College Research Paper
Choosing where one goes to college is a daunting task. Where one chooses to attend college will affect the quality of the education they receive and further down the road, their career. Choosing a small community college could provide a good education where as choosing a bigger, more prestigious and well-known college could provide more resources and make getting a job easier. This is something to take into consideration when looking at schools. College is a major milestone because it is the first time, for most people, that they are alone, without the guidance of their parents. My hope for college is to get a high quality education to prepare me to go into my chosen profession, so I can create a career for myself where I not only prosper, but also am happy. The cliché, “If you love what you do, it’s not really work”, is a true statement and it all starts with the building blocks of a good education. The University of Massachusetts Amherst and the State University of New York at Binghamton are two schools, which I believe would be a good match for my desires in a school and will provide me with the education and resources I need to be successful. When looking at colleges, one of the most important things to look at is if it offers the major you are interested in. University of Massachusetts Amherst, or UMASS for short, and State University of New York at Binghamton both offer remarkable accounting programs. This is important because, as I am looking to become an accountant, it is essential that the college I attend offer a degree in accounting. UMASS and SUNY Binghamton both offer a four year bachelor degree program in accounting majors (Undergraduate Majors 1). Binghamton also offers its students the opportunity to take part in an accelerated masters degree program, which only adds on one additional year of schooling. This is something to keep in mind because as regulations have changed for becoming a Certified Public Accountant, it is now required that one has a masters in accounting before they can be certified. Binghamton’s School of Management has also been “Rated 12th among public business schools in the nation by Bloomberg Business Week” (Binghamton 1). Having such a high honor is evidence that attending Binghamton will provide me with the quality education I need. Admissions requirements are another significant area of research that is important when looking at colleges because it determines whether or not an individual is qualified to attend the school in choice. Both UMASS and SUNY Binghamton have high requirements to meet when it comes to these aspects. The average GPA of freshman students attending UMASS is 3.6 (Orr 492), compared to the average GPA of between 3.3 to 3.9 at Binghamton (Who 1). Both schools are looking for top students when it comes to SAT scores as well. UMASS shows a SAT range of about 540 to 650 in Math and between 520 and 630 for critical reading (Orr 492). Being drawn from data collected on Binghamton’s website, it can be seen that Binghamton shows a slightly higher range of about 610 to 710 for Math and about 580-680 in critical reading (Who 1). Statistics taken from the college guide, America’s Best Colleges for B Students, show that 97% of students accepted into UMASS are in the top 50% of their class, while 67% of its students are in the top 25% of their class (Orr 492). Binghamton seems to have higher requirements for most of these aspects but my grades are still acceptable for both schools. Tuition is another factor that should not be over looked. While it is imperative to go to the best school possible, it is also important that the college a person picks is in their price range so they are getting the best education for their money, and they do not have enormous education loans hanging over their head come graduation. University of Massachusetts Amherst is a pricey school compared to SUNY Binghamton. When it comes to these two schools, however, state