Ball State University

Date: Jul 18 2010
Major: Other (This Major's Salary over time)
Ball State is a pretty good school overall with the education I received. People are genuinely friendly. Their facilities are pretty substantial compared to other universities visited. Though, not every department has what you may need, so you might find yourself visiting another departments facility if needed. If you are looking for a smaller school, compared to IU or PU, then go here. BSU is a good-size campus and very close to anything you may need. Faculty are pretty helpful, but are not very personable with students. To me it seemed that they are only there to teach, get a decent paycheck, and not care for their students aspirations. I guess you get what you pay for, but departments do vary.

The architecture undergrad school is pretty good, too, but very hard to get into. It seems that the CAP program generally accepts students to have high GPA and SAT scores. Most students that are accepted might have been valedictorians from their high school. As rigorous as CAP is, you really want to be immersed into the energy that the students give off. Don't expect to make your college experience like some party scene if you are interested in CAP. They have high expectations and can't afford low-quality work for the students that don't take pride in their education. The MArch degree is developing into a good program and most students say they received a great education from BSU vs Ivy league schools and students being 150k plus in debt. If you are interested in theory, sustainability, or historic preservation, then go here. Generally all architects from BSU live in Indiana, but you'd be surprised how many live around the country and work at world-renowned firms. If you are interested in the interior design industry, go into architecture. You will learn more and get a better education. Their interior design department is getting better, but the faculty's teaching quality is not consistent. Some instructors give off a grade-school teaching style rather than collegiate. Some instructors are blessed to be there based on their credentials. But if you really want to get into interior design, just get a MFA or MA from a top design school in the country. The interior design program is NOT in the College of Architecture and Planning, which makes it a complete different program. The benefit of having an architecture and interior design degree is awesome, very marketable, and extremely RARE. Also, I highly suggest taking business classes as it will benefit you in the long-run.

Over the years, the president has done much to make the experience for students better. If I wanted to do it all over again, I would probably choose another school. Do your research on what school and field you are interested in. It really does matter what school you go to.