Every spring, seniors in high school make the tough decision of how they plan to further their future in the fall. Some skip over college and go straight into the work force, some go into the armed forces and some choose between the colleges that have accepted them. When choosing between colleges, some students make the choice between private or state institutions. Private schools, like St. Bonaventure, have benefits not found in public institutions.
One new development that may influence people to choose a public college is Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposition to make SUNY schools free. This puts them at an unfair advantage, and it would probably give them many more students. It makes the choice to go where you really want to go much more difficult because, if you live in New York, many people might feel obligated to go to a state school just because of financial reasons.
Now as a freshman, this was a time in my life I don’t fondly remember. Just about a year ago, I was trying to figure out where I would soon belong. Something I took heavily into consideration was whether I should go to a state school or a private institution. Needless to say, I chose private. More than anything, I am thankful I made that choice.
After getting accepted to multiple state schools and researching how they operate versus how Bonaventure runs, I came to the conclusion that a private institution would be best for me. I think it would be for a lot of people as well.
Public universities tend to have higher enrollment rates than private universities. The student- to- faculty ratio is less impressive than it is here. Professors have fewerless opportunities to focus on their students because of this.
It is a disadvantage to have thousands of students because it has less of a community feel. One of my favorite things here at Bonaventure is the fact that everyone is kind. You get the opportunity to know a lot of people because there is not an overwhelming number of people here.
In addition, after visiting my friends at state schools, I have noted that their meal plans are dissatisfying. They have limited swipes, not nearly enough to cover three meals a day seven times a week, and that is even with the best meal plans.
The fact that state schools are funded only by the state also means that things may not always be as nice as they are here. They don’t have as much money to spend on buildings to make them look nice. Here, and at other private universities, we tend to have newer buildings. Robinson and Falconio dorms were renovated just in 2014, and Swan was built in 2013.
State schools have stricter regulations than Bonaventure or other private universities in the Western New York area; they are stricter about who comes to visit your dorm buildings, as well as who parks where.
State schools accept a lot more people, but the thing is that most of these people are from New York. I know someone at SUNY Fredonia who says that she would love to meet people from all over the place and not more people from different parts of New York. Unless you are a recruit for a sports team, it does not make much sense for someone from Florida to attend a state school in New York.
Elyse Kuhn is a staff writer for the Bona Venture. Her email is khunla@bonaventure.edu
