Sabbatical

Roger Williams University

2010-04-29T09:22:00.000-07:00

Overlooking Mt. Hope Bay, Roger Williams is a beautiful but very windy campus! Each building looks new, the grounds are well maintained and everything seems pristine. Here one can earn an Associates, Bachelors, Masters and even a law degree! The school of architecture is very popular as is their marine biology program. There's also engineering and construction management majors and a variety of other more liberal art type majors. Most students will study abroad at some point, there's a great sailing team, no classes are taught by TA's and there is an excellent placement rate after graduation.

Brown University

2010-04-28T09:55:00.001-07:00

The 8th and final Ivy League college I've visited in the past 14 months, Brown is the 7th oldest college in the nation. Like the other Ivies, gaining admission here is very difficult. The average accepted student scored over 700 on each part of the SAT. The average rejected student probably did as well! Students here experience an 'open curriculum' - meaning there are no general education requirements. There is also a 2 week 'shopping period' at the start of eah semester that allows kids to sign up for a bunch of courses and choose the 4 they like best after the 2 weeks. Students seem very happy, reportedly work extremely hard, but say the atmosphere is much more cooperative than competitive. The acceptance rates in to Law and Med schools is very high. Many students will study abroad during their 4 years at Brown. One curious note about Brown; regardless of when you complete all other graduation requirements, students here must stay all 4 years (except transfer students). Total cost is about $54,0000 per year but there is a lot of grant money available to students with need.

RISD

2010-04-28T09:43:00.000-07:00

The Rhode Island School of Design is a very popular and very selective art school. Located in Providence and practically next door to Brown, RISD offers Bachelors degrees in art, architecture and graphics. The MFA is available as is an MA for those who wish to teach art. The 2000 or so students here are 2/3 female and were admitted based on their outstanding portfolio as well as excellent high school records in academic subjects. Most work as an intern at least once during their college years and the job placement rate is impressively high for graduates.

Johnson & Wales University

2010-04-27T17:49:00.001-07:00

Johnson & Wales has locations in 4 cities; Charlotte, Miami, Denver, and Providence. The Providence site of JWU is actually split between the city campus and the Harborside Campus. JWU is not your typically college. Students here are here to prepare for a career. They call theirs an 'upside down curriculum' because students start courses in their major immediately. The Culinary Arts programs are huge here and their new facilities at Harborside are state of the art.

Bryant University

2010-04-27T17:32:00.001-07:00

Bryant is just outside of Providence and is known for it's emphasis on business. Regardless of major, students will leave here with a solid knowledge of the business world. Study abroad is readily available, most students live on campus, the retention rate is high as is the job placement rate. A diverse group of 3500 undergrads come from all over the country and all over the world. Bryant has recently moved to D1 sports. Bryant is also famous for sophomore Taryn Smith (VHS '08) who served as our tour guide and is very involved in many aspects of student life at Bryant.

Providence College

2010-04-27T17:19:00.001-07:00

Providence, Rhode Island is home to 5 colleges and 30,000 college students and is only about 3 hours from the Ville. Providence College is home to about 4000 of these students, most of whom are of the Roman Catholic faith, almost all live on campus or within 1 mile of campus and nearly all graduate within 4 years. PC is test optional and is looking for A- type students who have taken a challenging course load each year of high school. Division 1 sports are big here as is community service. The price tag is high (~$50,000) and although need blind, they do not promise to meet full need.

Salve Regina University

2010-04-26T18:47:00.000-07:00

If not the most beautiful college I've ever seen, Salve Regina is certainly one of the prettiest. Located in the Mansion District on the shores of Newport, RI, the school's buildings are just incredible. There are just over 2000 undergrads here, strong science and criminal justice programs, an MBA program, division 3 sports and a strong chance for B+ students to gain admittance. Every student I spoke with here seemed very happy and couldn't say enough good things about their school. Where else do students really want to stay at their college over the summer?!

University of Rhode Island

2010-04-26T18:38:00.001-07:00

With nearly 15,000 students, a variety of majors, and about 3 hours from home, Students from Voorheesville who like Syracuse U and/or UVM might want to consider URI as well. Their International Engineering and International Business programs sound very cool and have students regularly spending semesters in China, France, Germany and Spain. Their Pharmacy and Nursing programs are very selective but, overall, students with above average high school records stand a good shot at acceptance into the college.

New England Institute of Technology

2010-04-26T18:30:00.001-07:00

In 2 years, the New England Institute of Technology will be moving to a new, centralized location in Rhode Island while still offering accelerated degrees in Auto Tech, Architectural Tech, Nursing, Electrical, Computer Programming and many other technical fields. They start classes 4 times per year, have 10 week quarters and allow students to earn an Associates in just 18 months or a Bachelors in just 3 years. They will have campus housing available once they move and are just 3 hours from Vville. Open admissions means that all high school grads will be accepted here.

Wiliam&Mary

2010-04-13T07:55:00.000-07:00

The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg,VA is the country's second oldest with the oldest college building-Wren Hall- pictured above. Known as a 'Public Ivy', W&M is far more difficult to get accepted into for out-of-state residents than for locals. Many grads from here go on to serve in the Peace Corps or AmeriCorps and many more go on to Law or Med School. Located adjacent to the historic section of the city, minutes from Busch Gardens and less than an hour from the ocean, students have many options for fun outside of campus. On campus, lots of activity happens in and around the 'sunken gardens', a massive tract of land in the middle of campus that is several feet lower than the surrounding grounds. Greek life is big here and you can, according to legend, kiss your BF/GF on the Crim Dell bridge and be together forever! Students from nearly every state and many foreign countries attend W&M although at least half come from Virginia. Thomas Jefferson and Jon Stewart are famous alums as will be Jenna Massaroni (VHS class of '07)!

Princeton

2009-06-17T11:46:00.001-07:00

The average applicant to Princeton scored about 2100 on the SAT1 and over 700 on 3 SAT2 exams. They rejected more than 90% of them. Add to that the fact that over 1000 undergraduates (of the 4800 total) play a varsity or JV sport AND that students from all 50 states and hundreds of foreign countries apply here and you might have an appreciation of how difficult it is to be admitted.
That said, it seems like such an idyllic place that, if you have the numbers, you should consider it. It's easily one of the most beautiful campuses I've ever been on, focuses on undergraduates, has an incredibly rich history and super-famous alums (at least 2 presidents, 1 queen, senators, actors and our current first lady).
Another plus; their financial aid policies make it possible to graduate debt-free.
With majors in Architecture and several types of Engineering as well as dozens of more traditional Liberal Arts, there is a lot to choose from.
Princeton is just under 200 miles from the Ville, right in between Manhattan and Philadelphia with a small train station right on campus.

TCNJ

2009-06-17T11:32:00.001-07:00

In 1996, Trenton State changed it's name to The College of New Jersey and, perhaps, changed it's image at about the same time. While on the bus tour in Vermont, I spent a lot of time with some counselors from NJ and got the impression that this was a 'hot' school for many of their kids. High praise from several prominent national magazines certainly supports their claim. It's a really nice looking campus located in Ewing which is actually right next to Trenton. Ewing seems like a more upscale suburb- a nice place. The admissions couselors I spoke with made it clear that they would love to have more out of state students. There are currently 5600 full time undergrads with plans to grow to 6000. The campus is just over 200 miles from VVille, has majors in Engineering, Sciences, Nursing, Education, Business, Creative and Performing Arts and most of the common majors you'd find at other liberal arts schools. Just 10 minutes from Princeton and less than an hour from both NYC and Philly, TCNJ is worth a look.

Dartmouth

2009-05-28T07:02:00.000-07:00

The smallest of the Ivy League with just 4300 undergrads, Dartmouth is quite difficult to get in and has an extremely high retention rate and satisfied grads who give back to the school generously. Located in the small town of Hanover, NH it's just over the Vermont border and about 3.5 hours from VVille. While I was there, I happened to run in to Steven Wang (VHS '07) and had coffee with Billy Corbett (VHS '06). Amazingly, in 2008 we had 5 former students attending Dartmouth at the same time!
A unique feature about this college is "the Dartmouth Plan"- basically a quarterly calender that allows students flexibility to take just 3 classes at a time for 10 weeks. Typically, a student will attend 3 of the 4 quarters each year, including at least one summer quarter (New Hampshire is beautiful in the summer). Most students will spend at least 1 and up to 3 quarters abroad. The schedule also allows for internships during times when most college students are not available to intern, making the competition for spots almost nonexistent.
The Tuck School of Business and the Thayer School of Engineering offer popular majors. Current hot paths of study include International Studies as well as Global Health. Small classes but lots of opportunities for undergraduate research were points stressed during both the tour and info session.
Social life tends to be dominated by the Greeks. 60% of eligible students (sophs and older)are members of a frat or sorority. The school's student run newspapers might have one believe that debauchery was the rule on weekends, but academics are challenging and students must work hard to be successful. The are many artistic, athletic and altruistic options to follow for those who don't believe the school paper.

Johnson State

2009-04-25T15:28:00.001-07:00

Johnson State is the 18th, and final, college I'll be visiting in Vermont on this trip. I believe I have now seen every traditional residential college in the entire state. Located in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, it's a well-kept state school that might be a great fit for students coming out of high school with less than stellar grades.
It also has a working television studio and puts on it's own newscast 5 days a week. For students interested in this field, it's a hands-on program that allows students to easily get involved. Education is it's largest major and the Hospitality & Tourism department is popular. Outdoor Recreation is offered as a major. An interesting option is the Wellness and Alternative Medicine program.
Visual and Performing arts have a major presence around campus. A large percentage play varsity sports here as well. Behind one of the dorms is a hill that students use for skiing and snowboarding in the winter.

Sterling

2009-04-24T14:42:00.000-07:00

New England’s only work learning service college and the smallest of all colleges that I will visit, Sterling has just 100 students. There is no cell phone service on campus and no shopping nearby. Students dine together at the lone dining room and get to know each other and the faculty very well. This is a place for those who love the outdoors. The only majors offered are in Conservation Ecology, Outdoor Education or Circumpolar Studies (which focuses on studying the northern hemisphere). Students can also design their own major. Regardless of major, each student must supply their own axe!
Sustainability is a focus for everyone. Each student also works for the school in some capacity. There is a working farm on campus with pigs, chicken, sheep, horses and cows that students care for. They might also work in the kitchen, with maintenance, or in an office.
Experiential learning is stressed. The classroom is often in the field; be it a river, a mountain, the farm, or some other venue.
There are no varsity sports teams or school music groups. There are weekly meetings on Wednesday afternoons to discuss everything going on around campus. About half the students live off campus or commute, so on weekends, the remaining students often camp or hike or cross country ski.

Lyndon State

2009-04-24T14:41:00.000-07:00

Located in Northern Vermont in an area known as 'The Northeast Kingdom' for some reason, LSC is a reasonably priced option with fairly easy admissions standards. They are probably best known for their meteorology department and also produce a nightly news show 5 days a week at their very own television studio. TV Production is another popular major as is Mountain Recreation Management. Other majors include Music Industry, Exercise Science, and Sports Management. Burke Mountain is adjacent to the campus and students make good use of it. There are a few Associates degrees, but, for the most part, students here are pursuing Bachelor's Degrees. It's a clean, modern campus with small classes where sports, theatre, visual and performing arts all seem abundant. Many opportunities to travel abroad exist as well.

New England Culinary Institute

2009-04-23T17:13:00.000-07:00

NECI (pronounced 'necky') is similar to the CIA in it's mission and offerings but does differ in many ways as well. There are few majors here; mostly baking/ pastry/ culinary and hospitality & restaurant management. Students can obtain either Associates or Bachelors degrees here and many non traditional, adult aged students do attend classes. There is housing available for all students. NECI runs 3 restaurants in Montpelier, Vt. Students are required to complete a 6 month residency and a 700 hour intership for each of 2 years prior to receiving a degree. Students who want to attend can begin their studies at 4 different points in the calender year. There are many internship opportunities and graduates have a 98% placement rate in their field.

Landmark

2009-04-23T17:03:00.001-07:00

Landmark specializes in teaching students with learning disabilities and ADD/ADHD. Students can study and receive an Associates Degree in Business, Liberal Arts, or General Studies. Many transfer to a four year college upon completion of the Associates, or even after just one year and achieve far greater success than they likely would have had they not first gone to Landmark. They also get in to many places that they would not have gotten in to right out of high school.
The campus is quite nice looking and modern with the main quad consisting of several buildings connected by covered walkways surrounding a large soccer field. There are collegiate sports here as well as choir groups and clubs.
It's quite expensive to attend, but it's hard to put a price on what they can do for a student.

Marlboro

2009-04-23T10:11:00.000-07:00

Simple, rustic and informal is how the president of Marlboro described her school. The lone cafeteria on campus where students eat nearly all of their meals has metal folding chairs and seems to have been retrofitted from an old gym from an even older barn. The school is writing intensive and has no majors. Instead, students must create a plan of study that takes nearly all of the last 2 years to complete and involves a rigorous oral defense of the project. There are also no clubs or varsity sports. Instead, there are comittees and intramurals. A regular town meeting is held to discuss issues on campus, make policy and plan events. Each student that attends (and it seems like many do) gets an equal say. There are only about 320 students here and, given it's remoteness, they must get to know each other very well.
My biggest critcism has to do with their financial aid policies. A student with a lot of need probably can't afford to attend without acruing massive amounts of debt. And since their degree typically doesn't lead directly to a career, grad school might require even more loans. Students who can afford it may be turned off by the lack of creature comforts and amenities.

Bennington College

2009-04-22T19:05:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for a great sports school with a Greek life, this isn't it. Their most competitive athletics are co-ed soccer. However, if you are creative, motivated, passionate about learning and have the ability to structure yourself, Bennington might be of interest. There's just over 600 students here, most live in campus housing; don't call them dorms, they're not. About 30 students each live in the houses with either heated floors or hardwood floors. Males and females sometimes live right next door to and share bathrooms with each other.
Here, there are no majors, no general education requirements and no tests. Students design their own program and receive written evaluations rather than grades. There's lots of creative and performing arts classes but students are encouraged to pursue and learn about whatever they can imagine. Additionally, during each winter break, students must do field work- again, in an area of their choosing. It's a very interesting place that competes for students with Sarah Lawrence with a big difference being where each is located and the type of student that would prefer rural over urban.

Southern Vermont College

2009-04-22T18:53:00.000-07:00

Another very small college with only about 500 undergrads, SVC offers both Associates and Bachelors degrees in areas such as Nursing, Sports Management and Radiology Technician. Their Creative Writing degree is a strength and a new program called BTE stands for Building The Enterprise is a concentration in entrepreneurship. Lots of construction is currently ongoing so the landscaping around the dorms is a mess right now, but the new building is just about complete and should no longer spoil the fantastic views next year. Students take all of their classes in a stunning stone castle that is shared with college offices and administration.

College of St. Joseph's

2009-04-22T18:33:00.000-07:00

An extremely small school with only about 260 undergrads. Everyone here will know your name; other students, faculty, the president and even the cafeteria staff! Students live in 2 converted motel buildings which are very ugly on the outside but normal looking dorm-type suites inside. Tuition is guaranteed all 4 years, nearly everyone who applies gets accepted, there are no classes on Fridays and Killington Mountain is nearby. Education, Psychology and Business are their most popular majors, but interesting choices include sports management and substance abuse counseling. The opportunity to play sports at the D2 NAIA level is also a plus.

Castleton State

2009-04-22T14:57:00.000-07:00

One of the few state colleges in Vermont, Casleton is, in many ways, like SUNY Cortland or Springfield College. All have as popular majors choices like Phys Ed, Athletic Training, and Exercise Science. Castleton will be starting a football team, marching band, and cheerleading next year. Easier to get in to and much smaller than Cortland, less expensive and a nicer town than Springfield but with less impressive facilities. Skiing is nearby and they have a varsity team. Nursing and music are interesting major options but communications and business are more popular choices.

Green Mountain

2009-04-22T08:59:00.000-07:00

Less than 800 students go here. The focus and overall theme of the school is the environment. There are many majors related to or having 'Environmental' in the title. Right along with that, sustainability is another emphasis. There is a working farm with livestock on campus. Outdoor Education/ Adventure Recreation is another cool and popular major. Music performance groups are also big here. It's a place for outdoorsy types. Skiing, camping, hiking, biking are typical activities for most of the students.

Middlebury

2009-04-22T08:49:00.003-07:00

Perhaps the most beautiful campus in all of Vermont, and also the most selective admissions criteria, Middlebury is known for it's outstanding faculty and strong Liberal Arts curriculum. There is both a golf course and ski slope adjacent to campus and the athletic program is very strong at the D3 level. Most students go on to graduate school after graduation and most study abroad during their junior year.
Their calender is known as 4-1-4 with the 1 class in the middle takn during January.
Your advisor here will know you. Partly because there are only about 2300 students, but mainly because he or she will also teach your freshman seminar.
Because so many juniors are studying abroad second semester, many applicants are offered February admission, rather than the traditional Fall entrance.

Vermont Technical Institute

2009-04-20T15:18:00.001-07:00

The main campus of VTI is in Randolph, Vt.- a very rural area. The school offers both Associates and Bachelors Degrees in a small variety of technical fields such as engineering, diesel & auto mechanics, construction, as well as health care fields and equine studies. Only about 1100 students attend the Randolph campus, half of them commute, and many of the residents go home on weekends, so it's probably very quiet here on Saturdays and Sundays. I see Cobleskill as a big competitor for students, but for students who would like to be a bit further from home, VTI might be worth a look.

Norwich

2009-04-20T15:06:00.001-07:00

Located in a more remote part of Vermont, Norwich is a private military school. In fact, 60% of all students are in there corps of cadets. Many, but not all, will eventually receive the ROTC scholarship and/or enlist in the military. However, there are 40% of students here not in the corps. Called civilian students, they too live by the honor code and have the traits of leadership and character stressed to them. Nearly 2/3 male, the students here have opportunities to enroll in very much in demand majors such as engineering, architecture, phys ed, athletic training, nursing, and computer security. There is also a communicatio major with ties to ESPN for internships. The placement rate for most majors is extremely high.

St. Michael's

2009-04-20T14:57:00.000-07:00

Just outside of Burlington, St. Mike's is another small private liberal arts & sciences college with about 2000 students. Almost everyone lives in the very nice residence halls on this very lovely campus. Since most kids are from states other than Vermont, there are lots of peers to do things with on the weekends. Skiing possibilities are very nearby as is the lake and many other outdoor activities. The athletic facilities are quite nice as well. Classes here are small usually, volunteerism is big. Two religion classes are required. Many students study abroad at some point. D2 sports.

Georgetown

2009-04-19T18:05:00.001-07:00

Located in Washington, DC, Georgetown is nearly 400 miles from VVille- well past my 200 mile radius- but since I was in the area, I made the mistake of stopping in, just in time to catch DC rush hour afterwards! The first 100 miles of the trip home took 5 hours. The first hour alone found us just 6 miles from campus. Beware the DC traffic!
The college is highly selective; students have an average SAT of nearly 1400 and 4 out of every 5 applicants are rejected. For those who do get in, International Relations, Political Science, and Government are very popular majors. Politics, in general, are of interest to the typical Hoya. Nearly half the junior class studies abroad. Most live on campus and are stereotypically preppy.
Four schools make up the whole; The School of Arts & Science, The School of Foreign Service, The School of Business, and The School of Nursing and Health Science- which is much smaller than the others, accepting only around 80 students per year.

UVM

2009-04-19T15:50:00.001-07:00

UVM stands for 'University of the Green Mountains' in Latin. It is the largest college in Vermont with nearly 10,000 undergrads, nearly half of whom will have a major in the College of Arts and Science- one of 7 colleges which make up the University. The others are; Agriculture and Life Science, Business, Education, Engineering, Nursing, and Environmental & Natural Resources. A total of over 90 majors are offered, but the college, like the city and the state for that matter, is and are known for their environmental programs. Freshmen will frequently experience very large classes. The city of Burlington is a great place to be a college student, especially if you are liberal, civic minded, or just love the outdoors.

Champlain College

2009-04-19T15:36:00.001-07:00

Also in Burlington, Vt. and right on the lake, Champlain has almost 2000 students. About half live on campus, a campus that looks very new; buildings, computers, dining area, etc. Business is a big major here but the more interesting choices include tech fields such as Game Design, Software Engineering, Digital Forensics, and Information Security as well as Environmental Policy, Hosptality, and Entrepreneurship.
Their unique 'top down' structure has students taking classes in their chosen major right away, finishing required classes only after they have had a chance to see for sure if it's truly a major they want. 2 very unusual items; they seem smitten with the Myers-Briggs type indicator and summer vacation starts on April 30!

Burlington College

2009-04-19T15:20:00.001-07:00

With only 200 undergrads, and many of them older than the average college student, Burlington College is definitely not for a typical 18 year old high school grad. Students here tend to know what they want, and what they want is very small classes, a major in either the creative arts (especially film), or the social sciences (especially trans-personal psychology). There is just one academic building, no dining facility, and less than 20 students live in college housing. The building is right on Lake Champlain. Grades in high school are not the most important factor in admissions and SAT's are not required.

UPenn

2009-04-16T17:39:00.001-07:00

The University of Pennsylvania is actually a little bit outside of my proposed 200 mile radius but, since it's part of the Ivy League, I wanted to see it anyway. Ben Franklin helped get UPenn up and running in the mid 1700's. Today, it is one of the most selective and prestigious schools in the country. The Wharton School of Business is probably the best undergraduate business school in the world. The schools of Engineering and Nursing are also quite strong and well regarded. Most students are part of the School of Arts and Science. Locust Walk runs through the middle of campus and is usually quite active with students on their way to and from class as well as organizations recruiting new members, advertising upcoming events, or protesting or supporting a cause. The giant white button in the center of the College Green has an interesting and infamous reputation.
Matt Belgiovine (VHS '06) attends UPenn ands has a major combining Business and Engineering. He refused comment when asked about the button, however!

WNEC

2009-04-10T11:31:00.001-07:00

Western New England College was the 3rd school in Springfield, MA I looked at. Another place where a B or even a C student could gain admittance, WNEC has just added Pharmacy as a major to go along with their already popular Engineering programs, Business, Criminal Justice , Education and a 6 year Law degree. Obviously, some of these majors would require much higher GPAs than others. 2500 full time undergraduates attend and classes are topped at 35 students. A new residence hall will open next year. An impressive 94% of their grads are employed or in grad school within a year of graduation.

Springfield College

2009-04-10T11:23:00.000-07:00

Another college where solid B students can get in, Springfield claims to be the birthplace of basketball. 2200 undergrads attend and nearly all are involved in some type of sport. The athletic facilities here are truly impressive. Their most popular majors reflect this sports related bent; PE, PT, PA, Athletic Training, Sports Management, Exercise Science, and Sports Journalism. They also are growing their Computer Graphics department and regularly have students intern with Pixar in LA.

American International College

2009-04-10T11:13:00.000-07:00

AIC is the first of 3 schools I visited in Springfield, Mass. The locals joke that AIC stands for "almost in college" but that's pretty unfair. It does make 'Harvard on the Hudson' seem less offensive, doesn't it?
AIC is a small (1700 students) private college that wants to get a little bigger. As a result, it would be possible for a C student to get in. Nursing is the #1 major here and they also offer a business program through the MBA as well as teacher education and other Liberal Arts choices. There is strong support for learning disabled students here.
Originally a college for immigrants, it is still a very diverse campus. Many students choose to go home on weekends so the campus is even more quiet then. At less than 2 hours from here, going home would be an option for VVille students as well.

Quinnipiac

2009-04-10T11:05:00.000-07:00

Just about 10 miles from New Haven, Quinnipiac is probably strongest in and best known for it's business and communications programs as well as it's health science related majors; PT, OT, PA, athletic training and nursing. The campus is basically one very large quad with new looking red brick buildings every either side. The facilities seem in very good condition and well maintained. A strong B student would have a good chance at acceptance here although the health fields are a bit more competitive.

U New Haven

2009-04-10T10:57:00.001-07:00

Just across town from Yale, UNH really doesn't interact much with it's Ivied neighbor. Forensics is a very popular and strong major. Several Engineering degrees are offered as well as programs in Theatre, Music Industry, Interior Design, Marine Biology, International Business and Sports Management. Associates as well as Bachelors and Masters Degrees are available and Dental Hygeine is a popular major. Overall, there are nearly 100 majors and just 3000 undergraduate students. Many study abroad opportunities exist including first semester freshman year at no additional cost. 2 new buildings will be completed by next year. B students would have a decent shot at acceptance here in many of their programs.

Yale

2009-04-10T10:43:00.001-07:00

Yale accepted a whopping 7.5% of it's applicants this year. After being sure to fill spots needed on their 33 varsity athletic teams, taking students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, it's fair to assume that students from upstate New York had an even more difficult time getting in this year.
Yale's 1800 freshmen are placed in to one of 12 residential colleges which they remain part of for all four years. This helps students feel like they are at a much smaller school. Each 'college' has it's own living and dining areas and most even have their own quad. Of course, there is plenty of interaction between the communities so students are not 'stuck' with the 450 kids in their college.
New Haven, CT is less than 3 hours from here and a bustling small city. The campus is part of the community and not secluded from the city, except for the residential quads. 5 presidents are Yale alum. So is super actress Jodie Foster. The engineering program has a 1 to 1 faculty to student ratio and is very well regarded.

Ithaca College

2009-04-03T09:40:00.001-07:00

Ithaca, NY is a real college town. During the academic year, the size of the city doubles. Ithaca College contributes nearly 7000 of these students to the mix, typically arriving on campus after a high school career with at least a B+ average and above average SAT scores. The Communications School is quite popular and well-known. The Business School is strong (with a real-time stock ticker in the new building)as are the performing and fine arts and health sciences. Physical Therapy students earn their doctorate after 5 years at IC and a 6th in Rochester. OT students can earn a Master's after 5 years on campus. Music majors can earn both a performance and education degree.
A lot of construction is currently ongoing at IC. Students typically live in the dorms all 4 years and can take up to 12 credits at Cornell.

Cornell

2009-04-03T09:21:00.001-07:00

Cornell University is made up of 7 undergraduate schools and several grad schools. It is unique among it's Ivy League brethren in that it is much bigger than the others both in land mass and in number of students (about 13,500 undergrads). Another distinctive feature is that 3 of it's schools (Ag & Life Science, Human Ecology, and ILR)are state funded- meaning the bill for a NYS resident is just $34,000. The other 4 schools (Architecture, Art & Planning, Arts & Sciences, Engineering and Hotel Admin) are known as endowed schools and cost the more typical $50,000. Like the other Ivies, Cornell does not give athletic nor merit scholarships but does offer generous aid packages to students with the most financial need. Interestingly, many majors are offered in different schools. For instance, Biology is offered at 4 of the 7 schools! It's important to the admissions office that a prospective student knows which school interests them and why.
At first glance, Cornell seems huge. However, it seems that a good job is done to make the students feel comfortable. Nearly all the freshmen live and dine on the North side of campus and spend a week-long orientation period together. About 1/3 are part of a Greek organization. It seems that students have an easier time getting to know each other than at colleges I've seen of comparable size.
While there, I had lunch with Kristen Lysenko (VHS '08)who is one of several former Blackbirds attending Cornell.

Barnard

2009-03-21T09:54:00.001-07:00

Barnard is an all women's college right across the street from Columbia. 2300 young women attend and are able to take classes at Columbia as well as participate on Columbia's Division 1 sports teams- making them the only women's college that plays D1.
Students here most often major in the liberal arts, English and Psyhology are the most popular majors, but Dance, Theatre, and Writing are very strong programs as well. Most graduates will attend graduate school upon completion of their Barnard Degree.
Barnard is also very selective and also has it's very own campus. All buildings are connected by tunnels which makes the winters a bit less harsh!

Columbia

2009-03-21T09:40:00.000-07:00

Columbia University in Manhattan's Upper West Side is a sanctuary from all the hustle and bustle of NYC. It is a true college campus with lots of history, beautiful architecture and wide open spaces. Columbia is an Ivy League school and, lke all Ivies, extremely selective. Students with straight A's and great SAT scores have about a 1 in 10 chance of getting accepted here. For those students, my advice would be, APPLY!
Nearly all of the 5500 undergraduates live on campus, stay all 4 years and graduate on time. About 20% are international students. 4100 are majors under the Columbia College school (mainly liberal arts) and the other 1400 are in the Engineering and Applied Science school.
At $52,000, it is quite expensive BUT financial aid is abundent. Students from families making less than $60,000 per year basically attend for free. Columbia has also done away with the need for loans for all students. This means that if you qualify for financial aid, regardless of your income, you'll recieve grants and work study, essentially eliminating debt for it's grads!
Our current president and governor are Columbia grads along with several other former presidents.

FIT

2009-03-21T09:27:00.000-07:00

The Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City is part of the SUNY system and, therefore, one of the least expensive schools to attend in the Big Apple. Besides Fashion Design and Fashion Merchandising, FIT offers Bachelors Degrees in over 20 other areas. Some of the most interesting include Toy Design, Cosmetic and Fragrance Marketing, Packaging Design, and Interior Design. All majors are of the artistic variety. An interesting and unique fact about FIT is that all students starting here must first earn an Associates Degree before moving into the Bachelors track. Still, it takes just 4 years to get through.
About 11,000 full and part time students attend, campus housing is available mainly to freshmen and Presidential Scholars. In all, there are 11 buildings, 10 within one block of one another. FIT also boasts the highest career placement rate in the SUNY system.
Thanks to Erika Schuster, VHS class of 2006 and current FIT junior (and sister of Max), who gave me a tour of her campus.

NYIT

2009-03-21T09:15:00.001-07:00

The New York Institute of Technology has 2 campuses. I was not planning to visit this one but as I was walking from Juilliard to FIT, it was right along my route so I stopped in. Their main campus is on Long Island Students can take classes at either location but housing is limited to the LI campus. Most of the students that attend NYIT are from the city and surrounding counties. They do offer some very popular majors such as Physical Therapy, Nursing, Architecture and Engineering. Students with a B average would stand a very good chance of getting accepted here. Costs are reasonable (for a private school)and about 7500 undergrads attend although most are commuters.

Juillard

2009-03-21T08:58:00.000-07:00

Students from all over the world come here to perfect their already exceptional talents in music, drama, and dance. Only about 450 undergrads attend along with another 300 or so music grad students. Located in Lincoln Center in Manhattan, it is an extremely difficult place to gain acceptance. Of nearly 1100 drama applicants, only 20 were accepted! Music may be somewhat less selective, but it really depends on the applicant pool. Julliard will only take a certain number for each type of voice, a smaller number for each orchestral instrument, etc. As a result, most graduates are employed upon completion of their degree. Many go on to great fame in their field.
The college consists of just 2 buildings and about half the undergrads live in campus housing. Total cost per year with housing and meals is about $45,000. Nearly all who get accepted here do attend and nearly all of those do graduate on time.

NYU

2009-03-18T18:33:00.000-07:00

New York University near Washington Square and Greenwich Village in Manhattan is comprised of 8 undergraduate schools. The Stern School of Business is probably the most selective followed closely by The Tisch School of Performing Arts and then The School of Arts and Science (which is also the biggest). Almost 50,000 students attend NYU but just a quarter of those are full time undergrads. Most of these students live on campus all 4 years. Students come from all 50 states and many foreign countries. In fact, well over 10% of students here are international students.
There are over 160 majors that run the gamut from performance-based to hospitality to sports management to nursing and nearly everything in between. There are also several hundred college-sponsored clubs, with the most popular being 'The Milk and Cookies Club'! Some majors require study abroad for a year or more and many students do a term abroad at some point.
Total cost stated during the info session I attended was the highest I've heard yet; $55,000.

Cooper Union

2009-03-18T18:21:00.001-07:00

Cooper Union is a very unique place. Located near Greenwich Village in New York City, this college charges no tuition and has just 3 majors. Students do have other expenses (such as housing), but annual costs are under $20,000.

The 3 majors are Art, Architecture, and Engineering. There are only about 1000 students total. About half are engineering majors and admissions criteria are extremely selective for each program. The Art and Architect majors have to complete an at-home test that will really challenge even the most creative and talented. Once admitted, students will work very hard during their undergraduate years, but most will graduate on time.

A fifth building is just about complete and all buildings are within a block of one another. It is an Urban setting- meaning no true campus- but is is right next to a nice park.

Hunter College

2009-03-18T18:05:00.001-07:00

Hunter College is made up of 4 buildings within a block of each other in the middle of Manhattan and part of the City University of New York (CUNY) system of which there are 23 institutions total serving the 5 boroughs of NYC. 21,000 students (undergrad+ grad) attend Hunter who, for the most part, are all commuters.

The Macauley Honors College is a special program within the CUNY system that provides a full tuition scholarship for 4 years as well as housing and a $7500 study grant. Only 100 Hunter students per year are accepted into this program, so it is much more competitive than is regular admission to Hunter.

Known as a research institution, Hunter incorporates the big city into it's curriculum and requires students to complete internships. Tuition is very low, about the same as at a SUNY. Education and Health Sciences are popular majors.

Parsons

2009-03-18T17:49:00.001-07:00

Parsons is part of 'The New School'. In fact, the full name is 'Parsons The New School of Design'. It's the largest of 8 schools that fall under The New School heading. Eugene Lang The New School For Liberal Arts is another as are 2 music schools, a drama school, a General Studies college predominently for adults and 2 that are mainly post-graduate options.

Students from VVille often look at Parsons for their many and varied art majors including Architecture and Fashion Merchandising as well as the more traditional visual arts type programs. Donna Karan went here.

This is a completely urban campus in the heart of NYC near Greenwich Village. Nearly 10,000 students attend New School colleges, with almost 40% coming from foreign countries. It is a commuter school but does have dorms that house nearly 1000 freshmen and 3 new dorms are scheduled to open next year. Like most art schools, there are far more girls than boys (nearly 3:1).

Costs vary by program, but one can expect a total bill in excess of $50,000 per year.

Boston University

2009-03-13T12:33:00.001-07:00

With over 16,000 undergraduates and 13,000 grad students, BU is one of the largest private colleges in the country. Located right along a major and busy street in Boston (unlike BC which is in the suburbs)it is truly an urban campus. Unlike Northeastern which does seem to also have an enclosed college campus, BU just seems like a lot of large city buildings that happen to be close to each other. It is residential, however, and housing is guaranteed all 4 years. With over 250 majors, there is something for everyone here academically. I'd recommend that those who do want to attend to not be Yankees fans! In Boston, you're likely to be on the receiving end of 'the bird' simply for having NY license plates. True story.

Olin

2009-03-12T16:30:00.000-07:00

The Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering is a very unique place. It's tiny; just 300 students total. It's new; the first graduates were in 2006. And it's extremely focused; everyone here is an engineering major. It's also extremely competitive with accepted students having an A average in a challenging high school program and incredibly high test scores. The buildings are new, built this decade and current students pay no tuition! They just have to pay room and board and fees, totalling around $18,000. Everyone is required to live on campus all 4 years.
Unfortunately, Olin is not immune to the current financial crisis so this policy will be changing for future students. Still, it's an interesting choice for students serious about engineering.

Wellesley

2009-03-12T16:12:00.001-07:00

Wellesley is an all female school with a great tradition and very high standards. Current Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is an alum and the network of alumnae is said to be one of the school's strengths. Nearly all of the 2400 students live on campus and the retention rate is very high. Upon graduation most students continue their education at some type of graduate school.

The workload is said to be challenging and professors are said to be tough graders. English, Economics, Psychology and International Relations are the most popular majors. Students (including male students)from nearby Babson and Olin can take clases at Wellesley and probably do so for foreign language clases more than any other.

Social life is typical. Boys from other colleges do find their way to Wellesley for parties and events and girls from here are welcome at social events at the two neighboring schools as well as at MIT.

Babson

2009-03-12T15:58:00.000-07:00

Every student at Babson is a business major of some sort. Each student works as part of a group of 30 freshman year running a business of their own design. The college supplies each group with the funds to begin the venture and all profits go to charity. It's kind of like being thrown into the deep end of the pool to learn how to swim. Babson is a school that trains entrepreneurs, it's ingrained throughout the curiculum. For this it is known throughout the world. One quarter of it's student body is from a foreign country in fact.
1850 undergrads make up Babson and they can take classes at both Wellesley and Olin which are very close. It's 14 miles from Boston so students frequently take advantage of all the city has to offer.

Bentley

2009-03-12T15:49:00.001-07:00

Over half the students who attend Bentley are business majors. It's what they do best. Of particular interest is their high tech 'trading room' that gives students great preparation for working on Wall Street. Most graduates do, in fact, start their careers upon graduation as opposed to going to graduate school. A student with a high B average and better than average test scores can get in here. Most students who look at Bentley also look at Babson and Bryant; the 3 B's of northeat business schools.
While it's very high tech inside, outside it's all red brick. It's vey clean and well maintained, but there's just too much brick, buildings look too much alike. 4000 undergrads attend and the cost is (just) $43,000- low for a private school.

Brandeis

2009-03-12T15:37:00.001-07:00

Brandeis is an interesting place. There is a really cool looking castle in the middle of campus that serves as a dorm. About half of the 3200 undergrads identify themselves as Jewish but the school prides itself on including everyone and being non judgemental- despite their nickname "the Judges"! The school was started in 1948by the likes of Albert Einstein, Leonard Bernstein, and Eleanor Roosevelt.

Economics and Psychology are the most popular majors but Physics is said to be very strong here as well as PreMed and PreLaw. The Arts and Humanities thrive here through student run groups and college sponsored clubs and performances. It's a very selective school and most who get in do stay. After graduation, most attend grad school. Many work for PeaceCorps and Teach America as well.

MIT

2009-03-11T20:19:00.001-07:00

Like their neighbors in Cambridge (Harvard), The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is one of the most selective schools in the world. Unlike their more famous neighbor, once you get in, the workload is notoriously difficult. This is a school for the very bright, very serious student who wants to work hard. Over half major in some type of engineering, and another quarter major in science. Architecture is also offered and a small percentage major in management or a liberal arts field. Whatever the major, MIT grads are sought by employers and many have gone on to make significant contributions in their chosen field.

Many unique buildings make up the campus from the 1970’s inspired library to the classic columned structures (pictured) housing the bulk of the academic classes, to the new dorm that looks made of Legos, the windowless silo chapel, and the indescribable student center (pictured).

Harvard

2009-03-11T20:17:00.001-07:00

They say the hardest part about Harvard is getting in. During the tour and info session I participated in, social life and extracurriculars were stressed and residence halls seem to be amazing. Virtually all students live on campus and have seemingly unlimited opportunities to participate in sports and clubs, attend lectures and concerts by the biggest stars, and get involved in organizations and events in Boston. Students take 4 classes per semester after the ‘shopping period’ that allows students to test-drive a class prior to finalizing their schedule and 97% graduate. No classes start before 9am, make that 9:07-‘Harvard Time’!

As far as the getting in part; it’s also reported that Harvard receives applications from enough valedictorians to fill their entire freshman class. Instead, they do take students from every state and around the world. They also need about 1500 athletes on campus to fill the rosters of their varsity and JV sports programs. So while they do accept about 10% of all applications overall, students from New York State who are not sports recruits probably have an even tougher time.

America’s oldest college is also the alma mater of several US presidents and famous alums too numerous to mention.

Tufts

2009-03-11T20:13:00.001-07:00

Tufts is a highly selective liberal arts college just outside of Boston. Accepted students tend to score well over 1400 on the SAT (R+M) and be in the top 10% of their class. Most major in the Liberal Arts but a significant number study engineering. With students from nearly every state and all over the world, there is a lot of diversity but I think it’s also fair to say that most students here come from pretty wealthy families. Most go on to some type of graduate school upon completion of their Bachelor’s Degree.

Suffolk University

2009-03-10T16:41:00.000-07:00

Suffolk is literally just around the corner from Emerson. It is also across the street from Boston Common. Formerly a commuter school, now a fifth of the 5000 very diverse undergrads live in campus housing. B students certainly have a good shot at acceptance here. Over half of Suffolk's students are enrolled in the College of Arts and Science with the rest attending the Business school or the New England School of Art & Design (part of Suffolk U).
At about $40,000, the price tag is said to be the lowest for a private school in the Boston area. It should be noted that there are over 40 colleges in said region. It should also be mentioned that at any of the schools right in Boston, having your own car really is not an option. There is simply no place to park! I was fortunate to find a 'deal' at a garage for just $26 per day!

Emerson

2009-03-10T16:17:00.000-07:00

Located at the corner of Boylston and Tremont in Boston's theatre district and across the street from Boston Common (think Central Park but smaller), Emerson is truly an urban campus. Known for it's Communications programs, students here are likely to major in journalism, media production, marketing, writing or theatre. There are 3100 undergrads and nearly all will live on campus their first 3 years upon completion of their new dorm next year. They are also renovating an old theatre which will bring the number of buildings to 11. Students are involved in productions, the campus radio station, television station and newspapers. Things here are quite new, with over half the campus renovated since 2002. The technology is state of the art and helps prepare students for careers in the communications industry.

Northeastern

2009-03-10T15:47:00.000-07:00

Northeastern is a 73 acre college campus right in Boston, making both a traditional campus and an urban campus at the same time. It's a big school with over 15,000 undergrads. Probably the most defining trait of Northeastern is it's Co-op program. Nearly all students participate in this program which has students working in their chosen career field prior to graduation for at least one semester. As a result, most students here take either 5 years to graduate or use a summer vacation in order to fit in all requirements. During co-op, students are not required to pay tuition and usually are paid by thier employer so, in theory, it may actually cost less. The most popular majors here are engineering, sciences and business. Architecture, physical therapy, international affairs and computer science are also interesting options here.
Many classes here will have over 40 students enrolled and housing is only guaranteed for the first 3 years. It is a competitive school in terms of admissions standards (B+/A- with 1260 ish SAT) yet nearly 1/3 will transfer or drop out prior to graduating.

Boston College

2009-03-10T15:28:00.000-07:00

Boston College is located in Chestnut Hill, just minutes from the heart of the big city which shares its name. Chestnut Hill is an upscale town where the 9000 undergrads at BC feel very safe. The 4 schools at the college are: Arts & Sciences, Education, Business, and Nursing with communications and finance being the most popular majors. Nearly all students live on campus, at least when they are not studying abroad (40% do during junior year) and enjoy big-time college athletics and typical college life on campus except without any Greek organizations. Although the city beckons nearby, most students would rather stay at the college so as to not miss anything.

Important factors to the admissions office besides good grades (A/ A-) and test scores (1350-ish SAT), include diversity (students come from 49 states, 10% are international)and children of alumni. Total cost for a year is just over $51,000. This is another Jesuit school with a large contingent of priests living and working on campus.

Cazenovia College

2009-03-06T11:42:00.000-08:00

Cazenovia is located less than 30 minutes from Syracuse. The town itself is quite small, as is the college. With less than 1000 students, the college is one of the smallest I will visit during my sabbatical. Art & Design and Business are popular majors, but the college may be best known for its Equestrian program. Many students major in Equine related studies and even more participate with the Equestrian team. 75% of the student body is female, SAT/ACT tests are optional, most students live on campus and about 30% play on an athletic team. B and even C students can gain admission here. Total cost is about $34,000.

LeMoyne College

2009-03-06T11:41:00.000-08:00

LeMoyne College in Syracuse is a small school (2400 undergrads) in a nice part of the city. It’s a Jesuit school, which means you will be required to take 2 religion classes and you’ll be expected to work hard. Students with a B average will have a decent shot of acceptance here and A students with above average SAT/ACT scores can expect significant merit money. While visiting, I had a chance to have lunch with 2005 VHS grad and current LeMoyne senior, Laura Pasquali who LOVES her college and thinks it is a great fit for Voorheesville students.
The top majors here are Biology & Health Sciences (with most going on to some type of advanced medical training after graduation), Business & Management, and Education. There is also a new engineering program.

SUNY ESF

2009-03-06T11:37:00.000-08:00

The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry was originally part of Syracuse University but now is part of the SUNY system. It is located on one end of SU’s main campus, right next to the Carrier Dome. ESF students live in SU dorms, dine in SU dining halls, play on SU intramural teams, occasionally take SU courses and enjoy SU’s events all for a price slightly more than at a typical SUNY school. The 1500 students at ESF typically major in a traditional science related field, or in a specialized science field such as Wildlife Management, Forestry, Paper Science or Fisheries & Aquatics.
The Ranger School in the Adirondacks is part of the 25,000 acres owned by ESF throughout New York State that students benefit and learn from. Forest and Park Rangers, Environmental Conservation Officers, Paper Engineers (highly in demand) and Science Teachers would be well served by an ESF education.

Syracuse University

2009-03-06T11:29:00.000-08:00

It’s very easy to get to Syracuse, NY from VVille, being just 2.5 hours from here. It was a bitter cold day on the day that I visited, which is not atypical for Syracuse, but, come on- it's March already! You don’t go there for the weather! SU is a large urban school with nearly 12,000 undergrads and another 5000 grad students. Their 9 colleges have produced some of the most famous and successful Newsmen, Athletes, and entertainment figures in the country and also our current Vice President! The colleges, in order of size, are: Arts& Science, Visual & Performing Arts, Management, Communications, Engineering& Computer Science, Human Ecology, Architecture, Education, and Information Sciences. There are over 200 majors offered with admission to the Newhouse School of Communications being the most competitive, followed closely by the Whitman School of Management.

SU boasts students from all 50 states and 115 countries. Most students are from outside of NYS, 58% are female, 60% live on campus all 4 years, 25% are involved in frats or sororities. Maria Qualtere, 2007 VHS grad, is a current Orange Sophomore and is quite involved already and quite fond of her college.

Skidmore

2009-02-28T07:00:00.001-08:00

Located in beautiful Saratoga, NY, Skidmore College is less than an hour from us. 2400 undergraduates attend coming from 40 states and 30 countries. 60% are female. The current campus was built in the 1970’s or more recently with a new music building just about completed. So things are quite new although the college has existed for nearly a century. Their main dining hall was awesome and loved by the students! The current campus is huge, if you take in to account a wooded area said to be the size of Central Park, but the area containing all the buildings is compact enough to easily walk in a few minutes. It is a nice looking campus with many covered walkways for those who don’t wish to fully brave the NY winters.
Skidmore has 65 majors with English, business, studio art, psych, poli sci, biology, and international affairs being (in order) the top 7. Dance, theatre and music are also strong programs and points of emphasis on campus.
The bill here is $50,000 and half the students are able pay this amount without financial aid from the college. They are a ‘need aware’ school.

Colgate University

2009-02-28T06:58:00.000-08:00

Colgate is in Hamilton, NY, Hamilton College is in Clinton, NY. Let’s keep that straight. The two schools are about 20 minutes apart.

Hamilton, NY (the city that is home to Colgate) is truly a college town. The folks who live there tend to work on campus, the professors live in the town, and student meal cards are said to work ‘everywhere’ in town.

Colgate University is, in my opinion, the most beautiful campus I’ve visited so far. It’s also quite competitive. The average admitted student will have about a 1400 SAT (verbal+math) or a 32 ACT. Almost half of the freshman class will be accepted Early Decision. Their 2800 students are very diverse, coming from 48 states and 37 countries- whenever a school makes a point of this, it means it is a priority and source of pride for them, so if you are from upstate New York, you really need to be exceptional to have a shot at getting in here.

At $51,000 per year, they are expensive but the average student leaves with just $14,000 in debt. They are also what’s known as a ‘need aware’ school, which means if you don’t need financial aid, you might have an easier time getting in.
Students that do attend tend to live on campus, stick around on weekends, study abroad at some point, major in a liberal arts field, graduate on time, and become supportive alumni. About 35% will also join a frat or sorority.

Coincidentally, while taking this tour, I ran in to 08 grad Hilary Edmunds!

Hamilton College

2009-02-28T06:57:00.002-08:00

Hamilton is located in Clinton, NY- just outside of Utica. It’s a beautiful campus with just 1775 students. Almost all live on campus and about half will study abroad at some point. Classes are quite small typically and there are no distribution requirements, which means you take the classes you want to take, not a prescribed set of ‘gen ed’ classes required by the college. It is a writing intensive, liberal arts school offering just the BA degree and requiring a Senior Program said to be similar to a graduate level honors thesis. It’s also a competitive college with typical SAT scores above 1400.

Unfortunately, I forgot my camera this trip.

Pratt MWP

2009-02-28T06:57:00.001-08:00

Located right in the small city of Utica, Pratt’s upstate New York campus at Munson-Williams-Proctor is for the serious art student. Everyone takes the same classes freshman year. The school offers just 3 majors; fine arts, art education, and commercial design (graphic design, illustration, advertising) and students leave after 2 years to finish their BFA at either Pratt in Brooklyn (75% do this) or another college offering the BFA. Once accepted at MWP, you are already accepted in the Brooklyn site for your junior year.
Just 150 students attend the Utica campus with 2/3 being female. 90% live on campus.

While taking a tour with the Director of Admissions, I peeked in to a painting class being taken by VHS class of ’07 grad Hillary Van Dyke-Restifo

Utica College

2009-02-28T06:53:00.000-08:00

Utica College is currently affiliated with Syracuse University, but this will be changing in the near future. For now, students graduating from UC receive a diploma from SU !
Here’s a 4 year college for the B or even C student and SAT’s are optional. Fewer than 2500 undergrads attend, half live on campus and many are involved with athletics.

The most competitive majors are Physical Therapy (a 6 year doctorate program), Occupational Therapy (a 5 year Master’s) and Nursing where high school GPA’s are required to be higher and SAT or ACT scores are required. Criminal Justice is also a very popular major.

SUNY IT

2009-02-24T06:15:00.001-08:00

The SUNY Institute of Technology used to be called SUNY Utica/Rome and until 6 years ago, was an ‘upper level’ college only for transfer students. That has changed. This is now a 4 year college with 2000 undergraduate students. 75% are male (like most tech schools), 600 live on campus but they hope to have another 300 bed dorm built within the next 2 years.
Here’s another school where a B student can get accepted. Once enrolled, students can major in things like computer science (with a game design concentration), business, nursing, health info management or engineering tech. It is small but it’s also a college that I predict will see a lot of growth in the next decade. It’s got the SUNY price tag, it’s centrally located, and offers majors that are in demand

Holy Cross

2009-02-24T06:15:00.000-08:00

The College of the Holy Cross was the 5th and final school I visited during my Worcester visit. It’s a beautiful but hilly campus with 2800 undergraduates. 56% are female (they would like to be 50/50), 16 % are minority, 88% graduate within 4 years. Most students stay on campus on weekends, attending their Div 1A sporting events, dances or movies. There is a lot of school spirit here even after graduation as evidenced by their strong alumni network.

Pre Med/Bio is a popular major as is theatre. More than 1/3 spend their junior year abroad or in DC or NYC. SAT’s are optional. HC looks for students in the top quarter of their class and does keep track of how much interest a prospective student shows. Which means, if you are interested in attending HC, be sure to visit.

WPI

2009-02-19T14:51:00.000-08:00

Worcester Polytechnic Institute or WPI, is not nearly as popular to Voorheesvillians as our beloved RPI, but might be a good fit for many of our students. Most students major in engineering, science, math or computer science. Robotics, fire prevention/ protection and game design are majors that are fairly new and likely to get very popular in a hurry.

WPI has a unique 4 quarter system where students take just 3 classes at a time for just 7 weeks. Even engineering majors are encouraged to study abroad for a quarter or more. Even more unique is their non-punitive grading system. There are no D’s or F’s here. If you don’t earn a C or better, it disappears from your record.

There are 3400 undergrads, 75% of whom are male. Academics here are rigorous but Forbes Magazine lists WPI as the 9th best college in the country to attend if you want to get rich!

Clark University

2009-02-19T14:42:00.000-08:00

Clark University in Worcester, Mass. is one of just 40 schools profiled in the Loren Pope book, ‘Colleges That Change Lives’. Most students live on campus, stay on weekends, have a liberal arts major, study abroad at some point and attend either graduate school or a PeaceCorp or AmeriCorp type program after 4 years. For students with good grades, Clark offers a tuition free 5th year to complete a Master’s Degree.
Accepted students typically have above average grades and test scores but a C student or a student with lower test scores still may have a chance here. It’s a small college, with just 2200 students. 60% are female and almost 10% are international students. Diversity is priority #1 according to their director of admissions.
Each college in this city boasts about the consortium of schools that share transportation to and from each campus, library materials, and even classes for the 35,000 college students attending college in Worcester on a typical day.

Worcester State College

2009-02-19T14:37:00.000-08:00

Worcester State College is attended mainly by commuters. Most students living on campus are freshmen, many of whom go home on weekends, making it not just a commuter school, but also what is known as a ‘suitcase school’. Unlike many residential campuses, the parking lots here seems to dominate the landscape.
Voorheesville students looking for quiet weekends and to major in nursing, speech therapy or occupational therapy might want to consider WSC. The cost for out-of-staters is in the low $20’s and it is possible to take one course per semester at either Clark, WPI, Holy Cross or Assumption- schools with much higher price tags.
Worcester, Mass. has, perhaps, the worst roadway system/ traffic patterns in all of North America. Lanes merge unexpectedly, other lanes become turn only without much notice, potholes are everywhere and pedestrians seem to believe that they can simply cross whenever and wherever!

Assumption

2009-02-18T16:39:00.000-08:00

Assumption is a small Catholic college with just 2150 undergraduate students located in a very nice section of Worcester, Mass., about 2 ½ hours from VVille. Worcester is the 2nd largest city in all of New England. The campus itself is the largest of the 8 colleges in the city, with it’s 39 buildings spread out but still obviously in a self-contained campus. 60% are female, 90% of students live on campus and most reportedly do stay on campus on weekends. Most accepted students will have a gpa in the mid 80’s with slightly above average SAT scores.
The relationships students make with their professors was a point stressed during their info session. AU has had 8 Fulbright Scholars in the past 8 years. Business, English, psychology and natural sciences are the most popular majors. Sports are played at the Division II level.

Sarah Lawrence College

2009-02-17T07:33:00.001-08:00

Just above NYC in Westchester County, Sarah Lawrence is a small (1300 students) liberal arts school that is unique in many ways. Students typically take just 3 classes per term. Classes are very small, students get to know their professors very well, and each class requires a major independent study project. The college’s main focus is on writing and most students will continue on to grad school.
Total cost per year is over $53,000. Most live on campus, most study abroad at some point. Most are female (79%). SAT and ACT are not required.
It’s a very pretty campus, with many stone buildings in a nice neighborhood. The relationships students make with their profs and their ‘dons’ (advisors) was a point stressed during the tour and info session.

SUNY Purchase

2009-02-17T07:25:00.001-08:00

Compared to many of the colleges I’ve visited thus far, Purchase is a relatively new institution. The first students were admitted in just 1971. Today, there are more than 4000 undergrads. About 1200 live in the school dorms- one of which is dubbed ‘Fort Awesome’- and a significant number live in private apartment complexes that are right next to the campus. Over 1/3 of students are fine, visual or performing arts majors, giving the campus a reputation as a college for artistic types, but nearly 2/3 major in the liberal arts where admission criteria tends to be more relaxed.

During my visit, I was able to have lunch on campus with 2008 VHS grad Catherine McTague. She took a break from her hours and hours of painting to show me around.

Lots of brown bricks, not as attractive as many of the private schools I've seen on the trip so far, but everything seems pretty new.

Very close to NYC, the Westchester County traffic can be brutal. Priced like all SUNYs at about $15,000.

Bard

2009-02-10T11:19:00.000-08:00

The campus at Bard College is over 500 acres large with just under 1900 students. The typical student at Bard has about a 3.5 gpa. SAT and ACT scores are said to be unimportant to the admissions office. Instead, they are more interested in interesting, flexible students who can add to the student body. Letters of recommendation and extracurricular activities are, therefore, more important here than at some of the other colleges I’ve visited thus far.
Liberal Arts, visual and performing arts are certainly the most popular majors, but the admissions officer I spoke with says they are seeking more math and science students and are building a new science facility. The Fisher Center for the Performing Arts is that building pictured with the crazy silver roof. The pictures don’t really do it justice.
Unfortunately, info on retention rates and post-college plans were not readily available. These are important factors for any college, so if you are considering Bard, be sure to find out about them.

Vassar

2009-02-10T10:19:00.000-08:00

One of the original ‘Sister Schools’, after over a century as an all-girls college, Vassar only became co-ed in the 1960’s. Currently, they claim their 2400 students to be about 60% female. Almost all students live in campus housing all four years (unless they are studying abroad) and seem to really love their school and their classmates. An interesting fact about Vassar; the bathrooms are co-ed!
On average, students only need to take 4 classes per term. Faculty members are said to be extremely available. There is no core curriculum, so students have a lot of flexibility to take courses that appeal to them.
I had a chance to eat lunch in one of the dining areas with 2 student tour guides who felt that everyone there was very smart, very hard working but maybe too liberal. One of the student guides was VHS grad Austin Saddlemire. Austin is currently a junior and just reurned from a semester in Madrid. He also bought me lunch!
Did I mention that we dined with Kyra Sedgewick and her daughter?! That’s Kyra and Austin in the photo. She wanted me to star in her TV show, but I told her, “No Kyra Sedgewick, I have a lot of other colleges to visit.”

Marist

2009-02-10T10:06:00.000-08:00

Just about 1 mile up the road from CIA, Marist is also a very scenic campus overlooking the Hudson River. Just over 4000 undergrads can major in many of the liberal arts or sciences with athletic training being a popular choice, but their strongest programs are probably in business and communications.
At $36,500, Marist’s price tag seems like a bargain for a private college. Admissions criteria have gotten more selective with a typical accepted student having better than a 3.1 gpa and more than 600 on each section of the SAT or 26 on the ACT.
I took the Marist tour last year playing the role of parent and remember being very impressed with their up to date technology and the general looks and condition of the facilities. I stopped in for a quick visit this week to pick up some new written materials. While there, I suffered a nasty paper cut but, fortunately, was able to carry on.

Culinary Institute of America

2009-02-10T10:02:00.000-08:00

The Culinary Institute of America is probably the best known and most highly regarded culinary school in the country. Only about 90 minutes from home, this scenic campus on the Hudson River doesn’t have the most rigorous admissions standards in terms of traditional academic numbers, but applicants must have 6 months of experience in the food industry prior to enrollment. Once enrolled, students face an intensive, hands-on experience with every aspect of food preparation.
The 2700 students mostly live on campus, are split fairly evenly male/female and traditional (right out of high school) and non-traditional (adult) students.
There are 4 fully functioning restaurants on campus staffed and supplied by CIA students. Students can chose from just 2 majors; Culinary Arts Management and Baking & Pastry Management. Students can start at several different times during the year and can choose to pursue either an Associates of Bachelors degree.

Williams College

2009-02-07T10:40:00.000-08:00

First the bad: despite trying to set up a meeting with an admission counselor, I could not get my phone calls returned and was, therefore, unable to get all my questions answered. Because of this perceived slight, I really wanted to dislike it.
Williamstown is a very small place, so if you're looking for big-city excitement, the small towns in Western Massachussetts are not for you.

Now the good: It’s a great place! Small, friendly, nurturing, strong academics, nice facilities, students seem to know and like each other. It reminded me a lot of VHS and I can easily picture any strong student from our school who has enjoyed his/her high school years being very comfortable and happy at Williams College. Those interested in dance, writing and the arts would be an especially good fit.

Cost per year= $48,000 but students are expected to graduate with no debt thanks to a very large endowment. Williams, like Union, is one of America's oldest colleges and considered by many to be one of the best. Just across the state border, it's less than an hour from home in good weather.

MCLA

2009-02-07T10:32:00.000-08:00

Massachussetts College of Liberal Arts or MCLA, formerly known as North Adams State in North Adams, Mass. is less than an hour from home. Under a special arrangement for students from New York State, attending MCLA costs about the same for a NYS kid as does a SUNY school.
Gaining admission is based mainly on grades and test scores, but most students above an 80 average and average SAT scores would have a decent chance of getting in.
North Adams, Mass is considered to be an ‘Art Mecca’ with MassMOCA in town and several art galleries, music and dance venues nearby and in town.
With only 1600 students, it is very small, as is the town itself but students do stay on campus on weekends, seem to like the school and to get along with one other.
Ironically, my tour guide was from Latham, and is friends with the famous Michalski triplets! Once again, small world!

RPI

2009-02-07T10:29:00.000-08:00

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is trying to be known by it’s full name and, for some reason, get away from the RPI moniker we know and love. My visit and 90 minute tour was on a bitter cold day. The only student on the tour with me was from Texas. His father, ironically, was roommates in college with Mr. Cillis from Voorheesville! Small world.
RPI is one of the best engineering schools on the planet and many VVille grads have successfully pursued higher education at this outstanding college. The new EMPAC center boasts the second best acoustics in the world at a school without a music major! Students here are exposed to hands-on work in science and tech labs early and often and graduate as desired job applicants. Just 15 miles from home, RPI is an outstanding opportunity for those students who can meet their rigorous admissions standards.
As with most tech schools, there are far more men than women. As I believe one of our own female grads attending RPI was quoted in the Times Union; “the odds are good, but the goods are odd!”

Union College

2009-02-07T10:24:00.000-08:00

On 2/4 I met with the Director of Admissions, Anne Fleming Brown.
Union is one of America’s first colleges and is considered one of it’s best by The Princeton Review, Rugg’s Recommendations, The Fiske Guide, Peterson’s and other publications.
Although the city of Schenectady has it’s share of problems, Union has been instrumental in improving the neighborhood around campus. The campus itself is gated all the way around and picturesque when not covered in snow.
Union is on a trimester calendar and reputed to be quite rigorous although students will normally take just 3 classes at a time for 10 weeks each.
Gaining admission to Union is a bit different from many schools. It is test-optional, meaning that students who do not do well on SAT or ACT should not report their scores. Letters of recommendation are, therefore, extremely important. VVille students applying to Union MUST visit the campus or risk being denied acceptance.
Total cost is about $49,000. Just over 2100 undergrads attend Union.

SUNY Albany

2009-02-04T13:39:00.000-08:00

Monday, February 2 was my first day of sabbatical. My first visit was to the admissions office at SUNY Albany. Marcia Hoyt-King, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions, was kind enough to take time out of her busy schedule to show me the inner workings of their admissions decision making process. As you might expect from a school that receives well over 20,000 applications, the amount of paper was staggering. It was very informative and a great behind the scenes look at what goes on after students and counselors submit application materials to college.

SUNY Albany is a terrific college with a growing national reputation. It should certainly be thought of with the same reverance as SUNY Binghamton, Stonybrook, UBuffalo or Geneseo and is as selective or more so than many private colleges. This fact is sometimes lost on students since it is so close to home.

Mr. Kelley's Sabbatical

2009-02-04T13:29:00.000-08:00

During the Spring Semester of 2009, I will be on Sabbatical. During this time, I plan to visit many colleges and several high schools.

The College Board's search engine lists 61 Four year colleges within 100 miles of Voorheesville and 417 within 200 miles. Of these, nearly 100 are featured in the Princeton Review's "Best 366 Colleges" book. While I won't be seeing all of these schools, I will try to see several dozen and to meet as many admissions counselors as possible.

The high schools I will see come from Newsweek's "Top Public High Schools" list. If you know anything about this list, you realize that it is a controversial issue and the criteria used by Newsweek wasn't very scientific. However, since VHS has consistently been the top rated school in the Capital District (#410 in the USA), it must have some merit!