NEW YORK’S 100+ COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES YOUR COLLEGE A GUIDE TO FINDING AND PAYING FOR THE COLLEGE OF YOUR CHOICE 2014 EDITION SEARCH COMMISSION ON INDEPENDENT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES © 2014 Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (cIcu), 17 Elk St., Albany, NY 12224. www.cicu.org, www.nycolleges.org. 518-436-4781 Contents Finding your college Inside front cover How to begin your 1 college search Finding Your College What to look for in 2 a college Your search for the college that’s right for you starts here. College search 3 worksheet Campus locator map 4-7 Dear Students and Families: Paying for college 8 College is a big decision. In this guide, we would like to share with you the great opportunities Programs to help pay 9 private, not-for-profit colleges and universities in New York State have to offer you. for college As president of the state’s association of 100+ private independent colleges and universities, Six steps to financial aid 10 my travels take me to every corner of New York where I have visited colleges and spoke with Resources on the web 11 the colleges’ staff and students. I have discovered that the campuses are vibrant, caring – Campus quick facts 12-13 transforming – places that teach students to be successful learners; places that are supportive of their communities; places that bolster their local economies and contribute to new ideas Campus profiles 14-30 and innovations; and places that can enrich lives. Bachelor’s, Associate and 31-60 As you begin to investigate your options, you will find that “diverse” best describes our Graduate degree programs campuses. Our colleges and universities each have unique community, academic focus, and College planning Inside back atmosphere. They are all special places where students may express their unique talents calendar cover and goals and opportunities abound to explore interests and talents – from study abroad List of New York’s Back cover to internships, to participation in clubs, sports and special interest groups. 100+ private colleges Paying for college in these times is a major concern, but please keep in mind that the and universities colleges, the state and the federal government have many programs – grants, scholarships, and low interest loans – to help families from all income levels afford a quality education at an independent college and university. A college education is a significant investment – of your savings and your time – but the intellectual and practical rewards will be priceless to you, to your communities and to society. In fact, college graduates earn more over their lifetimes – 84 percent more – than people without degrees. Beyond the economic benefits, higher education prepares you to be responsible citizens and to engage with the world around you. On the whole, college graduates volunteer more, vote more often, and participate more in their communities. It is my hope that you will use this guide, Your College Search, and our website, www.nycolleges.org, to help you as you explore your options and discover the college that may be right for you. Visit www.nycolleges.org, New York’s 100+ private colleges and universities’ admissions and financial aid website: Best wishes, ᔢ Find campus locations ᔢ Search the online database to find academic programs offered ᔢ Read campus profiles Laura L. Anglin ᔢ Learn more about financial aid President ᔢ Request more information from the colleges ᔢ Download helpful college admission and Commission on Independent financial aid awareness publications Colleges and Universities Design: Ambrosino Design, Inc., Saratoga Springs, NY Printing: Quad/Graphics, Inc., Saratoga Springs, NY Photo Credits: New York’s 100+ private colleges and universities. Front Cover: Box 2, Ting-Li Wang; Box 4, Larry Picilio; Box 8, Matt Milless. Inside Front Cover: Anna Mulé. Page 2, Larry Pacilio; page16, Chris Taggert; page17, Matt Milless; pages 18 & 27, Dan Hamerman; page 19, Tara Freeman; page 21, J. Adam Fenster; page 23, Erika Nelson; page 25: Anna Mulé. Back Cover: CIA, Phil Mansfield; Pratt, Bob Handelman. Your College Search is published annually by the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (cIcu), a non-profit organization. 17 Elk Street, PO Box 7289, Albany, NY 12224-0289 While we make every effort to ensure accuracy, always verify information with the colleges directly. ©2014 by the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities. If you wish to reproduce any of this publication, please contact us at [email protected]. © 2014 Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (cIcu), 17 Elk St., Albany, NY 12224. www.cicu.org, www.nycolleges.org. 518-436-4781 How to Begin Your College Search There are many things to consider as you look at different colleges: academic programs, the quality of the college, the sense of community and campus life, geographic location, and, of course, college costs and financial aid. This booklet will guide you through the college selection process, providing the information to get you started. So where do you begin your college search? Finding, evaluating, and choosing a college requires with faculty in areas that match your academic thought, planning, and information. Keep an open interests. While you’re there, take the official tour, mind. You’ll discover a college that suits you. then walk around and talk with students. If you have an idea about what you want to ᔢ Early on, begin to investigate sources of financial study, go to the Academic Programs, pages 31-60, aid. Refer to pages 8-11 in this guide for ways to where you’ll find bachelor’s and associate degree get started. programs offered at private colleges and ᔢ By fall of your senior year, shorten your college universities in New York State. The information list to between five and eight choices. is also available online at www.nycolleges.org. ᔢ If possible, talk with current students or graduates Use the College Search Worksheet on page 3 to of the colleges on your “short list.” compile a list of colleges that match your interests. ᔢ Exceptional quality, diverse academic Find out more about them. The Campus Locator Obtain admission and financial aid forms. Map (pages 4-7) will help you see where the Fill out the forms carefully and be sure to meet offerings, and personal attention are campuses are located in the state while the Campus all deadlines. attracting record numbers of students Profiles section (pages 14-30) will give you basic These steps will get you started. Finding the right information about the colleges on your list. college may seem challenging, but the time you put to the state’s private independent ᔢ Attend college fairs. You can meet and talk with into the process will help you find the college that colleges and universities. In Fall 2012, college representatives and pick up brochures. fits your needs. To receive more information about more than 491,000 students were ᔢ any college in this booklet, write or call the colleges If you are able, visit colleges that interest you. directly. studying at independent colleges and Before you visit, make an appointment to meet universities in the state. Approximately 53% of the students who are studying for a 4-year or graduate degree in New York’s Independent Sector Undergraduate Institutions by Enrollment, Fall 2013 New York State are enrolled at an independent college or university. 40 31 30 25 New York’s private independent colleges and 23 universities offer students a wide range of 20 educational settings. Of the 98 undergraduate 15 independent institutions profiled in this guide, 10 48 independent colleges (49%) enroll 2,000 or 4 fewer students; 31 serve between 2,001 and 0 5,000; 19 educate more than 5,000. <1,000 1,001 to 2,000 2,001 to 5,000 5,001 to 15,000 >15,000 Enrollment includes only undergraduate students. See page 2 for more tips on what to look for in a college and what a college looks for in its students. Sources: cIcu Annual Campus Profile and Academic Programs Update Survey, Winter 2014, NYSED ORIS Degree Credit Enrollment, Fall 2012. 1 © 2014 Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (cIcu), 17 Elk St., Albany, NY 12224. www.cicu.org, www.nycolleges.org. 518-436-4781 What to Look for in a College Colleges are as individual as people – each Value. one has a distinct “personality” and unique campus When you choose your college, think about the environment. The private colleges and universities kind of learning environment you want, and the found in every region of New York State offer you value of your future degree. At New York’s private some wonderful choices. Your options run the gamut colleges and universities, you’ll benefit from your from large to small; from urban to rural settings and contacts with well-known faculty and alumni; you’ll nearly every conceivable program. You’ll certainly have opportunities to gain real-life experience; and find quality and value among the colleges. you’ll enjoy the pleasure of forming personal Quality. Value. They’re important concepts, but relationships with professors who come to know what do they mean in practical terms? you, your interests and your talents. Quality. One more thing: never exclude colleges because of the “sticker price.” While the overall tuition or What a college looks The quality of your college degree will matter to “sticker price” of an independent college or for in its students. you and your learning experience, and it will matter university is higher than a state college, independent in the job market. According to the Bureau of Labor colleges and universities are prepared to help When you’re searching for the right Statistics, in 2013* the unemployment rate for wage families meet college costs through grants, college, there are at least two things to earners was approximately double (7.5%) for scholarships and other aid.