Waltham, MA: When my older brother began looking into college business programs, I decided to tag along. The first one we visitied was Bentley College. I began the tour expecting to hear about their wonderful business program, but didn't. We asked eight Bentley seniors about the program, and seven made somewhat negative comments. Many complained they still have no idea how to run a business. We then began the campus tour.

Bentley has one of the most outstanding campuses in the state. A grant of $2 million keeps the grass green, and the flowers healthy. The campus has beautiful open fields, private roads for students to bike, a small pond, and plants, trees, and bushes that beautify it.

We first went to the library. It was well air-conditioned and had two storeys of books with computers and study areas. We then proceeded to the cafeteria which was loud. This is not a fun place to hang out, but what do you expect - it's a cafeteria.

The classrooms were well arranged, with the desks in a semi-circle so the professor and students could all see each other. Some of the students said classes get very interesting since each room holds only 20 students. They also said most of the professors are easy to talk to and really care about their students' education.

Bentley's dorm rooms were the worst part of the college for me. Each dorm has windy, narrow hallways, walls painted in dark colors, and bricks that are beginning to crack. The rooms just barely fit two beds and a desk - if you are claustrophobic, you wouldn't enjoy it.

The coolest, most memorable aspect of the college is its stock exchange. About 35 computers are set up allowing students to buy and sell stock - not for real, of course, but students can find out if they would gain or lose money, or break even, just like in real life. There are only five other schools in the United States with a stock exchange room.

As far as sports programs go, none of Bentley's sports are Division I. If you are very interested in college sports, Bentley would not be the right choice for you.

The school seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. The closest major city is Boston. Since freshmen aren't allowed to have cars, they must take a half-hour train ride into the city.

At Bentley, you will quickly find many diverse ethnic groups. The school offers special programs for students of different groups, including a multicultural club and a foreign language club.

Overall, Bentley seemed highly overrated to me. Sure it has good aspects, like all schools, but for the most part, I didn't like it. Everyone told me how good the business program was and rated it very high. In fact, some students have found the program boring and useless. If you are planning on having a career in business and want to chose the right college, perhaps Bentley should not be on the top of your list. f


Reviewed in 1997