College Spotlight: St. Bonaventure University
Hey Everyone,
Last Friday, I was fortunate enough to visit St. Bonaventure, in up-state New York. I will give my opinion on the school later in the post, but I wanted to jump right into the facts and figures about St. Bonaventure, so enjoy!
Academic and General Information
St. Bonaventure is a Roman Catholic, Franciscan school of about 1,800 undergraduates, in an absolutely pristine part of our country (yes it will snow there in the winter, but it is actually not in the snow belt, so not as much as you would think). The campus is vast, with a ton of green space and trees all around the perimeter. It is a different world there compared to New York City, but for many people, this is a welcomed change of pace. Walking around campus, students were happy, kind to others, and seemed to just slow down a bit...they were taking in the beauty of their surroundings, and were focused on their academics and involvement in school activities.
Academically, St. Bonaventure has four main colleges: School of Arts and Science, School of Business, School of Education, and the Jandoli School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
The School of Arts and Science at St. Bonaventure holds their most popular major, biology, as well tons of other majors and minors. Other highlights in this college include the ability to receive a BA or BS in psychology, very strong computer science programs, the ability for students to create their own individualized major, and a core course that all students must take called the Intellectual Journey focusing on St. Bonaventure. This college is extremely writing and oral communication intensive and starting next year, the college will offer a BS in Cybersecurity, which will have an emphasis on both the technical and managerial sides of the cybersecurity field and will prepare students for careers in business, government and law enforcement.
School of Business at St. Bonaventure is extremely strong, and is what we see many of our students at Xavier going there to study. They have a brand new business center, that was designed to place students in a professional setting right away, and it is beautiful! They offer extremely strong majors in most business related areas including accounting, finance, and marketing...they also have a sports management minor. Class sizes are small, and the professors are extremely caring and work closely with the students. This is probably a big reason why they have a 90% retention rate for students in the school of business (86% overall in the university), which is very high! They are also focused on outcomes, and most business majors have required internships for their students, and most students also do outreach and service.
The School of Education at St. Bonaventure offers majors and certifications in elementary education, special education, and early childhood education, and students can actually receive all three certifications in their 4 years. Additionally, they offer a major in physical education and concentrations in sport studies and childhood studies. These concentrations are great for students who are interested in these areas, but do not necessarily want to become teachers. Finally, St. Bonaventure offers a great program in secondary education, where students can major in their subject of choice (i.e. English, History, etc.) and graduate with their certification in secondary education.
Finally, the Jandoli School of Journalism and Mass Communication was a very nice surprise. I did not know much about this program before my visit, but it is very strong and popular among students. 20% of the undergraduates are in this college, and their television and broadcast programs give students every opportunity to succeed. They have their own studio and broadcast truck, and students are working on professional equipment, as early as freshmen year. They also produce their own news show every Friday, which is seen around the local area.
Admissions and Honors Program
During my time working with students going to St. Bonaventure, they have been extremely kind with acceptances, and with their scholarships/financial aid. Their overall acceptance rate is just under 80% with an average GPA of 3.12 and middle 50% for ACT 21-27 and SAT 1400-1750.
For their total cost of attendance, they are under $43,000, which is incredible for private schools today. That is before scholarships and financial aid, which they do offer a lot of as well.
Finally, they do have a Honors Program at the university, and requirements for entry include a SAT of 1200 and high school average of 90...students must also maintain a college GPA of 3.25 each semester. More information on this program can be found at www.sbu.edu/honors
Overall Impression
So I cannot express this enough, I love everything St. Bonaventure is about. This is a strong, supportive community of administrators, faculty, and students who are there to prepare for a successful future, but are there for each other as well. Students hold doors for each other, they smile and ask how your day is going, but at the same time, they are focused on their academics, and work hard to do well in the classroom. Students are also very involved in the school. I asked my tour guide about extracurricular involvement, and she said most students do at least 3 or 4 different activities.
Also, school spirit is huge there! Although small, they are a division 1 athletics college, competing in the Atlantic 10 conference. Their basketball games are a must see event, with the entire community attending, rooting their Bonnies on.
Finally, St. Bonaventure is just a school and community with good values. Yes, their network is expansive, where graduates are getting competitive jobs all over the country, but their mission is to form the entire person during their four years there...and this is something I can tell you they do very well.
Joseph D. Korfmacher, MA
Last Friday, I was fortunate enough to visit St. Bonaventure, in up-state New York. I will give my opinion on the school later in the post, but I wanted to jump right into the facts and figures about St. Bonaventure, so enjoy!
Academic and General Information
St. Bonaventure is a Roman Catholic, Franciscan school of about 1,800 undergraduates, in an absolutely pristine part of our country (yes it will snow there in the winter, but it is actually not in the snow belt, so not as much as you would think). The campus is vast, with a ton of green space and trees all around the perimeter. It is a different world there compared to New York City, but for many people, this is a welcomed change of pace. Walking around campus, students were happy, kind to others, and seemed to just slow down a bit...they were taking in the beauty of their surroundings, and were focused on their academics and involvement in school activities.
Academically, St. Bonaventure has four main colleges: School of Arts and Science, School of Business, School of Education, and the Jandoli School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
The School of Arts and Science at St. Bonaventure holds their most popular major, biology, as well tons of other majors and minors. Other highlights in this college include the ability to receive a BA or BS in psychology, very strong computer science programs, the ability for students to create their own individualized major, and a core course that all students must take called the Intellectual Journey focusing on St. Bonaventure. This college is extremely writing and oral communication intensive and starting next year, the college will offer a BS in Cybersecurity, which will have an emphasis on both the technical and managerial sides of the cybersecurity field and will prepare students for careers in business, government and law enforcement.
School of Business at St. Bonaventure is extremely strong, and is what we see many of our students at Xavier going there to study. They have a brand new business center, that was designed to place students in a professional setting right away, and it is beautiful! They offer extremely strong majors in most business related areas including accounting, finance, and marketing...they also have a sports management minor. Class sizes are small, and the professors are extremely caring and work closely with the students. This is probably a big reason why they have a 90% retention rate for students in the school of business (86% overall in the university), which is very high! They are also focused on outcomes, and most business majors have required internships for their students, and most students also do outreach and service.
The School of Education at St. Bonaventure offers majors and certifications in elementary education, special education, and early childhood education, and students can actually receive all three certifications in their 4 years. Additionally, they offer a major in physical education and concentrations in sport studies and childhood studies. These concentrations are great for students who are interested in these areas, but do not necessarily want to become teachers. Finally, St. Bonaventure offers a great program in secondary education, where students can major in their subject of choice (i.e. English, History, etc.) and graduate with their certification in secondary education.
Finally, the Jandoli School of Journalism and Mass Communication was a very nice surprise. I did not know much about this program before my visit, but it is very strong and popular among students. 20% of the undergraduates are in this college, and their television and broadcast programs give students every opportunity to succeed. They have their own studio and broadcast truck, and students are working on professional equipment, as early as freshmen year. They also produce their own news show every Friday, which is seen around the local area.
Admissions and Honors Program
During my time working with students going to St. Bonaventure, they have been extremely kind with acceptances, and with their scholarships/financial aid. Their overall acceptance rate is just under 80% with an average GPA of 3.12 and middle 50% for ACT 21-27 and SAT 1400-1750.
For their total cost of attendance, they are under $43,000, which is incredible for private schools today. That is before scholarships and financial aid, which they do offer a lot of as well.
Finally, they do have a Honors Program at the university, and requirements for entry include a SAT of 1200 and high school average of 90...students must also maintain a college GPA of 3.25 each semester. More information on this program can be found at www.sbu.edu/honors
Overall Impression
So I cannot express this enough, I love everything St. Bonaventure is about. This is a strong, supportive community of administrators, faculty, and students who are there to prepare for a successful future, but are there for each other as well. Students hold doors for each other, they smile and ask how your day is going, but at the same time, they are focused on their academics, and work hard to do well in the classroom. Students are also very involved in the school. I asked my tour guide about extracurricular involvement, and she said most students do at least 3 or 4 different activities.
Also, school spirit is huge there! Although small, they are a division 1 athletics college, competing in the Atlantic 10 conference. Their basketball games are a must see event, with the entire community attending, rooting their Bonnies on.
Finally, St. Bonaventure is just a school and community with good values. Yes, their network is expansive, where graduates are getting competitive jobs all over the country, but their mission is to form the entire person during their four years there...and this is something I can tell you they do very well.
Joseph D. Korfmacher, MA
