Home Schooling
You don’t have to leave the county to get a college degree.
By Meredith Matthews
Berkeley College
99 Church Street
White Plains, NY
(914) 694-1122
www.berkeleycollege.edu
623
Full-time: $15,450. Tuition-freeze guarantee locks in tuition rate, contingent on continuous full-time enrollment. Part-time: $395 per credit
Commuter; there is, however, a six-story apartment complex adjacent to campus that houses 140 students
Business Administration, specifically Management, Marketing and Accounting; Fashion Marketing and Management
The White Plains campus has been Berkeley’s home in Westchester since 1945 (other campuses are in midtown Manhattan and in West Paterson, Paramus, and Woodbridge, NJ). Courses are offered days, nights, weekends and online. Business-minded students can earn an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in the heart of the city’s business district.
“Being situated in downtown White Plains is not only convenient, but also opens doors to a vast array of job opportunities,” declares Ogi Dimitrov, a student from Sofia, Bulgaria, working toward his Bachelor’s of Business Administration in e-business. Thanks to a hardworking career services department, options exist for internships and careers in the revitalized city and at Fortune 500 companies throughout the county. The job placement rate for 2002 grads was stable at 96 percent.
Lakisha Garcia, coordinator for North America Brand Building, MasterCard; Gina DePina, HR generalist at MetLife; Alma Rivera, Executive Assistant to Senior VP at MetLife; Emily Imbesi, Accounts Payable Manager, Telestar International Inc.
The College of
New Rochelle
29 Castle Place
New Rochelle, NY
(914) 654-5000
www.cnr.edu
7,000
$225-$495 per credit
Residential
School of Arts & Sciences: Liberal Arts, Education, Art and Art therapy. School of Nursing: Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing and Registered Nurse degrees
Situated on a leafy campus between New Rochelle’s business district and the Sound Shore (its first home, Leland Castle, is a National Historic Site), the College of New Rochelle (CNR) is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. The college was founded by the Order of St. Ursula, with a commitment to Catholic values and access to higher education for women. Its urban/suburban locale
contributes to the school’s diversity and sense of vitality. The College’s School of Nursing is co-ed, and the women-only School of Arts & Sciences is rooted in a rich liberal arts tradition, offering programs of study ranging from comparative literature to social work. Says Joan Bailey, senior vice president of academic affairs: “We help prepare students to appreciate perspectives other than their own.”
New York Lieutenant Governor Mary O. Donohue; actress Mercedes Ruehl; and Aulana Pharis Peters, the first female African-American commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission
Concordia College
171 White Plains Road
Bronxville, NY
(914) 337-9300
www.concordia-ny.edu
660
$8,820/semester (2003-2004)
Residential
Business, Behavioral Sciences, Biology/Pre-Med, Education,
English/Pre-Law, Social Work
This co-ed, liberal arts college, founded in 1881, is affiliated with the Lutheran Church-Missouri synod. Its turn-of-the-century environs—imagine having a beautiful Victorian house for a dorm!—span Route 22 in lovely Bronxville. Small class size and personal learning are the goal; thus the faculty-student ratio is 1:14. In two of the last four years, Concordia students nabbed New York State Social Work “Student of the Year” honors. Kirk Bamford, a junior from Manchester, England, who’s majoring in math education, couldn’t be more pleased. “Coming across the ‘big pond’ to Concordia was one of my best decisions,” he says.
Paul Gunther, former president of PaineWebber; Business Week Publisher William Kupper; and actor Jason Cerbone, a Yonkers resident, who played Jackie Aprile Jr. in the TV show
“The Sopranos”
Iona College
715 North Avenue
New Rochelle, NY
(914) 633-2000
www.iona.edu
3,000
$17,750 per year (2003-04)
Residential/Commuter
Mass Communication, Business,
Education, Criminal Justice,
Speech Communication Studies
Iona’s lively campus, situated along busy North Avenue, is a stone’s throw from Amtrak and Metro-North trains and Bee-Line bus service, making it attractive for commuters (on-campus housing is available, too). It is a Catholic school in the tradition of the Christian Brothers, with a focus on academic excellence. Says alum Terry Gottlieb, a senior trial attorney in the Bronx District Attorney’s Office: “Iona has the same advantages as a large university—the same facilities and opportunities—but unlike large schools, it offers individualized instruction and individualized guidance.”
Outside the classroom, there seems to be something always happening. Many students spend time volunteering, and Greek organizations are plentiful. The college is home to Division I sports teams and boasts a nationally respected athletics program. The men’s basketball team has produced National Basketball Association players, and the Gaels have made seven trips to the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament. This year, the men’s cross country team finished 4th place at the NCAA championships.
“American Pie” songwriter Don McLean, Riverdance violinist Eileen Ivers; and philanthropist Maria Cuomo Cole
Manhattanville College
2900 Purchase Street
Purchase, NY
(914) 694-2200
www.manhattanville.edu
1,500
$11,810 per semester
Residential: 85 percent of students live on campus
Management, Art, Education, Psychology
Founded in 1841 as a Catholic women’s college, today Manhattanville is a co-ed and nondenominational institution. The 100-acre campus is dominated by the castle-like Reid Hall, designed by celebrated architects McKim, Mead & White. The lush landscape was originally designed by Frederick Law Olmsted (yep, the same guy who designed Central Park). It’s the perfect setting for the annual 12-hour Quad Jam music festival, and the Midnight Brunch held during finals. Students hail from 37 states and 53 nations
“We have a long history of diversity, as well as a mission to educate ethically and socially responsible leaders for the global community,” declares President Richard A. Berman. “Every course we offer, every dollar we spend, every faculty member we hire, every student we admit, and every decision we make is made with this mission in mind.” This goal is part of the reason Berman says he knows three-quarters of Manhattanville students by their first name.
Many members of the Kennedy family are graduates (Kennedy Gymnasium is named for them).
Marymount College of Fordham University
100 Marymount Avenue
Tarrytown, NY
(914) 631-3200
www.marymt.edu
900
$17,850 per year (2003-4)
Residential
Education, International Studies,
Social Work, Theater and Media
Founded in 1907 as an independent, Catholic liberal arts women’s college, Marymount merged two years ago with Fordham University to offer its students big-school resources in a small-school setting. Approximately 15 percent of this year’s freshman class are Westchester residents. Regardless of point of origin, though, “Marymount becomes your second home,” says Tiffanny McGuckin Walsh, a senior majoring in both psychology and theater and media.
Students certainly make their way in the world too—in 1924, Marymount was the first women’s school to sponsor a study abroad program.
Chair and CEO of Xerox Corporation Anne M. Mulcahy; Emmy-award winning actress Susan Lucci; and
U.S. Representative Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT).
Mercy College
555 Broadway
Dobbs Ferry, NY
(800) MERCY-NY
www.mercy.edu
3,596 (Dobbs Ferry campus only)
Undergraduate: $5,350 per semester; Graduate: $510 per credit
Commuter (about 165 students live on campus)
Education, Health Sciences, Business
Since 1950 when it was founded by the Sisters of Mercy, Mercy College has been a favorite of local commuter students. No place in Westchester or the Bronx is more than 10 miles away from one of Mercy’s campuses. The main campus is in Dobbs Ferry, with branches in Yorktown, White Plains, Manhattan, the Bronx, and online (MerLIN). There are also extension sites in Brooklyn, Inwood/Washington Heights and Yonkers. The campuses collectively serve 10,400 students, more than half of whom are Westchesterites.
Mercy College prides itself on encouraging diversity—students represent every ethnic background and more than 100 countries. Tuition is kept competitive and flexible scheduling and online learning help to accommodate the needs of working students. By following this path, says President Lucie Lapovsky, “Mercy College will be a national model for student success beyond predicted expectations.”
Robin Douglas, president, African-American Chamber of Commerce; Jose Alvarado, legislator, Westchester County; Karen O’ Mara, VP of human resources, Polo Ralph Lauren; William Hayward “Mookie” Wilson, former New York Mets centerfielder
Monroe College
434 Main Street
New Rochelle, NY
(914) 632-5400
www.monroecollege.edu
1,600 (New Rochelle campus only)
$4,200 per semester
Commuter (apartment-style housing is available, and a 200-bed dorm is under construction)
Information Systems, Business Management, Criminal Justice, Accounting, Finance, Hospitality and Culinary Arts and Health Office Associate
Monroe College, named for U.S. President James Monroe, expanded its size in 1983 by offering a site in New Rochelle in addition to its Bronx base. The suburban sibling is flourishing, thanks in part to a concerted effort by the school to attract international students, who comprise well over 25 percent of the student body in New Rochelle. The school offers a variety of Associate’s and Bachelor’s degree programs. Last year, Monroe launched a criminal justice program, headed by William MacDonald, PhD, who was a member of the police team that was first on the scene at the Watergate break-in.
The college fields several highly ranked teams in Division III of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), and standout soccer player Jason Royes was named NJCAA All-American first team. “But our greatest success stories are those of our graduates, who have gone on to get higher degrees and to have successful careers,” says Vice President Marc Jerome.
Maria Baez, New York City Council Member for the Bronx; Juan Colon, one of the first teachers to bring computers into kindergarten classes; Joyce James, IBM technical delivery manager; Andrew James, owner of 13 McDonald’s franchises
Pace University
861 Bedford Road
Pleasantville, NY
(914) 773-3200
www.pace.edu
