Hello,
My son completed his Freshman year at Niagara this past spring. He has loved his experience there and is a BFA Theatre Major. I thought it would be nice to start a thread about this school as it has very little out there. Every school has good and bad experiences, but I thought it would be an excellent place to start.
For our family, we have been very happy with all aspects of the school. Our son has always been in sports, music, and volunteering in his community. These were all things important to him in a college he would attend. Niagara made him feel wanted, not just a number. They talked about and shared stories of volunteerism and activism, both of great importance to him. He can grow in his field of study and enjoys his teachers and fellow students. The financial aid department has been helpful, as has residence life.
They have many things to do throughout the week and on weekends for all the students and encourage everyone to get involved in clubs and activities. They have food trucks and special events throughout the semester to keep the kids involved on campus.
Hi Sonnie,
True, very little out there in Niagara. Not much out generally for smaller schools in general. Would be very interested in more info. My son is interested in nursing, and Niagara is a top school for him. We have visited twice, and got really good vibes. The President gave a wonderful speech to the group, which was full of talk of the university’s role in developing proper values, etc. I was impressed that he even showed up. Campus and location are very nice. One concern we had was whether it is a suitcase campus where most kids go home on the weekends.
We are also looking at other smallish, direct admit nursing programs like LeMoyne, Baldwin Wallace, St. Anselm, Xavier, and Endicott. Love to hear any info, these schools just don’t have a big presence here. Thanks.
Hello, and welcome to the forum. I can assure you it’s a lively campus with lots of activities, during the week and on the weekends. All freshmen and sophomores must live on campus unless they are within a certain mileage. We live about 7 hours away from the school, and my son does not get to come home often. He came home during the breaks when the residence halls were closed, that was Thanksgiving, the winter break, Spring break (the department went to NYC for the first half), and Easter. They have so many clubs and activities that I think you have to try to avoid doing something. Between the Campus Programming Board, Residence Life (CA’s) Campus Activities, the sporting events (Hockey, Basketball, Swimming, Baseball, etc.), not to mention all the clubs and intermural sports (they encourage them to be involved in 3 clubs, they encourage, 1 for your major, 1 to have fun and 1 to give back) and the Theatre there is no shortage in having something to do.
Now the nitty gritty that parents sometimes worry about. The Health Services department is wonderful. They have doctors and nurses on staff and can fill most prescriptions and take care of most medical situations, such as strep throat or anything of that nature. They are caring and inviting. They have mental health services; should your child struggle with anxiety or anything, they are there and helpful; no long waitlists, as I’ve heard, that has happened at other schools these past couple of years. Their Academic Success department is amazing. Today is the first day back, and my son walked in and already has a math tutor for the semester. The Career Service Center is also amazing. They worked with my son over the summer via google meet and worked on his resume to help him get either a work-study or traditional on-campus job this semester. They were happy and positive during the exchange, and he looks forward to working with them again.
The dorms are not magnificent; they do not have AC, but it’s Western NY near Canada; they only need it for 4 weeks out of the year. Only the freshman dorms, AKA the Towers, have elevators, so once your kiddo leaves those, you are hauling up flights of stairs, but it’s all good.
I can honestly say we have not seen anything negative. The food is ok and decent, and my son can always find something to eat.
The Financial Aid department is kind and works with you, not against you. They have helped us in many ways and have an incredible endowment thanks to the amazing alumni.
Please let me know if you have any specific questions. I would be more than happy to answer them if I don’t know the answer, we have a pretty great network of parents, and I can get it for you.
Thanks Sonnie. Great post with great information. We will definitely ask specific questions as time goes on. We were wondering if you know what percentage of students are commuters vs. on campus? Also, how useful is the student success center. We were impressed that the office is in the freshman dorm, and is open until 8pm. Super nice to know that is available. Thanks again!
Hello, my apologies for the delay. I did not receive a notification of your reply.
My son has used the academic success center both years, and just had a math tutor this semester and ended up with a terrific grade in the course. He went there on the first day of classes and, signed up, had a tutor by the end of the week. They met twice a week for an hour. I am not sure how local you are to campus, but they require all first and second-year students to live on campus. When we’ve been there, I can tell you the dorms seem pretty filled, always kids around, and lots to do on the weekends to keep them busy, between games, activities, and events, never dull. They also have on-campus apartments and many third and fourth years live in those (you see them as soon as you enter campus). I don’t know the percentage, just that it seems like a large majority are on campus.