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

Hi there! I grew up in the town Hofstra’s in, and honestly I would say Queens has a far better reputation than Hofstra. Besides the fact that the music ed program is far harder to get into, the quality and the work ethic of the students is better. I know two people (performance majors) who had to transfer from my school (MSM) to Queens because of money issues and they’re not terribly upset - they’re quite happy with the program.

There’s frankly no difference between private and public universities in the professional world - a degree from UMich as a pianist is far more prestigious than a degree from Hofstra or Chapman.

Chapman is way different than either Hofstra or Queens. It’s another expensive private U but in SoCal, and most music ed majors find connections to at least their first job through their degree programs - be aware that if you go to Chapman you’ll likely be in Cali for quite some time. Both Queens and Hofstra can get you placements across Long Island and the city.