Before I started attending S.U.N.Y at Old Westbury, I knew very little about the college. As part of my job as an assistant recreation therapist for Alzheimer's/dementia residents, I used to take my residents to a wonderful program called HorseAbility. HorseAbility is program for the disabled, mentally and/or emotionally challenged that offers them a chance to interact with horses. They get to groom them, walk with them, ride them (if they choose) and sometimes even paint them!! (Yes the paint washes off!) My residents loved it! This experience even triggered memories of riding horses when they were children which was incredible!

HorseAbility is located on the S.U.N.Y Old Westbury campus. I felt such a warmth and comfort immediately upon driving into the campus. I remember telling my co-worker "Maybe some day I'll go here!" Once I sat down and seriously thought about returning to college, here are some of the reasons why I chose Old Westbury:

1. I wanted to go to a small school where I could get to know my professors and not be known by just my student I.D.

2. I did not want to have to commute to NYC or have to move .I do have to deal with traffic.....this is Long Island after all!

3. Of course I wanted a college that offered a major I was interested in.

4. Another reason for wanting to attend a small school was to avoid as much bureaucracy as I could. Let's face it...All colleges have it, but from my experience so far at Old Westbury I can say I have experienced very little bureaucracy. My admissions process went very smoothly, They accepted a lot more of my transfer credits than I expected, which I was ecstatic when I received that news. Registration was a breeze. I had an awful experience at another S.U.N.Y school which made me leery of the whole process. I received a bill for classes I never attended for two years, despite many trips to the Bursar, Registrar, and Admissions offices. This can be very discouraging.

5) The campus is beautiful! It is located in one of the most affluent areas on Long Island. It looks like a state park. The buildings are clean and well maintained considering the low cost of tuition. I actually look forward to the drive to campus.