Bentley University

Responses from the Student Interview

From a student  who identifies as Major: Corporate Finance and Accounting
Minor: Psychology
Student Self Identifies as: White Straight Female

Summary

I’m a varsity athlete, I’m in Habitat for Humanity, Colleges Against Cancer, and Bentley Marketing Association. I’m also in a sorority and [hold a leadership position].

Background

Gender Identity: Female
Race/Ethnicity: White
Sexual Orientation: Straight

High School Experience: Public school in a small town in Southern Maine with a graduating class of about 175 students. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: Yes
Major: Corporate Finance and Accounting
Minor: Psychology

Extracurricular Activities: I’m a varsity athlete, I’m in Habitat for Humanity, Colleges Against Cancer, and Bentley Marketing Association. I’m also in a sorority and [hold a leadership position].
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience?
Being a student-athlete has. The balance of being a student-athlete is definitely difficult but you meet people really early on. It’s similar to Greek life because you also feel like you’re part of a much bigger community because you have your team or your sorority, and then you also have the greater community of student-athletes or people in Greek life.

Academic Experience

Can you describe the weekly coursework for your major?
We have to read a chapter and then take an online quiz. In class, we also have some kind of timed online quiz instead of just doing homework and hoping that you do it right. You always find the answers out immediately after the quiz. It’s a lot of reading and preparing for lectures so you know what’s going on in lecture and you’re not just thrown into it.
Is there anything you feel either of your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
Because finance and accounting are two of the biggest majors at Bentley and there are so many students doing it, you have a lot of resources amongst your peers. The [Academic Learning Centers and] labs are definitely really helpful, but I’ve also been able to post in my sorority’s group chat and ask questions and there’s always at least one other person who’s also in a finance or accounting major, so there are a lot of resources on campus.
What resource on campus have you found the most helpful?
I’ve found the head of the Finance and Accounting departments to be really helpful. I had never had a class with them, but I was able to go and ask them specific questions about the major, their academic services, and get personal input on the coursework and course load and whether I could make it based on my freshman year grades. It’s especially helpful when it comes to the female population on campus because we take a lot of pride in being a minority on campus and in the business world.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
It’s definitely competitive. Most of us are all aiming for relatively similar goals, whether that’s the same internships or working for the same companies, so it can be competitive in that sense. It’s also cool because we are a business school and everyone takes things so seriously, so you and your best friend could be applying to the same internship and in the grand scheme of things you probably won’t both get it, but you still work together because you’re going into the same environment.
Bentley also has a strong emphasis on group work, I don’t think I’ve ever had a semester where I didn’t have a substantial group project in at least three of my five classes. So, you’re always forced into a very collaborative environment that reflects the business world after you graduate.
How accessible are your professors?
The professors are super awesome when it comes to meeting you. Because I am very involved on campus by being a student-athlete and being in a sorority, I can’t always make it to their office hours. But, I’ve never had a professor that didn’t offer to walk to class with me or get coffee with me. I’ve even had a professor come in on a Saturday afternoon just to meet with me. The professors really care beyond just your individual class.
Why did you pick your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I’m definitely happy with my choice. I was in a boat where I knew I wanted to do accounting because I took it in high school and it’s a big major on campus. You’re required to take accounting and finance classes freshman year and I really enjoyed them. Especially being a first-generation college student in my family, I wanted to push myself as hard as I could and get as much out of my degree as I could because I got an opportunity that nobody else in my family had before.
How was transitioning academically to Bentley as a first-generation student? Were there any systems in place to help you adapt?
Honestly, it’s difficult. I went from being part of a really small community where I knew everyone in a public school so it was kind of a bubble. It was difficult at first, but Bentley sets you up really well as far as getting help and having that transition. I remember talking to my orientation leader a lot, even after orientation, and my resident assistant on my floor was a great resource. Bentley also requires you for the first six weeks of freshman year to take a first-year seminar that is [co-taught by a faculty member and junior or senior], and the entire course is just them telling you the ins and outs Bentley. Like, they tell you what the difference between business casual and business professional, how to deal with a terrible group member, or the safest places to go in Waltham as a girl. It’s nice that it’s not the cheesy cliché orientation, and that we have people whose entire job is to make your transition to Bentley easier. I felt completely fine after a week or two of being here.

Reasons to Attend

1) We’re the number one ranked school for internships. You go in knowing that you have a really strong chance of getting a really good internship and job after you graduate.
2) We have all the perks of a city school, but we have an actual campus and an actual community.
3) I think we have a very good balance of having the perks of a big school but on a smaller campus. If you want to be involved in athletics or Greek life, we have it. But, if you are more academically-focused and just want to do work, you’re going to be forced into doing anything.

Reasons Not to Attend

1) It’s definitely a hard school. If you’re not positive you want to do business, it’s difficult. You’re forced into taking business classes regardless of what your major is. If you’re not passionate about business, you’re going to fall behind or get lost in the mix.
2) Our campus is really hilly and there are a lot of stairs.
3) We’re not in a college town. It’s not like you’re walking off-campus to a fun college bar or something like that.

Around Campus

Where have you lived on campus?
Freshman: Miller Hall with one roommate in a double.
Sophomore: Fenway Hall in a suite with two doubles and two singles, so there were six of us.
Junior: Fenway Hall in a suite with four people with one double and two singles.
Senior: I’ll be in an apartment on-campus in Boylston with two double rooms.
What was your favorite living situation?
I really enjoyed my sophomore year being on lower campus. Lower campus is a little bit more removed from campus and feels more like a community. It’s definitely more lively on the weekends and social. My sophomore year was also my favorite living situation because I lived with five other girls on my team.
How was transitioning from your hometown in Maine to Waltham, MA?
The fact that I can be in Boston in like thirty minutes is a huge perk of Bentley that I was considering. I got really lucky that there are actually a lot of people from my high school and the area around me, so I had a lot of familiar faces right off the bat that made the transition a lot easier. But, I thought Bentley would feel more like a city school being so close to Boston, but our campus does feel like a community. Like, there are never people here who aren’t supposed to be here. I go into Boston way less often than I thought I would. People like to be on campus and stay on campus.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
I don’t think I could feel any safer than I do. As a 20-year old girl, I feel 100% comfortable walking from the library down to lower campus at 2:00 AM. I’ve never once questioned my safety, had to use a flashlight, or something like that. We’re also a good-sized school where you’re going to see a familiar face everywhere you walk, so you’re never in a dangerous environment where you don’t know anyone.

Social Opportunities

What kind of nightlife or weekend activities do you participate in at Bentley?
People who are 21 go into Boston somewhat regularly to go out. I personally am not 21, so because I’m involved in Greek life and my boyfriend’s in a fraternity, I participate more in the fraternity scene. The fraternity scene here is really nice because it’s not on campus, so you’re never in a situation where a frat party is keeping you away from studying or going to bed because they’re all off-campus. If going to a frat party or a bar isn’t what you’re interested in, there are always other non-alcoholic events going on.
What nights of the week do you regularly go out?
When I don’t have my sport, typically Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. I’m either going to a frat party or having a small group of people together for a dorm party.
What is the impact of Greek life on nightlife?
It’s pretty prevalent. I would say that sports teams and Greek life take up most of the party scene. We’re not a dry campus, but there’s never going to be a huge party going on on-campus because people try to go to bed. The bigger parties are all off-campus whether it’s in a frat house or a sports team’s off-campus house. Even though it’s off-campus, transportation is very safe and easy. [About 17% of undergraduates are involved in Greek life.]
What’s an alternative to going to a party or a bar that you like for a night out?
There are always different events going on on-campus like trivia night or paint night. There are also lots of dance teams and acapella groups on campus that will have performances. Also, a lot of people will go to dinner in Waltham or go to Harvard Square to get ice cream or something like that.
How happy are you with the weekend options at Bentley? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I’m very happy with the weekend options. But, I know before I joined Greek life I wished it was easier to go out. Especially with the guys that aren’t involved in Greek life, they can’t go to a frat party unless they’re in the frat. It was hard to have your entire friend group of guys and girls go to a party together freshman year because you would need to have like four girls for every guy to get into the party, which held people back freshman year. Even as a girl, it was harder to hear about the events. I remember wishing there were more non-Greek life options, but once I joined I was really happy with it.

Campus Culture

How did you meet your closest friends?
I met my closest friends through organizations. One of my best friends is a teammate of mine and the other I met by going through recruitment together. I met my boyfriend at a frat party. We are a small school, so depending on what organizations you are heavily involved in, that definitely results in who you’re close friends with.
How would you describe the overall social scene?
It’s really good. It’s definitely a work hard play hard school and I feel like there is a really good level for everyone. There are people who like to go out every night and want the party scene and there are also people who go out once in a blue moon or never go out. It’s really easy to cater it to what you want.
To what extent do you feel people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
From what I’ve gathered, typically the international students stick together a lot. Depending on the different clubs, like some clubs and organizations [that focus on certain identities] gather more minority students and Greek life is definitely predominantly White. There is a lot of diversity on campus, but people tend to group more with the people who are similar to them.
How do you like the size of Bentley in terms of undergraduate enrollment? How has that impacted your experience? [Bentley has about 4,200 undergraduate students.]
I actually love it. I think it’s the perfect college size because you’ll never be walking to class or in the dining hall and not see at least one person you recognize, which, for me, is huge. I’m very extroverted and I like seeing people, so the fact that I can recognize someone and have a conversation wherever I go is nice. You’re also seeing people that you’ve never seen before all the time, so you’re never at the point where you’re running out of people to meet.
To what extent do people in Greek life and not in Greek life mix socially?
Not a ton. People in their individual organizations are very close because they have that brotherhood or sisterhood. The Greek community is very supportive of one another. Most of the people I interact with are either athletes or in Greek life because they do take up so much of your time, and they end up being who you spend time with and hang out with. The athletes and Greek life groups definitely overlap, but you rarely see people in Greek life and not in Greek life being super close.

Careers

Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
Yes, I actually got my internship for this summer through an alum. Then a different Bentley alum is my boss for my internship. I got the internship through Bentley because they brought the recruiters to campus to interview. I would 100% not have gotten the internship I got for the summer if it weren’t for the alumni network.
What have you used the career office for? How helpful have they been?
They’ve been awesome. They were the ones that brought the recruiters for the company I’m working at to campus so didn’t have to worry about driving into Boston for my interview. I’ve also gone to them to have them look over resumes and cover letters. I’ve done phone interviews and Skype interviews in there so I’m not doing them in my room and having my roommates walk in.
Have you learned any computer programs or languages through your coursework that will be especially helpful to you professionally?
Yes, you’re actually required to take IT 101 which makes you completely proficient in Excel. You also have to take a statistics course where you learn SPSS. I feel very comfortable with those programs. I also got Bloomberg certified for free through Bentley.

Financial Aid

Have you used financial aid? If so, how accommodating was the office to your needs?
They’re really awesome. I heavily use financial aid and wouldn’t be at Bentley without it. They’re great for when it comes to going in there if you have questions or need help filling out the paperwork. My parents definitely love the financial aid office and it’s one of the bigger perks to Bentley.