Submitted by PinkSwallowLove t3_110vcr7 in RhodeIsland
iarmit t1_j8be64k wrote
What major ate you looking at, if I may ask? I went to URI and I now work at RIC. I concur that the supposed prestige does depend on your intended major (I went niche environmental science, so URI was my best bet), but I think a large part of the negative opinion (at least in-state) is that RIC is in "the bad part" (i.e., the urban, largely minority) of the state.
My understanding is that RIC's curriculum focuses heavily on preparing their students how to write effectively (again, applied differently based on major) and the price difference alone is a huge plus for RIC. Also, you know, if you're not scared of "the city"...
PsychologicalSir3455 t1_j8bwhkr wrote
Proud RIC alum right here đ in state tuition is cheap and a good education. Everyone I work with is in a lot of debt from school going to huge universities. I have none
deadl0ckx2 t1_j8bg0vp wrote
Itâs not RICâs location. Itâs a prestige thing. URI is a flagship state school - RIC isnât. URI has 14,500 undergrads to RICâs 7,500 and 3500 grad students to RICâs 1500. URI is D1 sports across the board. RIC IS D3.
Also, URI has a few relatively well-known programs (Oceanography/Ocean Engineering, Engineering, and Pharmacy). RIC isnât really known for anything.
Itâs not because itâs in âthe bad partâ of the state. If that was the case, schools like PC and JWU wouldnât be as respected as they are.
Status_Silver_5114 t1_j8biybm wrote
Itâs actually known for its education department. Historically was also a commuter school (and probably still is somewhat) so if you want the stereotypical residential college life and D1 sports this isnât it. But is way cheaper.
anotheronebytesdust t1_j8cmsy4 wrote
Yeah education, art/music, and a lot of humanities are way better at RIC. When I was at URI, it was clear they had invested approximately $0 in anything that wasnât STEM, student housing, or communications (for some reason).
iarmit t1_j8bkf2m wrote
It's still very much so a commuter school. The dorms are highly underutilized, which does cause some financial pressure I would wager
commandantskip t1_j8dpgx3 wrote
Also known for it's nursing school and social work program.
iarmit t1_j8bjtui wrote
"The bad part" was what I heard every time my buddy (from western Coventry) mentioned he was planning on going to RIC. As to the prestige/flagship/etc of RIC and URI... yeah, one's a college and one's a university. Frankly, someone shouldn't let sports dictate their choice unless they're going on a sports scholarship.
All's I'm saying is I think RIC is a perfectly acceptable school that gets a bad wrap partly because (my opinion, based on my experiences) some folks in the state are scared of cities and brown people.
PinkSwallowLove OP t1_j8bfnct wrote
Hey there! Thanks for sharing your insight and perspective as someone who is well acquainted with both URI and RIC, I appreciate it immensely!
Well, with RIC specifically, I was looking at triple majoring in Geography, Public Administration and History while conversely at URI I would be interested in triple majoring in Environmental Economics, Supply Chain Management and History. URI does seem to have some more niche studies available but at the same time, RIC seems to be more affordable (and I am completely broke, so I would be depending on both my earnings from my job and scholarships, whether strictly need based or a mix of need based and merit, but I am not sure yet). Considering my financial state, RIC doesnât seem like a bad option.
The city/urban aspect doesnât bother me, I was homeless in Providence for a time and it wasnât that bad, I enjoyed how walkable it is, but nonetheless, I would probably be commuting to classes from the Westerly area since it is closer to work.
iarmit t1_j8bmxdq wrote
Oh (and sorry to keep replying) but if you haven't started yet, already know exactly what you want to do at either school, then I'd suggest looking into the Joint Admissions Agreement through CCRI.
I was able to get all of my Gen Eds done in small class sizes so i didn't have to worry about 100+ student lecture halls, got through strictly on grants, the system ensures your making adequate progress, you're guaranteed admission into your program after getting your Associates, and there is a GPA based tuition waiver. Our I should say, this is how it was back in 2013 when I finished at Rte 2 U
Null_Error7 t1_j8ce1rx wrote
Not your parent but if youâre not wealthy or donât care about getting the âcollege experienceâ just go to RIC.
Also, if youâre not wealthy you should reconsider those majors.
iarmit t1_j8bj0yz wrote
Ah, yeah I live in the Westerly area now. I don't mind the commute (roughly 50 minutes depending on traffic). And yeah, it seems you have your majors sorted for the appropriate school... you absolute psycho :)
Edited to add: I forgot to mention, if you do end up going PA at RIC, there is an option to start your MPA at URI your senior year.
RIC doesn't currently have an MPA program, as I just found out trying to make use of my tuition waiver for being an employee, but URI has an online, accelerated, asynchronous offering
anotheronebytesdust t1_j8cmdlv wrote
Just a point about affordability: if youâre any kind of decent student, URI gives you a $5,000 scholarship (though maybe itâs higher now). I graduated in 2019 and only paid like $4,000 a semester for tuition.
If youâre going to be living in Westerly, itâll be much easier to commute to URI. Most URI students move off campus and a lot of people consider it a commuter school.
huh_phd t1_j8bxyzz wrote
As a lab scientist I can say RIC isn't exactly known for it's science program, but it's not a bad place for many majors! I can't knock it
Pfordy40 t1_j8ej9tn wrote
The setting of the college is not the issue⌠PC is in a rough part of town and it has an excellent academic reputation.
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