(Salisbury) I'm a Freshman, and while I may not have

How this student rated the school

Educational Quality	B	Faculty Accessibility	A+
Useful Schoolwork	B-	Excess Competition	B
Academic Success	B+	Creativity/ Innovation	A-
Individual Value	A	University Resource Use	B+
Campus Aesthetics/ Beauty	A	Friendliness	A+
Campus Maintenance	B+	Social Life	C+
Surrounding City	C-	Extra Curriculars	B-
Safety	B

Describes the student body as: Friendly, Approachable Describes the faculty as: Friendly, Helpful, Arrogant

Male

SAT2140

Super Brilliant

Lowest Rating Surrounding City	C-

Highest Rating Faculty Accessibility	A+

He rated most things higher than other students did.

Date: Oct 01 2010
Major: Computer Science (This Major's Salary over time)
I'm a Freshman, and while I may not have been here too long I figured that I came to this website so much while applying that I may as well write a review now that I'm here. Anyways, I'm a Computer Science major (one of twelve in the Freshman class), a probably Political Science major (have to run it by some people first), Math minor, and in the Honors program.

Ok, first some general stuff about the school. The size is perfect for me so far. The campus is just small enough so that I can get to class on time but big enough that if I'm walking I'll probably only run into one person I know, and that's generally right near the dorm. Aesthetically it's pretty nice, we have a lot of construction going on and all the buildings are gradually looking really nice. There's a lot of trees, and outside the Commons it looks nice but honestly after being here for a while none of that really matters, aesthetics aren't important except for to make a good impression on visitors and prospective students such as yourself.

Safety is kind of weird here. On campus I'll frequently walk alone at night and I feel fine about it (I'm an 18 year old male that isn't in the Marines due to a back injury, I don't worry, some of the girls do though), but Salisbury is a pretty bad area in general. I view campus and the stretch of generally student owned off campus houses (New Zoo, Old Zoo, University Park) as our little oasis. Campus police doesn't have too huge of a presence, but just use common sense and you'll be fine. Saferide is important to mention too, they'll pick you up if you're drunk somewhere within about a 2 mile radius and take you back to school. It's school sponsored and it's a great program, the truth is that college students are going to drink and it's better that they get home safely than put themselves and others at risk. Parents - don't be turned off by this. Trust me, this is much better than the alternative - not having this program. It's not encouraging students to drink or something, it's just to encourage them to get home without dying after they drink (an act that will happen regardless of safety concerns (it's college, what do you expect)).

I have mixed feelings about the academics here. Personally I've found all my classes extremely interesting with great teachers who really care about what they're teaching. Classes are fun, in my opinion, but I'm sort of a nerd about that. The students in the classes, however, don't generally share my opinion. A perfect example is my Microeconomics class this semester. I sit up front and I participate, yet I'm the only one that decides to do so. The teacher is one of the best teachers I've ever had, yet no one cares enough to talk but me. Class sizes are small, average this semester for me is about 15 per class, and that's really cool in my opinion. One thing that I found was pretty awesome if you're like me about academics is the Honors program. They have a Honors House, which is basically an awesome early 20th century themed house that only honors students can get into (24/7 access via keycard!) with a computer lab, study areas, kitchen, ping pong/pool tables, and even a movie room. There's also an honors classroom built into the back of the house where you take all your honors classes. I love it there, I normally go there to study/kill time with a close friend also in the Honors program until about 4AM most nights. The Honors program is that academic oasis that will connect you to smart people, if you're interested in that. Classes are discussion based and awesome (everyone talks intelligently in class). Don't live on the Honors floor, though, I opted out of that luckily but the people on the Honors floor describe their floor as "dead" and come make friends in my building.

Socially it's pretty cool depending on what aspect you're talking about. I've made some really good friends here, generally not the most academically involved but still they're great. There's a pretty large mix of people here, diversity isn't great but that wasn't really a factor for me. In terms of personalities, though, I'm sure if you make an attempt to find friends there will be someone there for you. Just put yourself out there during that first week and meet as many people as you can, I had to force myself to do that but it really payed off; I'm really happy with the group of friends I found, and I'm acquaintances with so many people that it's rare that I ever walk out of my room without saying hello to someone. In terms of parties, however, why this school earned the title of "Party School" is beyond me. Maybe it's just because I'm a Freshman, but parties are incredibly hard to find. It's mostly just get-togethers with various upperclassmen groups of friends. You have to know someone to get in, generally. I can't count the number of times I've gone out to find a party, walked around with friends in the New Zoo, Old Zoo, and University Park (off campus housing places) just to walk back 3 hours later sore, tired, and sober. So far most drinking has occurred in the dorms, finding a party just isn't worth the hassle to most. This will probably get better as my time here goes on (or worse, depending on if you're a parent reading this), but I'm just giving you my honest opinion. Oh, and the police and security guards here have been busting parties like crazy. That'll probably die down soon, but the police presence in the party scene is pretty large. And I won't go into too much detail, but if you want attractive girls this is the place to go.

So, I should probably wrap this up. Given the chance, would I choose Salisbury again? Well, considering my other options, probably. I'd go to UMD if I could have, honestly, but fate conspired against me. I can't say that I'm having a bad time though, honestly. This is probably the happiest I've been in my life, I have some great friends, and I'm not upset about being here in the slightest. If you're like me and you want to be around smart people, get in the Honors program. That is seriously the best thing about this school at the moment. Find a good group of friends and you'll be fine. Always use RateMyProfessors when registering for courses. This whole college thing is what you make of it, go in with the right attitude and it'll all work out regardless of where you go.

I owe a lot to this site, I basically lived on here during the whole college process (somehow it kept me sane during December), so I feel like I should give back to it and to you guys (I've been in your situation before too, I know how much it sucks). Therefore, if anyone has any questions at all about Salisbury University feel free to contact me at and I'll be happy to help in as honest of a way as possible.

Responses

Hi,
I am a spring semester admit and I've found your post to be comforting. I was unlucky enough not to get on campus housing and will have to live at UP have you heard much about it? I would really like to have on campus housing next year do you think gettting into the Honors Program will increase my chances? Thank you in advance for answering my questions and I'd appreciate any additional information you might give that you would find useful .

University Park is, from what I've seen, pretty nice. Perfect for a college student. They have shuttles to take people back and forth, but honestly every time I've ventured over there I really don't mind the walk. It's not too far, and the tunnel beneath the main road is really helpful. It might get pretty loud on weekends, lots of parties over there. I don't think that getting into the Honors Program will increase your chances, I'm currently trying to use that angle to settle some housing problems myself and it's not really working. Look into Seagull Square, it's opening next year and it's on campus apartment style living. I'd also send someone in Housing an email, they're really helpful, explain your situation and ask to know your options from their perspective. Anyways, you're going to love it here, look forward to it, and especially if you're in the Honors program I'll definitely see you around.

Unrelated, commenting here is fine, but the Computer Science nerd in me sees that it recognized the syntax of my email address and blocked it out of the review. So, just to spite the lazy programming of this site, it's rem87062 at yahoo dot com.

I am a high school student considering computer science. What's your take on the computer science program at Salisbury? Are the classes challenging? What math course did you begin with? Any advice is helpful. Thanks!

The computer science program is small, to say the least. I think I remember someone saying that there were 12 computer scientists in the class of 2014. My experience has been overwhelmingly positive though, there's a lot of great students in the program that actually care about the subject and school. So far I've only had one Computer Science teacher (Dr. Wang, I took her for COSC 120 and currently 220), but she's great. It's challenging, go to class and you'll be forced to pay attention. A couple people have dropped the major because it's difficult, but honestly if you're into computer science it should be fun. You do 2 or 3 classes per week and then a lab that usually takes anywhere between 1 to 4 hours of your time every week. On top of that there's 3 projects you do completely outside of class, but personally I like them (most of the time, "The Baffles Project" is a rite of passage, if you can maintain your sanity through that you can make it through anything). All in all, Computer Science is really difficult here but fun if you're into it despite the relatively small size of the major. As for math, the mandatory math minor thing really screwed with me personally. I took precalc in high school and went into Calc I fall semester of my Freshman year. It was hell, to say the least. I was putting in 6-12 hours per week outside of class. I pushed through it and even though I was convinced I was going to get a C I got an A in the class somehow. Now I'm in Discrete Math (MATH 210) and it's sort of easy, definitely doable. I do Calc II next semester. After that it's Stats and then Linear Algebra. I hate math, it's just a matter of pushing through it for Computer Science's sake. The teachers generally suck, and the good ones offer classes at 8AM and not even the promise of a good teacher will get me up before 10AM, but learn a little in class and the rest from the book/internet. And honestly just take Gen Eds and easy classes if you plan on taking a hard math course, balance your schedule and you'll be fine. It's a matter of making your schedule work right, spend a lot of time planning it. I'm doing 19 credits this semester and 20 credits next and honestly if you schedule the right classes each semester it's not bad despite how people look at me like I'm crazy when I say the 19/20 credit thing. Back to Computer Science, it's a good program with decent teachers, a good curriculum, fun electives as you get further up, and really rewarding as a major. I definitely recommend it, you can walk away after 4 years knowing you didn't waste your college money. As for Salisbury, it's not as near as good in Computer Science as a place like UMD. We simply can't compare. I do like it, though, that I have a teacher with whom I feel comfortable enough with to talk to outside of class, email about clarifications of assignments to the point where it probably annoys her (we all do it so it's ok), and even ask to write a letter of recommendation for an internship with NASA and know that she wrote it about me specifically and didn't just insert my name in the place marked *INSERT NAME HERE*. We may be a smaller department, but we're probably the most serious about what we do out of the entire school. If you want a better idea about the program you can do two things. First, go to the Salisbury website and find the Math/COSC major page. Find the faculty link for Computer Science (I'm doing this by memory, so it may be slightly wrong). Then go to ratemyprofessors and look them up, both for professor quality and for what people are saying about the classes. The other thing you can do is find the course listings, I think you can access that through the Salisbury website, and look at course descriptions once you select Computer Science from the dropdown bar. If you go on the major checklist page on the Salisbury website you can see what classes are mandatory and what are electives. Anyways, I hope I helped, let me know if you have any more questions.

Thanks for the detailed and very helpful input. I'm a mom looking for a small MD school for son who is a high school honor student with mild Aspergers. What is the requirement to get into the Honors House at Salisbury?

The common theme I've seen in the Honors program is the lack of a discrete set of requirements. I, of all people, know the horrors of the college admissions process (Spring'd at UMD, waitlisted at Towson, and 2k dollar scholarship/Honors at Salisbury). There's really no rhyme or reason to why a school accepts one student or another when people are close. That being said, out of all of the applying I did, the SU Honors program is the only one where I felt that they did it well. They really view the whole person, and it feels a lot more personal in my opinion. I emailed my submission to the Honors program about a month after the final deadline and Dr. England and Dr. Morrison worked with me with several long and detailed emails to get me in regardless of the time I sent my submission in. As for requirements, GPA and SAT scores I'm sure are relatively important. Make sure that the writing sample is the best example of analytical or creative thought that has been produced by your son. I sent in a 30 page play about a love story amidst war-torn Stalingrad as well as a 16 page analytical paper about socio-economimcs in Afghanistan and the implications to US foreign policy. Just show that your son can write well and has a mind that can produce good ideas. Go to Salisbury dot edu slash honors slash apply dot html (sorry, this website scans for website addresses in comments and deletes them so I have to be tricky about it) for all the information on applying you'll need. I think you're past the deadline for applying by a little over a month if I remember correctly, that probably won't be a problem (you might get waitlisted for Honors, in that case I got an email mid August saying that I was accepted and they altered my schedule accordingly). But yeah, I hope this helped, definitely apply, it's a great program and a fun community of some of the most awesome people on campus. Good luck, but honestly I haven't heard of anyone outright denied from Honors (although I don't know if I would have heard). Feel free to comment again if you need anything else.

Hi,
I'm an international exchange student. I'll begin the next academic year 2011/2012. I'll study computer science and I'm looking for units related to the area of artificial intelligence. So, what can you tell me or inform me about that?

Thank you in advance,

Best regards

Nabil el Boudjay

Thank you in advance,

Best regards

Nabil el Boudjay

Unfortunately, Salisbury University's Computer Science program isn't as advanced or as big as some of the better known CS schools or the big state schools. Every once in a while you might be able to snag a COSC 490 (Special Topics, the area of study changes every semester) that deals with AI. You can also do directed individual study (COSC 385). On top of that, there's a great deal of ability to get course credit or do research on the topic. I'm more into software development myself, but currently I'm working with my CS teacher from the last two semesters on an undergraduate research project as a freshman for the Summer. I'm even funded. The higher up you get in the major, the more choice you have in what you want to do. We don't have specialties such as AI, but if that's what you're interested in learning about you can definitely tailor your schedule to suit those needs. Teachers will want to work with you if you show initiative; ask about doing a project with one that you like. Even at the top colleges I feel as if in any undergraduate program the main focus is on introducing people to a diverse range of programming and getting them competent enough to perform in the real world. Some undergraduate programs might have more of a focus on specialties such as AI, but in order to truly explore it you'll probably have to go to graduate school. In short, Salisbury will teach you how to program. Do well in your classes, maintain a good GPA, learn a lot, and keep your mind set on learning about AI, and as you become a competent programmer you can tailor your schedule to fit what you want to study. At about the time you're at that level, you'll be applying to a decent graduate school where you can expand on AI if you so please. Good luck, and I'll see you next semester.

Hi! I've recently been accepted to Salisbury University, and I think that it's the school for me! I really love the idea of the honors program! I'm applying relatively soon, and I was wondering if you have any helpful advice for me? Thank you!!!

The Honors program has changed a lot since I first wrote this review. The original program directors are no longer in charge due to a weird situation which ended with the administration and the Honors people not seeing eye to eye. The Honors house now opens as 7 or 8AM and closes at midnight. The interim director was great, but we have a new permanent director starting this upcoming semester (Spring 2013). At it's core, in terms of education, the Honor's program remains unchanged, but it's nowhere near as close as tight knit of a group as it used to be unless you're in the Honors LLC. Speaking of that, in my original review I mentioned that I suggest against living on the Honors floor. I'm going to edit that here and say that I think it's the right decision for the right type of person, mainly if you're intelligent, would like to maintain your grades, and you don't envision yourself attending parties with alcohol. Honors LLC people tend to form a pretty good friend group. As for applying to the Honors program, just try not to stress about it. The people there are good; I don't know about the application process now, but I really got the feeling that they actually looked through everything I sent them and got to know me as an individual through my application before accepting me. With college admissions they treat you by your numbers; GPA, SAT, that sort of thing. With Honors they're really trying to find people who they think will be a good fit for the program. By applying, you're sort of self-selecting yourself, saying that you're actually interested in furthering your education via Honors. I don't know how many people they actually deny, but if you want in you'll probably get in. I applied months after the deadline, literally a month or two before school started, and I still got in after a little bit of administrative magic by the old Honors director. And even if you aren't accepted, you can join Honors after you join the university. With the number of classes you take, it's roughly equivalent to another minor, which isn't that big of a deal if you plan for it ahead of time. I should write another review, I don't know if I've changed or the university has changed in the two years since I first wrote this (I'd bet on the former) but I think it'd be a very different review as a second semester Junior. Still come here though, I recommend it.

I'm just sort of scraping the surface looking at colleges (I'm only a sophomore in high school), but I was curious what you know about the choral program, and if Salisbury had a sports management major.

I'm sorry, I'm not really familiar with either of those programs. What I do know is that our Business school is supposedly really good, and while I don't see anything about sports management in particular it'd probably be best in my opinion to go into regular management or something else business related and then trying to hone your way into the sports world via internships. I believe that the business school might have a relationship with the Delmarva Shorebirds, and I know that your adviser would really help you with internships (I believe at least one is required). I'm sorry I don't know more, as a software developer that aspect of campus is a whole different world from where I come from. I have friends in the business school though and they seem to enjoy it, and from everything I've seen it seems like there's a lot of opportunities in that school if you have the ambition to seek them out.

There are 4 honors housing choices and course choices. Which one are you and which one do you suggest? Are there many that are in honors that choose not to live in honors housing? If so, where do they choose to live? Where did you choose? Thanks

When I went there was 1 honors housing choice, the Honors LLC, and I wasn't in it. I'm graduated now and working as a programming for the state of MD (thanks to a SU internship). When I was there a few people were in Honors housing, and they were pretty close, but they didn't make up the majority of my classes or anything. Honors classes were small, you tend to make friends with honors people thanks to group projects and regular classtime even if you aren't living in the Honors housing. And I say that as someone who avoided social interaction generally. Don't feel like you have to do Honors housing, but don't feel like it's a bad option. If you want to try out parties and stuff like that I'd suggest non-Honors, if you want more nerdy/smarter/boring friends go Honors housing.

Housing is way different since I've been there thanks to tons of renovations. I was in Nanticoke before it was renovated (think 1970's dorm), Manokin, Dogwood, and then Tide Mill Apartments with my current fiance (wife, in two weeks, we met in Nanticoke). I know they renovated the high rises, not sure what they're like now. If the high rises are good I'd say go for those or for anything in the quad area, this decision matters a lot less than you probably think it does right now. Just get a renovated building and it doesn't matter. Dogwood was great because it was a single even though you're living in a trailer, but I wouldn't recommend that first semester.

It's great you managed to find a good university with that major because most specialists just turn to online courses or something like that. If it's actually interesting for you, you can even check out IT jobs with relocation assistance, and I believe it won't take you long to find a good job offer abroad.

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To effectively develop in the IT field and get a profession that is really in demand at the moment, it is very important to have a good knowledge of maths. I think that not all modern schools can provide such opportunities due to the peculiarities of the school curriculum, as well as numerous classes. A good option to study math for kids is online schools. I can recommend Brighterly, where the teacher can definitely keep the student interested by making the learning process exciting and fun, but at the same time the result will be excellent.

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