Pennsylvania State University Reviews

"I studied Health Policy and Administration. The great thing about this degree is that there is a lot of flexibility in scheduling. Therefore, you can focus on the specific area you are interested in. Due to the flexibility I was able to receive two minors: Labor Studies and Employment Relations as well as Business in the Liberal Arts. You could also make your focus more medical, technical, or business oriented depending on your goals. The professors in my department were incredibly intelligent and helpful. At a lot of large schools it's difficult to approach professors but all of mine were down to earth and very approachable. Most of them have years of experience in the work field before they started teaching. Therefore, they aren't just teaching from a text book. With all of the changes in healthcare my professors were able to make sense of it, teach it to us, and direct us to where we would be most successful. Health Policy and Administration requires students to take skills courses to help you in the working world. I had to take a computer science course on Excel and Access which has been very beneficial in my job. Furthermore, you have to take a professional writing course which prepares you for interviews, writing resumes, cover letters, thank you letters, and much more. Due to these requirements I was much more prepared than some of the students in other majors. Health Policy and Administration is in the College of Health and Human Development. The college has a great program for connecting alumni with current students. Students can sign up to be assigned a mentor who currently works in the student's interest area. This program is great for getting advice on courses and getting a job out of college. The college also organizes frequent events for alumni to come in and talk face to face with students. Through these programs I was able to ask questions, figure out what I was most interested in, and strengthen my network. On a broader scope, Penn State has an incredible Career Services. They offer counseling for career choices, interview practice sessions, organize career fairs, connect students with job listings, and countless other information sessions on professional topics. Career Services is a resource that not everyone uses but definitely should. Many of my friends from other colleges don't have access to a Career Services like Penn State's and wish that they did. I used Career Services for career counseling to help me focus my interests. Once I found what I wanted to do I attended career fairs and found my current employer."

"Penn State University is one of the friendliest campuses I have ever been to. People seem to go out of their way to help you and the culture is more like a "brotherhood" than anything else. The students are hardworking and driven and the instructors really want to see each and every student succeed. The campus is beautiful and well taken care of and there are plenty of things to do. The library is very with many great, quiet places to study. Overall, I highly recommend Penn State not just for the culture, but for the once in a lifetime experience you won't find anywhere else!"

"WE ARE....PENN STATE! This is the best school in whole world! All of the professors are so caring and knowledgeable; they really want to see their students succeed. Campus is beautiful and there is always something to do whether it's visit the Berkey Creamery or hang out in down town State College. The College of Agricultural Sciences offers MANY opportunities to interested students, there really is something for everyone!"

"Let's face it if you're looking for an online education program you already know the degree plans available are limited. Still I knew the need for a quality education in this day and age it of up most importance. Being active duty I needed something that I could activley pursue from around the world. I constantly hear guys I work with recommending a wide variety of schools because either they are cheap, easy, or accepted a bunch of their bullshit credits. With Penn State you are receiving an education with a name that will be recognized. I'm not saying all classes will be insanely challenging or even too easy. I do know I'm being challenged a bit harder than someone from Ashford or Pheonix. I also know the resources they provide in order to learn outside the classroom are very impressive. I can get math tutored 3000 miles away, while my tutor gives me instruction as I work problems on a tablet as if it would have been a handwritten piece of paper. I can still attend some lectures, time permitting, to watch instruction and ask questions. If I am unable to attend a live lecture I can still review the recording. Your expierence may cost you a bit more but thats the price to be awarded a degree from a top 50 ranked national university."

"Here is the quick and dirty review for Instructional Design. If you would like to pay top dollar for a curriculum that is over 10 years old Penn State is fine. If you are a teachers who would like to learn a little more about technology to use in the classroom the degree is fine as well. However if you are like me and work for Fortune 100 companies they are antiquated. I left the Master's Program and went somewhere else. Some of the people in the department were pioneers in distance learning, but unfortunately this does no help for those trying to be cutting edge."

"My experience at Penn State was much different than what my counselors in high school told me it would be. PSU will promise you the moon and the stars in regard to education and connection. What I received over four years was nothing less than a mountain of debt and a piece of paper that is no longer sought after in my field. The projected costs of each semester were significantly less than what I actually had to pay; the bursar and registrar officers are constantly in disagreement as to what goes on and how to do things properly (and it's the same in the career center as well--you may as well get a monkey to write a resume for you); not to mention that the education itself felt more like I had entered the 13th grade than any actual college classes. And, let's not forget about how sexual assaults are considered nonexistent. Security? What security? Penn State has entirely lost its integrity and excellence as a prestigious university: it is a cash cow for football and a dance marathon that risks the lives of its students and faculty under the guise that it helps pediatric cancer patients. Penn State is a poor excuse for a place of academia."

"When I first visited Penn State as a junior in High School, I couldn't think of a place I hated more. No part of me wanted to attend Penn State. It was big, and scary, and hot in the summer time. I was a military child used to small schools from my experiences overseas, and I felt like I was drowning in the ocean of State College- and it was only Summer Session, campus wasn't even full! I was overwhelmed by the size of everything, and I wasn't sure that was what I wanted in a school. I continued living my high school life, and applied to several schools. I included Penn State as a favor to my parents, and kept looking at other schools. I was applying for Musical Theatre and Classical Voice performance majors, so there was an added audition portion of all applications. I flew to America with my father to go on a tour of all the schools on my audition list, and arrived at Penn State in February, 2010: the dead of Winter in State College, PA. The amount of snow on the ground was like nothing I had ever seen before, and I promptly slipped and fell. I auditioned for the Vocal Performance major at the School of Music and was accepted later that Spring. After my audition at Penn State everything kind of clicked in my brain. It felt like home, and for a military brat home is something that can be difficult to find. My first year at Penn State included several new friends within my major, but everything wasn't clicking the way it had been before I attended. I wanted to do something with theater performing, not just classical music. I became involved with two theater clubs on campus: The Penn State Thespians, and No Refund Theatre. Eventually I found myself so immersed in projects for these clubs that my coursework started slipping, and my advisor asked me if I thought I was in the right major. The realization dawned on me that I absolutely was not in the right major. It took two auditions, but I was accepted into the Penn State School of Theatre as a Bachelor of Arts student in Theatre: Performance. Thankfully the general education credits I had already fulfilled counted toward my new major, but I would have happily taken more time if I could have. For the last two and a half years of my time at Penn State, the School of Theatre was my home. I spent more time in that building than I ever did in my apartment. I had the wonderful opportunity to perform in and work on several different shows in different capacities. I've never experienced an environment that fostered such an overwhelming feeling of acceptance and fraternity. The school that had seemed so big and scary became a home like none I had ever known before. Everyone in the school works towards the same goals, and everyone wants you to succeed, even when you don't think you can. This past August the artistic director of the Wagon Wheel Theatre in Warsaw, IN came to Penn State to hold an audition for the summer season. I didn't think I was prepared enough, but my vocal coach assured me that even if I didn't feel one hundred percent prepared, it would still be a learning experience, and to go through with it. It certainly was an experience, as I was called back and have just finished my summer working as an actor at the Wagon Wheel. If I hadn't done everything the way I did at Penn State, who's to say I would have had this job this summer? Everything we do in life shapes who we are as a person, and if I could go back and do it all again I would pick the Pennsylvania State University every single time."

"Penn State is definitely the school for someone who want to meet great people, study hard and have fun! Once you arrive at Penn State, you can feel the pride within the student body. It is incredible, everyone loves PSU!"

"Penn State is a great university if you're looking to get more out of college than just going to class and going to your dorm. The extracurricular activities and clubs offered are engaging and provide once-in-a-lifetime communities and opportunities. The English program taught me how to think critically, communicate effectively, and how to translate those skills in other areas. I would not change my experience for anything."

"Penn State world campus offers a very educational Criminal Justice program. For the majority of the program I had very knowledgable professors who taught me a great deal. I know they were continuing to add more versatility to their program as well. I specifically enjoyed my last two years, where the focus of my courses were strictly CJ related. I would recommend PSU world campus for those who have families or cannot attend regular courses. Many of my classmates were in the armed forces, police officers, or those wanting promotions. My only complaint is the advising office was not always helpful and the cost is a bit steep."

"Penn State is a big unversity with over 40K students. There are many groups and people where you can find your place. Sports are huge here and it makes you feel like a part of a family because it brings everyone together. The school constantly engages you and inspires you through sports, philanthropy, or history/alumni Go! Its the best experience and best investment you will make in your lifetime. Its a catalyst to become who you are or what you want to be in the future."

"I LOVE Penn State University-World Campus. I have been a student through the online college for a few years now. I have been through several online courses at several different colleges/universities and Penn State's is top-knotch in my opinion. The work is harder than attending regular classroom courses and there is homework. However, part of the school work experience is that you actually work for school. There are textbooks, and quizzes and assignments, and homeworks that need to be done as it is different from being there in person. I've found that intructors/professors are always available, depending on various schedules, and let the students know it. There are office hours, emails and phone numbers given to contact them should there be any problems/issues or questions/concerns. They give updates on the lessons. Usually students are given one week to complete the lesson's work. As an online student, it is clearly stated that all work is the responsility of the student (usually adults). Also, on the course information and class materials sheet that they mail and email to the student, they inform the student of required books and underneath it says "recommended" but not required. One doesn't have to purchase them. Based on the fees from other colleges, Penn State's tech. fees and course fees are average if not below average. Any and all maintenance done on the website is updated usually on days that are the slowest and a notice is posted on the website and emails are sent out so the student is always informed. I've found that the financial aid office goes above and beyond to help a student achieve their goals by actually calling me back one day when I thought all hope was lost of getting aid. They informed me of a number of grants, scholarships and websites I could go to to obtain money for school. I have nothing but the best to say about Penn State World Campus."

"-Penn State world campus is not a good school and I would not recommend it. Most of the courses that I have taken tell you to read the textbook, then take a quiz and do homework assignments with very little interaction with the instructor. Also, when you receive the course materials list, they list materials that you do not need and end up costing you extra money. I asked the instructors questions before the course began, including questions about needed materials, and they did not answer me. They also charge extremely high technology fees and there are often problems with their system, so I don't know what you are paying for. For exams that are proctored, they will not send the exams to your proctor until the week before the test date, which makes it very difficult to schedule your test, seeing as how most proctors will not schedule your test until they receive the exam."