Choosing a College

* Re “Top College May Not Mean Top Pay, Study Finds,” May 1: Your well-balanced article begins to explore the truth about undergraduate education. Not covered is the “best-kept secret” in California, the California State University system, an even bigger bargain than the University of California.

Here at CSUN, we literally retrain hundreds of UC, Stanford, etc. graduates who were denied admission to medical school, graduate school, etc. At those research universities, they were woefully under-prepared in practical laboratory course work and did not have opportunities to do one-on-one research with professors. Instead, most of their contacts were with teaching assistants. My students here at CSUN are admitted to advanced programs at Stanford, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Berkeley, etc. We provide research experiences for all interested undergraduates, while at the “better,” more prestigious schools, most attention is given to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.

STEVE OPPENHEIMER

Director, Center for Cancer

and Developmental Biology

Cal State Northridge

*

Your article was quite disappointing. Shame on you for only equating college choices with fat paychecks. Why not mention choosing a college to do good in the world? Why not mention choosing a college where one can learn and study for the value of education? Why not call attention to choosing a college where one can experience an exchange of challenging, creative ideas? Why not mention the choice of a college where the curriculum is rich and diverse and, of utmost importance, why not choose a college where, yes, you can believe you can make a difference?

I would be bereft if my children were to choose a college for the value of a paycheck.

SHERRI W. MORR

Sherman Oaks