Queens definitely does not get the rep for being an amazing school because it is part of the CUNY system... but believe me, you will not be disappointed in the quality of education here. Being a second generation Queens College student, I've only completed one semester but the rigor of the classes I took definitely showed the quality of Queens. Some classes are obviously easier than others, but the quality of material that the teachers present are definitely up to par even with other top Ivy schools. Many of the teachers have PhDs or are in the process of getting them, so the teachers are very knowledgeable.
Do you enjoy the experience at your school?
Queens has been fun... beautiful campus and there is tons of things to do. I haven't had time to explore around a lot, but from what I've seen, Queens has a lot to offer. There is over 100 clubs to choose from, a variety of sports, etc. Queens has a great feel, although it is still largely a commuter campus. And I love having small classes... in the Freshman Honors Program (and probably Macaulay Honors), there are about 20 people in your class, and you stay with the same group for the three honors classes for the semester, so you really get to know other people and it's a great way to make new friends.
Queens also has a lot of events going on - the Student Association always has events planned for us. There are always a lot of parties/entertainment Thursday nights and they try to mix it up during Free Hour also.
The reason I gave it four stars was because of the fact that Queens is still largely known as a commuter school - meaning that students do not always stay on campus; they come and go as they please so you don't always see the same people because everyone is on their own. So it is harder to make friends because it is a commuter school, but if you make the effort to join clubs, etc., then you'll do well.
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
Queens is definitely a bang for the buck - it is one of the main reasons I go there. You are getting the same quality of education at NYU as you are at Queens, only for $20,000 less. How could you pass that up? And if you don't believe me, my Comparative Literature professor told my class once that for a while he used to go to NYU but then transferred to Queens... it ended up being that he saw the same professor from NYU at Queens! He told us: Why pay $20,000 more for the top-notch professors when you can find them in the CUNY system at all? Queens still hasn't gained its reputation for its education, but soon it will...
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
1. Apply for the Honors program (Freshman Honors or Macaulay) - it is a great way to make new friends... you'll be seeing the same people in three of your classes for the first semester and two classes the next semester (for Freshman Honors). Also, you'll either be getting a half-tuition or full scholarship if you get in -- what could be better? There are also a lot of other perks to getting into the honors program.
2. Know what kind of atmosphere you want in a school - Queens is great because it has both a suburban and urban feel... you can see the city skyline from the quad, but the campus is partially surrounded by apartments.
3. Apply for as many scholarships as possible and look into financial awards that the school is willing to offer.
4. Remember that you don't need to go to a name brand school to get noticed (i.e. Ivy league schools). The CUNY system is equally known for its education. I used to think that I should only apply to Yale and Princeton because I wanted to get noticed by med schools, but my parents and teachers convinced me that the name doesn't really mean anything.
Which types of students will excel at your college?
1. Queens is largely a commuter school so it is great if you want to stay close to home. But if you don't like commuting, Queens built new dorms in August 2009 so that is always another option.
2. Students who like medium-sized schools - Queens has a lot of students but it never feels like that because many of the classes are small (at least in my experience).
3. Students who like diversity
4. Any student - I was told that Queens is known for its liberal arts education, so I was very worried because it is not as well known for its pre-med program. But once I took Biology, I realized that the rigor is not any less... I had to work just as hard.
Queens definitely does not get the rep for being an amazing school because it is part of the CUNY system... but believe me, you will not be disappointed in the quality of education here. Being a second generation Queens College student, I've only completed one semester but the rigor of the classes I took definitely showed the quality of Queens. Some classes are obviously easier than others, but the quality of material that the teachers present are definitely up to par even with other top Ivy schools. Many of the teachers have PhDs or are in the process of getting them, so the teachers are very knowledgeable.
Queens has been fun... beautiful campus and there is tons of things to do. I haven't had time to explore around a lot, but from what I've seen, Queens has a lot to offer. There is over 100 clubs to choose from, a variety of sports, etc. Queens has a great feel, although it is still largely a commuter campus. And I love having small classes... in the Freshman Honors Program (and probably Macaulay Honors), there are about 20 people in your class, and you stay with the same group for the three honors classes for the semester, so you really get to know other people and it's a great way to make new friends. Queens also has a lot of events going on - the Student Association always has events planned for us. There are always a lot of parties/entertainment Thursday nights and they try to mix it up during Free Hour also. The reason I gave it four stars was because of the fact that Queens is still largely known as a commuter school - meaning that students do not always stay on campus; they come and go as they please so you don't always see the same people because everyone is on their own. So it is harder to make friends because it is a commuter school, but if you make the effort to join clubs, etc., then you'll do well.
Queens is definitely a bang for the buck - it is one of the main reasons I go there. You are getting the same quality of education at NYU as you are at Queens, only for $20,000 less. How could you pass that up? And if you don't believe me, my Comparative Literature professor told my class once that for a while he used to go to NYU but then transferred to Queens... it ended up being that he saw the same professor from NYU at Queens! He told us: Why pay $20,000 more for the top-notch professors when you can find them in the CUNY system at all? Queens still hasn't gained its reputation for its education, but soon it will...
1. Apply for the Honors program (Freshman Honors or Macaulay) - it is a great way to make new friends... you'll be seeing the same people in three of your classes for the first semester and two classes the next semester (for Freshman Honors). Also, you'll either be getting a half-tuition or full scholarship if you get in -- what could be better? There are also a lot of other perks to getting into the honors program. 2. Know what kind of atmosphere you want in a school - Queens is great because it has both a suburban and urban feel... you can see the city skyline from the quad, but the campus is partially surrounded by apartments. 3. Apply for as many scholarships as possible and look into financial awards that the school is willing to offer. 4. Remember that you don't need to go to a name brand school to get noticed (i.e. Ivy league schools). The CUNY system is equally known for its education. I used to think that I should only apply to Yale and Princeton because I wanted to get noticed by med schools, but my parents and teachers convinced me that the name doesn't really mean anything.
1. Queens is largely a commuter school so it is great if you want to stay close to home. But if you don't like commuting, Queens built new dorms in August 2009 so that is always another option. 2. Students who like medium-sized schools - Queens has a lot of students but it never feels like that because many of the classes are small (at least in my experience). 3. Students who like diversity 4. Any student - I was told that Queens is known for its liberal arts education, so I was very worried because it is not as well known for its pre-med program. But once I took Biology, I realized that the rigor is not any less... I had to work just as hard.