Top Things Hudson Valley Community College students look for when transferring

By: Carlsy Ybanez

Business Manager

 Hudson Valley Community College, is a place where careers can be made, and journeys are begun. Although students are being hired to career jobs at high-rates locally – by Regeneron for example; Hudson Valley Community college is also considered one of the best places to begin the journey of someone’s career. 

As the “Harvard on the Hudson,” it sets strong foundations for people that wish to pursue a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degrees at higher learning institutions. 

However, with Hudson Valley Community College’s stature as a state university, and its great transfer rates – how do you pick which college to go to? 

There are various factors that affect your learning and life while in school and the students at Hudson Valley Community College all had many different reasons for choosing the school of their dreams. 

“For me, personally, the school has to have a strong business program, a sense of community and school spirit, offers for scholarships and grants towards my tuition, multiple clubs and organizations I’d be interested in and that the location is close to a city,” said Ashley Alexander, a business and marketing student.

Other students focused more on the type of environment the school offered.

“The environment around the school has to be positive,”said Rogelio Nayra, a computer programming major. “[I also look for] new and fresh opportunities, the cost of living and tuition, and most importantly the weather.”

The academic opportunity available at the college and the overall cost of tuition was also a major factor.

“[I look at] the cost of school, it’s location to attractions and events, the rate of success their graduates have and the academic challenge and growth they can provide,” said John Nocus, a nursing student.

“The level of their program that I am interested in, the academic quality -achievements, awards, etc., quality and personality of their faculty, distance from home and overall cost of attendance [are all important to me],” said Gian Mission, an exercise science student.

Another interesting factor was the prestige of the school. Who wouldn’t want to go to Harvard University or Yale? These dream schools that guarantee your future are what some people strive for at Hudson Valley Community College. 

However, according to Nick Ruiz, a digital media student, prestige doesn’t matter as much as other things. 

“My drawing professor once said that he’d taught in “Ivy League” schools and when he started teaching here, he taught us the same exact way and expected just as high of a result as those other expensive schools,” Ruiz said. “It’s because the amount of money does not equal the students ability to do good work and does not indicate the potential they have,” he continued. “It’s all about what opportunities can this college provide me with in terms of my career; balancing that with the cost is key.

It seems that students have many different things they want to look out for, however, there are even more factors to consider. 

The equipment and technology of the school is something that people overlook, or may not be aware of. 

Secondly, we should all agree that the security of the community in and around the college is priority, safety should always be a priority. 

For those who are looking for the “college experience” partying isn’t everything. Be on the lookout for sororities or fraternities on the campus that have a good balance of enjoyment and focus – not that it should be a deal breaker but just something to look out for. 

Last but not least, make sure that they have a good support and help system. If you are not struggling, you are not growing – just make sure you have the proper resources to get you through that rough patch when you do struggle. 

It’s hard to enjoy college when stress starts to pile on, so keep that in mind. Make a wise choice, and keep on achieving Vikings!