<p>We love them both. Does anyone have feedback on experience with either?</p>
<p>Our son just committed to Stonehill. I am happy about that for a number of reasons, including the expected academic quality of his fellow students, and the personal attention he will get in a smaller school that is undergraduate-focused. Our daughter is currently a freshman at Lafayette (a school the same size as Stonehill, 2400 students), and we are very pleased with the degree of interaction that she has with her professors, both in and out of class.</p>
<p>We did not consider Marist in either case (probably too close to home, we are in northern Westchester), so I do not know it beyond what I can read. One observation is the size of the student body (over 5,000) – while it is not a large school, it is twice the size of Stonehill, which can have its benefits and drawbacks.</p>
<p>Good luck with your decision, I don’t think you can go wrong either way.</p>
<p>Current student at Stonehill who is about to complete his Junior year. Here are my thoughts:</p>
<p>Academics: Very good. Most professors are accessible and friendly. I am a liberal arts major and I find the coursework to be a good mix of interesting, and challenging. I have many friends in the science and math departments who have also reported that those departments are very good. The school just spent around ~$60million on a brand new science center which is at the front of the campus. It’s a beautiful building (aside from the leaky roof on the 3rd floor…) and really in my mind makes the science program here much better. Avoid this place though if your son or daughter is interested in Computer Science or Engineering. The department is OK, but it really can’t compete with bigger liberal art schools engineering departments, let alone a true engineering school. A lot good things can be said about the academics in general. Don’t be tempted to take easy or pointless classes (Quiltmaking I am looking at you) because you are afraid of not being able to do the work in a harder class. Pretty much every professor wants to see the student learn and do well. They will go out there way to help.)</p>
<p>Athletics: Awful, however, this is to be expected from as a D2 school. The school administration really seems to be pushing athletics a lot at times, which is in my opinion misguided. This school is not, and will never be an athletic powerhouse. It needs to stop trying to be a something it is not and focus itself on other more important areas.</p>
<p>Campus: Beautiful campus. The woods around the campus are also fantastic for walking and running in the spring/fall. Only downside is that the place is partially built on a swamp so the place during the humid late summer, early autumn can reek and there are a ton of mosquitoes. Not much that the school can be done about that since the entire Easton area seems to be built on a flood plain/swamp.</p>
<p>Social Life: A mixed bag. Freshman year where you cannot have a car is brutal. Stonehill has what many students here refer to as the “Stonehill Bubble.” The isolation from the community (Easton is boring, Brockton is downright dangerous) and the fact the entire student population seem to be fairly racially, and socio-economically homogeneous leads to the general student body being boring, like-minded, and simplistic. The two biggest questions prospective students tend to ask about the social life before attending are “What are the parties like?” and “How dominant is Roman Catholicism and religion on campus?” </p>
<p>To answer the second question about religion is fairly quick. I am an atheist. I have never felt excluded. There is a small minority of very devout students, but they are the exception rather than the rule. Most students do not care about religion. The administration because it is Catholic school obviously has to tow the Catholic church line on certain issues most notable birth control on campus (free condoms are not provided like at some other colleges.) Most Stonehill events that are open to the public such as parent/student weekend etc. are started with a short prayer by one of the priests. This is not a big deal, and it is more about ceremony and tradition than actual purpose. Nobody is trying to convert anyone here.</p>
<p>Now onto the party scene at the College. It has its ups and downs.</p>
<p>(1) The school has a very strict alcohol policy. Underage students caught with alcohol can get anywhere from a slap on the wrist (fine, counseling, paper) all the way to 16 weeks off campus (1 semester). The limits on alcohol here are very low, which causes a lot people to get in trouble for what is generally not considered a lot of alcohol. For example 12+ beers in a room will almost certainly get a 16 week punishment. Now 12 beers for a single person may seem excessive to most people, but consider that most room parties can have 6+ people in them. The amount allowed DOES NOT scale with the number of the people in the room. For example, common sense says 12 beers / 6 people would be 2 per person (which would likely only get a slap on the wrist or a weekend off campus if Stonehill were sane. No instead, all 12 people would be charged with having 12 beers in the room and all would face fairly harsh punishment.</p>
<p>This sort of policy seems OK at first glance. Try and scare people into not drinking by making the punishment excessive. Unfortunately, it really backfires. This is college, students are going to drink no matter how harsh a punishment you throw at them. It’s unavoidable. What really happens is students tend to drink a lot of alcohol very quickly, usually in small groups or by themselves in their rooms before going out. Then they go out and have some more and end up obliterated. This is just downright dangerous and the college’s policy has really done nothing more than drive drinking further underground where students do really stupid things. Also it is very easy to get in trouble here. No open containers regardless of whether the student is under-age or of-age outside of the dormitories. The Resident Assistants (RA’s) range from very lenient types to ones that have real chips on their block. Get stuck with a bad RA and weekends become more about fear, and playing cat-mouse games than relaxing. Quiet hours also begin strictly at 1AM on the weekends (11PM Mon-Thurs). Quiet hours are good, but it often seems as-if the RA’s can be overzealous in applying the rule and it can be more akin to a “lights out go to bed” time rather than “quiet-down so you’re not keeping the entire hall awake” time.</p>
<p>All in all, the above two paragraphs are not meant to scare, but inform of what to expect. The place is still pretty fun. Mileage may vary from person to person. I have never been burned before by the rules, but I have plenty of friends that have. If a student is being smart, and not doing things that they really shouldn’t be doing to begin with then everything will likely be fine. The upperclassmen parties can be very good, enforcement of the rules is usually much more relaxed in the wet dormitories and the courts (the two dorm areas that are open to large courtyards if you have visited the campus) have great dances throughout the year. No shortage of bars in the area either, and the more adventurous can easily venture into Boston, Providence, Worcester (or if they are brave Brockton) which are all major cities around the school. </p>
<p>School sponsored parties can range from awful to pretty good. All depends on who is planning them. </p>
<p>Having a car after Freshman year is absolutely necessary in my opinion. It is nice to be able to leave the campus whenever. Going to Boston, Providence, Worcester or The Cape is a breeze from the school.</p>
<p>People are very friendly all in all. Easy to make friends here, there is something for everybody.</p>
<p>Food: Food is pretty good. Seeing chicken on the menu, and in some many different combination’s however will begin to draw on most people after a semester or two. The school is putting a couple million dollars into renovating the school grill “The Hill” and the pub “Brother Mike’s” this summer (2010).</p>
<p>Dormitories: Avoid the Seminary building “The Sem” as a Freshman. It is a freshman-only dorm, and that does appeal to some people there first year, but it is a real trek from the rest of campus.</p>
<p>Avoid O’Hara Hall at all costs (Freshman + Sophomore). It’s built right next to the disgusting “Stonehill Pond” (read: swamp). It’s old, and decrepit. If you like sweating to death at night, living in a place that smells of swamp, or is a general animal house on the weekends (bathrooms are unusable by Sunday) then that hellhole will appeal to you.</p>
<p>Corr and Villa Theresa are the best Freshman+Sophomore dorms on campus. Traditional, dorm halls. The rooms are big, and they are well-kept.</p>
<p>Boland Hall is a good third choice after Corr and Villa. Older building, but it is in good shape. Houses a lot of freshman and sophomore students. Very close proximity to pretty much every important building on campus.</p>
<p>The “Village” shacks are also great. They are sophomore-only. They are private 8-people dorms with two bathrooms, kitchen, four bedrooms, common, and washer/drier. They are also the only dorms on campus that have Air Conditioning which is awesome in the late-summer.</p>
<p>Pilgrim Heights / Flynn Hall (girls-only) are OK. Can’t comment on the girls-only Flynn hall. The other Heights buildings are nice. Underclassmen suite style living.</p>
<p>All of the upperclassmen dorms are nice. They are building a brand new five-story suite-style dorm at the back of the campus for Juniors and Seniors. Notre Dame Du Lac is good though oddly designed. The Senior and Junior courts are phenomenal places to live when the weather is good since they have large open courtyards.</p>
<p>Misc: Stonehill has a great study-abroad and internship program. I have not completed one yet, but the school is very well-known for the awesome programs they offer. They also have some great student services such as the Kruse Center which basically attempts to connect Stonehill students with former alumni and other businesses and entities in an attempt to get students working, or building experience. Great networking.</p>
<p>The school is pumping a ton of money into development and expansion. New science center, new dorm, renovated grill/pub. Very good time to come here. They have been flying up the rankings as well. Name recognition is still a bit shoddy, but the School is on the verge of cracking the top-100 U.S. Liberal Arts list which will surely be good for recent and future graduates. A lot of money is starting to come in as well from alumni now that the first and second generation of students from when the college was founded in the 1940’s are donating to the school.</p>
<p>Overall this is a good place to be, it has issues, every place does. Hopefully this was informative.</p>
<p>Thanks Neopal, this is very informative, I will make sure to share it with my son as a prep for his arrival in August.</p>
<p>thanks so much, neopal! that was super helpful.
do you have any comments on the journalism program at stonehill?</p>
<p>Thanks for the great information. Interested in anyone’s thoughts on the following topics:</p>
<p>1) Who is the stereotypical Stonehill student? Would eccentric and unusual personality types, or those with an unusual appearance or style fit in at Stonehill, or be considered outcasts? I know the school generally draws primarily from NE as of today.</p>
<p>2) Share some color on the campus dating scene. How does the female population rate in general terms?</p>
<p>3) Tell me about the campus shuttle system that takes students off campus. Where does it go and is it widely used? Prior comments regarding the town of Brockton are of interest. Are there parts of Brockton that are decent and parts to avoid? How often do students drive to Boston? </p>
<p>4) Even though sports teams are not great, is there generally decent school spirit with respectable attendance at varsity events? </p>
<p>5) Lastly, Princeton Review’s Best 371 Colleges, gives Stonehill high marks in the areas below. I though this was excellent praise and respectable NATIONAL rankings for a smaller, somewhat unknown college. Please confirm or deny:</p>
<p>*Everyone plays intramural sports-rated #7
*Happiest Students-#7
*Most Beautiful Campus-#14
*Class Discussion Encouraged-#20
*Most popular Study Abroad Program-#13
*Best Career Services-#17
*Most accessible professors-#17
*Easiest campus to get around-#13
*Not politically active-#8 </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>jasperjarvis, i am a current junior at stonehill so i will try to answer your questions as best as possible so here we go:</p>
<p>1) the typical stereotypical stonehill student is one that wears polo and vinyard vines. For the most part a rather preppy culture. Then there are all the athletes who the majority of the team are wearing sport(s) related clothing representing the school. There are not that many “outcast/excentric” people however there are a few, and they are definitely minorities at this school.</p>
<p>2)Um the dating scene is a hit or miss. If you are a stud guy on a varsity sports team at school then you are most likely set. If you are a hot girl then you are most likely gunna flock to the football/hockey team/lacrosse team. Then there are the average people at school that are there for their education, and yes there are many couples in that group, but there are tons of single people there. It is about 60% to 40% girls to guys. </p>
<p>3) the shuttle system is great when u have the card that has the times of the shuttle. It takes you to the mall/movies/the T (bostons train system). The only problem is that if you miss the shuttle at one of these destinations you are royally screwed and will have to wait at least 1 hour, if you are lucky enough to have missed the shuttle while there are still scheduled stops at that location. Its a bit of a pain if you want to go out into boston on a weekend because you have to usually leave boston and be on the T by 11:30 at night, so there isn’t much time to have a “night life” in boston unless you have somewhere to stay or a car to get back. </p>
<p>Now onto the Brockton topic. Yes i agree with the comments above, Brockton is not a nice area, however during the day time you can drive there and not worry. Stop and Shop/Shaws and some other stores are on the easton/brockton border. IF you must go thru brockton at night time DO NOT do it outside of a car, meaning do not walk/wander through Brockton at night. It is one of the highest crime neighborhoods in MA, not to mention one of the poorest. South Brockton might be the worst area. There are guys that work in the cafeteria/the hill that live in Brockton and i have been fully warned to stay away. And students go into boston every now and then, not very often, but not scarcely.</p>
<p>4) Now for the sports and school spirit. Football and Basketball have the biggest turn outs. they usually fill every seat/place. Baseball/Soccor get a decent crowd. Club sports do not usually draw too large of a crowd however the lacrosse team usually has anywhere between 20-60 people come to their games.</p>
<p>5) i completely agree with the princeton review of the school that you have posted.</p>
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<p>Thanks for the insights, they’re very much appreciated. I’m from IL and visited Stonehill last spring and liked the campus set-up a lot and have it on my short list. As mentioned, the Princeton Review ratings somewhat reinforced my interest in the college. I did note, however, the generally negative reviews on the studentreviews.com web site, (which contradicts the generally “happy student” image on Princeton Review). The overall number of reviews on the studentreviews site is relatively small, so results could be misleading and generated by a small number of disgruntled students. (Feel free to check it out). It seems like the majority of complaints center on big time dissatisfaction with Stonehill’s administration, overly restrictive rules on drinking, an overly cliquey, rich white kid student population with no tolerance for diversity and a boring, isolated campus setting that makes finding fun things to do impossible. These issues probably won’t affect my desire to apply and consider the school, as first and foremost, I’m not really a drinking, party type person, come from a white, middle to upper-middle class family and am fine with the Easton setting.</p>
<p>Two more follow-up questions…</p>
<p>1) I’m interested in a business degree, accounting/finance etc. I know this major is popular at Stonehill. Have you heard from any of your friends as to satisfaction with this Major? It’s rough finding a good business program at a good liberal arts college, as many don’t offer business, only economics, so that’s a big plus for Stonehill for me.</p>
<p>2) Financial Aid… Stonehill was rated below average in this area. Can you offer any informal feedback as to how happy students are with their financial aid package. My high school grades and test scores are significantly higher than the average Stonehill inbound Freshman numbers and I’m also hoping that my out of state status might help me with some scholarship dollars, as the school tries to bring in more out of state students. </p>
<p>THANKS!!</p>
<p>yeah I’m actually also interested in a major in business admin/accounting or finance. i was at open house yesterday and just want to say that i absolutely fell in love with the campus and school. I am very interested in Stonehill now and am wondering what students think of the school academically and if the college has generally a good reputation</p>
Stonehill’s business department has AACSB certification.
I posted this comment about Business in another conversation - I hope it is helpful:
Stonehill is AACSB accredited. This is the highest accreditation possible for a business program and is quite favorably viewed for both hiring and MBA admission. Fewer than 10% of undergraduate-only institutions in the world have AACSB Accreditation. Internship opportunities are plentiful in greater Boston and the school has semester-long internship programs in NYC, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, London, Dublin, Paris and Madrid.
http://www.stonehill.edu/academics/areas-of-study/business-administration/