<p>Did any parent who went to the HPU weekend get a chance to speak privately to faculty? Are the faculty intellectually, politically and culturally diverse? The only faculty member I had contact with a few years ago in the theatre department left. I want a college that will take students out of their comfort zone and challenge their belief systems. I am a also little concerrned with the emphasis on God. Whose God? Did you get the impression that the “tea party” movement would be popular at HPU?</p>
<p>I have no idea whether the tea party movement would be popular at HPU. I would suggest going through their website and seeing what clubs are available to help in that determination.
The school has a Methodist affiliation that goes back to it’s founding. God is present and will remain present. There is a non-denominational service held every Wednesday night. They have a ride-share program that you can sign up with get to your own religion’s weekly service in the area. If you dedicate a reasonable number of hours to the chapel on campus (this can be in the form of helping the community, adopting families at the holidays, etc - it does not have to be ‘religious’) and write a paper you can actually get 1 credit hour. There is a required religion course freshman year - I don’t know exactly what it is. Nido Qubein specifically said in his ‘talk’ on Saturday morning that he makes no apologies for speaking of God.
There is a new program starting next year - freshman seminars - where students elect to take a number of seminars in ‘out of the box’ courses. Examples were - the Beatles and their connection to famous poets and their poetry, Is there Intelligent Life outside of our Universe, Designer Genes, etc. There will be seminars in each area of study and I believe there will be 31 topics offered.
My husband and/or daughter spoke to a couple of professors in the sciences - they did have a conversation that was in-depth enough to determine any of questions you raised.</p>
<p>blmom14, thanks for the insight. We were one of the 55 people that had to cancel this past weekend for the interview (we had planned on coming regardless of the weather but Southwest Airlines cancelled our flight, it was out of our hands) but are fortunate enough to have been rescheduled for Feb. 20.
When we visited last April, we met with the chairperson of the department of my son’s anticipated major (sports management), Dr. Zarick. He couldn’t have been nicer! He gave us a great deal of information about the school, program, internships, and an outline of academic requirements for the major. It was very helpful because we could then compare curriculum requirements of other schools to HPU’s. It laid out his 4 years of courses for him.
A handy piece of paper!
My son was also accepted at a number of other schools but so far this is his favorite. He’s not a partier but does like to have a social life. I’ve learned from my older son (second year of college) that there’s a party on every campus if someone wants to look and find it. I don’t care what the college is, there’s a party! He just has to be sure to keep the level head he seems to have now once he goes to college! Time will tell.</p>
<p>Certainly a student can find a party on every campus (except perhaps at bible colleges ;), but I do believe there is a variation on college campuses regarding the party culture. At schools with a very high percentage of greeks the ones who choose not to be in a fraternity or sorority definitely may feel like fish out of water. In some cases this also leads to difficulty in finding folks to live with as upperclassman because most of the greeks live together either on special halls or in houses. So, for me as a parent, I do look at the stats about fraternity/ sorority participation as an indicator of the diversity of social opportunities.
(I also have a daughter who is a senior at a national university with a lot of greeks.)</p>
<p>Does anybody know when you hear back regarding the scholarship, I am coming from the 19th-20th one?</p>
<p>Hey Folks,</p>
<p>Has anyone heard regarding the 2010 presidential scholarships. We went to the first weekend. I think they just finished up this past weekend, so it may still be too early.</p>
<p>Happy Wednesday!</p>
<p>We were there on the earlier weekend and someone at a session (I think it was the financial aid session) said we would hear the first week in March. I noticed in the Enrollment Guide they sent us that they give March 26 as the date by which to accept merit scholarship offers. I would certainly hope that students would also have their complete financial aid packages in hand before being asked to accept a merit offer (and choose a school over another one!)</p>
<p>Well, there is something in the mail today. Waiting for son to open it however! We live nearby high point so those farther away may have to wait longer.</p>
<p>Is it a fat package (I think chocolates are involved). What was the mail date?</p>
<p>My son got the package, and yes it does have a box of godiva chocolates and a leadership scholarship. He is home today on spring break so openned when it came! We are very excited!</p>
<p>The mail date was March 3 and yes it is a rectangular box as big as would fit in a mailbox!</p>
<p>Hey, can I ask what yours sons GPA and ACT/SAT scores were? I am also waiting for a letter and curious as to the qualifications so far of recipients?</p>
<p>My son (S2) received his package today containing a box of Godiva chocolates and information about the scholarship level he was chosen for. He received a Leadership Scholarship. I know this is going to sound ungrateful, and believe me it’s not intended that way (we appreciate any financial help we can get), but his older brother (S1) with a MUCH lower GPA and a slightly lower SAT, received more money for a Leadership scholarship from his small LAC than S2 was offered from HPU. I realize that the economy is tough but I was surprised that HPU did not offer more.
Btw, S2’s GPA is 3.8 but his SAT scores were lower than we would have liked at 1170. Good luck to the rest of you.</p>
<p>Disappointing scholarship award here too … only 40% of what was awarded by nationally ranked top 2% university (who would actully require a lower GPA to maintain the scholarship.) What the heck is going on at High Point for 2010 with scholarships? Did they spend all the money on ice cream? Pity, our kid liked it a lot. But when my wife told me the Quibin said words to the effect money shouldn’t be a primary deciding factor - I had a bad feeling! Does he know were in the depths of a recession? And college costs are out of control!
I can’t afford my Godiva to melt under the heat of huge school loans!!! So High Point’s loss will be another University’s gain! (Out of 7 unversities scholarships awards -most of them nationally recognoised- HPU was the LOWEST award … by a decent margin!) We’re sorry now we spent the money traveling down to HP!</p>
<p>Package received, Leadership Scholarship accepted, Godiva’s shared and eaten! Thank you High Point! </p>
<p>In our eyes High Point has done everything amazingly well. From the way they first attracted our attention, communicated their value proposition (to student and to parents), continued to keep our interest while other schools were considered and, right up to the time they closed the deal, High Point has proven to us that this is the institution of higher learning that our son will learn the most from, in the traditional class room and in the educational life learning experience that High Point is in totality. We realize High Point won’t meet everyone’s requirements (academically, financially, socially, etc.) and that is to be expected. Even Nido Qubein hasn’t and won’t find a way to be everything to everybody. However, from what everyone at High Point and in High Point, NC (and we mean everyone…admission counselors, office staff, Academic affairs, Enrollment staff, Professors, students, hotel manager, bus drivers, area restaurant staff, the list goes on) has shown us, High Point University AND High Point, NC, is the right place for our son to be for the next four years of his life. </p>
<p>Of course, now that the sale has been consummated we are expecting High Point to impress us even more. I look forward to being back on this board next year, sharing our son’s first year experiences (along with our, his parent’s, experiences) with all of those who will be considering High Point in the future. If High Point stays on course, delivers on the expectations they have set (and my son follows through on his responsibilities) I am optimistic I will have plenty of good things to share about what High Point is doing to appropriately prepare our sons and daughters to be the best at whatever they choose to do and be after leaving High Point.</p>
<p>Go Panthers!</p>
<p>Now that our students have received their awards, has anyone heard about Honors program? And for those of us who will have children at HPU, let’s hope that Dr. Quebein does not accept the call to run for governor. In so many ways, the HPU culture is dependent on him, his values, fund raising, presence. Some may say a “cult of the personality”. I really don’t want him to leave while my D is there.</p>
<p>High Point gets high marks on courting their prospective students and making them feel special. It is the school that has done the best keeping her interested and ‘pampered’.</p>
<p>The scholarship package was no exception - she loved it and happily juggled it on top of her books on the way in from school yesterday (she is usually the one to get the mail since the college process started). And she’s not even really a chocolate eater - so her box is still fully and pristinely intact sitting on the kitchen island.</p>
<p>She received the presidential scholarship (9K) which is what we expected. We hoped for ‘a long shot’ one step above, but knew that would be a stretch even with her 4.0 GPA, and 14 class rank (1 person below top 5%) - it’s her SATs that get us every time!! This is close to the amount of merit money she has received from every school to which she was accepted - percentage wise, it’s near the top. We were concerned that she might not even get the PS since Nido kept saying not to be disappointed. I think the stats for these scholarships are going to be rising each year.</p>
<p>When we came home from the scholarship weekend we put in her deposit since Nido said a few times that when deciding on the distributions they would be taking those students who had put in deposits more seriously. I wonder for those of you who were disappointed if you had or had not sent the deposit.</p>
<p>Now, we have to decide. We won’t be getting any financial aid from High Point - so this is our final cost. Our daughter leaves for a scholarship event at Siena tomorrow. They are very similar schools, in culture, campus feel (minus all the brand new buildings!!), and cost. The science program there (she is a biochem major) is much more established and respected. She is guaranteed an 8K presidential scholarship there and she is a finalist for an additional scholarship at Siena that could pay her full tuition. So, we’ll be waiting to see what happens there. She didn’t get such a warm and fuzzy feeling from Siena last time - but the sun will be shining Sunday and Monday, she will be staying in a dorm, there will be activities planned to get her interested and she will probably be going to see the men’s basketball team play in the semifinals at the Capital Arena - so she’ll get the full rah, rah experience of the ‘dog pound’.</p>
<p>High Point is where my daughter sees herself, it’s where I am leaning, while my husband is on the more practical side of things and isn’t as apt to go by feelings. Based on what the costs are turning out to be - it will be HPU, Siena, or one of two SUNYs. While there are other schools where she was accepted, even with the merit money they offered - they will be too expensive. Our cost at HPU will be stretching a little over our comfort zone as it is (we are pretty anti-loan other than the Staffords for our daughter - she needs to have some culpability in her education). It’s too bad we can’t afford that EFC that popped out of FAFSA!!!</p>
<p>I’m smiling for all of you that ‘sealed your deal’ with HPU - I think it is the right fit for a lot of students.</p>
<p>We’ll be waiting a couple of weeks to make our final decision.</p>
<p>Well dang it, blmom-would you mind sharing her SAT? My D is similar in GPA, rank.</p>
<p>Amazon mom-I hope the prez doesn’t leave either!</p>
<p>Ready2sendhimaway(love the name) please do keep us posted and I’m excited for your son!</p>
<p>My son is a freshman at HPU and received a scholarship last year. He had some friends who applied this year, and the amounts generally were smaller than they expected. He had one friend who had a SAT score in the 1300 range and a perfect GPA for senior year (with AP’s) of 6.0 as of this time. He was shocked that he received a scholarship offer of only $9,000 (he was, however, lacking EC’s). Last year my son thought the amounts were pretty predictable based on the scholarship descriptions on the web site. </p>
<p>Keep in mind also that the comprehensive fee will most likely be more than the $33,400 for 2009-2010. I am bracing myself for the new cost. In addition, there are additional fees for certain dorms. I was lucky last year, and my son was happy in Finch where there is no additional fee.</p>
<p>Good luck to everyone with their decisions. My son is very happy with his choice of HPU.</p>
<p>So great to hear everyone’s perspective on HPU and the merit scholarships. Must say that Dr. Qubein is a marketing machine…he’s thought of everything to lure the students. </p>
<p>My daughter received a great award, higher than we anticipated from their printed criteria, though in line with what she has received from other colleges. Is anyone concerned about the higher GPA requirements of these scholarships…3.25? College is a big change from high school and I’m concerned that she may lose this funding if she struggles at all with the transition.</p>