Albany, NY: One of the colleges I chose to look into was the College of St. Rose. At first I was skeptical. I didn't want a college too close to home, but neither did I want one too far away. Since my intended major is Elementary Education, many high school students and many teachers, told me that St. Rose has a good education program, maybe one of the best in the area. I decided to find out by going to an Open House, and an overnight visit. We packed into the car and headed off on the hour's drive.

When I arrived, the staff at the admissions office welcomed my family and me to the college. We sat in the gymnasium with 200 other families and listened to students and faculty talk about the college and what it had to offer. Depending on your intended major, students were instructed to join different faculty and students. This was very helpful for me, since I had no idea what was demanded of an education major. Then we went on a campus tour which was a good way to get acquainted with the school and be able to compare it to others.

As we walked around, visiting the various buildings, I felt like I already lived there. The campus is a small, 25-acre urban, campus with 62 buildings. Outside are stores, a movie theater and a nearby mall. Local bus service is provided to various locations around Albany.

We saw the dorms, which I fell in love with immediately. Even though the rooms were empty, I found them spacious. The college provides a bed, dresser, mirror, telephone and lots of closet space, and allows TVs, microwaves, refrigerators and computers. The freshmen have five floors to themselves. Each floor is either all male or female. We also went to the Student Activities Center where meals are served.

Staying overnight allowed me to visit classes and meet some professors. I also met students. I was impressed by the thoughtfulness, friendly attitude, helpfulness and caring ways of the many people I met there. They made me feel as if I were a part of the college community. f



Review by Jen Heckeler, Burnt Hills, NY


Reviewed in 1997