<p>“Just read that their apps are up 35% and the freshman class is 93% full with deposits (they sent an email)”</p>
<p>According to Nido speaking during the scholarship weekend of 2/5 - applications were actually up 37% - and I think he said their retention rate is now 93%?? Maybe it’s just coincidence that both statistics are 93%? We didn’t get the email you mentioned.</p>
<p>Just FYI this coming year’s (2010-2011) freshman class is going to be 1100 (up from 9xx last year), then year after it is going to be 1300 and then they are capping it there.</p>
<p>I’d take the deposit statistic with a big, big grain of salt. They are one of the few colleges that fully refund the deposit if you do not go. When we were there it appeared most of the people we ran into had paid the deposit. We learned that housing choices for freshman are filled in the following order - early decision and then order of deposit, early action and then order of deposit, regular decision and then order of deposit. We came home and submitted the deposit based on this information. But, we still do not know if my daughter will be attending - she has many other schools to choose from and we are waiting for merit/financial aid packages to make the final decision.</p>
<p>I’m sure this may be the case for many others.</p>
<p>thank you cathyl!~~ Nido is indeed one to watch. I read and posted on here that he is being considered as a gubernatorial candidate for North Carolina. No surprise there. I am quite sure if it were not for him, our DD would not be there and thriving as she is.</p>
<p>I have been lurking on this board for some time and would like to share my experiences as a student at HPU over ten years ago. Unfortunately, I did not have a computer to find this college, but what I had was a borrowed book from the library and a chance meeting with the school’s rep that I had a convention center here in my city about this college.
My parents allowed me and my siblings to pick any college that we wanted with the only requirement that we would not transfer out the college without finishing our undergraduate degree. My mother, a teacher often warned how sometimes colleges would not transfer credits.
I told my parents about how I wanted to see this college in person, therefore, we loaded into our vehicle and we drove over six hours. After touring the college and speaking with a professor I felt that I wanted to be a student here. Dr. Quebin was not the president at the time, it was Dr. Martinson.
Most students parents are very wealthy. A lot of students drove BMWs, Mercedes, Saabs and other luxury cars and I am talking brand new. I remember sitting in a friend’s room and her father was calling from New Jersey. I heard the girl tell her father that she had not received her monthly check of $600.00 and she was serious. It was funny to me because I had to work a part-time job, my parents had others to send to college and at that time the tuition was $20,000 not $33,000.
I was not there on academic or athletic scholarships, but with a lot of help from God and hard-working parents.
I do remember students on the most part being quite friendly even proofreading papers without you having to go to the lab.
I have not visited the college since I graduated, but now have been told that they are a Division 1 in all athletic departments and Forbes and US News World Report have given HPU fantastic reviews as being a college to watch in the near future. Dr. Quebin’s vision I believe in the next five years or less is to make HPU as nationally recognized as Elon and I think that it just may happen.</p>
<p>Thanks for your post! My daughter is a freshman at High Point.
What did you major in at High Point and what are you doing now?
You really should try to visit the campus. You will be amazed in the changes!</p>
<p>I wish to respond to your answer but privately. Please look for a message from me.</p>
<p>What activities does your daughter participate in at HPU?</p>
<p>When I was there I participated in the Aphogee Literary magazine and a couple of my poems were published. Professors like Dr. Baker were readily available to offer one on one assistance to students. I am not sure if that is the case now. </p>
<p>I keep hearing and reading that the college is very different from the time that I went there in the 90s.</p>
<p>Even more directly, this stuff about the school being 93 percent full … this was posted before the Regular Decision deadline and thus also before the regular decision acceptances. So, the poster simply misheard/misunderstood what was said.</p>
<p>I live a few minutes away from HPU. The school is full of Northeners from New York and New Jersey who attend the school for the luxuries it offers. It is definitely not the “Southern School” they try to make it seem. The school is in the bad part of town and is not well-known. I would advise against going there.</p>
<p>I visited High Point University with my daughter and I was “WOWed”! I am so sorry to hear that so many people don’t like the school. It is definitely true that everything is not for everyone, but for some…It’s perfect! It’s definitely a school to watch for. Everyone was friendly and seemed to genuinely care. </p>
<p>Everything was really nice, but the proof lies in the pudding. My DD’s goal is to go to dental school and my largest concern at “any” school is whether they are equipped to assist her in reaching her goal. I am now awaiting the email with the dental school acceptance rates and the list of dental schools the students have been accepted to. If High Point U can help her reach her goal and she can be WOWed in the process, why not?? I will never understand why people think that we can’t have it ALL…beautiful living spaces, nice ammenities and a good education. I don’t know about you all, but $35,000 is a LOT of money for us and I feel like HPU is one of the few places where we truly feel like we’re getting our money’s worth. </p>
<p>Of course, there are other schools on my DD’s list, but HPU is one of the top choices. And if they can get her to where she wants to be, I’m in. It is a beautiful place!</p>
<p>I recently returned from a tour of Southern colleges. On one day I saw Elon in the morning and High Point in the afternoon. The experience could not have been more different. I was very turned off by the emphasis on appearances and (in my opinion) unnecessary luxuries at High Point. Although our tour guide was friendly and helpful, 95% of our tour was about the facility, with very little mention of the academics. Even the three minute (?) video clip we were shown discussed the state-of-the-art video game design equipment for access by students who are majoring in that field. After seeing the overly decorated study areas, the huge dorm rooms, the steak house, the resort-type pool, etc. I felt like I was not at a college but at a well-appointed conference center. I did not like the vibe at all.</p>
<p>When I toured High Point University just a year ago I was kind of freaked out that the ENTIRE tour of the campus was only about the aesthetics of HPU and the “perks” like the swimming pools, ice cream kiosks, and the unnecessary classical music being piped out of speakers all over campus. Academics were hardly mentioned. My GPA and SAT scores were WELL above their average yet I still had to ‘compete’ for financial aid and received a small, small amount. HPU is definitely not worth the price tag for the type of institution they are. Also, High Point is a very rough part of North Carolina. I would look elsewhere for sure! It seemed more like a country club than a college</p>
<p>With regard to the remarks attributed to Dr. Qubein, I would like to suggest that if he said something of that sort it must surely have been in jest. Dr. Qubein has a quick wit and engaging sense of humor that may not be expected of someone in his position. What he has done to and for this school in the last five years is nothing short of amazing. He is one of the most positive, inspiring and energetic individuals I have encountered to date.
If Disney had built a university, this would be it. The goal there is to give every student a safe and nurturing environment in which to learn and thrive. If it looks good too, well that’s just the cherry on the sundae.</p>
<p>My DD is entering her Junior year and is already being sought out for employment thanks to her HPU learning experiences and Nido’s leadership. She has found there to be MUCH substance beyond the fluff. She was never into all of that, but rather was drawn to the energy and character of the campus. It is definitely up and coming in every way and word is out. Granted this is from the website, but the facts are telling:</p>
<p>In just a few short days, High Point University will begin another record-setting year, thanks to not only its largest freshman class in the school’s history –1,220 students – but also with new academic programs and living spaces. </p>
<p>The figures alone tell a compelling story of the university’s extraordinary growth:
• 2010-11 HPU freshman population: 1,220; up from 1,030 during the 2009-10 school year – an 18 percent increase. Since 2005, freshman enrollment has increased 230 percent, up from 370.
• 2010-11 HPU total undergraduate day population: 3,300; up from 2,700 during the 2009-10 school year – a 22 percent increase. Since 2005, enrollment has increased 122 percent, up from 1,484.
• The campus size has more than doubled since 2005, from 93 to 210 acres.
• 2010-2011 SAT scores are up 100 points on average over 2005.
• 2010-2011 number of faculty and staff has risen to 879 - 115 more than the previous year and a 90 percent increase over 2005. </p>
<p>What lies behind these impressive figures is a school that continues to enhance academic programs, drawing interest from students from all over the United States and beyond. It has also drawn interest from the U.S. News & World Report, which last year ranked HPU as the No. 1 Baccalaureate College to Watch and No.5 among all Comprehensive Colleges in the South. Last year, Forbes Magazine ranked HPU among the top 6 percent of U.S. colleges.</p>
<p>First, I’m happy your daughter is having a positive experience at High Point. </p>
<p>But your ‘stats’ are far from compelling. </p>
<p>Taking in more students or getting a larger campus does not make for a better education. What it means is they have more beds to sell on the marketplace. The other stats are virtually meaningless too. If the SAT scores were awful in 2005, raising them 100 points means what exactly? What are their SAT scores compared to peer schools and what are their peer schools? </p>
<p>Hiring more faculty and staff means little without the details. If the ratio of students to full-time faculty has increased, let us know that stat as that is more meaningful. </p>
<p>HP releases numbers like a corporation releases press releases. When they start posting their common data set numbers year-to-year like most reputable colleges do, let us know. What are they hiding?</p>
<p>… and that means what? That a student should go to the higher ranked and more selective southern regional thingy Ouachita Baptist University and save virtually half on the cost of a college education compared to what High Point charges?</p>
<p>Then again, I’m betting that High Point has nicer looking dorms and a nicer pool, so that should make for the @ $68K difference over four years. ;)</p>
<p>I graduated from Wake Forest University, which made the top 25 on the US News Report just out yesterday. Wake is a great school, don’t get me wrong. I graduated with honors from the Business School with a BS in Accountancy, one of the most difficult and nationally recognized of Wake’s undergraduate degrees. </p>
<p>My son will be a freshman at High Point University this year. We toured Wake along with UNC-CH, Emory, and many other smaller universities and colleges. My dear old Wake Forest put on an arrogant, stuffy, you would be lucky to be accepted tour. My son was really turned off. After many days on tour, he chose Elon. We had not even considered High Point, but it kept coming up in conversations, and in my research. We toured two days before the early decision deadline. High Point University quickly became his first choice. My son loved the campus as well as the philosophy of the school. They actually appeared to care about the student. The professors we met were very well qualified and surprise - actually appeared to enjoy teaching students! As a business professional I found the facilities top notch - great technology, and the business department was much more modern and up to date than anywhere else we toured. I am not just talking about facilities, I am talking about being up on how business is done today, not 10 years ago. Engaging faculty, a president who has a business background, students getting a large percentage of internships, and a university who teaches students how to become a whole person. Do you know how many times I have had to explain to new hires how to dress or behave on the job?</p>
<p>A college education is very personal, and each student needs to determine what will work best for them. Don’t forget that getting in is only the first step. You have to graduate. I hope high school students reading this site don’t get the idea that you must go to Harvard or Wake to get a great undergraduate education.</p>
<p>He considered it, but because he had already applied at several other schools, he choose to apply early admissions instead. There was no doubt he would meet admissions requirements. He ended up being chosen as a Presidential Scholar, and receiving a scholarship.</p>
<p>So, why did you bring up early decision when it isn’t relevant? </p>
<p>Moving on, you posted that your son applied EA to Elon, was deferred and subsequently placed on the waitlist. And now High Point was his first choice from early on in the fall? Please. That someone not shown the love at Elon is chosen as a Presidential Scholar at High Point speaks volumes as to the kids they currently get. </p>
<p>I certainly agree that it is more about what you do in college than where you go. My big concern about High Point is what a student can’t control on his own. The school’s reputation. Does its reputation improve over time or does it become the butt of jokes diminishing all the hard work and reducing the value of a High Point education? Time will tell.</p>