Speak Up for Hofstra!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Hofstra University
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<p>You took my post extremely out of context.</p>

<p>1] I didn’t know Hofstra was stereotyped for “guidos.” In fact, the three seniors planning to attend Hofstra this year are Irish, Polish, and Asian. There was a senior last year who attends Hofstra now and he was Italian. But not really a guido.</p>

<p>2] I never mentioned anything about the party scene. So no, I’m not going to tell you all the trivial crap that you pretty much talked about yourself.</p>

<p>3] Please. No decent company in the city wants interns from Hofstra when they have a direct access to potential interns from Columbia and NYU.</p>

<p>4] Hofstra University is practically a government landmark. That’s why they get to host all the presidential debates and crap. Which is also why they pretty much have to host dumb high school competitions and festivals. Math Fair? NMT? Newsday Marching Festival? Real prestigious stuff right thurr. Also, the real prestigious universities don’t waste time on speeches from governors. They provide speeches from true intellectuals.</p>

<p>5] Refer to Point 4. SUNY is a state school. Hofstra is a private university funded by a multitude of organizations including the governor apparently. Also, the Nassau County executive attended Hofstra for both undergrad and graduate. I’m pretty sure he has some bias towards them as well.</p>

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<p>SleepingGiant - I will most likely be attending NYU, unless I am accepted to Barnard.</p>

<p>I didn’t do the living/learning thing because I applied to Hofstra too late. I live in one of the towers, which is apparently being remodeled over the summer (lucky for you guys!). I was a member in a few clubs, but I stopped going to meetings because most people were apathetic and not interested in doing anything fun. I did rush sororities, and that was actually a very fun experience. I decided not to pledge, but I made a lot of friends through that. Hofstra has a good range of sororities, and not all of them are made up of your stereotypical “sorostitutes”.</p>

<p>I think that it’s hard for someone with my background to really feel at home here. I’ve spent so much of my life working very hard in school, and I feel like all of that work is being wasted here because so many of my peers are apathetic and just attending school because their parents want them to.</p>

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<p>Niknak120, i think your concerns about finding friends and fitting in are very normal for all incoming freshmen. My D has some of the same concerns. She too is not into the party scene and does not drink. She thinks its stupid, but mostly she thinks its a major waste of money! She says she will never get why people spend $$$$ on drugs and alcohol when there are so many better things to buy. You will find other kids like yourself, don’t worry!</p>

<p>Moxiemaya, good luck with NYU and Barnard, they both are great schools. D visited NYU back in the summer and really liked it, but was concerned that she would miss a true campus feel, but mostly she felt that the city and all it has to offer would be a distraction. However, she mentions it occassionally and if Hofstra doesn’t live up to her expectations i have no doubt that NYU will be at the top of her transfer list. However for now, she is hoping for a great four years at Hofstra…guess we will have to see how it plays out.</p>

<p>She, like you, hates apathetic classmates. She deals with her share of that every day in high school. I just tell her that she will encounter that type of person no matter where she goes
or what age she is. Even at my age, I often see that in many adults I interact with on a daily basis. Believe me, it’s not just a student problem, as apathy and lack of passion run rampant in our country. I hope she has a wonderful experience at Hofstra and I hope that
you find the perfect fit for yourself. Best of luck!</p>

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<p>Hi everyone! I’m a current Hofstra Junior and I want to take a second to chime in on what a bunch of people’s concerns seem to be on this thread. I’ve been here for three years now so I would say I definitely have a lot of answers. I’m a dual major in PR and Creative Writing with a Marketing minor. I’m not from Long Island, and my parents moved down to SC when I graduated high school so I really live on campus. I can tell you that I’ve never felt unsafe at Hofstra. Public safety is a constant presence on campus. They’re knowledgeable, well-trained, and extremely friendly and helpful. As someone said earlier, the residential side of campus is locked at night and Public Safety officers are stationed at every gate. I often babysit until really late at night and when I swipe my ID to get back on campus at two in the morning, the Public Safety officer (who, by now, recognizes me and my car), is always smiling and telling me to have a nice night. When I walk to Dutch Treats (our 24-hour convenience store on campus), I never ever feel unsafe even when it’s late at night. Hempstead is not full of mansions and gated communities, that is true. But it’s not a crime-ridden slum, either. I think sometimes people assume that a lower-class neighborhood is automatically full of dangerous criminals, but that’s a stereotype and it’s not something I see as true for the area around Hofstra. However, even if you disagree, and you don’t like the look of Hempstead, there’s definitely no reason to go wandering through the town. There’s so much going on on campus all the time that there really isn’t any reason to leave.
As far as academics go, I love the learning environment here. My professors are knowledgeable, helpful, and interesting. I haven’t loved every class I’ve taken. Some of them were boring because they were classes I need to take but ones I’m not extremely interested in. But that’s life, not everything is fun all of the time, and I learned a lot in those classes and often, discovered an interest in the subject matter that I wouldn’t have otherwise explored. Even in classes I wasn’t really excited about, the professors did their best to make the material relevant and interesting.
I’m a member of the Honors College here, and I will say that HUHC really isn’t all that much extra work. I took a lot of honors, AP, and college-level classes while in high school, and HUHC is no more difficult. If anything, it’s a little easier because there’s so much more free time in my day to study and do homework. Being in HUHC doesn’t mean I have to take extra courses. Culture and Expression is the only HUHC-specific course set and those classes count towards distribution (core classes) requirements. After C&E, I got to decide which classes I took for honors credit, and they were all classes I was taking anyway for my major. So I’ve gotten the chance to get to know professors in a one-on-one setting through Honors Options and have had the chance to dig deeper in my areas of interest, reading an extra book or doing a little extra research in a class I’m already very interested in. Plus, HUHC has a fantastic support system and a really great community of peers. I really love being a part of it.
Hofstra’s campus IS close to New York City. I’ve had the chance to go into the city six times this semester, for interviews, concerts, hockey games, and class trips (my Honors seminar class went to see the Tenement Museum and the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory building). The only reason I haven’t been into the city more is because I’ve had a seriously busy schedule this semester. I’m involved in six clubs, and I was also interning this semester at the Nassau Coalition Against Domestic Violence (which my faculty adviser for my PR major helped me get).
You can tell by my comment that I love it here. I get frustrated when people try to make Hofstra seem like this awful place, because I honestly think that college, no matter where you go, is what you make of it. I’ve had a fantastic experience the past three years. I’ve made great friends (Oh, and to niknak120, I’m not a partier either. I don’t drink at all, and I was also worried that college would be all drinking and partying and that I would have a hard time making friends. I promise college isn’t like the movies. People make friends through student clubs and organizations, at events and performances, and in their classes. I’ve met some amazing people who I know will become life-long friends, and I met them all because we have shared interests and ended up in the same clubs). I hope that those of you who have read this thread and are reading my post will come see for yourselves what Hofstra can offer you rather than listening to a few bitter people. The vast majority of Hofstra students love it here. Otherwise, why would we be here?
Anyway, I hope that cleared some stuff up for some people. I’d be happy to answer other questions if you have any :)</p>

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<p>I really like the idea of Hofstra! And I am pretty sure I will apply this fall.
I have a 30 ACT, 780 Biology SAT II and 730 Literature SAT II. I have a 3.8 or an A- average. I’ve been on the swim team for 4 years and will be captain next year, played volleyball freshman year, board member of NHS, in a youth group, go on 10 day work trips every summer.
I’m basing my decision for college on money. Can anyone give me a clue as to how much money I could possibly get towards Hofstra?</p>

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<p>sngnyrslp, thanks for the reassurance! and it was interesting to hear from you since your major is my prospective major, too. if you see this message (lol) i’d like to know how your classes for your major have been so far? do you think you’ve received like… a worthy education so far? (cliche-sounding, i know)</p>

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<p>@soontobesenior You may very well receive a presidential scholarship of at least $10,000</p>

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<p>soontobesenior - Hofstra is VERY generous with merit aid. With your stats, I don’t think you have to worry about whether or not you’ll receive a scholarship - it’s just a matter of how large a scholarship Hofstra will offer you. Based on my friends’ and my experience, I would say you can probably expect to get at least $15,000/year, maybe even more. Just a little tip… The admissions counselors at Hofstra actually read the essays and give “bonus points” for good/insightful essays in the form of merit aid. So, if you write a good, personal essay, it won’t go unnoticed. Also, I’d suggest applying by the FIRST EARLY DECISION deadline for primary scholarship consideration. I’ve heard that Hofstra’s office of financial services is very helpful, too, when it comes to need-based aide. GOOD LUCK!</p>

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<p>Alright! Thank you so much!</p>

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<p>I’m considering Hofstra University as one of my top colleges to apply in the coming fall. Although I had a question regarding the LGBT community. Is there a support system or a big community of LGBT students at Hofstra?</p>

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<p>ninja4987-There is a support system for the LGBT community as well as a nice size population of LGBT students. For support systems there is the gay/straight alliance, normal support groups, and also the Pride Network</p>

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<p>i’m applying to the SCHOOL & I’ve never been to the LONG ISland.Ii’m interested in CRIMINOLOgy, Is there anyone that can tell me if the school is Diverse ( i’m Black) ? In addition, in the surrounding areas is there stuff to do such as shop, dine, bars etc & how are they as far as academics…???</p>

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<p>Hofstra is a good school and the best private school on Long Island. In the long term the student makes his or her own future so one can make the most of a Hofstra degree…or party away and waste the opportunity. The addition of a medical school can only be a good thing. I don’t think it is fair to compare Hofstra to NYC’s big three: Columbia (ranked #8), NYU (ranked #33) and Fordham (ranked #53) as they are in different markets and locations. Hofstra is now ranked #128 in USN&WR…St. John’s is #152. If you like Hofstra, like the programs, like LI and get some money, why not make the most of it?</p>

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<p>Hempstead is a dump, but Hofstra is beautiful.</p>

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<p>Having family who went to Hofstra, I know it is the best private school on Long Island and has much to offer, but talk of being the “Ivy League” of Long Island and being soon equal to NYU and Fordham are a bit too optomistic I’m afraid.</p>

<p>While it is great that you have started a Medical school, you have hard competition with your local state rival: Stony Brook. They are a major research university now and are members of the very elite AAU (American Association of Universities). Columbia, NYU and Fordham are all major universities based in NYC so have a default advantage in jobs and intern opportunities in NYC. Now, Stony Brook has turned to sports and their 1-AA/FCS football team has won championships in the Southern Conference and will be moving to the CAA, Hofstra’s old football conference before you dropped the sport. I think Stony Brook has hopes to move their team one day to BCS along with Buffalo. It looks like SUNY-Stony Brook will get most of the limelight on the island. </p>

<p>A look at the 2012 USN&WR rankings show:</p>

<p>Columbia-4th
NYU-33rd
Fordham-53rd
Stony Brook-111th
Hofstra-128th
St. John’s-152nd</p>

<p>I know your new president wants to move Hofstra up academically, but a lot has to be done to get it past Stony Brook, let alone NYCs big three. Right now it is in a good place and a good start to be the best private school in L.I. Work to move up in the rankings and get past Stony Brook and you will have really accomplished a great goal!</p>

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<p>Hofstra has a great reputation for the drama dept. My S just got his acceptance letter and is very excited. From what I can gleen I really don’t understand the snarky remarks.</p>

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<p>I’m from Westchester, New York (about an hour away from Long Island), looking to study Business (Marketing). </p>

<p>Was accepted to both Hofstra and Adelphi with a huge amount of scholarship from both (all merit, practically no need based). I visited back in October, but was only able to stay at Hofstra a short while because I had to leave for Adelphi’s open house, so I wasn’t able to go on the campus tour, but I saw a lot of it by getting lost trying to find the building the tour began in/driving through the area. Looked dead to me, but probably because it was on the brink of winter. Adelphi, on the other hand, was full of life, color, and a really nice campus from what I can tell. The minute I left Hempstead and entered Garden City, the economic differences were immediately clear. Overall, I liked Adelphi more than Hofstra, but I know little to nothing about how they compare. All I know is it’s big vs. small school, and I assume the academics at Hofstra are better than at Adelphi.</p>

<p>My top is Syracuse University, which I’ll hopefully hear back from tomorrow (woo!) Other schools I’ve been accepted to that I’m seriously considering are Albany, UBuffalo, Temple, Drexel, and Rutgers. Out of all of those schools, is Hofstra still worth considering? My Dad says it’s not worth it to go to the accepted student day, of even consider Hofstra because it’s ranked low on USWNR (ironic, eh?) and I’ve been accepted to ‘better ranked’ colleges. I don’t know much about their business program either, if any of you could offer some insight it’d be appreciated.</p>

<p>Oh, to add on to this, in the acceptance letter I received a personally written note from the dead of admissions congratulating me on my accomplishments, which was nice. I also received a hand written, personalized card from the person who was supposed to be my tour guide containing an inside joke between us when we were chatting briefly after the info session. I like how personal the school is with their communications.</p>

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<p>Hofstra Hofstra Hofstra. Everyone seems to have an opinion about this college,and so do I.Overall,Hofstra is a good school with a myriad of excellent resources and opportunities. Its location close to New York City and on Long island is impressive. the professors,by and large,are qualified and colorful and really want you to succeed,for the most part. Its not a PERFECT college(not that any one is!)and not EVERYONE will fit in here,but at the same time,if you did relatively well in high school and are open to new iopportunities and experiences and to expand your horizons,you’ll find your niche and probably do well. Compared to other LI colleges,its certainly up there. But like anywhere else,you have to be willing and able to work with the profs and then they will,in turn,do the same.If not,you won’t. the RA’s are very supportive and understanding in general.There isnt a HUGE amount of diversity here(a lot of students are from the island and the surrounding areas)but NYC is so close so that alleviates that issue a bit.A lot of commuters go home on weekend which is a pity,I feel. The activities and social events are pretty good. Hofstra sells itself as the school that sells success,and I think its a pretty admirable and apropo quote! the sports program is pretty good too.For well-rounded individuals who want a better than average college experience,this could be a good college for you. Just beware the IMMEDIATE neighborhood of Hempstead,its not the greatest…I would reccommend Hofstra for those who have a passion for just about anything(you’ll probably find it here…)and for those who are relatively serious about the future.Overall,its not a bad choice!</p>