based on what you said about networking--you should really look at USC. i know, esquiress will probably shake her head at me because we are supposed to hate them. USC's bus. school is exceptionally well-known on the west coast and the thing that they do better than anyone else is have a network of alums and donors and friends of the university that make it very convenient and efficient to find jobs, change jobs, research new fields, etc. seriously, if that's important to you, i think they are the #1 best at it.

esquiress · Marc Jacobs

more like nodding my head in agreement! i thought the same thing when i first saw honey's post but for some reason forgot to mention it. i went to usc law school and the business school is right next to it and it is sooo nice, especially the new anderson building. a lot of my classmates were in the joint jd-mba program too and by all accounts, they really liked it.

oh and bumblebee, i talked to my friend and she told me that she thinks the program her brother's at at NYU is the "clinical social work" program. she didn't know much but she said she'd email him so when he replies i'll let you know. oh she also said it's crazy expensive, but i'm sure you figured that. he's basically paying upwards of 50K a year to live and study there--yikes!

ewt77 · Nine West

I went to Michigan for grad school. I also grew up in Ann Arbor.

The school is fantastic, although to be fair, there is some bureaucracy. I would imagine that would be there at any of these schools though (except perhaps Dartmouth?) because of their size. The one benefit, however, is you deal with far less of the bureaucracy if you are in a graduate school that is not in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts.

That being said, going to business school at Michigan not only removes you from a lot of bureaucracy, but you will probably reap many rewards. I think that the business school (and law school) looks out for its students far more than some of the other graduate schools on campus. You will be taken care of.

Clearly, Michigan is one of the best b-schools in the country. I have found in both undergrad and grad school that the quality of the student body makes a tremendous difference in your education. Having classmates that force you to think, are creative, ambitious, and have already met with success (and failure!) in their life prior to graduate school is a huge advantage. This is not to say that the other schools you mentioned do not offer that advantage. Clearly that is not the case. However, I find that the camaraderie developed between Michigan students is just different. There is an unbelievable spirit about the school and its graduates that goes beyond the simple, "old boys club" type alliances that exist at other schools. Your interaction in the classroom and outside of it will reflect that, so you will reap some of these benefits prior to your degree being awarded.

Outside of that, the weather in Ann Arbor is no different than the Northeast, except upstate NY, which has FAR more lake effect snow than Ann Arbor does. I think you live in NYC, so you will find it to be similar. The town, although clearly not a major city, is exceptional in its character and big city offerings. The University brings in some amazing artists which range from the Royal Shakespeare Company (which does a residency at Michigan every other year) to great ballet, opera, etc. I have found that Ann Arbor is like a condensed version of a larger city. The difference is not in the type of options, but more in the number. Instead of having 24 Vietnamese restaurants, you only have 2. Instead of having 50 clubs, you have 6. This doesn't mean the quality is not there, but the quantity is not.

I have never met anyone that didn't have fond memories of their time in Ann Arbor- many even surprised themselves by electing to stay beyond the time they were at the University.

Good luck to you in your decision-making process. I'm sure you will end up where you are supposed to.

-- Edited by ewt77 at 17:22, 2005-09-23

Renee · Kenneth Cole

I am a grad at UC Berkeley (5th year), have an MA and ABD from UCB. What is your field? Programs here are excellent, but difficult to get into. Any specific questions?