Embry Riddle

[Lilbirny21]

I'm 17 and I already have my PPL. I'm going off to college and I guess i've always wanted to go to embry riddle. Is that a good idea. Or should i go to western michigan or north dakota. Any thoughts would help me decide I don't know what to do. But I know i want to be a commercial pilot.

any comments please

Nick

 

[gkrangers]

Go to a big university and fly at a local FBO, like I'm assuming you did to get your private. Cheaper, and you'll enjoy the big college life.

 

[flyinghunter]

Hey Nick, riddle is a great school, but not for everyone. Everybody is going to give you thier opinion. There's riddle haters, UND haters, everybody talks about everyone else but no matter where you go you will get a similar education and each has their own special thing to offer.

One thing to consider is, where do you live? Some schools, West Mich, UND, Purdue, Ohio State and others would be in state tuition which would really keep it more affordable. Others, like ERAU are private and it really doesn't matter. I personally went to ERAU and I know I have a great education.

However, going to a school like that you really miss out on a true college experience which I personally think makes you grow as a person more than anything else. I went to a state school for a year before going and really noticed a difference between most students who transferred in and those who went there the whole time.

I would recommend sending for info to each of the schools you're interested in and get info on the programs. Then visit your finalists and make a decision based on what is best for you personally. There's a list on some website that lists all of the aviation colleges, I'll see if I can find it and post it. If you have any questions PM me and I'll see what I can help you with. Whatever you do, get as many certificates and ratings as you can before you get there. It will save you money in the long run and you'll probably get more "real world" experience that way.

 

[flyer172r]

Don't trivialize going to a bigger school where aviation isn't the biggest program on campus. It can be quite refreshing to have other people to talk to that don't just talk about airplanes all the time (nothing worse than a couple of pure airplane dorks engaging in a high-wing/low-wing debate when they're drunk). Plus college is a great chance to try things that you won't have as many opportunities to try once you graduate and bigger schools might have more things for you to experience. Not to mention that the male/female ratio at ERAU is awful.

And be careful when looking at getting additional ratings before going into an aviation major (if that's the path you're going). At many schools, the more ratings you have the more you'll have to repeat in order to get the degree. Feel free to IM me if I can be of any further help.

 

[gkrangers]

I agree with both posts above, and I go to ERAU. I enjoy it (mainly because I don't fly on campus), but do wish I got to experience the "real" college life as well.

Its just a matter of finding well rounded friends. Flying is business pretty much...

 

[RockbrigadePC1]

I agree with gkrangers.

There are a plethora of possibilities at the school I attend outside aviation. The amount of study abroad and volunteer programs is amazing.

What state are you in?

 

[de727ups]

" I personally went to ERAU and I know I have a great education"

Personally, I went to Riddle, too. I think it was a total waste of time. Needed to check that "I have a degree" square, so it was good for that. But, as I look back on it, going to Riddle was one of the mistakes I made in my career. Luckily, I made some better choices later on....

 

[Thedude]

I would have to agree with de727ups on this one. I went to Riddle and had regrets in my junior year. I wised I would have known about the other schools that had aviation programs. Auburn and Perdue springs to mind. I feel that I was cheated out of the REAL college experience. But the again, when I went to Riddle it was a bargain for a private school. 2k a semster and 4k when I graduated.

Dont bother cheking my spelling....I am drinking when I wrote this...

 

[Lilbirny21]

michigan

I live in michgan

 

[fletch717]

I have a good friend that went to W. Mich, he has done well in this business.
It's not the school, its the person.