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It's really a shame that UH has this reputation inside the state, because it doesn't reflect reality at all. UHM, at any rate, is a research I university, on par with schools like UC Santa Cruz, for example. It has world-class programs in Astronomy and in Ocean Science. (And no, neither of these are my field.) It's a much better school than many of the ones on the mainland which local students choose over UH. (University of Northern Colorado? Really?) The professors are engaged and active researchers, there are graduate students in most fields. And it's a huge educational bargain. I understand wanting to leave home to go to college... that's a big part of the experience. But leaving because you think a third-tier mainland school is better than UH is just wrongheaded.
It is a shame, though education in general in Hawaii isn't looked at in a great light in general, unless its at a privately funded institution. I wouldn't compare UHM to UCSC only because in the UC system it is somewhat of a joke compared to the other UCs. Not that it is a bad institution or anything but it is known much more for being home to potheads etc. UHM is a really good university for certain fields though others obviously aren't what its known for. Same with many unis on the mainland. I actually attended uni at a UC and trust me standards for admittance is much higher than UH, then again you're competing against thousand more applicants. I'd say the Cal States are closer to UHM in general as far as overall perspective, though the sciences/research areas are really good and heck we have many mainland professors wanting to do research or teach at UHM so it isn't a bad university heck it is better than many schools on the mainland but i think the main argument maid by some locals is the fact that we dont have an institution for higher education that can compete with some of the 'better' ones found on the mainland. I totally agree though that it is overstated that UHM is bad and some are crazy enough to attend random schools just because theyre on the mainland so must be better. Hopefully this all makes sense lol or i just rambled too much
I actually attended uni at a UC and trust me standards for admittance is much higher than UH, then again you're competing against thousand more applicants. I'd say the Cal States are closer to UHM in general as far as overall perspective...
I also attended a UC (*the* UC, in fact ) undergrad and an ivy league grad school. I have lots of friends teaching at CSUs, and I actually turned down a CSU job for this one. UH is a Research 1 university. Cal States are not. The research expectations on faculty at CSUs are much, much less than here.
It may be true that the admissions standards are lower at UH than at UC, but there are reasons for that... there are quotas about how many mainland students we can accept (on a percentage basis). And as I said, even average students in Hawaii want to go to mainland schools just because they're on the mainland, not because they're better. We also have a much lower population to draw from, even when scaled for the two campuses versus ten (or whatever UCs are up to now). So the admissions standards (at least for the local students) are probably more on par with the CSUs. But the university is not. That's kind of what I was trying to say in the original post (which was really old, BTW).
I dont' want to revive any arguements, but it really depends on what program you want to get into. I was thinking of going to go to grad school there a decade+ ago, and I'm glad I didn't, the program (biomedical science) was not on par with mainland programs. Also the stipend was horrible (for its time). Thing may or may have not changed, but you need to consider housing, the quality of the program, ADVISORS (this is SO crucial), etc. The quality of the program is really just boiling down to how good the classes are.
The key is the advisors, do any that are willing to take students have projects that interest you, and would be useful in the real world? This is very crucial, as I am discovering, because if you just get a pure academic project the translatability in terms of job experience is quite limited, and you end up getting out with not alot to show for it (besides a worthless PhD).
Don't make the mistakes I made. Really research your advisor and your project. Really think if grad school is going to help or hurt your career. Really think if you want to make that time commitment. Really think if this is what you want to do with your life, and you have a strong aptitude. I discovered while I had an applitude for my field, it was oversaturated, and I was not the very best out there. When that is the case, you compete with hundreds of people, many of which are bound to be better qualified for any job that comes up. Sadly academia absolutely does not prepare you for the real world in any shape or form. Its up to YOU to figure out if your degree is useful or translatable, or if you even want to do that for your career.
...the program (biomedical science) was not on par with mainland programs.
Really? Not on par with a SINGLE mainland program? I find that really hard to believe. (But that's the standard belief here. Mainland = better, with no other information.)
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Also the stipend was horrible (for its time).
Still the case, sadly, at least in my field. I don't know how our grad students get by.
Hey newUHprof—I was just wondering what field you were in. My gf is considering UH@Manoa for her grad work in psychology, so I've been doing my due diligence in research Hawaii.
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) undergrad and an ivy league grad school. I have lots of friends teaching at CSUs, and I actually turned down a CSU job for this one. UH is a Research 1 university. Cal States are not. The research expectations on faculty at CSUs are much, much less than here. 
