Looking for thoughts on Xavier in Ohio

abasket · 06-10-2008, 08:16 AM

Now that D is safely tucked in her college choice and completed her freshman year, it's time to start looking ahead for my rising HS Junior son!

While he has not done a lot of college investigating (except the previous visits we had with his sister and some of the flyers he has bothered to open) he seems very interested in Xavier in Cinncinati. We did visit Xavier with D a couple of summers ago, but it was a brief visit, on our own with no guide , just kind of walking around . Being that we had already done a full visit that day at Miami and it was about 95 degrees we weren't too concentrated on the visit.

Son is currently ranked #1 at his public school of about 350 (?). His strengths and interest seem to lie in public speaking and writing - but he is also very good at math (though I would not say he LOVES it). He is a sports fanatic through and through. Not only does he love playing/watching sports, but he is very interested in statistics. I tease him that in a few shows we will be watching "The Mike and Mike and Drew" show on ESPN!

I've heard Xavier has a good sports management program. I could also see him going the way of teaching w/coaching potential in high schools or maybe law one day (the kid is very effective in his public speaking/debate).

I'd appreciate ANY comments on Xavier for those who have visited, attended or had any other experience with the school. We will probably plan a visit later this summer. Please comment on the campus, safety, dorms, types of students, academic comments, fin aid - anything!!!

Much appreciated....

Elizabeth90505 · 06-10-2008, 09:02 AM

I can't help you much, but the daughter of one of my co-workers goes there and loves it. I know they get students from all over U.S. She plays basketball and her mom has commented on more than one occasion that the athletes are a great group and will travel great distances to support one another.

madville · 06-10-2008, 10:16 AM

Great community, great basketball, a safe and pretty campus nestled in the center of the city. I can't comment on the specific program you were referring to but Xavier is a great community, and even though I'm a Bearcat fan, I can't say anything negative about the men and women of X. A intimate campus in a moderate sized city.

abasket · 06-10-2008, 10:32 AM

Madville, are you near Cinncinati? Are there restaurants, shops, etc. within walking distance of campus? Is there a decent bus system?

madville · 06-10-2008, 11:46 AM

Yes, I live here. Within walking distance, not really, but within 2-3 miles the Hyde Park, Mt. Lookout, Rookwood, Oakley area has EVERYTHING a college student could want. Restaurants, shopping, bars, and a variety of services for every need. Bus system is adequate, but a nice little car would open up so much for your son. Not a necessity, but would be nice.

OaksMom · 06-10-2008, 12:30 PM

abasket, I have been looking at Xavier as a potential for my rising senior as well. Unfortunately I have not gotten much feedback on the school on CC. We are west coast, so it would be a haul to run out to Cincy just to see it. I wish we could learn more, though I think they're websites is one of the better ones I've seen. PM me if you find out any further information. Thanks!

abasket · 06-10-2008, 04:46 PM

Oaks, I'll have to try and remember to get back to you if/when we visit this summer.

Our impression is that it is well respected.
It kind of has that big respect, while still being a smaller-ish school.

What are your sons interests?

germanprof · 06-11-2008, 08:47 PM

I just had to reply to the post looking for info on Xavier University in Cincinnati. I'm a part time instructor in modern languages there; also have a son who just completed his freshman year (in engineering) at UC. Something you might think about: XU has a very high freshman retention rate. We (faculty) report on freshmen every six weeks, and contacts are made immediately. There's an office devoted just to freshman, and recently, sophomores. I can't speak to specific programs, but there is a significant number of hours in the "core curriculum", like maybe 60 semester hours: math, science, English, foreign language, religion/ethics.

I can't speak for all departments, but in the languages, we cap the classes at 20-22 students, and we really do know them. Compared to my son's experience at a very large urban university, XU can be way more personal. The campus is beautiful, all the buildings are reasonable close.

If my son were in the liberal arts, I would have sent him here in a heartbeat.

abasket · 06-11-2008, 09:53 PM

Thank you germanprof for that info. Is there any new construction going on on campus? In the last couple of years or coming up? I feel like I heard something about updating the library or something....

My S actually just got a postcard in the mail from Xavier today - lots of talk about community service - interesting to me - the postcard showed 5 students involved in some community service opportunity - all girls!

mommusic · 06-12-2008, 08:14 AM

abasket--I had read something about a campus upgrade also so I googled and got this, actually from the XU website:

Xavier University News

It was a nice campus but lacking in certain amenities common to most campuses now. This construction project will be a great improvement when it is completed.

If you want a good Catholic environment Xavier is fantastic. I gather there's a Jesuit in about every department. They also have some interfaith initiatives going, with a Hillel for the few Jewish students there. Don't know about other faiths.

Cincinnati · 06-12-2008, 09:28 AM

Xavier University is situated north of downtown Cincinnati, just a few miles from the University of Cincinnati. From a sports standpoint, Xavier has traditionally had a very strong basketball program. The Xavier vs. Cincinnati basketball game, know as the Cross Town Shootout, is huge in Cincinnati. Both University of Cincinnati and Xavier University are located in areas that are not safe off campus. That are not many shopping or eating options withing walking distance from Xavier but the new expansion plans will help. There are safe communities not too far away that offer both shopping and eating. Xavier attracts many local students from Cincinnati's large Parochial school system. Xavier has a strong MBA program. An Ohio school that offers a strong sports management program is Ohio University. As far as quality of education, I would recommend Ohio State University.

abasket · 06-12-2008, 04:47 PM

Thanks Cincinnati for your insight - that is very helpful. Though as I mentioned, our visit was short and not real focussed a couple of years ago, I do remember thinking the surrounding area was not the best.

My son will likely not be looking for anything as large as OSU (plus he's a Wolverine!) - his sister attends a small private in Ohio and she's happy, we're happy and he's seen many benefits with smallish. I could see him going mid-size perhaps....we have never visited OU but many people here end up there even though it's a hike - maybe we'll have to put it on our list....

ambiguity · 06-12-2008, 07:41 PM

I live in Cincinnati, and although I have never spent much time on the Xavier campus, I do live close, and I have spent lots of time in Oakley, Hyde Park, etc.

Last year I had a student teacher in my Spanish class who was graduating from Xavier, and her review of the school was very positive, but I can't say there is much respect for the school in my community, with regard to academics anyways. The Jesuit traditionalism does attract a lot of the students (especially the catholic school kids), as do the athletics, but Xavier is not really considered to be the best choice for a high achieving student staying in Ohio.

The University of Cincinnati and Ohio University are considered comparable, but their tuition is much more reasonable. Within my (public, highly competitive) high school, most of the B+ students attend either OU, UC, or one of a few Kentucky universities. Typically, those from my school who attend Xavier went on a sports scholarship, or their parents were wealthy enough to pay the full costs.

For the cost of attending Xavier, there are a lot of very good Ohio liberal arts schools that would fully develop your son's public speaking and writing interests. My general advise is to keep looking. OSU is very large, but it is a significantly better school, and I believe most people are quite happy there, my older brother included. I plan on attending OSU, and despite my reservations about being one in thousands, I really like the campus, the honors program, and the reputation the school is building.

Also, though I have limited experience with the Cincinnati bus system, I work with people who rely on it for transportation, and they ridicule it. Having a car is essentially a necessity unless you can master the bus system or don't plan on going off campus.

CuriousKid · 06-12-2008, 10:09 PM

Kenyon?

I think Xavier would be good to keep on his list, but I can't quite imagine it as #1 from the stats you've presented. I think he may get intellectually bored there...

dbwes · 06-13-2008, 09:42 AM

abasket -- My daughter will be attending a different midwest Jesuit school this fall, so perhaps I am a little bit defensive/sensitive on this subject, but I would take some of the negative comments on this thread with a grain of salt and do your own investigating. The more regional Jesuit schools (as opposed to BC and Georgetown) don't get a lot of play or respect here on CC and I think there are some stereotypes attached as well. I don't know a lot about Xavier so I'm not going to pretend I do. But I will say that it will give you merit money that will make that sticker price come down. It probably has one or two real pockets of excellence in terms of highly ranked departments or programs. And the kids who go there are, I bet, really happy. These schools serve the bright, well-rounded kids of the region and slightly beyond very, very well. They are just not perceived as national "players" here on CC. I wouldn't even compare Xavier to a place like University of Cincinnati -- you would choose it for all the reasons it is different from a huge public.