Syracuse University

Date: Nov 30 2009
Major: Communications (This Major's Salary over time)
Coming from a large midwestern college city, this was kind of a disappointment. There's a good amount of SU pride, mostly in basketball. The Northeast is definitely different from where I grew up, which is ok, but many of the people here are very cliquey, wealthy, New Jersey/Long Island types who can be hard to get along with. In my experience and others I've talked to, you definitely need to get involved in some kind of group or organization right at the start, or you're going to have a really hard time making friends, because most people find their group of friends and stay in it for 4 years. Greek life dominates, and you can't escape it, especially in Newhouse. You should definitely know what you're getting into before you come—almost all of my friends (most from similar backgrounds as mine) have seriously considered transferring at some point, and very few would say they've had a really good experience here.

Academically, it's hard to tell, but it seems decent. I'm learning a little, but you'll have to take quite a few classes that have no relevancy whatsoever to your major. Facilities are generally good, but a few are terrible—the main gym should have been redone 20 years ago, I honestly have no idea how the math building (Carnegie) hasn't been condemned, and a few of the dorms are starting to fall apart. I haven't had any problems with faculty, generally easy to contact and communicate with. Robberies happen on campus and around it frequently, and there's almost nothing to do in Syracuse. The weather is bad, but if you're from someplace where it snows you'll be fine.