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Hey!
I'm a french girl, and for the next year my university proposes us to go in one of the Oregon universities. It would be my 3rd undegraduate year and I'm studying biology. I've visited web sites of OSU and UO and both seems to me very interesting. But I can't chose between them!!
What i'm searching is good level of education (ressources for Sciences etc...) but also SOCIALIZATION :make party in american way: fraternities(it doesn't exist in France ))), be involved in associations, support football team!!! thus an active campus!!
What are differences between two universities, people, education..
Help me to chose, it's the only year I can leave France and discover new environement!!!
Hey!
I'm a french girl, and for the next year my university proposes us to go in one of the Oregon universities. It would be my 3rd undegraduate year and I'm studying biology. I've visited web sites of OSU and UO and both seems to me very interesting. But I can't chose between them!!
What i'm searching is good level of education (ressources for Sciences etc...) but also SOCIALIZATION :make party in american way: fraternities(it doesn't exist in France ))), be involved in associations, support football team!!! thus an active campus!!
What are differences between two universities, people, education..
Help me to chose, it's the only year I can leave France and discover new environement!!!
I just visited both campuses with my nephew a few weeks ago, so here's my view:
UO:
more intellectual,
better looking campus,
so so college-kid living area west of campus,
so so college-kid hangout area west of campus,
so so downtown area for restaurants,
good mall shopping.
OSU:
more school spirit,
more campus activities,
more focus on football team,
ok looking campus but not as nice as UO,
really nice college-kid hangout area north of campus,
pretty nice downtown area for restaurants,
no real mall shopping.
Based on that comparison, I would say that OSU would be much more suitable for you to make party in american way.
U of O has a fine bio-science department, OSU has a very strong marine biology program. Are you coming for the social life or do you want to enrich your academic experience? You really need to consider the academic programs. I don't think you will wilt on the vine at either school
Both OSU and O of O have fraternities and sororities, and you really won't find a shortage of parties at either of them. U of O is probably a better town to party in, OSU is probably a better campus. Honestly, I think OSU parties more because there's less to do in Corvallis.
I'd really look at what you want to do in the future, and choose based on academics. OSU's science departments really focus on concrete things in the future, if that makes sense. They have a great engineering program, and their biology program is great no matter what, but especially good if you want to go in to animal husbandry, medicine, or dentistry. U of O is a bit better if you want to do something more abstract, like psychology or evolutionary biology. U of O is definitely more of a humanities school than OSU, but the departments are very strong in both. I think at OSU, overall, you'll find an excellent science department but won't find the humanities anything special. UO, on the other hand, won't have an extraordinary science department but will have better programs on average.
Location-wise, I'd choose Eugene. Eugene has much more culture than Corvallis, and I think you'd find more to see. Corvallis definitely has it's strong points, but part of travelling to another country is seeing the culture, and Eugene has that in spades.
Better town then sleepy little Corvallis in my opinion, more open minded, traveled and liberal.
I have known quite a few people that went to OSU and while they spoke highly of the school, campus and school pride (including parties!) They didnt care for the town of Corvallis.
I lived in Eugene and think even despite its quirks it would be a better choice for someone from France, better bakeries and food markets...you maybe even find a Croque Monsieur after a late night party!
You can be an Oregon "Canard" ...sorry dont know how to say Beaver in French.
Either way Oregon is a nice place and the wine aint half bad either...
University of Oregon!!! (yep, those are the Duck basketball uniforms)
Eugene is a bigger, more liberal city, with far more to do. They have more museums, concert venues, theaters, festivals, restaurants, and of course bars. People are politically active who love the outdoors. IMO Eugene is way more unique than Corvallis. It has a great Farmer's Market, artsy shops, and of course the Eugene Celebration and Oregon Country Fair (right outside Eugene).
As far as the schools, well, I went to U of O so I am a bit biased. Both are solid schools, but IMO UO is prettier with over 200 different species of trees. The student bodies are similar, but UO is far more politically active and maybe a bit more open minded. President Obama even came to campus. I'm not sure he went to OSU though.
I would say school spirit is the same, but Oregon Duck football is superior. There is nothing like a football gameday at Autzen Stadium where the Ducks have sold out for years. UO is known to be the University of Nike because the CEO of Nike is an alum. He funnels a lot of money to us and we spend it. Next year, the Ducks should be very good.
Contrary to popular belief, UO has a strong Science department. I thought I heard biology was fairly good at UO (which surprised me because it is better known for the humanities). But, I could be mistaken.
Two very different schools and towns. I grew up in Corvallis then moved to Eugene. A long time OSU fan, but have grown to love the Ducks also; since my son runs for Oregon. If you are looking into the sciences then I would have to go with OSU, Eugene is not that far, and many students live in Eugene and commute to Corvallis. My daughter commuted to Corvallis. I would visit both schools, look into the courses offered then make a decision on which school actually fits your needs. You really can not go wrong with either school.
The difference between UofO and OSU science programs is applied vs research/basic. Most science majors at the UofO are preparing for advanced degrees, science majors at OSU are prepared to practice out of the box.
The difference between UofO and OSU science programs is applied vs research/basic. Most science majors at the UofO are preparing for advanced degrees, science majors at OSU are prepared to practice out of the box.
I would disagree with this. As a biology major from Oregon, I would say that anyone serious about science in Oregon should be going to OSU, regardless of whether or not it is an academic or terminal degree. (Of course, you could say that pretty much all science undergrads are not going to finish with a bachelors anyway).
I started my education at U of O as a journalism major, but after my first year, switched my major to Biology. I took biology courses for two years at U of O, and then finished my degree at Portland State because my family situation required me to be closer to Portland. In retrospect, I wish I had gone to OSU all four years. I did enjoy my biology courses at U of O, and my professors were generally pretty good, but in general, U of O is much more of a humanities school, so while the department is decent, it does not have the resources that a school with a stronger concentration in science (in the state of Oregon, OSU) does. OSU not only has a wider variety of science programs, they have more advanced sceince degrees (including professional ones, like pharmacy and veterinary medicine, and OSU also has direct ties to Oregon Health Science University). I don't think since U of O got rid of it's medical school, it has any real sence of direction for most of its science majors.
The difference may not matter to you, if you are only going to be there for a year, and to be honest, the city of Eugene is much more interesting than Corvallis. If you really don't need the resources beyond one year, you might consider U of O simply because of that. Both Universities have similar social scenes, but there is a lot more to do in Eugene. And U of O will still offer you a good education.
THEY FILMED 'ANIMAL HOUSE' IN EUGENE, OREGON. So, i think that's all there is to say about that. Either way, just get out of france for a bit and come party in america!
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Welcome to City-Data.com forum! Make sure to register - it's free and very quick! You have to register before you can post and participate in our discussions with 700,000 other registered members. User profiles and some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your free account you will be able to customize many options, you will have the full access to over 15,000 posts/day about local topics and you will see fewer ads. 
OSU or UofO?????
))), be involved in associations, support football team!!! thus an active campus!!
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