Boren to decide OU's conference fate within 3 weeks

[crawfish]

You want a top private academic school then go to one of these private schools:

Harvard, Yale, Pinceton, Penn, Cornell, Columbia, Brown, Dartmouth, Stanford, Duke, Northwestern, MIT and a few others that don't include Tulsa. Tulsa isn't special. Nobody outside of Oklahoma cares about Tulsa.

You want a top public school go to: Michigan, UCLA, Cal, Washington, North Carolina, Virginia, the military academies and a few others. Tulsa isn't better than those schools either. Please note that I did not include Oklahoma on the list. I do believe OU is a substantially better school than Tulsa but that is just my opinion. The rest of the country really has no opinion on the issue.

You want value for your dollar in the State of Oklahoma go to OU or OSU. Going to Tulsa is a sign of poor decision making. It is illogical to pay the increased tuition at Tulsa, TCU, Baylor, Denver, and most other private schools because they simply are not any better than the public schools available at a fraction of the cost. Now the tuition is probably well spent at an Ivy League School or one of those other schools I mentioned. If you get a degree from Harvard, virtually every educated person you meet will be impressed. If you get a degree from Tulsa people won't know a darn thing about it or really care one way or another. It simply isn't an elite school.

I just sent my son to Tulsa, and we did some serious evaluation before making that choice. There are a lot of things happening there right now, and there are a lot of opportunities there not available at OU/OSU. Anyway, if you think there aren't advantages to attending TCU & Baylor you are fooling yourself. You are also fooling yourself that an Ivy League school is worth the money - for many majors it isn't (can't earn your investment back).

 

[campbest]

I just sent my son to Tulsa, and we did some serious evaluation before making that choice. There are a lot of things happening there right now, and there are a lot of opportunities there not available at OU/OSU. Anyway, if you think there aren't advantages to attending TCU & Baylor you are fooling yourself. You are also fooling yourself that an Ivy League school is worth the money - for many majors it isn't (can't earn your investment back).

This is true of most schools (public or private) for kids who leave with a fluff major...especially right now.

Tulsa is much like SMU, a very pricey institution that has a good reputation on a local and state level. Outside of that, really doesn't hold up much compared to other regional and nationally recognized private schools. Case and point, SMU was ranked #13 for their MBA program this past year...no one on the east or west coast gives a damn. Would never send my kid to undergrad at SMU, paying that type of money for a bachelor's degree is ridiculous, especially given that most of our generation (and future generations) will enroll in some type of graduate school curriculum.

 

[crawfish]

This is true of most schools (public or private) for kids who leave with a fluff major...especially right now.

Tulsa is much like SMU, a very pricey institution that has a good reputation on a local and state level. Outside of that, really doesn't hold up much compared to other regional and nationally recognized private schools. Case and point, SMU was ranked #13 for their MBA program this past year...no one on the east or west coast gives a damn. Would never send my kid to undergrad at SMU, paying that type of money for a bachelor's degree is ridiculous, especially given that most of our generation (and future generations) will enroll in some type of graduate school curriculum.

To be honest, it's not often cost-effective to send a kid to any private school as an undergrad, even west coast schools. My son wanted to go to MIT, but pretty much everyone told us that the best thing to do was to get an undergraduate degree elsewhere and try to attend MIT for grad school (wasn't accepted anyway).

In the end, it was Tulsa's cyber corps program for engineers that got us to attend. The connections with the CIA, NSA and other government entities and Tulsa for their cybersecurity program presents an outstanding opportunity. Not to mention, he got enough scholarship money to make Tulsa cheaper than OU anyway.

 

[MsProudSooner]

If cost were the only contributing factor in making a decision on where to go to school, everyone would go to their local community college for 2 years and then to a school like Southwestern.

It's ludicrous for one person to ridicule another person's choice of college. Different people have different priorities and requirements. Just because Tulsa isn't the right choice for me, doesn't mean it's not the right choice for someone else.

 

[campbest]

To be honest, it's not often cost-effective to send a kid to any private school as an undergrad, even west coast schools. My son wanted to go to MIT, but pretty much everyone told us that the best thing to do was to get an undergraduate degree elsewhere and try to attend MIT for grad school (wasn't accepted anyway).

In the end, it was Tulsa's cyber corps program for engineers that got us to attend. The connections with the CIA, NSA and other government entities and Tulsa for their cybersecurity program presents an outstanding opportunity. Not to mention, he got enough scholarship money to make Tulsa cheaper than OU anyway.

Well there is the kicker right there...congrats to that.

As for your the grad school sentiment, completely agree. Best of luck.

 

[boksooner]

To be honest, it's not often cost-effective to send a kid to any private school as an undergrad, even west coast schools. My son wanted to go to MIT, but pretty much everyone told us that the best thing to do was to get an undergraduate degree elsewhere and try to attend MIT for grad school (wasn't accepted anyway).

In the end, it was Tulsa's cyber corps program for engineers that got us to attend. The connections with the CIA, NSA and other government entities and Tulsa for their cybersecurity program presents an outstanding opportunity. Not to mention, he got enough scholarship money to make Tulsa cheaper than OU anyway.

TU has one of the best cyber security programs in the country. I have a friend that went through the program. He is now a professor at Harvard and lectures all across the country on cyber security.

 

[bocabull]

You guys are spot on. There are only a couple state universities worth paying out of state tuition for. Cal, UCLA & Virginia are the only ones IMO and even those are borderline.

Even with private schools there are only maybe 10 worth the extra bucks. Harvard, MIT, Columbia, Stanford and a few others unless you get some type of scholarship to defray costs.

What really matters is that you compete wherever you attend. My son just graduated high school last year and had a 2,100 + SAT so he applied to Columbia & Stanford who only accept around 7% of those who meet their standards. When he wasn't accepted he enrolled in the Barrett Honors College at Arizona State on a full Regents scholarship. There are only a few thousand in the honors college out of the 65,000+ students so as long as he outperforms those in the honors college there won't be much difference in opportunities when he graduates. The key is beating those around you no matter where you attend.

 

[WTSooner]

If cost were the only contributing factor in making a decision on where to go to school, everyone would go to their local community college for 2 years and then to a school like Southwestern.

It's ludicrous for one person to ridicule another person's choice of college. Different people have different priorities and requirements. Just because Tulsa isn't the right choice for me, doesn't mean it's not the right choice for someone else.

This.

A lot of those private schools give out better/more scholarships. I know I was able to attend a private school FAR more cheaply then I could have attended OU.

 

[qwertyqaz]

This.

A lot of those private schools give out better/more scholarships. I know I was able to attend a private school FAR more cheaply then I could have attended OU.

But to quote campbest "that's the kicker." I don't think the argument is necessarily quality of the education provided (though that could be an argument for elsewhere) but the value. So, if you have a great scholarship to tulsa or somewhere similar that makes it cheaper to go there than OU, then fine, you can line them up and see the value at comparable costs.

But the cost of school at TU of $25 K (edit: just checked, it's $30,000! goodness gracious) compared to an OU or OSU at around $7200 (most state schools in this part of the country are going to run b/w about 6500/7000 and 10000 for in-state tuition), that's when unless there is a VERY VERY compelling reason to attend the much more expensive TU-like school, or money is not an object, then the decision might raise some eyebrows. Like Ms. said, it's a very personal decision and people certainly shouldn't be taken to task for where they (or in some cases their parents) want want to go to college, but the cost differential (again, straight up in a situation without cost defrayments) is probably an interesting topic for discussion.

Also, if someone has a scholarship to a TU-like school, chances are there very well MAY be chances for scholarships from an OU, OSU, KU, MU, etc as well.

 

[Big Old Booger]

To be honest, it's not often cost-effective to send a kid to any private school as an undergrad, even west coast schools. My son wanted to go to MIT, but pretty much everyone told us that the best thing to do was to get an undergraduate degree elsewhere and try to attend MIT for grad school (wasn't accepted anyway).

In the end, it was Tulsa's cyber corps program for engineers that got us to attend. The connections with the CIA, NSA and other government entities and Tulsa for their cybersecurity program presents an outstanding opportunity. Not to mention, he got enough scholarship money to make Tulsa cheaper than OU anyway.

OU has a new cybersecurity type major, or so I'm told. I don't know the program, but I would think a degree from OU with that as the major would carry some decent weight if trying to get a job with the CIA or even NSA considering Boren's previous position as chairman of the National Security Council.

 

[luckyc1423]

I view cost effective differently. For instance, if you go to tulsa and say get a petroleum engineering degree then that is cost effective. A ton of companies go to tulsa to recruit petrolium engineers.

But if you go to tulsa and get a communications degree then yea its not cost efffective. But for the most part if you get that degree at OU its not cost effective either.

A big part when deciding were to go to school should be their career services (even though as high students noone ever thinks of that)....I believe OU has a great career services department. I got my first job after graduating from OU from interviewing on campus at career services. Then infact I got tired of that job and interviewed through career services again as a alumni and got my second job through them. Now im off to a good career all thanks to career services. Because lets face it if your having to apply for jobs online its tough to get an interview....

 

[DenverSooner]

I just sent my son to Tulsa, and we did some serious evaluation before making that choice. There are a lot of things happening there right now, and there are a lot of opportunities there not available at OU/OSU. Anyway, if you think there aren't advantages to attending TCU & Baylor you are fooling yourself. You are also fooling yourself that an Ivy League school is worth the money - for many majors it isn't (can't earn your investment back).

What advantages does a TCU or Baylor garduate have over me, an OU graduate? If I go anywhere in the country, they know OU. Most will know the names TCU or Baylor but some will not and most won't know a darn thing about those schools. I am sorry but those schools simply don't carry the weight that their alumni believe they carry. There is nothing wrong with them, they simply are not academic power houses. Ivy League schools, regardless of whether or not it is merrited, carry weight. Educated people are impressed by the mere name of the school. Tthere just aren't many schools that have that level of admiration around the country.

 

[greenbug]

I'm glad Joe passed on that clown from Marquette. His hayseed act would not have played well on the west coast. Since Lon already has experience recruiting in the western part of the country, he should not have any trouble attracting good players to play in the PAC 12. KU should be a dominate force in CUSA/MWC.

Love this post.

 

[greenbug]

Do you actually believe that the SEC and the states in the SEC have genetically superior people in them? Perhaps (and this is just a guess) the current perception is that the SEC is the best. Therefore, the people making these lists over hype kids in the SEC region to justify their belief that the SEC is the best.

I was born in the south and started my athletic career here before moving to Oklahoma. Now I'm back here teaching high school. I lived in the southwest for 16 years and the DEEP SOUTH for 21. Let me tell you that unless you have been here to watch these athletes in person then you'll never understand what WT is talking about.
Denver, I don't know the scientific reason for it but I can assure you that players here are superior. Most of them you'll never hear about because they won't qualify academically or they quit their HS teams because of bad attitudes, drugs, violence, gangs etc. I'm speaking mostly about football btw.

 

[WTSooner]

I was born in the south and started my athletic career here before moving to Oklahoma. Now I'm back here teaching high school. I lived in the southwest for 16 years and the DEEP SOUTH for 21. Let me tell you that unless you have been here to watch these athletes in person then you'll never understand what WT is talking about.
Denver, I don't know the scientific reason for it but I can assure you that players here are superior. Most of them you'll never hear about because they won't qualify academically or they quit their HS teams because of bad attitudes, drugs, violence, gangs etc. I'm speaking mostly about football btw.

Yup.