Starting to refund the college search with S24. We’re currently very interested in learning more about SUNY Oswego but this forum doesn’t seem especially busy. Anyone with any first hand experience with Oswego care to share?
Academically this should be a very reasonable target or safety for S24, so right now we’re just trying to get a sense of the general atmosphere, student “vibe,” and other overall experiences. You know, the stuff that isn’t on the website. Current location is a public school in a suburb of Rochester, so we’re close, but haven’t really spent time in Oswego to be able to know much about the area.
Ha - we are talking about visiting Monday as well! Are you going for the full open house type visit (the “4 hours on campus” thing) or the standard tour visit (the 1.5-2 hour thing)?
Very interested to hear what your thoughts are after the visit! If we go I’ll definitely share our impressions as well.
They’re just doing the info program + tour. My husband’s family is from the Finger Lakes region and he is visiting them over the long weekend. Since S24 is considering some colleges in the area we checked to see if any were doing tours on Monday and were surprised to see that SUNY Oswego is. So they are going to stop there on their way home Monday.
S24 wants to maybe do some kind of engineering. Or maybe cognitive science. Or linguistics. Or possibly something with human-computer interaction. SUNY Oswego is one of very few schools that isn’t super selective that has options for all of those.
We’re also considering the shorter info+tour option (4 hours is a bit much for a first look, IMO… Plus we can drive there in about an hour if he wants to see more). He was originally looking at much larger schools but quickly started feeling overwhelmed after we toured some. Not sure how much of that is just nerves related to the whole process, but thought it would be good to check out something more in the mid-sized range and close to home (but not right in town either).
My S24 is undecided but says he might be interested in psychology or English. He’s taking AP Lang next year and I could see him enjoying linguistics or HCI. I’ve heard good things about those programs and the SUNY price tag is very attractive. From the assorted YouTube videos I’ve seen, the dorms appear to be pretty decently sized too. Beyond that I know nothing about the school so hoping that a tour will give us more to consider!
Good luck - can’t wait to hear what your son thinks!
S24 & my husband visited today. It was a bit rainy, but they had a good time. S24 says he really liked the school, a lot more than he expected to. Upon further questioning, he said he really likes that the buildings are “new and very functional“ and that there are lots of “useful spaces.“ He also liked that there was lots of green space, and he thought the sample dorm room looked nice. He also said he really liked the size of the school and the “vibe.“ When pressed, he said that it seemed laid-back. I don’t know how much of that was because the tour was on July 3 and the campus was just really deserted, and how much that is actually the vibe of the school.
Some, perhaps more useful, info my husband picked up from the info session/tour:
There are lots of buses that run around campus, around Oswego, and into Syracuse. Husband thought it seemed like a student should be able to avoid walking in the worst of the snow if they were a little patient to wait for the buses and that mattered to them. Also, it sounded like students could get to shopping and entertainment things, even if they didn’t have a car.
A lot of people on campus are involved in sports, either intermural, club, or varsity (Division III). My husband said 2/3!
My husband felt like the way they talked about academics and the programming that it seemed maybe less academically intense than some other options. But, if that was the case, it didn’t seem to bother S24 at all. Their tour guide was double majoring in 2 STEM subjects so, if it is less academically intense, at least some of the students take advantage of that to push themselves.
S24 says he could see himself there and it is staying on his “apply” list.
ETA: My husband also said they talked quite a bit about financial aid and merit. Unfortunately, I’m not sure my husband got the information exactly right. I have been the one who deals with all of that stuff with our kids; my husband is just the one who pays the bill. My husband was really impressed that there was some merit aid that covered the dining plan all four years. This does not seem like a particularly big deal to me, but my husband went on about it.
Thanks for the report! We also went but it sounds like we were in the other tour group
My S29 had similar thoughts - he called it a “mini UB” and commented on the similar style buildings, campus layout, and other features. He loves the idea that you can get to and from Syracuse for a dollar each way. He was also very excited about the enclosed walkways between buildings (we live a little further West along Lake Ontario so very familiar with what the weather will be like and he felt that was a big plus!).
He felt the dorms were decent (generous room size, IMO) and elevators are huge! Location and proximity to the lake were also nice. He LOVED the ice rink and our tour guide also mentioned the high stats for involvement in student orgs, clubs, and sports. Our guide also admitted that she’s very picky with food but said she really likes the food there.
I would like to see it again in the fall when students are actually there, but we also got a sense of it being fairly laid back. S29 was concerned it might not be challenging enough academically, but thought that the honors program might help with that.
The financial info was interesting - mostly the same info you can find on the website but the presenter did explain it a little better than the site. My understanding is that they offer the meal plan thing as a way to help offset cost without impacting other aid offers…I could definitely be wrong though.
One small criticism I had was really just an overall sense that the campus needs a little TLC. Lots of cracked pavement with weeds growing through, lots of landscaping that was “fine” but could use a bit of pruning, that kind of thing. This is such a minor issue but it sort of gave off a little “run down” vibe. Maybe they need a landscaping club!
Overall, I think S29 had a very positive experience and Oswego has moved up his list a bit (initially it was at the bottom and only really on there because I suggested it). It’s a safety but one he would absolutely be happy attending, so I think yesterday was a success!
Not sure how I just noticed this but my kid is also S24, not S29. Must not have had enough coffee this am!
Anyway… One other thing I was curious about is if you spent any time exploring the actual town at all. We had other commitments in the afternoon so had to head home right after the tour, but agreed to spend more time exploring the local area if we go back again in the fall. We don’t live that far but haven’t really spent any time in that area at all.
S24 fell in love with the small town of Durham at University of New Hampshire and so far we haven’t really found anything comparable inside NYS. I don’t think it’s a critical decision point but something we’ve been keeping an eye out for ever since we saw UNH.
We thought SUNY New Paltz had super cute little town. Lots of shops and restaurants, but also close to nature. Not sure if that’s why Durham is like, but wanted to give you a heads up on that.
That sounds very similar! At UNH, it’s hard to tell where the university ends and the town of Durham begins. Oswego is definitely separated a little but it sounds like they can take the bus into town to get more of that experience.
New Paltz is currently on his list of possibilities so we’ll definitely have to check it out! I’ve been in the general area but have never seen the campus and never really got to explore the town at all.
Oswego is my alma mater. Obviously, my experiences and observations are from quite some time ago
I wouldn’t have traded my four years there for anywhere else. I went in as a broadcasting major and was also considering Syracuse. What swayed me on Oswego (other than the in-state cost) was being able to participate in the TV & radio stations rights away, as opposed to having to weed through the hierarchy at Newhouse (Syracuse). Ultimately, I did switch my major but not before working on both the TV & radio stations.
I formed MANY close friendships during my 4 years there and am still close with most (13 of us have gotten together every year since graduating in 1989). Not that it matters to an 18 year old who is considering Oswego, but a lot of us married fellow Oswego alums and are still married today. I’m also seeing many kids of my Oswego classmates who are now also choosing Oswego (to me, that speaks volumes). Even though we live down South now, my kids have grown up hearing endless stories from my husband and I about our years at Oswego, as well as meeting many of our Oswego friends.
It’s hard to beat the location on Lake Ontario. The winters can be cold but it really does create a bond between everyone who goes there. Whenever I meet someone who also went to Oswego, we can immediately bond over the winters
SUNY Oswego is one of very few schools that isn’t super selective that has options for all of those.
When pressed, he said that it seemed laid-back. I don’t know how much of that was because the tour was on July 3 and the campus was just really deserted, and how much that is actually the vibe of the school.
I have been the one who deals with all of that stuff with our kids; my husband is just the one who pays the bill. My husband was really impressed that there was some merit aid that covered the dining plan all four years. This does not seem like a particularly big deal to me, but my husband went on about it.
