maddancermom

My oldest child attended Salve Regina University as a freshman in fall 2008. This school was chosen after an exhausting process of researching many, many colleges. I was an active viewer of College Confidential threads while we were searching for the right school. Unfortunately, very little was written about SRU. It is my intention to save another student from making an uninformed decision to attend this school. I only wish someone had really "filled me in."

We visited Salve three times while my daughter was still in high school. We feel we were duped into believing this was a top rate college, offering all the normal opportunities for learning as well as fun in the confines of a very safe and absolutely beautiful campus.
We believed the school had the students’ best interest at heart. We were fooled.

After a miserable first semester, here are some truths about Salve.

-There are absolutely no campus sponsored events beyond the first week of school. When you drop your child off, you will see posters advertising orientation type fun.I realize now the college was trying to give the impression that there would be socializing opportunities- (good PR while the parents were in town.). Unfortunately, the activities are very juvenile and, therefore, not well attended. The offerings included an ice cream social, a rock painting activity, bingo, and a movie -all in the first six days of school. Beyond this first week, there was absolutely nothing to do. There were no opportunities for students to gather as a student body and meet each other. Despite the small size of the class, it was not unusual for students to only know the names of classmates in surrounding dorm rooms.

Oh yes, there is a student center. It is a tiny, cramped, dark room in the basement of one building. The only people who go there are the people who have a work study job to oversee the place.
-The school's major focus is preventing alcohol abuse. The RA's are so strict that there are nightly checks every two hours of each dorm room. “Just cause” is not required for a search, and anybody under any suspicion is written up and fined. One ridiculous incident- 2 girls were being rowdy so the RA assumed that there was something funny in their Snapple bottles. She wrote the girls up even though she had no proof that any substance abuse had occurred.
-During orientation, much information is given to parents about the school’s efforts to make the freshman adjustment a smooth one. The “New Students Seminar” is described as a cluster of freshman who have two classes together, one academic and one to discuss the freshman transition and address the concerns students might have. This second class is a sham as half of the time it cancelled and when they do actually meet, students are only asked a cursory “how is everyone doing?”
-While there are plenty of opportunities to shop in the town of Newport, there are no nighttime hangouts the students can get into without being 21. What this means is that students stay in their rooms watching movies and playing board games like Disney’s Scene It (I kid you not). My daughter and all of her friends did not go out (other than to get dinner at Panera twice) for an entire semester.
Many students traveled to other colleges on weekends. This is very indicative of a problem and causes the students to take unnecessary risks. They are traveling late at night in an area they are unfamiliar with. My daughter heard harrowing tales of students being stranded in other towns because the buses stopped running at a certain time and they did not know how to get a cab to get home.

Safety is another concern. We were told there was a person on duty at each dorm to screen who was coming into each building. This is a complete lie as nobody works the lobby. Though the neighborhood seems very safe, there was a sexual assault reported very recently just outside the borders of the school. ( I do realize this could happen anywhere).

The most troubling thing about my experience with this school is that I came to realize that the administration did not care at all about the students. Several phone calls and a very serious letter were left unanswered. When I pursued it to the point that a dean finally got on the phone with me, he sounded like an uneducated, hostile buffoon. He said in response to my well thought- out heartfelt and very respectful letter, “Yeah, I don’t know what you want me to say.” I was so shocked by his rude and cavalier manner in light of the serious problems I thought I was bringing to his attention.

In retrospect, I have concluded that my daughter was only a number. It seems they expect to lose a large percentage of students after freshman year. This probably works for them as dorming facilities are fewer for upper classmen. The focus and any money is spent on recruiting a large freshman class which will then lose many students by sophomore year. It is likely they NEED to dwindle the population in order to have room. This allows them to ignore the adjustment needs of the freshman and the recreational needs of the entire student body.

It is not surprising that my daughter left after the fall semester and is now very happy at her new school. We have come to learn that many students transferred out as she did. Many others say, that while they will transfer, their parents won’t let them do so until they finish a year (not a semester).

It is not clear to me how the school keeps any of its students. I surmise that perhaps socializing opportunities are better once students live off campus in houses and that the town could be a lot of fun the closer one got to age 21.

I also would like to make clear that my daughter was not looking for a “party school”. She is very responsible and was just looking for a school where she could learn, meet people and enjoy a well rounded college experience. Thankfully, we have found that at Wagner College.

cherielia

I'm sorry your daughter is bored at Salve.
I'm actually doing some research on them, just discovered the school.
And I'm really looking into Salve Regina.
I'm not really concerned about not having too much to do on campus, I'll get over it.

Do you have any idea how they are w/ aid?

Newport07

When I first started the college search, I was completely uncertain as to where I might even be interested in attending school. I am not from the east coast, so it was hard for me to imagine planting myself in a university so far away from home. I have to say that once I made the decision to attend Salve Regina University I have never felt an ounce of regret. I am almost finished with my sophomore year and I am continually amazed at how fast the time passes.

The faculty and staff at Salve Regina have been outstanding. They are always willing to go the extra mile and help out in any possible way. Their continuous support and encouragement of academic affairs and achievement are enough to attract any devoted student, who is interested in success. I feel challenged in all of my courses, but the teachers are always accessible so I never feel overwhelmed. I have only had two classes cancelled throughout my collegiate career and both were due to illness or death in the professor’s family. This is important to me because I value the discussions and relationships that have proven to form during valuable class periods. I am so appreciative of the distinct liberal arts curriculum that is provided through Salve Regina. There are various ideas and goals that I have formed, which I could have never imagined if I would not have been exposed to different areas of study. This statement is evidence of the impact of the university mission statement which aspires for all students of Salve Regina to be responsible citizens of the world.

Even though there are quite a few students that are from New England, Salve is not a “suitcase” college. There are always people around and things to do. In fact, students often avoid going home in order to foster the relationships that they have made through Salve. It is vital to note that the University’s programs and events are an important element in the daily lives of students. There are often events that take place on various days of the week, some during the day and others in the evening. Concerts, snacks, movies, and trips are available each week. The trips that Salve students are eligible for enable them to travel and experience many new things. There are New York City trips that provide not only transportation but also a ticket for a Broadway production, bus trips to Salem, MA around Halloween and outdoor activities that involve traveling to ski and white water raft. I was involved with the board that is in charge of these events so I can testify as a member and a student that these trips come at a very low cost that is offset by the campus activities fee. My favorite memory is attending my first hockey game in Boston, MA and eating at the Hard Rock Café. This was a wonderful time to make memories with friends and meet new students on campus.

I have had work study positions that give me an outlet to new people and friends. I have been involved with different clubs on campus like the Environmental Club, Campus Ministry, and the Campus Activity Board. I have enjoyed each and every one of these experiences and will be absolutely heartbroken when my time at Salve Regina University comes to an end.

maddancermom

My intention for posting was to tell the truth and give unsure students the chance to hear about my child's experience. I am happy that you are finding happiness at the school.
Obviously, not everyone leaves ....

What your post does, however, is prove my point about activities offered at night and on the weekend. The fact that you list snacks as an activity is comical! I'm guessing you are referring to the same ice cream social that I wrote about! There were no concerts during the Fall semester.
The movie theatre holds 30 people...My daughter chose not to attend any since she had seen enough movies in her dorm room on her tv to last a lifetime! (That was the activity of necessity on weekend nights.)

The trips off campus are not a reason to attend a school.

There is NO social scene at Salve, no hub, no student center. You mention meeting people in class...work study, etc. but there are no opportunities to meet people beyond school or work. I notice many aspects of my post are not refuted by you.

WhataDad

The information in your response to maddancermom was articulate and very helpful. I feel even better now about my daughter's decision to attend Salve in the Fall.

cherielia

We get it maddancermom, your daughter doesn't like Salve. It sucks for her, and it's great that she transferred. Now it just sounds like you're trying to make Salve look bad. I'm not saying that IS what you're doing, but it certainly sounds that way.

lockn

Newport07's post feels like it was written by an employee of the university.

cherielia

Hahaha, true lockn, true.

seniorcollegekid

Wow, maddancermom, I could have not put it better myself. Everything you said is so true. I am not on here to bash SRU, I just feel that students should really know where their getting themselves into so they don't have to transfer, like I did.

Let's just say you can't drink on campus, period. The RA's will hunt you down. I laughed out loud and they ran into my room to harass me. The quality of students is pretty low too. I was above average and the rest were so lazy and they just brought me down.

The post above is obviously written by a staff member.No student at Salve would take the time to write that, believe me.

Just know what your getting yourself into at Salve. All my friends there wanted to transfer like myself but just didn't do it and now they all regret it. I've had three people I know attend there after I left, and all of them have transferred. I let them experience it for themself and they all called me and said why didn't you tell me this was Alcatrez - the prison on an island.

If you do go there, good luck! ONLY 79% OF STUDENTS COME BACK FROM FRESHMAN YEAR! AND I WOULD SAY ABOUT 69% OF STUDENTS COME BACK FOR JUNIOR YEAR. EVERYONE IS MISERABLE THERE. ATTEND AT YOUR OWN RISK.

girl1990

I don't agree with cherielia that maddancermom is just trying to slam Salve. The whole point of this website is to share honest experiences and help prospective students with their decisions.

I am also one of the lucky ones who is transferring after my first year at Salve. If my parents would have allowed it, I would have left after the first semester. The truth is this is a beautiful campus, but that is where the good ends. The college is very expensive. I got no aid despite having an 87 average in high school, a 1250 on the SAT's, and many extracurriculars to balance my resume. To pay the full tuition and have nothing offered by the college besides classes is a complete rip off. I agree with maddancermom-there is nothing to do! I actually look forward to Mondays, when at least I have classes to distract me from the boredom. A lot of time with my friends has been spent discussing ways and plans to get out of there. It feels like a boarding high school. We are treated as children. I haven't had one drop of alcohol since I've been here but have been suspected constantly-the room check thing is true. There is a pervasive mood of negativity among the students, and it might be because there are no activities that bring the student body together. There is no school spirit- My parents came up one weekend for the one "exciting" activity offered all semester. There was a fundraiser involving watching the Boston Celtics play in our gym. The tickets were expensive so many students did not go. My father and brother got tickets to go see the game. Within 10 minutes after the game was over (at around 9:30 pm) lights were out, there was no social gathering, and all the students headed back to their dorms to spend the rest of the night watching tv. It was then that my parents started to believe everything I had been saying about Salve. I literally could be a commuter student who simply goes to classes and not miss anything on campus. The'yre constantly building to add to the facility. I guess that's where our money is being spent. They are currently building a chapel. This seems to be out of touch with what the student body needs. While I know it is a catholic school, they already offer mass on Sundays. A student center might help to unite everybody more and help them feel like there was somewhere to go besides their dorm rooms.
To me college should be more than just classes. I didn't go four hours from home to sit in a dorm room. I thought by going away to school I would be getting a true college experience, but this has not been the case. In my experience, I think the number of kids that transferred is higher than has been posted here. These are my personal thoughts, and anybody who has opinions should share them because this is what college confidential is all about.

seniorcollegekid

Yah, I agree with your post also. I feel that no one liked the school and wanted to transfer but everyone had their reasons to stay. I wanted to transfer a month after being there but my parents made me stay the year. I'll never forget when they came down one weekend and my Dad was like ,"does anyone do anything." The campus was dead. I was like you can't even talk out loud in the court year or the RA's will come out and punish you. Then he knew that it was time to leave. I transferred to a real colllege and I honestly couldn't believe the first weekend I was here - it was so much fun!

Again, there are a certain few that do like Salve. However, most people don't.

bredding2890

I also currently attend Salve and am planning on transferring for the next semester. I also know of several people (including my roommate) who also plan on transferring. I will list some pro's and cons so people who are considering here know what they are getting themselves into.

Pros:
*Great faculty. I love every single one of my teachers and have gotten to know them well. My advisor has been a tremendous help so far.
*the academics are neither too easy nor too hard. I feel as though I have been properly challenged thus far.
*Dorm rooms. All the ones I have seen have been larger than most, no forced triples, and sophomore year and up you get to live in cool houses with kitchens.
* Free access to rhode island public transportation. a big help if you live semi close to home or just want to venture into providence one night.
*Near the beach

Cons
*Food. There is only one dining hall (and only a handful of other places to get food but you can't use your meal plan anywhere besides the dining hall and certain times at sky ranch grille). The food is subpar compared to every other college I have been to (including URI, UNE, and every UMASS)
*Meal plan options. They force freshman to buy a 19 a week meal plan (who eats that many meals? no one) but don't allow you to use it on guests. on a good week I use 14 meals.
*Student body. Now, I hate to generalize, but I think most people will agree with me that the student body is less than diverse. Most students (not all, but most) are girls (70% female to male ratio I believe) who come from wealthy parents and snobby private schools, and they all wear leggings, ugg boots, and north face jackets. I have met some great people here, but it would be a lie to say I have met many different kinds of people here.
* Financial aid. The maximum scholarship they offer is 10k a year. You can get grants, but from what I have seen that is rare.
*Activities. There are a few cool activities, such as the new york trip and the six flags trip, but those are few and far between and they sell very few tickets that sell out quickly.
*Weather. It is normally cold and raining here. Don't believe the website pictures, it has not been that gorgeous out once this whole year. I know part of that is because it's New England, but part of it is because of where we are in Newport.
* The gym. I have never seen a smaller gym in my life and most days it is hard to find an available treadmill.
* No sororities or frats. That didn't matter to me but it might for some people.
* For a small school, they sure are slow responding to messages and complaints. I had a hold on my account for months because of an error the business office made when processing my loan information.
*The ridiculous number of core class requirements. In addition to the normal GenEd requirements they have quite a few core requirements that can put a damper on your schedule. If I stayed here I would be stuck taking summer classes 2 years in a row in order to graduate with my major on time.
* Small student body means less diverse class options. Although there is some variety, this school lacks a lot of interesting classes my friends are taking. Most students are limited to the basic classes you expect to see in high school.
* Volunteer requirement. Now, I admit that volunteering is wonderful and a great thing to add to your resume, but if you're like me and taking 17 credits a semester plus working sometimes you just don't have time to volunteer.

Overall I think Salve is a good school for middle of the road students (especially if you attended a private high school), but not really worth the money. Especially if you plan on going to Graduate or Med school.

SalveGirl

I personally feel that maddancermom is giving a somewhat biased description of Salve Regina University.

I am currently a freshman at Salve, and although I (like many freshman) had difficulty adjusting at first, I have learned to love the school.

I am very sorry that your daughter was unable to stick it out. I truly think that if she had given the school a chance she may have learned to enjoy it much more. Many freshmen have miserable first semesters but learn to adjust to being away from home and the differences that come with it. I am SO glad my parents encouraged me to stay instead of giving up on it after only a couple of months.

In terms of campus events, I have to wonder, your name being what it is, if your daughter was involved in the dance program at school. I have attended all of their performances and am friendly with some of the dancers and they love it. Our dance program is impressive and all of the students involved seem to love participating in it. I'm surprised that your daughter didn't enjoy the dance program that those involved rave about. The activities that you mentioned seem more like floor or RA sponsored activities. Campus wide activities are much more interesting, it just sometimes takes some effort to find them. There are comedians and other acts sponsored by the school regularly and have been since I first started. Sports games and performances by certain groups are always available.

I will admit, I spend some nights bored and looking for something to do. During the offseason, Newport is not very exciting downtown. However, I feel this is true with most campuses in suburban areas. It does sometimes take more time than is ideal to find something to do on certain weekends.

It is true that our student center is small and not used very regularly. But the fact is, it's available. I may not spend much time down there, but it's nice to be able to go catch a movie or play darts every once in awhile. And yes, the theater may have only 30 seats, but it's rarely full.

As for meeting people, all first year students have trouble making friends. I myself took awhile before finding a group that I clicked with, but it was certainly not impossible. I talk to people in each of my classes, and have met others in clubs and activities that I have joined. Activites are a great way to get involved and "gather as a student body."
I strongly disagree with maddancermom's statements about the school's concern with underage drinking. Yes, Salve Regina is a dry campus. This is no secret to any who apply. However, the RAs are not nearly as strict as portrayed. I have never been written up or even come close to it. RAs only go into rooms when they suspect something is going on. They generally check for alcohol and remove it from the room. If students are caught with alcohol they are written up. This doesn't seem an unreasonable punishment for a school where alcohol is explicitly banned.

It is true that many students travel on the weekends. Often, people go to Providence College or to clubs in Providence. Transportation is provided by RIPTA for free for all Salve students until a specific time depending on the day. If students so choose to leave campus for activities, it is very easy for them to get back to school as long as they check the bus schedule ahead of time.

For those considering Salve Regina as their University of choice, I would definitely recommend it. However, students should be prepared for a small catholic school that does enforce its dry campus policy. It is a fabulous school that I myself truly enjoy attending.

onemoremonth

OMG...salvegirl must work for the college! What happy student even checks out College Confidential? Only people looking for a college come on this website.

I have one more month to do at Salve and I can honestly say this year has been the longest, most boring and depressing time of my life. And it is not because of the freshman adjustment! I do like being away from home and have made friends on my floor but it feels like we are in jail together. Friday, Saturday and Sunday is the worst. The truth is there is NOTHING to do here. Reading all of the posts (even the pro salve posts) proves this. "comedians and other acts"- is a complete lie! I challenge Salve Girl to be more specific. Our big fun is going to CVS! The town does not have ONE place that under 21 can get into. Obviously, the fact that there is nowhere to go in Newport has nothing to do with Salve. But, this makes the problem of nothing to do on campus so much worse! I spend more time on my computer than I ever thought was possible. I realized this was a problem when I noticed that none of my old high school friends (who went to other schools) were ever online. They were too busy having fun at college!

To put the name Student Center on a place 1/2 the size of your average Starbucks does not make it a real student center. To say that it's "available" isn't really the point. It is an empty room- a windowless, cramped basement room-not a place you would congregate with acquaintances from classes, grab a cup of coffee or to kill time between classes. Who would go there knowing nobody will be there? One visit to the student center will prove what I'm saying. If you visit the campus, ask to see it. Salvegirl says campus wide activities are more interesting but it takes effort to find them...WHAT does that mean? They're hidden? The truth is they don't exist. If they did, you could clearly list them!
Salvegirl acts like getting to Providence is easy. First of all it's not easy. The buses stop running waay too early to get home that way. RIPTA has so many stops that the one time my friends and I went to the Providence mall it took over 2 hrs each way. By the way, it is not that close even by car. It shouldn't be necessary to go to someone else's college to have some fun anyway.

Why are all these true posts being criticized? I wish there were posts about Salve when I was looking. I would have avoided this nightmare. Transferring is starting all over again and is a major production!
I am happy to be transferring to a "real" school next year. I am going to a place where I know a lot of students and have heard how fun it will be. My mistake was not getting the real scoop on this place before I came here! Oh and my parents are thrilled. I got a $15,000 transfer scholarship! At Salve, I got nothing!

SalveGirl

No, I do not work for the college. I'm just a freshman who is enjoying my time. I happened to be on College Confidential because I have a sibling checking out colleges and wanted to see what was said about my own school.

Weekends at Salve are really not that bad. There is almost always a movie showing and usually some kind of sports event. Although activities on campus are lacking compared to that, I don't think it's that difficult for students to leave campus for a night. Of course, if one would rather sit on his or her computer all night, finding these activities is harder. In colleges as small as ours, there aren't as many on campus activities as in larger schools. However, even for the tiny school we are, this past week I went to the spring musical, 2 lectures, performance by a comedian, a movie at Wakehurst over the weekend, 2 sporting events and a friend's house off campus. There are certainly things to do. Something as simple as going to the website and checking out the calendar of events will give a good list of things that go on every week. Either that, or the posters put up around campus are how I usually find out about events and activities.

Personally, I wasn't looking for a party school and am perfectly happy going out for dinner in Newport or maybe a club in Providence on the weekend. However, for those who are interested there are definitely parties and such available off campus. There are sports houses as well as upperclassmen houses where there are parties every weekend. It's not something I'm really interested in, but it is certainly available. I must stress, Salve is NOT a party school. If that's what any student on this website is looking for Salve is not a good choice. The rules are enforced. I did not choose my school based on “how much fun” it would be. I, like many students and parents, am more concerned with the education and opportunities it is providing me with. All the same, I do have fun at school. I’ve made lots of friends and we always have a great time.

Our student center is in the basement of a building. It's true, there are no windows and it's not very impressive to look at. It consists of a video game room, the main room where there are TVs, computers and couches, another room where there is a pool table, air hockey and darts, and finally the theater. People certainly can congregate down there with acquaintances. In fact, every time I have gone down there to check my mail there have been students sitting around and chatting. However, I do think most students generally choose the upstairs of Wakehurst where there is a student lounge as well as the Global Cafe or Jazzman's to grab a cup of coffee in between classes. Those places offer food and drinks that aren't available in the basement.

I am certainly not saying that going to Providence is the ideal. I was only stating that going every once in awhile to go to events at the school, or clubs in the city is something some students like to do. Yes, the ride is a long one so I wouldn’t recommend making it every week. But, it is possible to get there and back. If you’re not making a late night of it, Salve’s shuttle will even pick you up from the Gateway until 1 am. It’s not the easiest thing in the world, but for those who really can’t find anything to occupy their time on campus it is certainly possible.

Once again, Salve is not the school for everyone. Those who are looking for a "real" school where it will be easy to get drunk every weekend and party on campus all the time will not be happy here. I do however feel that lots of people are happy at Salve. If you make use of what's available it's possible to have a great time.