Fairleigh Dickinson Univesity

[marko_k]

Hi Elizabeth,

I have been contacted by the Fairleigh Dickinson Univ. to apply to their school, thus I was wondering if you could tell smth about this University, for instance: is it a good school to go to? what is the campus life there (NJ)? can someone get a good education there and possibly transfer to another university afterwards?

Thank you.

Best regards,

Marko

[elz]

Dear Marko,

As I am not in my office today, I cannot go to all of our books and look up Fairleigh. However, I was able to locate a few facts about Farleigh Dickinson University through the internet. This should help somewhat:

First of all, Farliegh Dickinson University has two different campuses and the academic life at both of these campuses are very different. For example, the Florham location emphasizes the traditional American education in the Liberal Arts, while the Teaneck location is more focused on Professional Degree Programs (engineering for example)

Once place I found where you can go and read in detail about the university to get a general feel for the school is good ol' wikipedia : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairleigh_Dickinson_University. This is a good way to see how the school is viewed in broad and general terms. A few things in this blurb stimulated some interest on my part. You might want to read this article and also begin to further explore some of the topics in the article. Other factors are very much tied to which campus you are looking at attending.

For example, Sports lovers will find that one campus is Division III and the other Division I. So which campus is a very big issue for student athletes or those who enjoy attending sports events. In Serbian terms, Teaneck Division I soccer is nationally ranked and going to those games is going to be a very different experience than on the Florham campus.

Another factor to consider would be the United Nations Pathways Program: http://view.fdu.edu/default.aspx?id=290 (on the FDU website).

The student faculty ratio is about 17:1 with the average class size 2-9 students (Princeton Review website) Both campuses by the way.

There are over 4000 schools in the USA to choose from. I never really know what to say when faced with the question, "Is it a good school?" Are you looking for an undergraduate experience? In that case the question would need to be, "Is it a good school for me?" My initial reaction is that I find this UN relationship intriguing. Next, if you are considering graduate studies, then you need to look at the Department that you are planning to join.

One area of interest for me is that they do have a ranking listed in US News and World Report. However, I always advise students to exercise caution in using these rankings. My rule of thumb is that a goog ranking is generally a plus, but lack of that ranking should not earn a school a giant black mark by its name, but rather a deeper exploration. However, in terms of best engineering programs where a Bachelor's or Masters is the highest degree, it is ranked 61.

Campus life? Excellent question Marko! Location can be very important, especially for students. In this case, you what could be the greatest possible defense against boredom. New York City is just a hop, skip, and a jump from New Jersey. Once again Teaneck is 6 miles, while Florham is 35 miles. (http://www.studyusa.com/factshts/fdu.asp)

I recommend that you start clicking on these links that I have included in the list. Each one that I have visited have gotten me more and excited about this school. Quite honestly, I would love it there...but I cannot really speak for you.

Then your question about transferring - yes you can transfer to other schools. Transfer is always an option, but it is definitely a non-linear process in most cases. You probably should visit the forum topic about transfers and read that to get a grip on how the whole process works, so you can plan your education along those lines if you are going to transfer.

Hope this helps,

Elz

[marko_k]

Thank you Elizabeth. All the information you have given is quite useful.

I am a senior at high school (in Novi Sad), so I am considering undergraduate studies in the US. To tell you the truth, I have already applied to some schools and I am considering FDU as a final option (if I don't get accepted). I have checked out their web site, and I think it is a good school to go to. I remember you once said that you majored in history, and I am interested in philosophy and history, so I value your opinion.

However, the only problem is financing college. I am planning on emailing them to see what are the possibilities of financing undergradute international students and then I will make my decision.

Nonetheless, thank you for the information.