College Spotlight: Stonehill College

Last weekend, I flew to Boston, and took a bus 30 minutes to Easton, Massachusetts to visit Stonehill College. I spent two days there, learning about their community, academics, and meeting students, administration, and faculty. It was a wonderful opportunity to truly engulf myself and get a true understanding of what Stonehill College is all about. While there, there were a few key values about the school that became very clear; the Stonehill community is a family, where students receive an incredible education, are friendly to others, and truly want to help others, while improving themselves along the way. Stonehill has a quintessential New England campus on over 400 acres, where students are genuinely happy to be and receive a top notch education.

Here’s everything you need to know about Stonehill College, plus my personal perspective below.

Key Stats:

Ø  Stonehill is a Catholic, Private, Holy Cross institution (same as Notre Dame)
Ø  Stonehill opened in 1948 and was one of country’s first colleges to go co-ed in 1950
Ø  Their mission is to educate hearts and minds, and community service is huge at Stonehill College, with the school partnering with 40 local community agencies
Ø  There are 2,400 students enrolled at Stonehill, 58% female, and 42% male
Ø  Stonehill has 21 Division 2 teams, and they compete in the Northeast 10 Conference. They also offer a competitive club rugby program.
Ø  They have a brand new athletic center built in 2015, which is absolutely beautiful
Ø  Study abroad is important at Stonehill, with 56% of students participating in an international experience. There are over 150 different programs in over 60 countries, and Stonehill also offers international internships in Dublin, London, Madrid, and Paris.

Academic Info:

Ø  Liberal arts school with 42 majors and many more minors
Ø  Beginning in school year 2017-2018, Stonehill will have a business school and an arts & sciences school.
Ø  Top notch Education major
Ø  All students enroll in core courses across all disciplines, regardless of major
Ø  Every student completes a Cornerstone Program, as they want students to examine critically the self, society, culture, and the natural world. The hope is that every Stonehill student will be prepared for a life of learning and responsible citizenship.
Ø  Their educational philosophy is a liberal arts education with purpose, and social responsibility is extremely important to them.
Ø  Their academic advising is very strong. During summer before freshmen year, students are able to meet faculty advisors in their major. During freshmen year, students also have a course (non-credit bearing) where they work with a member of administration to help them adjust to college life, and learn practical information about life at Stonehill.

Admissions Stats:

Ø  Stonehill has a 73% acceptance rate
Ø  Middle 50%--- SAT: 1090-1280           ACT: 22-28
Ø  They are Test-Optional, and only 52% of applicants last year submitted test scores
Ø  92% of students received a merit scholarship last year, with an average award of $18,300
Ø  99% of students received financial aid last year, with an average award of $27,800
Ø  Demonstrated interest is important during their admissions process; so visit their campus, or meet them at a college fair or information session…this could help!
Ø  They offer three ways for students to apply: Early Action, Early Decision, and Regular Decision.

What’s special about Stonehill College:

There are many aspects of Stonehill that make it special, but one thing I want to focus on is their career services. They have a big career services department for a small college, and they work extremely close with all students, regardless of major. Additionally, their career services team work well with students who are undecided, and will meet with them early on to help them through the internship and job market. Stonehill offers a database called “Handshake”, which is an online system solely for Stonehill students to find internships, jobs, and network with Stonehill alumni. Also, unlike most colleges, Stonehill students who are English majors are required to have an internship. Finally, Stonehill has an incredible internship program, specifically with New York City, Los Angeles, and Washington DC. These are full semester internships, where students can gain credit, and Stonehill sets students up with housing, which is fantastic!

Personal Perspective:

I visit a lot of colleges across the country…and most of them are great, they really are. They all have top notch facilities, a strong faculty, various opportunities to help students, and just solid communities…Stonehill is no different. Stonehill has this and more; most students will be extremely happy there, and will have a positive, fun, and safe college experience. However, what I was struck by with Stonehill was the overall community and you could truly see a real sense of family there. The teachers and administrators care about the students, and the students care about each other, and the world around them. Service is a very big part of the student experience, and they participate, not because they have to (not required) but because they want to. A good character and values are important to the Stonehill family, and I could easily tell that any student there will have thousands of new family members there to look after them, push them to be great, and encourage them to go out of their comfort zone and enjoy life. Stonehill has it all; academics, great faculty, school spirit, a beautiful campus, and much more. I hope you are able to put it on your radar going forward, it will not disappoint!








Joseph D. Korfmacher

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