Ferris State University

Although a relatively small institution, Ferris State University is one that works to create meaningful educational experiences for its students. I chose it because I wanted a small-school feel, while having access to big-school opportunities. Ferris largely delivered on this, and when I left in 2011, I felt prepared to apply for bring a basal level of expertise to the employers' ranks I hoped to join. Ferris works for you if you are committed to working for yourself. It was rare to be turned away,... Read More under-supported, or ignored in my program, and I can attribute that directly to the commitment of my instructors to seeing myself and my peers not just gainfully employed, but properly trained. As a woman of color, the town was sometimes challenging to live in, but the proximity of Grand Rapids, and even Mount Pleasant, made it bearable.

Ferris State University's college of pharmacy is a good but challenging program with a solid curriculum. Some changes are in the works to improve some of the rockier points, but those should be resolved relatively soon. While the college of pharmacy itself is a strong program within the university, FSU's upper administration often times has students scratching their heads wondering why anyone would think these decisions make sense. For instance, it doesn't take a business major to see that shutting... Read More down a dorm, leaving the building erect and unused, building a new dorm, despite a steady decline in enrollment, thereby increasing tuition, is not a way to interest more students to attend your institution. These students will see the increase in tuition and choose another in-state school, because they feel the effect of these students near a lake (if this isn't clear enough, you might as well just stick to Ferris anyway), who has had an increase in enrollment as of late. Sorry administrators but in a world where dollars matter, with this move, it really shouldn't have come as a surprise to you that enrollment continues to decline as you jack up tuition. Speaking of tuition, don't expect to actually be offered everything the FAFSA says you might expect in terms of aid. You'll get your Direct Unsubsidized loans but forget about the Direct Subsidized loans, which would help you not HAVE to work during school. But you won't get them so you'll have to work and then get grilled about your academic performance and be told you need to work less than the 35 hours a week you have to put into a job to even afford rent and bills. But oh, not to worry! You can always apply for Grad PLUS and private loans that you don't have enough credit for. Oh, and scholarships that are allegedly need based but only if your GPA is at particular minimum because you should have heeded their advice and chosen to live in a cardboard box under an overpass to focus on your classes more. FinAid isn't there to help you. They're there to make money for the university by offering only the highest rate loans with as little actual aid as possible. So, in summary, Pharmacy program is good and the sharp edges are being smoothed. The university as a whole needs administrators who actually understand that to improve enrollment rates, a fresh new dorm isn't going to suffice and increased tuition rates aren't going to impress perspective students let alone returning students (at least they would return if they could afford the tuition). Financial Aid is a cover for the university's money grabbing scams and won't help you if you're truly in need. Get ready to pay some of that grad school tuition out of pocket. Class variety and professors are pretty good though, for the most part. Go DAWGS.?

Ferris State University is a great school to pursue a degree in pharmacy. The faculty is personable and genuinely cares about the success of every student. The pharmacy curriculum spans four years and can seem overwhelming at times. However, many of the staff members understand exactly what the students are going through and will dedicate their spare time to helping students cope with the stresses. Ferris State also offers the dual enrollment Pharma/MBA which I am currently enrolled in. The program... Read More really pushes a pharmacy student to not only understand the science behind medications, but also the business environment that all healthcare professionals will need to navigate throughout their career.

The professors I interacted with on a daily basis were extremely personable and well educated in their fields. The core classes were taught by professors with doctorates in philosophy (PhD) and not by teacher aids or non-tenured professors. I still keep in touch with the majority of professors that taught core classes, and use many of them as references. Even after 5 yeas passed graduation they are willing to write letters of recommendation and provide insightful career advise. The bureaucratic structure... Read More of the university was frustrating to me as a student. There is a large amount of financial waste within the offices of those who "make the big decisions". Programs and schools are forced to curry political favor for funding and scholarships. Many times, scholarships and funding were pulled out from under me and paid research positions were few and far between.

Ferris State has a great, mid size college atmosphere. They have a lot of fun recreational activities and I greatly enjoyed my time there. However, I was not to pleased with the quality level of the professors I encountered while in the science program. There were of course fantastic professors that enhanced my knowledge and passion for my career, but they were few and far between. When asked about my alma mater, I always recommend that if you are pursuing a science degree to perhaps look in to other... Read More schools first.

FSU was the perfect fit for me! The department I was part of was amazing -- the students were supportive and kind. The professors went above and beyond their duties to ensure I succeeded and performed to my highest potential. I felt more than just a number or dollar sign to the university and even chatted casually with the president and he remembered my name! I loved the campus, being centralized to the town. There was that small town feel while still having things to do and being an hour away from... Read More Grand Rapids. I miss it a great deal and only wish I could move back to the area. The events and hockey program was a lot of fun, too!

I attended FSU and graduated with a B.S. in Visual Design over a decade ago. I luckily got into the workforce a couple years before the recession nose dived in '07-'09 and was able to get enough of a foothold to make okay wages for a few years. I had to move to different states for work in my field and, despite me getting a job offer in my field via a required portfolio review before I even graduated (which is the one thing I could attribute to them...but the offer was a mere $28k so I had to pass),... Read More I feel like my degree at FSU was a gigantic waste. The field radically changed during the time I was there from '00-'04 and the teachers at most outright lied about career potential, and at the very least strongly misled students. Heck, I should point out only like 1 or 2 program teachers from that time were even employed by FSU 3-4 years after I left. It was all a horrible joke. Over the years I've kept an eye on the school via ferris.edu and fsutorch.com....and also in particular students from the design program.....and it's just a slow-motion trainwreck. Only students who have big bucks and/or wealthy parents who foot the bill for them to relocate to California/NYC/etc. do well....but let's face it, those kids would do well regardless thanks to Mom & Dad. I also just saw tuition and room+board rates for the 2016-2017 year....when I was in college in 2004 I think my single-room on campus w/ best meal plan and 15 creds/sem. was like $13,500 annually. Now, Ferris State wants to charge students for the same thing $23,000 annually. In fact, you can't even attend FSU any more for less than $20k annually with the cheapest tuition and meal plan and housing options. FSU is not worth $20k+ annually. If you're going to pay that much go an hour south and attend Grand Valley, where they are bigger, offer more programs and allow more flexibility if a year or two in you decide to change majors. Or go to Michigan State...or University of Michigan. There is just absolutely no reason to attend FSU at this point in time. When I went you could get a 4 yr. degree for less than $60k. Now they want to charge students $80-90k. YIKES!!! Oh, and off-campus housing and employment is abysmal in Big Rapids. Just. Awful. Go to GVSU and live in Grand Rapids. That's also Michigan's best city job-wise, so GVSU is just the safest bet overall, IMO. I ended up having to go back to college half a decade later to switch fields. I ended up attending a community college and then an online college for the final couple years - all of which I had to pay out of pocket since FSU's time ate up all my undergrad student loans (which I'm still paying on). Luckily I've been able to find work since the recession after switching fields, but FSU is probably the biggest bait 'n switch I've ever seen as an adult. And the fact that each year they keep raising costs when, from what I see, it's the same ol' school with a couple fancy new buildings.....that's just embarrassing. AVOID FERRIS PEOPLE....JUST....AVOID IT. NOT. WORTH. THE. MONEY.