<p>It sounded too good to be true - less than half the students graduate in 6 years, and the freshman retention rate is 78%.</p>
<p>I attended a k-12 Bob Jones feeder for middle school. The administration also promoted High Point. Makes me wonder if this is one of those schools that takes the religious affiliation seriously (which is probably a positive for some).</p>
<p>cpeltz It sounded too good to be true - less than half the students graduate in 6 years, and the freshman retention rate is 78%. </p>
<p>Cpeltz, I talked a friends sister who goes there, and she said that lots of people double major, just so that they can stay at high point longer. and while that retention rate is lower than average, it's not terrible.</p>
<p>lockn I attended a k-12 Bob Jones feeder for middle school. The administration also promoted High Point. Makes me wonder if this is one of those schools that takes the religious affiliation seriously (which is probably a positive for some). </p>
<p>Lockn, they don't take their religious affiliation that seriously. For example, there are no required religion classes, no required church hours, etc. It seems to me that the religious affliated label is sort of out of place.</p>
<p>I'm sorry. I take that back Lockn. There is one Religion class requirement.</p>
<p>I think there is so much that is changing about HPU currently that it is hard not to look at past stats and discount them. I would guess the retention rate rises rapidly over the next few years. And, I anticipate the SAT stats to also rise. Unfortunately, our D turned down the Presidential Scholarship weekend b/c she felt the academic "rigor" was not where she has been nor where she wants to be. Everything about the school was fantastic except the classes she attended. We were disappointed!</p>
<p>I toured High Point again this past week...I'm sold.</p>
<p>I'll be a transfer student from NY. I absolutely loved the place. One of the biggest things that attracted me was the fact that the college was willing to go out of their way for me. I was emailing a professor for weeks and when my tour was over the professor met me at the admissions office and answered a few of my questions and gave me all sorts of advice. </p>
<p>The first thing I noticed...when I pulled on to the campus they had my name and where I was from on a sign all personalized. It was awesome. My own parking spot. It made you feel welcome. </p>
<p>If anyone is familiar with Siena College in upstate NY, I consider these schools to be very similar. For anyone in the northeast that loves High Point, check out Siena College. </p>
<p>On top of all that the best part was being able to meet the president Dr Qubein. Our tour was leading us through the campus center and he was in there eating lunch with students. He had a plate of macaroni and cheese, just hanging out. I loved it. He's not one of those guys that sit in an office where you need an appointment to go see. He has an OPEN DOOR POLICY. You don't see that often. </p>
<p>The college is gaining national attention very fast. With exceptional leadership and a vision the college is gaining ground on top schools. The business school, is modeled after Harvard's business school. </p>
<p>Take a tour, you'll love it. I could be a tour guide, I've got that much enthusiasm, I can't wait to apply.</p>
<p>2525:</p>
<p>You are correct that HPU is still "not there yet" on academic rigor. That will come. As student quality rises, they will demand tougher and more prestigious professors and Mr. Qubein has the money to bring them in. Some schools work on program improvements first and then buildings last, others build the buildings first (if we build it they will come, sort of notion) and work on programs later.</p>
<p>For the highly qualified students with academic excellence and ambitions to match, HPU may not be the top choice. But it is, as you know, a veritable country club. </p>
<p>On the other hand, for the average student its a perfectly acceptable place to attend college and their leadership emphasis is a really healthy environment. </p>
<p>I strongly encourage students to look closely at HPU.</p>
<p>We recently visited High Point - - and hated it. Too much focus on the physical: the endless new construction, leather furniture in the dorms, marble floors, copying the design of the Harvard B school, benches with seated statues of famous people (Shakespeare, et al) and special luxe dorms for ED enrollees. D said the campus reminded her of “1984” (piped in music, ice cream as a sedative, slogans, roving photographer taking pix of happy students that would later be displayed in the dorms) or Stepford (automatons, no individuality - - students can’t post any notices on campus). The music scared me - - I kept expecting Nurse Ratchet to appear and start passin’ out the meds.</p>
<p>The president, who addressed the assembled 20+ prospect families, was down-right offensive. He told a blond girl from NJ that she was pretty enough to be admitted - - and that she should marry a rich man. He told the parents that the school admitted only “good” kids, those who were well-dressed and had good hygiene. I’m all for brushing one’s teeth and I know he meant it to be a joke, but I didn’t find it at all funny. </p>
<p>Both the president and our guide noted that students at HP are encouraged to responsibility for their environment and not just whine or complain, but to make constructive suggestions. As an example, they cited a student request for hammocks, which the school promptly supplied. Apparently “taking responsibility” entails no more than making a demand, like a petulant toddler. </p>
<p>And then there’s the campus director of “WOW” - - charged with providing a daily WOW experience. </p>
<p>As I said, we hated it. But we were definitely in the minority everyone else on our tour was WOWED by the new construction and the crystal chandeliers and the free ice cream and the insanely clean campus.</p>
<p>nyc: CC laugh of the day…</p>
<p>NYC: If its not for you, then dont go there. My d walked on the Duke campus and didnt like it or the people there. She didnt like NYU either. </p>
<p>Isnt this a wonderful country? You can find a special school for you among the 2,000 plus colleges in the United States.</p>
<p>Its important to pick schools where you fit in.</p>
<p>As a higher ed professional, I’d recommend that you find a way to get a few faculty members there off the record and chat with them about this whole marketing direction. This is the kind of thing that makes college faculty furious, that kills their morale and puts them on the warpath with the administration. Faculty hate it when students are labeled “customers” because the customer is always right and customers’ desires should be met whenever possible. Having to deal with “customers” who have a sense of entitlement makes it very difficult and uncomfortable for faculty to do their jobs well. This kind of approach also, in their eyes, makes faculty feel as if what they do is considered just a necessary sidelight of the college experience rather than the core of the entire experience. I would be amazed if all is happy and serene at HPU.</p>
<p>Gadad, and nyc thanks for your posts.</p>
<p>I wonder how the faculty feel about their academic freedom at this school (the consumer model tends to create a new notion of student academic rights that extend beyond their normal reach and into the infringement of academic freedom). I’m also wondering what has been done alongside these improvements to court new, higher quality faculty in order to improve academics.</p>
<p>This sounds like the Google Campus, but are they improving where it really counts alongside this stuff?</p>
<p>Also, it’s funny, I had a visceral reaction to this thread somewhat like nyc. Since I’m from LI, I wonder if it’s a NY thing… It sounded really sweet, but in this dystopia-disguised-as-utopia kind of way.</p>
<p>
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<p>This is what counts.</p>
<p>“I’m also wondering what has been done alongside these improvements to court new, higher quality faculty in order to improve academics.”</p>
<p>^^^ I was surprised that soooo much time was spent discussing the cost of the new construction and not a single word regarding money for faculty development. And when I asked whether financing so many constuction projects meant there was less money to hire additonal faculty, increase faculty salaries, meet 100% of demonstrated need, etc., the only response was that the school had separate fundraising for the consturction budget - - but no dollar amount attached to any initiative other than construction. The refusal to discuss other expenditures after touting the size of the construction budget left me with the distinct impression that non-construction and non-WOW items were, at best, an after thought. </p>
<p>I also found it troubling that, for a school that claimed to be interested in the individual, D’s “interview” consisted of no more that an explanation of the admissions process. The adcom advised D to write “a really good essay” b/c that was the only way the adcom could get to know her. What about talking to D while she was on-site!!??!! Or encouraging her to meet with an admissions traveler!!??!!</p>
<p>We had high hopes for High Point - - thank God we visited; now we know it is not the right school for D.</p>
<p>Endlessrecession, the fact that HPU is not right for my D doesn’t render me ineligible to share my impressions with those who have expressed an interest in hearing first-hand acconts from those of us who have visited the school.</p>
<p>Good luck to you and your D.</p>
<p>My understanding is they just hired 100 new employees - including professors.</p>
<p>im going to be blunt. At the end of the day it all comes down to the name you put on your resume. I have never heard of High Point University and it sounds like a joke. The alumni base must be tiny and you will lose all credibility if you get a degree from this school.</p>
<p>Brownbear… despite your love for my school (and yours? not sure), you come off like a moron in a lot of these posts. Simmer down.</p>
<p>hmmm i see no wrong doing in posting real expectations after a degree from High Point. This is the truth and students/parents should be aware of that. The campus looks like a cheezy resort trying to portray something they are not.</p>
<p>^^^ “My understanding is they just hired 100 new employees - including professors.”</p>
<p>It would be good to find out if these are 100 new positions or if many of those hires are replacements for faculty who have decided to go elsewhere after hearing for the hundredth time “A 10-page paper due in only two weeks??? This is NOT the kind of WOW! that I came here for!!!”</p>