<p>Has anyone visited Syracuse University in the past year? There are good CC visit reports but they are at least a year old. </p>
<p>What did your S or D think about the school? Are the winters really awful - worst than being in Chicago or Boulder?</p>
<p>I spent 4 years in Ithaca near Syracuse and then 4 years in Chicago - Chicago is much much worse!!!</p>
<p>Ithaca doesn't get the lake effect snow that Syracuse gets! And there's lot's of lake effect snow to deal with in Syracuse. I don't know how it compares to Chicago, however. I'm sure you could check some weather websites for historical data.</p>
<p>Frankly, I think Syracuse is overrated and overpriced. Except for the academic part of campus, I think it's just plain ugly. The fact that it has two different campuses and we got the worst financial aid offer from them were both huge turnoffs for us. Several kids in DD's graduating class applied, most got in, but none enrolled.</p>
<p>We were impressed by Newhouse and especially by the staff we met there, and my S is applying. Newhouse has many applicants, but they say they want more kids who show an active interest in journalism. Other positives, for him: They encourage double majors in Newhouse and work with you to make it possible to double-major and graduate in four years. They have a good study-abroad program. They have a May term. He had an interview locally earlier in the fall, and it was a very good experience. </p>
<p>S doesn't seem to be bothered by the prospect of a lot of snow. We were in Syracuse on a really ugly day in early April. We are urban dwellers, but the city was just not an attractive place--rain or no rain. The university, however, is fine once you walk up the hill and onto the actual campus. He'll decide once he has all his options in front of him, but Syracuse is in the running. He is not applying to any schools where he could not see himself attending.</p>
<p>My D and I visited Syracuse and their Department of Drama last year at this time and my D loved the school. There is no question that the city of Syracuse is not, well, the most attractive urban environment, but the campus itself is quite nice and the city area around the U is also cool: lots of little restaurants and shops and such. As I spent most of my growing up years in a 'burb of the 'Cuse, I can speak about the weather. As the kids would say, it sucks. ;) It's very cloudy and dreary most days (I remember being told, as a kid, that it ranked among the cloudiest cities in the country) and it SNOWS! I remember trick or treating in boots more than once. Even though it was sunny and 76 degrees when we left home and it was raining and sleeting and COLD when we arrived in Syracuse 7 hours later, my daughter loved the place.</p>
<p>We have several friends whose kids are at Syracuse and I think I can say that they are all happy. Two of them transferred there, one from Fairfield and one from Cornell. Both are much happier at Syracuse.</p>
<p>Weather:
Chicago gets an average of 38.2" snow, Syracuse gets 114.6". (Believe me - Syracuse gets a TON of snow.)</p>
<p>Average temps:
Chicago
Nov 40
Dec 27
Jan 22
Feb 26
Mar 37</p>
<p>Syracuse
Nov 41
Dec 29
Jan 24
Feb 25
Mar 34</p>
<p>(The WORST thing about our weather around here are the clouds. Not the snow or whatever. It's the overcast skies.)</p>
<p>weenie - I've heard that many times about the clouds.</p>
<p>My D is a senior in Newhouse - the two years she's been in Syracuse for the spring semester, they had unusually moderate winters - she lucked out. Last spring, when they canceled classes due to snow for the first time in over 20 years, she was studying abroad, so she missed a very harsh winter. We'll see what her last winter there brings.</p>
<p>Weather wise, comparing average winter to average winter, Syracuse beats out Chicago by a long shot. The other difference is that when it snows in Syracuse, driving is completely different because of all the hills... something we don't have to deal with in Chicago. It can be much more hazardous.</p>
<p>My D has been very happy there, and will miss it when she's gone. She got a substantial merit scholarship that made it very affordable for us. I will say that when you say Syracuse, you do have to differentiate between the school and the city. I think the school has a lovely campus, and the new Newhouse building (opened a couple of months ago) is awesome! Parts of the city that abut SU (just outside the Marshall Street area) are not desirable, but they've really put a lot of resources into downtown Syracuse (less than two miles away) to make it chic and desirable - we enjoy the places we visit in the downtown area.</p>
<p>We live in the Inland Northwest which is pretty much big sky country and almost never cloudy. I think D would really like Syracuse and the intense school spirit but Im not sure about her adjusting to the weather.</p>
<p>Having lived in the area for more than 20 years, I know way more about bad winter weather than I ever wanted to. Weather is something to think about when deciding where to apply, but, especially if someone is interested in communications schools, the benefits of a top program like Newhouse compensate for a lot of cloud cover. We've had several friends attend, and their experience has been 100 percent positive. Incredible networking and internship opportunities - the 4 Newhouse grads I know personally found excellent jobs in their fields after graduation, and have continued to climb professionally. The Musical Theatre program is also tops. If a kid is looking for an exciting sports environment (okay, not football so much lately), Syracuse has it.</p>
<p>It's a kind of mantra around here (hey, we've got to talk about something), but very true that Syracuse's DPW deals better with a foot of snow than most other areas do with three inches. As teriwtt mentioned above, last year was the first time in more than 20 years that the university canceled classes for bad weather. Don't know what they were thinking, because we've seen much worse!</p>
<p>Don't discount the city itself entirely, either - there's a very fine symphony and Equity theater, an interesting art museum, and an active arts community. Plus the politicians are hugely entertaining.</p>
<p>I live quite near Syracuse and have attended Utica College of SU as have a lot of my co-workers. Since you aren't considering UC I will not go into that. However, I have found that like the earlier poster Syracuse is overpriced and overrated. I have not known any low B/C students that have not gotten admitted so that should say something right there.</p>
<p>SU is a HUGE sports oriented school so be prepared for that. Football and basketball as well as Lacrosse are supreme, lots of money being poured into the sports programs. </p>
<p>The area of Syracuse that the University is in is pretty bad. Most of the dorms are high rises but there is a plethora of off campus housing. As with most schools it is on a hill so if your D lives off campus and drives then be prepared bc the winters can get pretty bad. The last two have been milder toward the beginning but we got hammered during February last year. You are guaranteed at least 2-3 ice storms per year. The lake effect snow can be overwhelming to someone who has never had much experience with snow.</p>
<p>The crime rate in Syracuse is pretty high as well. In fact, I believe it rivals that of much larger cities. Yes, there is some decent shopping if you are into malls. That would require a trip on the city bus or a taxi if there were no car. There is not much within walking distance other than Starbucks, a few restaurants, and a University wear store. Oh, and a hospital at the bottom of the hill.</p>
<p>Just as a point, my D could have applied to SU and probably would get in and ofc, with it being so close by (about 1.5 hours but we go to the Cuse often) it would be convenient. She is not applying though and to be honest I don't think anyone in her Senior class is. It has been my understanding at least in the past that SU attracts a lot of kids from the suburban NYC area (Long Island, Staten Island, NJ etc). I think it is quite popular mainly bc it is not so selective and has a very visible name due to its sports teams.</p>
<p>I've lived in SO MANY cold, unpleasant places with bad winters, including OP's requested comparison between Chicago and Syracuse. My overall feeling is they are more alike (in lifestyle) than different, regardless of splitting hairs over windchill factor, average temps, and snowfall. It's a matter of DECIDING you like the cultural/resource offering of the place you live and that it's worth putting up with bad winter weather to get it. Also, everyone forgets to mention how drop-dead perfect these places are every summer, but college students often aren't there to enjoy it then.</p>
<p>I've lived in Boston, Cape Cod (raw Atlantic seacoast storms, Noreasters), New Hampshire, the Catskill MTs. of upstate NY, Buffalo NY, and a suburb south of Chicago over near Gary, Indiana. Also I lived in Ottawa, Canada which is north of Moscow in terms of latitude and much colder than either Toronto or Montreal. Plus there was a time in Michigan. I only had one nice winter weather place in my life (I thought--Austin, Texas) but it, too faced some freezing rain days in January.</p>
<p>The point is: you change your lifestyle to accommodate winter. Everyone does, whether that means young people taking up winter sports or old people saving all their knitting/sorting/organization projects for the winter months. You can't move around as freely. You appreciate, tremendously, the mobile days from May-October. When winter begins, it's rather charming as it's marked by Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas. The problem for me is it's LENGTH, not its intensity, so that by March and April I have to fight off depression and I notice people very cranky throughout the community. </p>
<p>College kids do not have to deal with some of the issues that homeowners struggle with, such as plowing out their cars or paying heating bills. Some of this is to consider it all as a college person, not their parent, would live. They don't have to buy homes here. They do have to use airports so might have trouble flying home on bad-luck winter days, but if they don't bring a car there are NO day-to-day issues. </p>
<p>IN answer to the OP, my experience of winter outside of Chicago was that it was very cold, wet and windy from the Lake on some days, so that it was unpleasant to walk from place to place, yet still I did so. I wore a scarf. I drank hot chocolate. I dressed in layers. </p>
<p>That's essentially what I did also in upstate NY (Catskills, now Buffalo), so that resembles Syracuse. I don't remember one being a "better" winter than the other, honestly. I just braced myself for winter in both places, piled up extra craft and reading projects, and toughed it out. When I was younger I'd cross-country ski, and that made me look forward to each snowfall. Skiing will inverse your entire relationship to snow, such that you cheer when it snows.</p>
<p>The big differeence in Ottawa was that the snow came down in November and kept a solid ground cover of white until Spring, meaning mid-May, except for a one-week "January Thaw." In the U.S., by contrast, there are snow events, but it melts back to green several times each winter, so the landscape around you changes more frequently than in Ottawa. </p>
<p>A grey day is warmer than an extremely cold day, because when it's zero degrees F outside (as in Canada), it's too COLD for clouds, so the freezing air is made bearable by a brilliant blue sky. Some weeks in winter felt like a trip outside was walking into a walk-in freezer.</p>
<p>When clouds come along, as in Syracuse, it's usually between 20-30 degrees, so yes it's gray but it's also more manageable, walkable winter temperature. </p>
<p>If I had to choose about colleges, I'm sure I'd consider both Chicago and Syracuse difficult weather-wise. Both airports often are impacted. So choose by the program you want, not the weather, even if Syr has 3x the snowfall, IMHO</p>
<p>
[quote]
I think it is quite popular mainly bc it is not so selective
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Ask the Newhouse kids and the VPA kids about that. Frankly, I find the generalization an unnecessary dig. EVERY school is going to have its stronger departments and weaker departments. Like p3t said, choose by the program you want.</p>
<p>OP... just wondering, if you live so far away, why is your D interested in Syracuse? I ask this because, being from 700 miles away ourselves, D went there for a specific program, as do most kids who come from far away.</p>
<p>^ Sometimes people have a lower opinion of colleges that are near them. I don't know why. (I have the same problem with some of the Rochester colleges.) Maybe it's a simple "grass is greener" thing.</p>
<p>"^ Sometimes people have a lower opinion of colleges that are near them. I don't know why. (I have the same problem with some of the Rochester colleges.) Maybe it's a simple "grass is greener" thing."</p>
<p>Weenie, LOL I have to agree. My D isn't even considering Hamilton either which is QUITE close to us. Oddly enough she will be auditioning for Eastman though which is near you.</p>
<p>As far as winters go she is also auditioning for Fredonia (among others) and I had to laugh when her friend's mother said to me "Why would she want to go there? The winters are so harsh!!" IDK where she thinks she lives (in my town) but pretty much all of Upstate NY has harsh winters and this was about 30 seconds after she asked my why my D did not want to go to Potsdam because it is so great there (which I am sure has quite the winters too). But then again this woman originally is from Buffalo so I think Fredonia falls into her area of grass is greener thinking.</p>
<p>And I wasn't trying to dig at SU either. Fact from the College Board site regarding Syracuse: "Percent applicants admitted: 51%" I am sure that from program to program this does vary a little.</p>
<p>At least Syracuse merits a CC board of its own. SUNY Fredonia and Potsdam don't even have that and my D is applying to those places. I don't want to come across as elitist or anything (I hate that) just was giving my honest opinion from personal experience with the college and with current students/alumni.</p>
<p>
[quote]
OP... just wondering, if you live so far away, why is your D interested in Syracuse?
[/quote]
D is interested in journalism, primarily broadcast journalism. She has been told that Syracuse (Newhouse) has one of the nations top undergraduate journalism programs.</p>
<p>That's what I figured. Please be aware that the last statistics I saw on Newhouse were acceptance rates of around 12%. However, if you're directly admitted to SU, but not Newhouse, you can transfer into Newhouse with a certain GPA in your sophomore year. </p>
<p>I mentioned the new Newhouse building in #8; my daughter is so jealous that she really won't have any use of it since she's graduating next May. But it is an awesome facility for the program to have.</p>
<p>Depending on who you ask or what survey you're reading, Newhouse generally ranks in the top 3 in the country for journalism.</p>
<p>I fell in love with Alleghany College , U of Rochester , Hamilton was my favorite and my S could have easily gone to any of them but he choose SUNY & Fredonia . First of all , he is a music degree so that basically sealed the deal . </p>
<p>We also looked at Geneseo and UB Honors ( we were impressed with that school , btw - it has changed so much ) . Potsdam is for ski lovers and he did not want to be there . I went to Purchase and knew he would be unhappy there but I do know kids who like Purchase for his NYC advantages. </p>
<p>So Fredonia has pleased him very well ( except the food ) . The other kids are very friendly with that Midwestern tinge . There are many kids from NYC & L.I. , Rochester , Buffalo but also from PA and Southern Tier country towns. There are so many clubs - he can hardly keep up with the activities.</p>
<p>The town is within walking distance to a historically preserved village that has a great hotel for visiting parents ( The White Inn ) . We ate vegetarian foods at Upper Crust and coffee shops . There is the Starbucks on campus in the new commons. It also has an outer fringe suburb strip of fast foods and Wal-Mart with free bus shuttle . Many kids live off campus too in their own apartments and it has a night scene ( but nowhere compares to Ithaca in that aspect ) .</p>
<p>Snow , really ...........these are kids . There is a reason UGHS boots and flaphats are in style . I saw boys walking in plaid shorts on a 30 degrees day ! </p>
<p>It's not perfect but his Profs. have been demanding and always accessible.</p>
<p>Hi- I graduated from Syracuse in '79 (first I was in Newhouse then I moved
to business) and I think it's a good school. My son just applied ED there
to Newhouse. We visited there this year and he thought the campus was
great (even though the football team got humiliated at the Carrier dome
in front of our eyes). The undergrad business school is great, my friends
in the arts programs all raved, my friends at Maxwell thought it was great.
Yes, it's expensive, and some of the intro classes are large, but it's a manageable size university, with lots of things to do.</p>