Hofstra vs. Queens vs. Chapman

College Majors Music Major
1

Hi, music people! I’m a current freshman at Hofstra University, majoring in music education. My primary instruments are piano and voice.

I’m thinking about transferring to CUNY Queens (Aaron Copland) or Chapman (Hall-Musco), because I feel that Hofstra’s music program and reputation are lacking compared to my grades. I’m not feeling pushed enough.

My question is, should I stay at Hofstra? Since they don’t have a very strong music program, I’m a good candidate for leadership roles there, but is that worth more than the fact that their department isn’t as good as I want it to be? Should I choose prestige over resume-building opportunities?

My second question is, if I leave Hofstra, which school should I choose? I fell in love with Queens, but I’m worried that Aaron Copland isn’t as prestigious because it’s a CUNY, and it’s not a private university. At the same time, I know nothing about Chapman and whether or not the program will fit me.

I’ll be visiting Chapman and exploring Queens a little more, but I would like to know: If you were in my shoes, would you stay or leave? And if you left, would you choose Queens or Chapman?

2

I don’t know much about Chapman, but as a Long Islander I have plenty of friends who had to decide between Hofstra and Queens. A lot of profs I know from Queens are bigger names than those at Hofstra, and still work in the industry in the city (eg I know Judith Mendenhall teaches at both Queens and Mannes for flute, and I just saw her in the American Ballet Theatre pit orchestra). If you’re worried about prestige at Queens, look at the profs and what else they do outside of teaching.

3

Thank you! I’ll look closer at the faculty and what they do. I guess my main concern is just about Queens’s reputation as a CUNY if I’m trying to go to grad school.