mad5427
Towel Waver
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2006
- Messages
- 116
- Reaction score
- 136
- Points
- 43
I'm a graduate of UC and how difficult it is to get in depends on the program. The college of engineering is pretty decent, but not too difficult to get into. The college conservatory of music is highly regarded and can be very difficult to get into certain programs.
DAAP, The college of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning is probably the hardest to get into. Their Architecture and Interior Design programs have been at the top or in the top three programs in the nation for over a decade. Their requirements to get in are insane. Way way way harder than in the mid-90s, when I went.
Outside of that, it's pretty much on par with any public state school. If you want to go, you most likely can.
A major advantage for the school is their co-op program. A good amount of programs there are co-op based. Cincinnati is unlike most universities that are semester based. Most schools have two semesters and then a summer break. Cincinnati is active and open year round. There are four quarters. Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer.
The programs that are co-op based usually have the students go to school Fall, Winter and Spring the first year and then take the summer off. The second year is usually Fall, Winter and then you break up into two groups. One group goes to school in Spring and Fall and works Summer and Winter while the second group is opposite. This alternating schedule goes until you graduate.
Therefore, you get 6 months of school and 6 months of work each year until you graduate.
I left school with a year and a half of experience, made money the whole time to help offset the costs and was more marketable than I might of been otherwise. My program was longer than 4 years, but I got to travel to different cities to work, without the pressure of permanence, and after 3 months of work was right back at school for 3 months of class.
I really enjoyed my time there. It is a very urban environment that is only a few miles from downtown Cincinnati (yet those few miles between campus and downtown are the roughest in the area). There is a lot to do in the area because of how close it is to the city. It's easy to get to sporting events, etc.
Another thing, some programs, ie. engineering, architecture, design, etc. can be 5-6 years because of the co-oping. That's ok though as, again, you leave with some fantastic real world experience. That school does a great job of mixing theoretical concepts in the classroom with the practical application of the working world.
The only true negatives from the time I was there, 1996-2002, was that there was a decent amount of racial tension. I'm not sure if it's still like that. In 2001 there was a bad riot because of a white cop killing a black kid. It set off all sorts of BS and there was a city wide curfew, etc. Scary time with gunshots, beatings, cars and buildings set on fire. It was actually worse than the media reported it. There are very affluent neighborhoods and areas that are very dangerous and low income close to each other. It's not unlike so many cities out there, but for some reason, the gap between the groups seemed wider and very tense. Whether it is still like that now, I can't say. Also, it might of only been like that during the time I was there. Just wanted to bring that up as it bothered me a bit at times. You'll find the campus to be alright. Even though it was smack dab in the city, I didn't feel there were racial problems. It was only when I left campus that I saw and felt the division.
The other big negative was being a Clevelander in Cincinnati. Those locals HATE Cleveland. I don't know if they are jealous or what. They HATE Cleveland sport teams, the city, everything. I never could find out why. They are obsessed with the 1990 Reds and Boomer and the late 80's Bengals and PETE ROSE. That guy is a demi-god there. It's funny, when I was there, the football team sucked. We had Huggy bear and his horribly stupid basketball players who were very good. His teams always went to the March tourny, but could never win it all. He gets booted for being a jackass, the school moves to the Big East and now the basketball team sucks. The football team is now doing awesome. Very strange. It's almost as frustrating being a Bearcat sports fan as it is being a Cleveland sports fan.
So, that's a good bit about Cincy. Let me know if anybody wants to know anything else. I have all sorts of friends who were in almost every college at Cincinnati and a bunch of friends are still in the area. I can easily get some more info if needed.
DAAP, The college of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning is probably the hardest to get into. Their Architecture and Interior Design programs have been at the top or in the top three programs in the nation for over a decade. Their requirements to get in are insane. Way way way harder than in the mid-90s, when I went.
Outside of that, it's pretty much on par with any public state school. If you want to go, you most likely can.
A major advantage for the school is their co-op program. A good amount of programs there are co-op based. Cincinnati is unlike most universities that are semester based. Most schools have two semesters and then a summer break. Cincinnati is active and open year round. There are four quarters. Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer.
The programs that are co-op based usually have the students go to school Fall, Winter and Spring the first year and then take the summer off. The second year is usually Fall, Winter and then you break up into two groups. One group goes to school in Spring and Fall and works Summer and Winter while the second group is opposite. This alternating schedule goes until you graduate.
Therefore, you get 6 months of school and 6 months of work each year until you graduate.
I left school with a year and a half of experience, made money the whole time to help offset the costs and was more marketable than I might of been otherwise. My program was longer than 4 years, but I got to travel to different cities to work, without the pressure of permanence, and after 3 months of work was right back at school for 3 months of class.
I really enjoyed my time there. It is a very urban environment that is only a few miles from downtown Cincinnati (yet those few miles between campus and downtown are the roughest in the area). There is a lot to do in the area because of how close it is to the city. It's easy to get to sporting events, etc.
Another thing, some programs, ie. engineering, architecture, design, etc. can be 5-6 years because of the co-oping. That's ok though as, again, you leave with some fantastic real world experience. That school does a great job of mixing theoretical concepts in the classroom with the practical application of the working world.
The only true negatives from the time I was there, 1996-2002, was that there was a decent amount of racial tension. I'm not sure if it's still like that. In 2001 there was a bad riot because of a white cop killing a black kid. It set off all sorts of BS and there was a city wide curfew, etc. Scary time with gunshots, beatings, cars and buildings set on fire. It was actually worse than the media reported it. There are very affluent neighborhoods and areas that are very dangerous and low income close to each other. It's not unlike so many cities out there, but for some reason, the gap between the groups seemed wider and very tense. Whether it is still like that now, I can't say. Also, it might of only been like that during the time I was there. Just wanted to bring that up as it bothered me a bit at times. You'll find the campus to be alright. Even though it was smack dab in the city, I didn't feel there were racial problems. It was only when I left campus that I saw and felt the division.
The other big negative was being a Clevelander in Cincinnati. Those locals HATE Cleveland. I don't know if they are jealous or what. They HATE Cleveland sport teams, the city, everything. I never could find out why. They are obsessed with the 1990 Reds and Boomer and the late 80's Bengals and PETE ROSE. That guy is a demi-god there. It's funny, when I was there, the football team sucked. We had Huggy bear and his horribly stupid basketball players who were very good. His teams always went to the March tourny, but could never win it all. He gets booted for being a jackass, the school moves to the Big East and now the basketball team sucks. The football team is now doing awesome. Very strange. It's almost as frustrating being a Bearcat sports fan as it is being a Cleveland sports fan.
So, that's a good bit about Cincy. Let me know if anybody wants to know anything else. I have all sorts of friends who were in almost every college at Cincinnati and a bunch of friends are still in the area. I can easily get some more info if needed.
