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We are originally from Long Island NY and we lived there until three years ago, when we were priced out of the area. He loves Wilkes-Barre and other gritty cities. He despises places that are not walkable.
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Originally Posted by sheena12
He is going to be in a Living Learning Community with other ther Art students, in Killcawley Hall.
I really hope that he won't be transferring.
Youngstown is definitely gritty, but I wouldn't exactly call it "walkable". Sure he will be able to walk to class, the Butler and McDonough museums, and the few restaurants/fast food places/bars near campus and downtown on W Federal Street. Wick Park is nice in the daytime, but aside from those, there's not much else going on on/around YSU's campus. Everything else is out in the suburbs (stores, more restaurants, movie theaters, etc.) He's going to have to find rides to places like Boardman, Austintown or Niles for stuff like that. Plus, campus becomes somewhat of a ghost town once classes are over. Actually, a lot of the commuter students try to only schedule classes for Mondays and Wednesdays or Tuesdays and Thursdays just so they don't have to be on campus everyday.
It's great that he's living in a learning community. I don't know anything about them at YSU, but they are pretty popular at Ohio University. They are a great way to make instant friends with people in your major who you will be taking a lot of classes with throughout college. A lot of people I know at OU are still best friends with the people they lived with in learning communities their freshman year. Many even got apartments and houses with those from their learning communities.
And as I mentioned before, I'm sure the vast majority of students in the dorms will be from outside of the area (and probably even outside the state like your son). I know some of the local commuter students end up getting houses or apartments near campus because rent is ridiculously cheap, but they don't go for the dorms (unless they are there on honors scholarships in Cafaro House). A lot of his dormmates will probably have cars, so it shouldn't be too hard for him to find rides places.
I hope he doesn't transfer either, but if he does, he should be able to go to any other Ohio public school without losing many (if any) credits. All of the state schools are switching to semesters next year in an effort to unify everything and make it easier to transition between colleges.
Sheena, did you guys look into the college of Design, Art, Architecture, and Planning (DAAP) at the University of Cincinnati? Given the criteria you mentioned, DAAP possibly sounds like it could be a good fit. DAAP is fairly widely recognized and it is also pretty competitive. I think it probably would be pretty hard however to get accepted into most of the programs in DAAP since a lot of the programs want you to have at least a 3.5 GPA for acceptance. It's still worth a look IMO; it's a great college in the University of Cincinnati school system.
I would argue that DAAP harbors some of the best, if not the best art programs in Ohio.
It's definitely too late to look at it now, but DAAP is great! It is really competitive though, so I don't think his GPA would have gotten him accepted.
I'd suggest considering a transfer there, but I think there's a pretty hard cap on the number of students in the programs there, so he wouldn't get in unless someone else in the program transfered out.
Youngstown is definitely gritty, but I wouldn't exactly call it "walkable". Sure he will be able to walk to class, the Butler and McDonough museums, and the few restaurants/fast food places/bars near campus and downtown on W Federal Street. Wick Park is nice in the daytime, but aside from those, there's not much else going on on/around YSU's campus. Everything else is out in the suburbs (stores, more restaurants, movie theaters, etc.) He's going to have to find rides to places like Boardman, Austintown or Niles for stuff like that. Plus, campus becomes somewhat of a ghost town once classes are over. Actually, a lot of the commuter students try to only schedule classes for Mondays and Wednesdays or Tuesdays and Thursdays just so they don't have to be on campus everyday.
It's great that he's living in a learning community. I don't know anything about them at YSU, but they are pretty popular at Ohio University. They are a great way to make instant friends with people in your major who you will be taking a lot of classes with throughout college. A lot of people I know at OU are still best friends with the people they lived with in learning communities their freshman year. Many even got apartments and houses with those from their learning communities.
And as I mentioned before, I'm sure the vast majority of students in the dorms will be from outside of the area (and probably even outside the state like your son). I know some of the local commuter students end up getting houses or apartments near campus because rent is ridiculously cheap, but they don't go for the dorms (unless they are there on honors scholarships in Cafaro House). A lot of his dormmates will probably have cars, so it shouldn't be too hard for him to find rides places.
I hope he doesn't transfer either, but if he does, he should be able to go to any other Ohio public school without losing many (if any) credits. All of the state schools are switching to semesters next year in an effort to unify everything and make it easier to transition between colleges.
That last part is the good part. He can go pretty much anywhere in OH after a year.
He likes it and wants to go there. I'm not sure why but, honestly for a University that accepts almost everyone in OH, it's not bad in terms of education, and offerings in his major.
Where we lived back in NY, it was semi-rural - ex-urban. No side walks and rural mail boxes. He walked all over.
The main thing for him is his art, which is covered. Next, and very important, people who like his particular brand of music with the same intensity as he does.
Seeing bands live at what he calls "shows" is hugely important to him.
Downtown and YSU's campus are pretty safe, and I've never felt uncomfortable walking around that area at anytime day or night. I've walked from the bars downtown on W Federal to my friend's fraternity house north of YSU's campus at 2am before and didn't feel threatened. However, things deteriorate rather quickly in all directions from Downtown/YSU. I don't know how rough the streets are in Wilkes-Barre, but I'm sure they aren't nearly anywhere as bad as inner city Youngstown. I wouldn't feel comfortable walking around many areas of Youngstown outside of downtown at any time. Plus, there's really not much going on in Youngstown proper outside of downtown/campus. Mill Creek Park is the other big draw, and that stretches to areas outside the city as well.
Does he have a bike? If so, I'd definitely consider bringing it. It's a good 7-10 miles from campus to anything like movie theaters or stores in Boardman, Austintown or Niles. Before my friend got an apartment near campus, he used to ride his bike from his parents house Boardman to campus all the time without a problem. Just make sure he has a good lock.
Like I said before about the shows, he'll be able to see local and regional bands downtown at Cedars and the Lemon Grove. For "bigger" (not necessarily mainstream) punk, ska, etc. bands, he'll have to go to Cleveland or Pittsburgh. Luckily, most art students I know are fans of independent music. While indie is a huge umbrella terms that covers pretty much every genre, I'm sure he'll find some in his learning community that like punk and ska, and that have cars to go to shows in other cities.
He loves to bike. Indie is a huge umbrella and while he likes some of the NYC '77 CBGB stuff that I cut my teeth on, he does not like some of the bands that most people - my age or his, think of as "progressive" or even "punk.' Actually, I don't either.
He is a huge supporter of the DIY movement, and supports local bands.
W-B is relatively low to moderate in crime fo a city of it's size. He's fairly street smart, but as a mom, I'm worried.
I know, it's not like back in NY, where my kids could leave their bikes, skateboards and other things on the front lawn. Most people hear "NY" and they get an idea that is far from how we lived.
I just hope that he can make enough connections to make it through the year.
He should definitely bring his bike then. Mill Creek Park is a great place to bike. The park also operates a bikeway in nearby Austintown and Canfield. I love walking around Mill Creek Park. It's a gem of Youngstown and one of the best city parks in the country.
I don't think the DIY punk scene is too big here, but again, I haven't been around much in the past four years. When I was in high school it seemed like most of the local scene was comprised of either pop-punk or hard rock/metal bands, but it could have changed in the past couple years. He'll figure out the scene pretty quickly after a couple shows at Cedars and the Lemon Grove.
I think the learning community was a great idea. He'll be surrounded by students with similar interests, so it should be easy for him to make friends. Plus, he'll be with other people who will be on-campus after hours and not rushing back to the suburbs as soon as class lets out.
I doubt he has any interest in going Greek, but it might be worth checking out. I'm usually not a fan of Greek life, and never considered it at OU, but it can definitely improve the social experience at commuter schools like YSU. Some of my friends from high school joined fraternities/sororities at YSU, and they have much better social lives than those who just commute. Even if he doesn't want to live in the house, it's a good way to have a instant group on close friends nearby, and gives a commuter school a more traditional college feel. The Greek system at YSU has a completely different feel from Greek life at residential schools. It's not a bunch of meatheads wearing pinnies, getting drunk on Natty Light and listening to Dave Mathews. All the ones I know are down to earth dudes just trying to get more out of their college experience. They are a diverse, chill group.
He should definitely bring his bike then. Mill Creek Park is a great place to bike. The park also operates a bikeway in nearby Austintown and Canfield. I love walking around Mill Creek Park. It's a gem of Youngstown and one of the best city parks in the country.
I don't think the DIY punk scene is too big here, but again, I haven't been around much in the past four years. When I was in high school it seemed like most of the local scene was comprised of either pop-punk or hard rock/metal bands, but it could have changed in the past couple years. He'll figure out the scene pretty quickly after a couple shows at Cedars and the Lemon Grove.
I think the learning community was a great idea. He'll be surrounded by students with similar interests, so it should be easy for him to make friends. Plus, he'll be with other people who will be on-campus after hours and not rushing back to the suburbs as soon as class lets out.
I doubt he has any interest in going Greek, but it might be worth checking out. I'm usually not a fan of Greek life, and never considered it at OU, but it can definitely improve the social experience at commuter schools like YSU. Some of my friends from high school joined fraternities/sororities at YSU, and they have much better social lives than those who just commute. Even if he doesn't want to live in the house, it's a good way to have a instant group on close friends nearby, and gives a commuter school a more traditional college feel. The Greek system at YSU has a completely different feel from Greek life at residential schools. It's not a bunch of meatheads wearing pinnies, getting drunk on Natty Light and listening to Dave Mathews. All the ones I know are down to earth dudes just trying to get more out of their college experience. They are a diverse, chill group.
My son go Greek??? You need to meet him. Dave Matthews Band is what he calls a "bro" band. He always relates the two. Natty & Lite Bros and & DMB. Pehaps if somone other than I suggested it.
You seem to speak the same language as he does. They're code words that set something off. Not a bad thing, but I'm amazed.
I would agree with that. He is very closed minded now. My next one wants to go to Ohio U and she is so opposite.
She does not have as many rules and regs and litmus tests as he does.
The Greeks at YSU don't have that stereotypical "bro" culture that you find in Greek systems at most other schools. It's more of just down to earth, chill guys who hang out and try to get the most out of YSU. Just looking at the Greek life page, you can tell that they are more diverse and less "bro-like" than most other Greeks. I don't think I've ever heard Dave Mathews Band at my friend's fraternity house.
Maybe it's not something he does right away, but let me know if he's bored on the weekends or struggling to find friends. I could set him up with more info about my friend's fraternity.
YSU operates a radio station (WYSU 88.5FM), but I think it's just classical music and NPR.
There's also Rookery Radio, which I know nothing about, but it looks like it's more of the traditional college radio station with student DJs and programming. I don't think it's actually broadcast over the radio though, just via online streaming. They do have this forum to request your own show, so it seems like it'd be pretty easy to get involved there.
We are originally from Long Island NY and we lived there until three years ago, when we were priced out of the area. He loves Wilkes-Barre and other gritty cities. He despises places that are not walkable.
So we needed to look for colleges in an urban setting, with a good Art program, that have the type of Art he wants - not advertising, digital, commercial, where a 3.02 average is OK, that has dorms.
Did he look at University of Charleston, in Charleston, WV? I don't know anything about art programs, so you're on your own there. But Charleston is far safer, more more cultured, far more urbane and sophisticated and upscale than the rum-dumb bumpkin mill towns of NW PA/ NE OH ever dreamed of being. University of Charleston's cost as a private school used to be pretty comparable to many state's in-state rates. A lot of people from NY state sent their kids there, at least in the '80s and '90s. The dorms are new/upgraded. The city is very walkable and bikeable, although the downtown area is across the river from "ChuckU." The Kanawha City side where that schools is is a gorgeous upscale neighborhood of nice homes, with some great vintage apartment buildings scattered around it's park-like setting. Charleston has a higher-than-average well-educated populace, especially compared to the Shenango and Mahoning Valleys of PA and OH. It's also is more "southern" and the people are very friendly, without that ethnic and Catholic lower socioeconomic belligerence that you cant escape in these old mill towns here.
Walkable? Y-town is not walkable! It's deserted! It's a roll up the windows and drive through it ASAP kind of place. YSU is the only well-maintained spot there. I have been in and out of the city of Y-Town at all hours of the day and night. It's a rotting hole, it's decaying right before your eyes, and NW PA and NE OH has been in economic decline since the '70s. It's been taken over totally by the blacks and the drug dealers. You can't wring culture out of a generation of welfare recipients and criminals. And that is what that area of Y-town is absolutely full of. To me, the dorms would be the only place to stay.
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