<p>okay guys i need your help. i still have a few responses i'm waiting for but considering my financial situation i'd need a miracle.
anyways so i need help deciding between CCNY and hofstra in order to narrow down my list</p>
<p>ccny is in the city and macaulay will make it free and will open me up to a whole new world of possibilities BUT, the whole 95% commuters really bothers me because i want some of that "college experience" and "campus life"</p>
<p>hofstra on the other hand has that life but from the people i've talked to the area is really boring. I'm a city girl and i've always grown up in the city so new york doesn't really dazzle me as much as people from outside the city. </p>
<p>my question is academically which would be the smarter choice
i plan on applying to med school so the 4+4 program facilitates that process for me. buuuut i don't want to be stuck in an environment where i will be unhappy or bored.
anyways i got a little off topic so sososo opinions thoughts anything
MAJOR: biomedical engineering
GOAL: get into med school
SCHOOLS? cony + macaulay vs hofstra 4+4 BS/MD program</p>
The call is yours, really. Personally, I’d take a Hofstra 4+4 acceptance over Macaualay. Yeah Macaulay is great and all, but… if your purpose is to become a doctor, and you get accepted into the Hofstra / LIJ North Shore Program- why mess around? While it’s true that Hofstra isn’t located in the most happening immediate area- I hear there are shuttle buses to some local attractions (mall, etc). And IF you or a friend had a car/ride- you could get to Mineola LIRR station and be in Manhattan on the weekends in an hour (taking 2 buses to Mineola isn’t a great option).
How much does Hofstra cost if you do (tuition, fees, room, board ) - (scholarships, grants) = ?
(Do not count any type of loans - federal/Stafford, PLUS, etc.)
It’d be really hard for a future premed to turn down Macaulay (and all the perks that come with it) - did you get into the 4+4 program? If so, that’d be the only reason to turn down Macalay.
How “boring” the area is won’t matter if you’re premed since you’ll need to be in the top 10-20% of every single class you take (a bit less stringent for the 4+4 but still 3.6 with no grade lower than B in every class is not easily achieved in college). So forget about going out every night :). You’ll have time to party on Fridays but during the week you’ll have to be dedicated to your studies (request a Living Learning Community with other premeds, and/or Honors housing, or a Quiet floor).
For me, it’d me a no-brainer because of the cost factor. Unless your parents are super duper rich and wouldn’t mind one bit dropping a ton of moolah to attend a tier 3 private school… Definitely MHC at CCNY (granted that you get in, fingers crossed for ya!).
Id say the academic rigor is roughly the same (jsut a gut feeling, a product of many an anecdote Ive heard). It completely depends on the batch of peers you get “stuck” with. However, definitely do NOT discount MHC students. They are (should be) some of the smarter NYC kids. THe smartest probably end up at Ivies and the like.
CCNY I feel is solid.
In terms of finding things to do, you’ll be in Manhattan! I could walk up and down the island all day long. THeres tons of things to do. Vs hempstead, meh.
If it helps, my calc teacher is a Hofstra Alum, and he is thoroughly disgruntled, to say the least. He is in a ton of debt, and while he says the academics is good (and he’s pretty tough to please, not to mention smart), he feels as if its simply not worth the money.
Just my two cents. I’m pretty much in the exact same boat your in.
Note that City College offers free housing to Macaulay Scholars, who would thus have more of a “community” and less of a “commuter college” experience.
Hofstra is a more well respected-school then most people think, they do host presidential debates, but I agree the area may be dull (to say the least, as a Long Islander I can say for fact Hempstead is the most dilapidated city on the island). However, @MYOS1634, where did you hear that about City?
It’s on the Macaulay page; currently, only 3 colleges among CUNYs offer Macaulay scholars housing, which would increase the sense of community: City, Lehman (very small), and Hunter.
Does Macaulay Honors College offer free room and board?
Each of the Macaulay campuses has slightly different housing options for its students. Three campuses currently offer housing packages for their Macaulay students (City College, Hunter College, and Lehman College). Check with the different campuses for more information about their housing options.
Do students get housing referrals?
For Macaulay students on campuses that do not have dorms, the campus housing office helps students find affordable housing close to the campus.