This week, the Bentley community faced one of the most infamously anticipated days of the academic year: registration day. Students will spend hours constructing and reconstructing the “perfect” schedule. On Tuesday, November 14th, at 2pm, it was my time to enter battle or also known as workday. My saved schedule was not looking good; however, I had no other choice than attempt to register to classes that had less than 15 spots open. I had accepted my fate and sent the schedule to the shopping cart. Two out of five classes went through and three were waitlisted. By the time I looked for other sections, everything was filled. Not by surprise though, because the initial number of sections lacked as well. For instance, one of my required Creative Industries courses only had two sections available. In my class later that day, the room was filled with conversations about failed registration experiences with an overall sense of defeat. Fellow students seemed to be struggling with the same problem as I was: limited spots and limited sections. I visited the academic advising office as I was only registered for one major class. The advisor had no other choice but to tell me to join the waitlist and take electives. A fellow student, Anishka Shrimal, also had to load her schedule with electives, she exclaimed: “How am I supposed to declare my major if I don’t even know if I like it?” Another student, Brydie Olofson, got to register early due to being a student athlete. Although Olofson was able to register for all of her classes, she still expressed concern over there only being two sections for her required major classes. As more registration times came and went, there was a noticeable wave of frustration floating throughout campus. Parents of students started flooding the “Bentley University Parents” Facebook page out of dissatisfaction of the process: “required classes for major are full”, “[my daughter] got waitlisted for an elective that she needs for the honors program”, “I am also not happy about paying tons of money for fluff classes that won’t help her graduate”. Parents are angry and students just want to take their classes. Though, it seems as if this is not an issue that is exclusive to Bentley. One parent, Joel Mahler, stated on the page: “My other son at the University of Delaware, also a sophomore, registered yesterday for the spring and he is waitlisted for 2 classes, both for his engineering major. This is what happens when these colleges accept too many students. It’s all about the money”. Bentley University reported on their website that the class of 2026 had 1,154 students, the largest class in the history of the institution; the class of 2027 did not fall too far behind with 1,138 students. I believe it is common that students, including myself, come to understand the size of the university early on. It is a very small school. As a freshman last year, I would overhear upperclassmen students discuss their frustration of how there was no space in the LaCava dining hall and how there was a substantial amount of more students on campus: it was overwhelming. Perhaps this is a call towards the University to listen to its students. Is the continuation of over admitting students the issue or is it something else? The Bentley community is seeking an explanation and possible solutions.
Ava Macisso
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