Educated Quest.com

2012-13 Edition

First Impressions:Siena College (NY)

1 Introduction to Siena College

Background

2

Founded by seven Franciscan friars in 1937, Siena College has approximately 3,300 students, mainly full-time undergraduates, offering 27 majors as well as 50 minors and certificate programs. Siena is one of 22 Franciscan colleges in the U.S.and one of five in New York (Hilbert, St. Bonaventure, St. Francis in Brooklyn and Villa Maria are the others). Approximately 80 percent of Siena students are Catholic, though the College welcomes students of all faiths.

Siena’s 175-acre campus, a former estate, is located in Loudonville, a suburb of Al-bany, the Empire State’s capital city. Siena is a very residential campus community; more than 80 percent of the students live on campus either in residence halls or townhouse-style apartments. There are no fraternities or sororities.

Siena is organized around three schools: Business, Liberal Arts and Science. It is one of the smallest colleges in the U.S. to have a business program accredited by the Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) as well as an teacher training program accredited by the National Council for Accredita-tion for Teacher Education (NCATE). It might also be one of the smallest colleges in the U.S. to have its own moot court room for pre-legal studies, although the College does not have its own law school. The number of options for students to continue their education in the law, engineering and the health professions is impressive for a small school. Approximately 40 percent of the students with declared majors are in the Business school 35 percent in the Liberal Arts and 25 percent in the Sciences.

About a third of entering freshmen arrive undecided about a major, which works fine at Siena because all students must complete the same 14-course core curriculum, regardless of their major. Seventy-four percent of the class that entered in 2007 graduated in four years, an excellent performance among colleges and universities of all sizes. Eighty-nine percent of the class that entered in 2013 continued on to their sophomore year, a performance that is quite competitive with more selective public and private schools.

Notable Siena College alumni include William Kennedy, winner of the 1984 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president of the National Rifle Asso-ciation and George Deukmejian, 35th Governor of California, among approximately 28,000 others.

Background

2 What does it take to get in?Who decides to go?What other schools do applicants consider?

Competition

4

Siena accepts between 55 and 59 percent of all applicants; ap-proximately 9,000 students apply for around 750 seats in a freshman class. The middle 50 percent of the admit pool had SAT scores ranging between 1060 and 1250 (out of 1600) for the Critical Reading and Math sections of the test, with a mean of 1150. Those who took the ACT scored an average composite of 24, which equates to an 1110 SAT. The middle 50 percent of the admit pool had a GPA range between 86 and 92. This sug-gests that Siena appeals to the B/B+ student. To date, nearly 80 percent of the student body comes from New York State, the rest from other U.S. states and countries.

It’s very easy to apply to Siena. All applicants, excluding those interested in the Assured Admission partnership with Albany Medical School, may compete the College’s Fast Forward on-line application for no fee and receive a decision within seven to ten days after all documents including transcripts, test scores, an essay or graded English or History paper have been re-ceived. They may also apply using the Common Application. De-cisions are rendered as early as the beginning of October. Si-ena offers both Early Decision as well as Early Action, both with a deadline of December 1st. Early Decision is binding, while Early Action is not. Deadline for regular admission is February 15th. While it is suggested that interested applicants who be-lieve that they might qualify for one of the College’s larger schol-

Competition

5

arships visit and apply early, the Fast Forward application makes it less necessary to apply Early Decision.

Applicants interested in the Bachelor’s/MD program in partner-ship with Albany Medical School must submit all materials by November 15th. must demonstrate a commitment to community service, must have excelled in high school, must have earned a 1950 SAT, with a minimum of 1300 on the Critical Reading and Math sections of the exam as well as at least a 93 (A-) GPA. Students selected for this program take more undergraduate hu-manities courses than in traditional premedical programs, includ-ing philosophy, medical ethics, medical sociology and health-care communications. They must also engage in two summers of service, one between the junior and senior year in non-medical work with the disadvantaged in areas of need in the United States or developing nations, the other following the sec-ond year of medical school in medically oriented experiences in rural or inner city clinics. Students interested in this program are admitted separately to Siena and Albany Medical School. If se-lected, they must also maintain a 3.4 GPA. And while this pro-gram offers assured admission, provided the GPA is maintained or exceeded, it is not an accelerated program. Students will complete four years of college as well as four years of medical school.

It is possible that the College may go SAT-optional in the future, except for athletes, who under NCAA rules must have minimum

test scores in order to compete at the Division I (scholarship) level, as well as students interested in the Bachelor’s/MD pro-gram (Albany Medical School requires the test results). Siena has between 250 and 260 athletes on scholarship each year, though only men’s and women’s basketball and men’s volley-ball offer a full ride to all members of their teams.

Siena is cross-shopped most often against SUNY-University at Albany within the Capital Region. Other public institutions con-sidered are Binghamton University, SUNY-Geneseo and SUNY-Oneonta. Applicants also consider smaller religiously-affiliated schools such as Fairfield University (CT), LeMoyne College (NY), Marist College (NY), Providence College (RI) and the Uni-versity of Scranton (PA). Larger private schools often consid-ered include Syracuse University (NY) and Quinnipiac Univer-sity (CT).

3 Tuition and FeesScholarshipsDebt

Costs

7

Siena’s direct charges: tuition and fees, room and board, are ap-proximately $46,000. Siena starts at a lower sticker price for the direct charges than other private schools that are consid-ered by applicants, excluding LeMoyne, which is a similar school (about 2,800 students, 30 majors).

The College’s charges are also lower than out-of-state charges assessed by many public universities outside of New York. Si-ena requires only the FAFSA to consider a student for institu-tional financial aid while other private schools often considered (Fairfield, Providence, Quinnipiac and Syracuse) also require The College Board’s CSS PROFILE.

The College’s scholarship programs may reduce these charges further. Those who rank in the upper quarter of the admit pool may receive either Presidential or Franciscan Scholarships val-ued as high as $22,000 per year. Presidential recipients may also receive more need-based scholarship aid, either from the College or the Federal Pell Grant. Recipients need to maintain a 3.1 GPA or higher to renew the scholarship.Smaller awards may reduce tuition and fees between a third and a half.

Siena also awards full and partial athletic scholarships (be-tween 250 and 260 among all students) and participates in the Army ROTC scholarship programs. Eight Siena students re-ceive academic assistance (a six-week college preparation pro-gram before the start of the first year of classes) as well as fi-

Costs

8

nancial aid (scholarships that allow the student to cap Stafford Loan debt at $12,000 over four years) through New York State’s Higher Education Opportunity Program.

Siena also participates in the Bonnor Service Leaders program. Bonner students receive $13,550 over their four years, paid through Federal AmeriCorps funds. This requires a commitment of coursework as well as service learning and leadership locally and abroad, that culminates with a capstone project during the senior year. Students also receive a Certificate in Community Development.

According to the Project on Student Debt, Siena’s 2012 gradu-ates who took out loans borrowed an average of $32,000, lower than graduates of Marist or LeMoyne within New York State as well as graduates of Syracuse University. These borrowers bor-rowed less, on average, than graduates of Quinnipiac Univer-sity, but more, on average than Fairfield University graduates. They borrowed less than the average borrowers who graduated from the University of Scranton, but more than those who gradu-ated from Providence College. The public options within New York (UAlbany, Binghamton, Geneseo, Oneonta) left borrowers with less debt.

Siena parents borrowed, on average in 2011, approximately $16,000 through the Federal Parent PLUS Loan program, less than any private institution considered by applicants, excluding

LeMoyne, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education’s Par-ent PLUS Loan database.

It is interesting that Siena has attracted students who are pri-marily from New York, a state that has some of the lowest direct charges for resident students attending its public college and universities. It is quite unlikely that a New York resident will re-ceive discounts down to public school costs for tuition and fees, unless s/he is a scholarship athlete or has received a ROTC scholarship. Yet students from neighboring states such as Con-necticut, Massachusetts and New Jersey, which have fewer public options might discover that Siena is a better buy than the similar private colleges in their states. They might also find Si-ena to be a better value than non-resident status at schools such as Rutgers-New Brunswick, the University of Connecticut and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst where out-of-state tuition and fees approach or exceed $30,000.

4 On-Campus HousingLocal Housing Market

Comforts

10

All students, excluding commuters, live on campus. According to the College’s Web site, freshmen reside in corridor-style halls with shared bathrooms while upper-class students have options ranging from suites, rooms with private baths, and townhouses.

Four halls: Hennepin, Hines, Plassman and Ryan, accommodate first and second-year students. Only Ryan Hall is dedicated solely to first-year stu-dents. Freshmen may be assigned to double, triple or quad rooms. Rooms in Hines Hall have sinks; this residence hall is a former friary.

Laundry is included in the board charges; no need to use ID cards or carry change. Friars live in the residence halls, which are all-male on the first floors. Students who live in the halls are required to carry a meal plan. Siena is unique in that students may choose to purchase an Unlimited Meal plan, a 15 meal per-week plan or a 140-meal or 180-meal per semester block plan. The per-week and block plans carry more Bonus Dollars which can be used at ca-fes and “grab and go” locations on campus. There’s little variation in total cost (less than $150/year) between the Unlimited, the 15 meal-per-week and the 180-meal block plan. The choice depends on how likely you are to visit the two dining halls, given your class schedule and other obligations. Dining halls oper-ate on a 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM schedule on weekdays, 7:30 AM to 7:00 PM on weekends. The door prices for meals (paid in the event a student runs out of meals on a per-week or block plan) at the dining halls are reasonable.

Mass transit serving the suburban Loudonville campus is too limited to make commuting from rental units further from campus a practical option for most students. In addition, on-campus living only obligates students for the aca-demic year, while private landlords may force students into 12-month leases.

Comforts

5 CampusEnvironsSchool Spirit

Community

12

Siena is located in a suburb of Albany, in New York’s Capital Re-gion, which offers plenty of cultural and recreational opportuni-ties. There are also dining and shopping options within a short (less than a quarter mile) walking distance of campus. Students may also take the bus to the Times Union Center for concerts and sports events, including Siena men’s basketball games.

The College is implementing construction of an expanded stu-dent union, a new recreation center and the Grotto, a gathering place on the attractive, largely red brick, campus. This is a school where students must connect quickly as well as bond into a community; a less outgoing person can feel quite lonely unless s/he delves deeper into their studies. The on-campus cal-endar of events helps in this regard, as do community service programs.

Siena competes in 18 varsity sports at the Division I (scholar-ship) level. Seventeen teams participate in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), with field hockey participating in the Northeast Conference (NEC).

The men’s basketball team is the most successful of the teams. The Saints have appeared in six NCAA Tournaments, advanc-ing to the Round of 32 in 1989, 2008 and 2009. Siena has also played in the postseason NIT five times, capturing third place in 1994. This past season the Saints won the College Basketball Invitational a 16-team tournament that went single-elimination

Community

13

until its final round, a best of three. In the final round, hosted on the Siena campus, the Saints took the first and third games from Mountain West Conference representative Fresno State, a school that played to a much higher level of competition before tournament play began.

According to the College’s most recent Clery Report, the num-ber of reported Forcible Sex Offenses (there were 10 reported in 2011, five in 2012 and six in 2013) appears high for a school that should have a more tight-knit campus community than most. There were also four reported burglaries in 2011, 10 in 2012 and six in 2013. Drug and alcohol-related arrest were less a concern here than at most other schools; there were actually no alcohol-related arrests on campus in 2013. Drug law-related arrests were few, too; only three in 2011, six in 2012 and four in 2013. However, the number of alcohol-related disciplinary refer-rals was extraordinarily high; there were more than 600 each year from 2011 through 2013. The number of drug-related refer-rals was also on the high side; they reached 90 in 2012 and 82 in 2013. There were also incidents of Illegal weapons posses-sion that were reported and addressed by the College.

Students who would be happiest at Siena would be those who want to build and maintain an active and inclusive community on campus, or those who already live nearby and might depart on the weekends, if they have access to a car. This college is trying to attract a more geographically diverse student body,

which in turn will build a stronger campus community. The Col-lege has more than enough academic options as well as suffi-cient housing to support a more national student body than it has now.

6 AcademicsHonors ProgramsExperiential Learning

Curriculum

15

Siena has a 14-course liberal arts core that’s slightly more than a third of the credits required for a degree. At the center of the core are course options based on Francis-can values: Heritage, Natural World, Diversity, and Social Justice. Around the center are courses in English, Creative Arts, History, Natural Science, Philosophy, Quantita-tive Analysis, Religious Studies and Social Sciences. The core makes it quite possi-ble for students to enter undecided, yet have the opportunity to decide on a double major or a major and more than one minor by the end of their sophomore year.

All incoming freshmen take a two-semester seminar as part of the core. While all classes at Siena are small--it’s unlikely to have a class with more than 32 students--these classes are capped at 19. Like other freshman seminar programs, these courses are topical (with field trips and contact with faculty outside of classrooms) as well as writing-intensive. Topics are organized under Franciscan values: Heritage, Natural World, Diversity, and Social Justice. But unlike other freshman seminars, first-year students are treated much like upper-class students. They present research at a First-Year Seminar Conference and may see their work in Gleanings, a literary publication of the College.

Siena links community service to the Honors Program; all students must perform 100 hours or service per year. Incoming freshmen, usually Presidential Scholars, may be invited to the Honors Program or they may apply if they have maintained a 3.3 GPA or higher during their freshman year. All students must maintain a 3.3 or higher to re-main in the program. It includes smaller freshman seminar classes, a three-credit Re-search Colloquium during the junior year as well as a six-credit Honors Thesis or Pro-ject during the senior year. This will be reviewed by a committee which includes the student’s faculty advisor as well as two other faculty members or qualified reviewers, such as business professionals. Honors students may take honors-level courses to meet requirements in their major and/or the core to complete the Honors Program without having to take additional credits. The only downside is that while students in any major may qualify for Honors, the honors courses are available in only these ma-jors:

• English

• History

• Religious Studies

Curriculum

16

• Philosophy

• Accounting

• Political Science

• Economics

• Psychology

• Biology

Siena students may also do funded research during summers; benefits include on-campus housing and a stipend.

Siena offers more joint degree programs than most liberal arts schools, including those that are far more selective. The options for students interested in the health professions or careers in the law are too extensive to summarize. Notable are a Pre-Law Certificate comprised of critical thinking and legal theory courses, a Summer Le-gal Fellows program where students do research with second and third-year law stu-dents at one of seven participating law schools and an undergraduate Moot Court competition versus other colleges and universities. The College even partnered with several area law firms to fund a Distinguished Jurist in Residence, much like an hon-orary academic chair, who advises students and conducts workshops.

The College itself offers only one graduate program, a Master of Science in Account-ing which undergraduates in the major are encouraged to move into. Unlike other states, New York requires 150 credit hours for the CPA examination. Graduates of Siena’s master’s program have achieved a 100 percent pass rate and found employ-ment with accounting firms throughout New York State, including the Big Four. Siena is one of the smallest colleges in the U.S. to have its undergraduate business school accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

Siena also takes a different direction in partnering with engineering schools. Stu-dents may earn a degree in Chemistry, Physics or Computer Science--most other programs allow only a Physics major--in combination with the engineering degree from a partner school. They spend the first 3 years at Siena and the last 2 years at one of the following cooperating institutions: Catholic University (DC), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NY), Clarkson University (NY), Manhattan College (NY) or

Western New England University (MA). Physics majors may also opt for a partner-ship with Union College (NY) where they complete a Masters degree in one of seven engineering fields in only one year.

The College has also launched an innovative program called SAInT, a multi-disciplinary minor or certificate in Advanced Instrumentation and Technology. SAInT combines instruction in the use of scientific instrumentation with majors in the sci-ences. Students have the opportunity to handle scientific equipment such as a tele-scope formerly used at the McMurdo Science Station in Antarctica that is not typically available at larger schools, let alone a liberal arts college. The College committed $3 million to this program, which will also bring the use of advanced scientific instrumen-tation into introductory Chemistry classes. SAInT will also bring local industries to campus to partner on student projects. Future possibilities for SAInT may expose stu-dents to instruments used in Biotechnology, Nanotechnology, Molecular Analysis and Forensic Science. The SAInT programs are also an attractive option for students who might be interested in combining a business degree with a science program that might help them find start their own business or find employment in many industries.

Most colleges advertise that they can take you to any career or opportunity for further education. Siena backs that claim quite well. A serious and motivated student can achieve here once s/he has established the direction that they want to head in. It also helps to have, or at least be willing to discuss, a religious identity, given the im-portance of Franciscan values in the curriculum as well as student life.

7 Alumni RelationsCareer Services

Connections

18

Siena has approximately 28,000 alumni, with around 15,600 registered in LinkedIn.com, a high percentage for the alumni base at any school, small or large. Of these alumni, more than 9,500 live and/or work in the Albany or New York City metropoli-tan areas. Slightly fewer than 800 work and/or live around Bos-ton. Like New York City, Boston is about three hours from cam-pus. Approximately 2,500, 16 percent, of these alumni work in Accounting or Finance. The majority studied Business or Ac-counting while enrolled at Siena.

The easiest alumni base for undergraduates to make connec-tions is in the Albany area, either through the career develop-ment center or the academic departments. During the past aca-demic year, Siena’s career center arranged more than 300 in-ternships.

Given the academic programs and the strong regional econ-omy, students with access to a car should consider pursuing in-ternships during the fall and spring semesters as well as the summer. It is as easy for students to interact with local alumni as it is for them to come to campus. Siena also participates in the Capital Region Career Consortium, an online job board where postings are shared by 19 other public and private col-leges.

Connections

8 Summing up

Conclusions

20

Siena is an excellent college for a good or very good (B/B+) stu-dent who needs academic direction as well as encouragement directly from the administration, faculty, and hopefully their classmates. It also helps to be familiar with the assets of New York State’s Capital Region; most of the students already come from around here or other parts of upstate New York. But this area has also attracted students from other countries and states to schools such as Skidmore College, Rensselaer Poly-technic Institute and Union College. Siena needs to make simi-lar efforts to reach out to a more national student body. To date, the percentage of students from New York State is quite high; it leaves a perception that Siena is more of a regional school for Albany and surrounding counties.

Siena combines a rigorous liberal arts core with a greater num-ber of pre-professional options than most liberal arts schools. Approach an admissions officer as a parent to ask if Siena can help their student enter most fields, and you will receive a “yes” that will sound more authentic than most. The give-and-take be-tween students and faculty appears as if it will work out better than at most schools that do not have Siena’s Franciscan roots or the College’s track record at helping students towards a direc-tion that they might not have expected when they began their college education. This school opens more doors to further edu-cation than most liberal arts schools, including many that have more selective admissions. Not to mention, Siena has gradually

Conclusions

21

improved its retention and graduation rates to levels that ap-proach more selective schools with stronger brand recognition. This will help the College become a more geographically di-verse institution than it is now. This is quite possible, not only because of the academics, but also because the College offers enough on-campus housing to make that possible.

While Siena welcomes students from all faiths, it helps to be will-ing to discuss, if not develop, a religious identity. It also helps to be willing to contribute to the community, because service is prided by the school’s administration and faculty. But Siena also needs more students who do not come from the Albany area to help make its campus community stronger and more appealing to prospects from outside the region. When a school has too many students who are close to home, and have cars, it be-comes too easy for them to go home.

Ed Quest’s Report Card

Siena College

Four-Year/Six-Year

Grad Rates

Freshman Retention

Costs Comforts Community Curriculum Connections

A/A B+ B+ A B+ A B

Strengths Weaknesses

If you want the quiet, small college setting, this is an excellent choice

Helps to have a car here.

Excellent pre-law and pre-health advising as well as academic ties to advanced degrees in

these fields

If you’re looking for a school where you have Greek life look elsewhere

Innovative program in scientific instrumentation recently launched

Brand recognition is thin beyond the Albany area

Bachelors-Masters in Accounting program has 100 percent CPA pass rate and employment

success rate i

If you’re looking for a school where you can move into an unsupervised living situation after freshman or sophomore year, look elsewhere

Small school option for a D-1 scholarship athlete especially in basketball and volleyball

The quiet might be too quiet for some.

Reasonable direct charges (tuition & fees, room and board) for a private school

Selection of joint degree options is impressive for a small school

More to do in the Capital Region than some might think

9 To receive notices about new and updated profiles visit www.EducatedQuest.com

The End