Goucher College

Date: May 09 2009
Major: Political Science (This Major's Salary over time)
I transferred from NYU to this school despite the negative comments on this site and I don't regret it for a second. Goucher is not like other schools and, depending on what you're looking for, that is a very positive aspect. If you are looking for an "Animal House"-esque school with raging keggers every weekend, then this is not the school for you. However, if you are looking for a small, cozy school filled with people actually looking for an education, then step right up.

I transferred from NYU because, despite its prestigious name, the university could barely keep track of its students, especially those abroad. I felt like a number or a client, and after only a year there my family was bankrupt and the school could hardly care less. At Goucher, I am on a first name basis with the registrar and anything questions I have are answered as quickly as school bureaucracy can allow (*on that last note: any school you go to will have a level of bureaucratic bullshit).

People often criticize Goucher for its lack of a social scene. Like anything else in the world, it's what you make of it. There are parties on the weekends and plenty of debauchery, but not so much that you cannot escape it and find a quiet place to sleep or study. Sports are not a huge deal here, but athletes are not shunned in the least. The worst kind of people here are either very socially awkward or very pretentious. In my humble opinion, I would rather put up with that than the unscrupulous alcoholic nightmares I have met at various state schools. In one review on this site, someone stated that people here are either

athletes or anarchists

and that is extremely far from the truth. There are a lot of alternative people here, but it allows for an atmosphere of gentle quirkiness that many prefer to the dynamics of large state schools.

Many professors are comfortable with being on a first name basis with their students, and most are very accessible. I have met so many brilliant students and faculty at this school, and I am assured that it will carry me as far if not farther than NYU would have.