Freshmen Confidently Choose Kean Despite University’s Past Issues

By Sonia Aquije

Kean University has dealt with its share of bad publicity, but that has not deterred some students from applying. Some of this semester’s freshmen have confidently chosen to attend Kean despite last year’s accreditation issue,  which the university was nearly discredited by the Middle States accreditation agency.

“I was aware [of the accreditation issue], but it didn’t hold me back in making the decision of attending Kean,” said Shantal Villagomez, a freshman who chose Kean over William Patterson University because of the former’s Spanish-speaking program. “The Spanish-speaking program helps Hispanic people like me to dedicate more time to our second language.”

Biology major Jonathan Yoson was also aware of the accreditation issue, but still made Kean his first choice.

“It’s really close to home. I was told by one of my friends it was really nice and it offered the major I was interested in,” Yoson said. “It’s convenient. Everything’s close together; it’s not so big, but offers what I need.”

Juan Munoz, a Union High graduate majoring in Mathematics Education, is another freshman who knew about the accreditation issue. Still, he chose Kean over Rutgers and Montclair because of the financial aid it offers, and prefers learning in Kean’s small classrooms as opposed to large lecture halls.

However, unlike Yoson, Kean wasn’t Munoz’s first choice.

“It was a last minute decision,” Munoz said. The accreditation issue had actually turned him off from Kean at first, and was only one of the reasons he didn’t want to attend.

Kean’s accreditation issue also didn’t sit right with Union High graduate Matt Selvaratnam, who just recently learned of it. In light of the news, he said he probably wouldn’t have applied if he knew beforehand.

Edward Castillo is another freshman who had no idea about the accreditation issue, but unlike his fellow Union High graduate, he said he would’ve applied regardless.

“Kean is five minutes away from my house, so it’s very convenient,” Castillo said. Kean’s registered nurse program also attracted Castillo, who said he’s considering nursing as a profession.

Kean apparently has many things going for it that attracts applicants and outweighs any incentive to stay away, be it location, financial aid, or programs.