(Non-sports) thoughts on St. John's

I haven't lived back east in a long, long time, so I don't have much idea what St. John's reputation is these days in terms of academics, student body, etc.

Any thoughts? Anything a parent should be wary of if they have a kid considering going there?

Thanks for any help.

 

It's much more of a commuter school and Jamaica, Queens isn't exactly paradise. I only went there because I was feeling bad about all of the money I wasted going to Syracuse the first two years of college.

That said, it can be a good fit for a lot of kids. Is your kid an athlete?

 

He's athletic, but had to give up HS football because of the academic schedule he's on.

I went (and lived at) a school that was mostly commuter; it has its pluses and minuses.

 

The campus has undergone a dramatic makeover the past decade. I was part of the first dorm class (opened in 1999) and they have continued to try and update a lot of the facilities, both athletic and non in that time.

 

Was on campus there last fall. A really lovely place. I've been to nicer campuses, but they've done tremendous work making it a residential college.

 

Do you have other options?
Parts of St. John's campus are indeed lovely ... but I live in NYC and don't think I'd send someone I love there. But then, I grew up out west, and went to college in the mountains, so maybe I'm allowing that bias to sway my opinion.

 

I grew up in NJ, 10 miles outside of the city, and we've been back to visit family. He likes the area.

There are other options, I just don't know the full extent of them as acceptances are only now coming in. But when I was growing up, St. John's had the image of a completely commuter school, so I was curious about what it's like now.

 

I like St. John's and graduated from St. John's but assuming Columbia and NYU are out of the question, I'd probably send my kid to Fordham or Manhattan before I'd send her to St. John's.

It really depends on what programs he/she wants to study and where he/she stands academically.

 

Didn't go to St. John's, but I agree with his conclusion.

If he wants to go to school at St. John's because he wants to go to school in New York City, he should really reconsider or make a visit.

He's not going to be hanging out in Greenwich Village if he's going to St. John's. And, I guess they've built some residences, but it's still primarily a commuter school.

Fordham & Manhattan College both have good campus environments, but you're probably not going to hang out in Manhattan much if you go to either of those either. (Unless you take a lot of classes at Fordham's Lincoln Center campus.)

If he wants an urban environment, NYU & BU are the two that come to mind quickest.

DePaul is in a great neighborhood in Chicago, and very close to downtown.

Just make sure he spends some time at St. John's if he's seriously considering it. It might be a lot different than what he's envisioning.

 

If you finessed residency, what about Rutgers?