Syracuse University

Date: Jul 06 2011
Major: Business - Management and Administration (This Major's Salary over time)
Syracuse has been many things to me so far. Some I expected, and some took me by surprise.

On the academic front, I found it slightly more challenging than I thought it would be. As a business student, I've found the faculty to be beyond capable, and in general, quite good educators. My advisor is extremely knowledgeable when it comes to the ins and outs of class selection/majors, etc, which is of endless value when it comes to streamlining your academics and accomplishing all that you want to in an appropriate amount of time. Outside the business school, however, the classes have been hit or miss, at least for me. Syracuse' motto translates to,

Knowledge crowns those that seek her,

and that should be taken to heart. I was hell bent on attending an Ivy or a school of similar academic stature, and Syracuse has not provided the challenge that I had hoped that it would. Unlike other schools, (Cornell, for example) the academia doesn't come to you and slap you in the face. You have to find it, and make of it what you will.

Socially, I would put Syracuse somewhere just below a school like Georgetown. Plenty of extremely wealthy students, but without the backdrop of extremely rigorous academics and the general feeling of pride in intelligence. As other reviewers have said, weekend activity generally means partying, although it doesn't necessarily have to.

I go back and forth on Syracuse a lot while I'm there. At the end of the day, I come back to this, which is why (as of now, at least) I'm still there: The business school truly is… good. It is not Dyson at Cornell, or any number of other business schools. That said, from what I've seen of the alumni network, and of the efforts that the school makes to bring recruiters and firms to the school… lets just say I'm not worried about getting exposed to potential employers. The professors are very good, and the facilities are very, very nice. I feel that I'm in good hands.

Syracuse is what you make of it, and as of now, I've decided it's worth making good. However, there are schools out there that offer the same flavors as Syracuse, but bolder and more obvious. If that's what you want, I encourage you to look elsewhere.