University Buffalo

I applied and entered UB without knowing exactly what I wanted to do with myself. UB just happened to be nearby where I lived and it was an affordable and "good" school to attend according to local guidance councilors. Unfortunately, it wasn't until after grad school that I realized the absolute importance of getting a college/university education at a top school... not just one that is conveniently nearby or affordable looking. UB is a "third tier" University which means 1) Employers do not go there to recruit, be it for the MBA's, JD's, Engineers, or CS graduates - at least until they've exhausted filling positions from Ivy League and other top-tier schools first. 2) The student body is made up of a lot of dull-minded individuals. 3)Faculty members are not great teachers, nor are they great researchers - they're pretty much average to below average in both areas and although each department has a token Ivy league graduate who holds the title "distinguished professor", I could literally count on one hand the number of great professors within all the UB Schools. Another observation is that over the past 10 years, within the MBA, Engineering, and CS programs, a massively large number of India-Educated faculty members have been hired. Not a bad thing by itself, but most of the professors are horrible teachers which can barely speak english, and their educations are questionable by anyone that listens to them trying to teach. I do not recommend attending UB - except for those individuals that apply and cannot get into Cornell, Binghamton, or other higher quality schools in NY or around the US. I ended up getting a great job out of grad school, completely blowing the curve in terms of starting income level with a top company, but had to work really hard to sell myself in the job interviews and I relied almost soley upon experience and knowledge I gained outside of the University. The faculty members in both my undergraduate and graduate programs did nothing to help me obtain positions upon graduation and the career centers and guidance councilors are a joke, without connections to major employers nor with other reputable educational institutions. Please take my advice, especially if you are sharp/smart/of strong mind, etc... you don't want to attend UB only to later see, as I have, others hired into greater companies, for more money, sometimes on a fast track, because you thought you would somehow get a "value" by attending UB. Your university choice indeed will have a major impact on your future career opportunities and you owe it to yourself to aim as high as possible when making that choice.

Alumnus Male -- Class 2000

First, I came to this university with no direction at all. I knew I enjoyed art and that I would maybe like to pursue a degree in that department. Once I was accepted to the school I became nothing but a number. I had no advisement and by my second year still had not seen an adviser. I had to just figure out on my own what I would major in, which was a big mistake. I now have a degree that took way too long to finish that qualifies me to scan groceries at the local market. I don't have a considerable portfolio and not nearly enough experience digital art to work in graphic design. UB pretty much left me with a huge debt. That is about it. I'm now trying to figure out what further education can supplement my degree and let me begin a career. The faculty at UB is extremely arrogant, self consumed, and it's mostly about their work. They throw serious philosophy at you to learn that they know inside and out just to buy some time for them to remain occupied by their own agenda. I think about all that time and all the work I did. I didn't learn anything! Also, the dorms are hell. I was told I had to live in the dorms my first year. Hell! It's a 24 hour party. Not that I don't like to party, but I needed to make time for learning also. I had to leave campus to get any studying done for non-art courses and live in the studio for all of the rest of my work.

5th Year Female -- Class 2005

Innovation: A-, Education Quality: F