I would like to major in natural sciences (such as biology, which seems typical of many incoming freshman) with a pre-med tract, and I’ve been wondering how the science programs of public schools such as Binghamton, Geneseo, and ESF compare to those of the private schools that are also in New York. I’ve heard some good things about them, but I have been hesitant in applying to them because I have relatives that attend Universities such as Cornell, RPI, and Brown, and I feel like I have to live up to the expectation of attending a prestigious school. I know that attending a private schools would be much more expensive however, and it is wise to save the college loans for graduate school, but there is still a feeling of doubt whenever I look into public universities. I would consider myself as an above average student, I have/am taking many extra classes such as Advanced Chemistry, AP Biology, AP Physics, and Organic Chemistry and have received a SAT score of 1160 and an overall high school average of 90, which is good, but not fantastic. So I would appreciate it very much if someone (especially people from the SUNY schools I named) could reach out to me and tell me why they picked the college that they did, and how they came to that option, and hopefully it will make me feel more comfortable with the choice I will soon make. And also, are there any other schools in New York state that are good for science majors? I live in Western NY, and my preference is to attend a college that is within a few hours driving distance if possible, but I’m not opposed to traveling if the school suits me well. Thank you for your time.
I have zero regrets whatsoever about going to Binghamton. I was a strong student (A+ GPA, 34 ACT) and while it’s easy to get caught up in the whole elite school application mania, Binghamton was by far the most practical and grounded choice for me. I was able to use the money that I saved to go to an Ivy for grad school and graduate with no student loans. I have friends paying $800 a month in student loans. It’s crazy. I got an amazing education and made incredible relationships and got a job right away. I loved my classes, loved the campus, had great professors, plenty of opportunities to be involved in volunteering and internships.
Try to get over the prestige surrounding schools. It’s fun to share the news for about two days but then people move on with their lives and you’re the one saddled with all the debt. If you can afford it with no loans, go crazy! Although be aware that with your scores it’s unlikely.
Before you apply in general do your research and you will discover that a lot of schools are actually generous with their need based or merit aid. You do not know how much you will pay until you receive the letter or talk to the financial aid. You don’t limit yourself to just SUNYs schools until you have the numbers in front of you.
Suny has some decent choices for pre-med. Out of all of those I think geneseo is the best choice. They have a good academic reputation, smaller class sizes and a nice campus. The downside is that it is in a very small town but it is closer to you than some of the other choices. Buffalo is closer to you and has a pretty good pre-health curriculum. It’s also near a larger city and you will have opportunities to volunteer at a hospital or whatever. Binghamton I would not really recommend for pre-med. It’s good for nursing, it’s business school, especially accounting and certain liberal arts but it doesn’t really have many advantages for pre-med. However, it is a really excellent choice if you want a school with a large and active jewish community and kosher food options. If that’s your priority, Bing a great choice. ESF, I don’t really know much about. I’m sorry I can’t help you there. Good luck!
Stony Brook has the best pre-med and sciences reputation but it has a lot of commuters or kids that leave campus on weekends. Stony Brook and Binghamton are the two most selective schools in the SUNY system and they have the students who performed the best academically gpa and test-wise in high school and they have the most applicants to med schools out of all the SUNYs. University at Buffalo also has a strong premed and health programs. I am not sure about Geneseo but it has a strong liberal arts reputation and I believe among the top 4 SUNYs followed by Albany and New Paltz and Oneonta. The cost is approximately the same at all the schools. So go with fit. But also another consideration is that med schools look mostly at gpa and test scores and experience. So pick a SUNY where you think you are in the top half of the entering class where you would have the best chance to excel grade wise against your competition with other premed students.