City College or Hunter College

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In summary, CUNY schools are great for physics majors who are willing to work hard, but they may not have the same opportunities as private schools.
  • #1
khary23
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I would like to ask if anyone here has gone to either school and how your experience was. I am particularly interested in what research opportunities you had, professor accessibility, and class size.
thanks in advance
 
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  • #2
I go to neither school, but since not one person has responded to this yet I feel the little information I do have may be useful. I am from Brooklyn, New York. I have a quite a few high school friends who go to City University schools. I myself am a physics major at the University of Rochester. The important thing to note that what I expirienced upon visitng CUNY schools is limited, but perhaps they can be a little useful.
The physics/engineering students at these school are dedicated and hardworking. The difficulty they have, especially prevalent in undergraduate programs in CUNY schools is the ability to get an early start in the field. With hard work, patience, and good networking there is a possibility, but in some undergraduate programs at private university's that emphasize on research as early as your freshman year. With the right background you can already begin research with a Professor. In my school it was relatively easy to either speak to a professor or our undergraduate advisor and be paired up with a Professor who perhaps conducts research in a possible field you are interested in - but then again private university's generally have a lot more funding then CUNY schools do.
The class sizes are quite large, but that could be found just by looking at the schools numbers on the amount of students. As with any school, the beginning classes will have a larger amount of students then the more advanced specialized classes. This "larger" amount depends on the amount of students who are attending the school. My schools honor beginning calculus class had about 60-80 students. Though my school has a little under 4000 students total, the CUNY schools average around 10,000 and more. My friends complained about the size of these beginning classes, that are filled to over a hundred at times.
Professor accessibility varies from Professor to Professor.
If your choice is between CUNY and a private school with a wide berth of research opportunities, then of course the latter. Is it impossible to get into a PhD program from a CUNY school absolutely not: friends of our family who graduated from CUNY school's have been admitted and graduated notable schools for various scientific fields. Though one thing they have stated, and the friends I know who are currently attending is that it is a lot more difficult to do so. You are more on your own so to speak. If your decision is between which CUNY school, I would suggest City University - from what I hear it is overall more effective at helping their science majors get more involved in the field. Plus ever since Michio Kaku became a poster boy for the school, it has picked up interest in students who plan on attending a CUNY school, and also plan on majoring in physics.

Again, this is just my limited experience of friends and family friends. Everyone's college experience is different, and in the end its all about what you do with your education.
 
  • #3
Thank for the reply. I am also from Brooklyn and graduated from Brooklyn College which is also a CUNY school. I have to say I had a great experience at Brooklyn all of my professors were from really good schools like Harvard, Stamford and MIT and the class sizes were really small.
From what I understand no matter which school I pick I will be taking classes at the CUNY graduate center so I guess that leaves my decision to where I might have more research opportunities. I have emailed both department regarding research and I'm now waiting to hear back.
 

1. What is the difference between City College and Hunter College?

City College and Hunter College are both colleges within the City University of New York (CUNY) system. However, City College is a public senior college while Hunter College is a public liberal arts college. This means that City College offers more undergraduate and graduate programs, including professional programs such as engineering and architecture, while Hunter College focuses on liberal arts and sciences.

2. Which college has a better reputation?

Both City College and Hunter College have reputable programs and are highly regarded within the CUNY system. City College is known for its STEM programs and research opportunities, while Hunter College is known for its strong liberal arts programs. Ultimately, the reputation of a college depends on the individual's interests and career goals.

3. How do the tuition costs compare between City College and Hunter College?

The tuition costs for City College and Hunter College are similar, as they are both public institutions within the CUNY system. However, City College may have slightly higher tuition costs due to its larger and more diverse range of programs and opportunities.

4. What is the student population like at City College and Hunter College?

City College has a larger overall student population, with approximately 16,000 undergraduate students and 4,000 graduate students. Hunter College has a smaller undergraduate population of around 15,000 students and a graduate population of about 5,000 students. Both colleges have a diverse student population, with students from various backgrounds and cultures.

5. Which college has a better location?

City College is located in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan, while Hunter College is located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Both locations have their own unique advantages and disadvantages. City College is closer to Central Park and has a more urban feel, while Hunter College is closer to museums and cultural institutions. Ultimately, the better location depends on an individual's personal preferences.

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