Is Hawaii Paciific University a good school? (appointed, home)

[jPrigge]

I would appreciate anybody who can tell me what they know about Hawaii Pacific University.

Is it a good school?
How does it compare to to the University of Hawaii?
Is it a credible school that would look good on resumes?

I would love any info you can provide.

Thanks

[newUHprof]

HPU and UH are very different types of schools, so it's hard to compare them. A lot depends on what you want to do, and what you expect from a school.

UH is a large state school. Its primary mission is to serve the students of Hawaii, and most of the students come from within the state. It's also an R-1 university, meaning the professors are primarily researchers. They teach fewer classes in general, and are expected to conduct ongoing research projects at the forefront of their fields. This means that if you are interested in doing it, there is a lot of opportunity to do really exciting advanced work. But for most students, it just feels like their profs are more focused on their research than on their students. There is also a lot of bureaucracy because it is a large state school. I know that some students get frustrated with the hoops you have to jump through and the way you are, to some extent, treated like a number. On the other hand, it's a public school, so tuition (especially for residents) is a lot cheaper.

HPU is a smaller private school. Most of the faculty (though not all) are much more focused on teaching rather than on research. That means they'll be more accessible to you, and there may be more opportunities for interaction with them in more personal ways. Classes will probably be smaller (especially now that budget cuts are essentially doubling class sizes at UH). And you'll pay more.

Now the question of how it will look on a resume. That depends totally on what your goals are. If you just want a 4-year degree and then off to work at some decent but not highly-competitive job, my sense is that a degree is a degree is a degree. Get decent grades (the common wisdom says a 3.0 is what you should really try to maintain), get to know one or two profs who can write you a nice letter of recommendation, and it won't much matter which school it's from.

However, if you want to go to graduate or professional school (med school, law school, business school), it's going to matter a bit more. Getting recommendation letters from recognized names in the field will get you a lot further than letters from someone at a smaller school who is a complete unknown. They can say you're the best student they've ever seen, but if the admissions committee doesn't know them, they don't necessarily trust the recommendation.

Hope this is helpful!

[eureka1]

UH, hands down.

[kaimuki]

I respectfully disagree with eureka1. I went to school on the Mainland for a couple of years and returned home to finish my degree. I attended both UH and HPU. Depending on what you study, one school might be a bit better than the other. I also agree with much of what the newUHprof posted.

[KoaKine]

Originally Posted by kaimuki

I respectfully disagree with eureka1. I went to school on the Mainland for a couple of years and returned home to finish my degree. I attended both UH and HPU. Depending on what you study, one school might be a bit better than the other. I also agree with much of what the newUHprof posted.

I would have to agree. (even tho my wife will be at UHH ) It depends on what you want from your degree and what each offer. you will need to research what each one has to offer. What NewUHProf said is right on but in my and my wife experience is each Univ. is very different so look into both they are very good at what they do.

good luck

[melaniej65]

Hawaii Pacific is a private institution and is actually an excellent school. As others have stated it does depend upon what your particular goal are and what degree you are seeking.

I have found that private schools offer an intimate, more 'hands on' experience. I have worked for several private colleges and universities in differing States (we were Military so we moved around) and have never been disappointed with what private schools have to offer. Check out the different ratings that are given to schools- this may help you decide what is right for you.

Good luck!