Arizona State University - Tempe

Date: Dec 22 2011
Major: Math (This Major's Salary over time)
A bit of background about myself: Arizona resident, Math & Economics major, Barrett Honors student, lived on Tempe campus for 3 years.

Pros:

+ Academics: In general, it is what you make it to be. If you are those people who thinks "C's get degrees" then you can cruise by your classes doing the bare minimal. On the other hand, the university will also enable you to challenge and immerse yourself in learning should you choose to. I found most of my classes, even non-major related ones, very engaging. I was able to challenge myself by taking graduate courses and even courses from different majors without the pre-requisites. I find that grading is fair and is reflective on how much work you put into the class as opposed to how smart you are.

+ Professors: Coming from Math where professors are stereotyped to be self-reserved, I discovered the total opposite. All of my professors were available during posted office hours and enjoy talking to students granted the student do not complain about grading. Email responses were generally quick and some professors will go out of their way to make sure you're keeping up.

+ Students: As one of the biggest schools in the U.S., you will find every type of student imaginable—from the typical bros & bras to the anime-loving nerd. I found that most students are smart but some are extremely lazy and do not show up to class which negatively affects their grades. You can surround yourself with academic-oriented or party-oriented friends or even a mix of both like I did. The diversity here is great.

+ Campus: Very clean overall and well maintained. Of course you will sometime run into a dirty bathroom here and there (especially in the MU) but they usually get fixed very quickly. Some buildings might be quite dated (e.g., Physical Science buildings) but they are decent. I was among the first class to stay in the new honors complex and must say that it is extremely nice, especially the yard. The only thing that the campus lack is space to park your bike but it isn't a big deal if you don't mind parking a bit further.

+ Research & Jobs: Again, it is what you make of it. I was able to do research since freshmen year and secured an internship every summer. If you want an internship/job, try to get in contact with alums from the Alumni Association. I landed a Finance internship in SF and several other opportunities due to the alums. Most of my friends in the business school was able to graduate with full-time offers in Fortune 500 companies, including Wall Street firms while my friends in engineering generally went to work for tech companies Intel, Lockheed Martin, etc. and even start-ups in Silicon Valley. If you want to do research and go to graduate school, email professors and ask if you can get started on any projects they might have. I found that 6-7 out of 10 professors responded positively to my emails asking to work with them. There are also sponsored research opportunities like FURI and NASA Space Grant available.

Cons:

Parking: Parking is horrible! It is expensive and the fines severe for a minor violation. I think the parking office is responding well to the complaints by issuing more free warnings now. Security is bad in open lots like Lot 59. I found my car pelted by oranges once and some people I know had their car broken into or damaged. If you are going to park in open lots, don't have valuables in your car and be sure to put up some sun shades else you will burn yourself during the summer.

Administration: It takes FOREVER to get things done. When I was applying for housing, I had to submit a form 3 times since they keep losing it. It took the school almost two months to reimbursed me for scholarships and travel grants. I found the student workers to be incompetent and the actual staff difficult to reach. When you do reach a staff member, they are not very understanding. I once complained about someone living in the dorm next door playing loud music at night and the staff blamed me for being to sensitive to noise! Academic advising and staff is good though, it's just the general university staff that is horrible for being too bureaucratic.

Admissions too easy: The easier admissions is the worse the overall student body becomes and the reputation of the university. Some people are just not ready for college. I know some people that just went to ASU because their parents forced them to. They end up flunking out in a year or so with a huge bill to pay. The university needs to make sure that the people they are accepting actually want to go to college and are here for the right reasons.

Future Outlook: I think the university is heading in the positive direction by reducing the number of administrative staff and hiring new professors. The current building projects are a sign that the university really wants to beef up its standing as a strong research institution. Barrett is also continuing to attract the top students around the nation. I believe that probably within the next decade or so we will be on par with other top 50 institutions like USC, NCSU, Michigan in terms of research output and employer recognition. Student body reputation will remain bad unless the university can make admissions stricter and aggressively promote the university throughout the nation.