S has an offer for Bing Advantage but we are afraid that academically it will be lost year (he is in rigorous HS and community college classes will most likely be less challenging than HS classes). Paying over $20K for community college also seems to be excessive. However it is still in-state tuition and guaranteed transfer to Bing. Vermont will be about $4K higher (w/ scholarship/ loan package) but academically it seems to be about same level as Bing and obviously exceeds community college.
Appreciate all opinions.
I can’t imagine why any student well prepared for college would enroll in a program that offers community classes. Isn’t a large part of college the academics? Is the goal to give the appearance that you were educated at a college with a rigorous curriculum or is it to really go to one? I don’t understand why anyone would choose that program. If your S took honor or AP classes he won’t encounter many similar students at BCC. Maybe that happens in some communities because in some communities the only option for strong students wanting to save money is to go the the local CC. In Broome County those strong students go to Binghamton not to BCC. This is Binghamton’s way to retain students who they don’t want to admit initially but want the room and board fees because they overbuilt. Why wouldn’t you save the $15,000/year and just to to the local CC for 2 years?If the university really wanted to help student who might be good candidates in a couple of years they’d be offering BCC students rooms on the BU campus to expose them to the idea of a 4 year school. But you don’t take students motivated and already prepared for a 4 year school and send them to community college. The entire climate of a CC is different and not ideal when you are already academically inclined.
I think your son should do the program if he really likes Binghamton. When i first found out about the Binghamton Advantage Program I thought it was really awful. I was thinking why would i go to a community college when I could go to a school like Stony Brook. But I did research and talked to two people who are doing the program this year. They both told me it’s not as bad as it seems. You are considered a student at both colleges and you graduate with a degree from Binghamton. Plus you should only be spending a year at BCC and the classes in your first year of college usually don’t have a lot to do with your major(from what I heard). So we will still be receiving a good education. Did your son receive an email or a letter in the mail?
It is community college. Can’t get around the fact that if you have been taking high level classes in high school and doing well, a year in community college seems a shame.
Yes it is but Community College isn’t a HORRID thing. Some Community colleges are better than 4-year institutes…
@Njoseph2015 He did receive the mail and no, he does not like Bing that much however it seems to be less expensive option.
He tried to call Bing to find out more about financial aid and was redirected to BCC where nobody picked up a phone. He will try again tomorrow.
Yeah they have not been good with answering my calls either
I toured both campuses with my daughters last year. Both schools were on the short list for different reasons.
I always held Bing in high regard. . The dorms are nice. The student body seemed friendly and the campus had a cozy feel. The student body seemed a little jockish if that matters any. . Its a great school in a drab area. I don’t think it will matter if he started out a BCC in the end. UVM is in a lovely town. I love Burlington. It seems vibrant and hip… which turned my jockish daughter off. She felt she would not fit in with the hipster vibe. I think academically they are on the same level. Its a matter of fit. UVM and Bing are out of state for us. Bing’s pricetag was very reasonable without merit. Both girls got presidential at UVM, still a higher price tag. I worried about the minimum gpa requirement because one daughter is an engineering major. In the end the girls chose different schools. I would have been fine with either school.
If you value quality of life for your child, UVM hands down (assuming the $4k doesn’t mean debt). Also, UVM is more private than public, only 30% of students are in state and so it is more of a regional university(although it draws from almost all states) whereas Binghampton is 90%+ NY students. But I don’t know anyone who would rather spend 4 years in Binghamton over Burlington… No contest.
“They both told me it’s not as bad as it seems. You are considered a student at both colleges and you graduate with a degree from Binghamton.”
Binghamton U apparently does not consider Advantage Program students to be part of their student body. When they publish information about their incoming class, the Advantage Program students are not included. It is not the case that BCC classrooms are being used for spill over. I guess they overbuilt dorms and are building new academic buildings but things are now busting at the seams. They have no room for more students but want to sell the dorm rooms. If this is not true, an adcon can correct me. That has not happened. Given another choice, why go to someplace that is “not as bad as it seems” when you can go somewhere that welcomes you.
This is probably a great program for students needing remedial work. Honor students should gain admission to 4 year schools.
Binghamton is NOT community college… it’s a public ivy (as is UVM) and an incredible state school. 
No one is debating that… This is about Bing Advantage, a program in which students start at Broome Community College and get guaranteed transfer admission to Binghamton if they maintain a certain GPA.
It depends. I wouldn’t bother with binghamton advantage honestly. It would be cheaper to just attend a local CC for a year or two then transfer to binghamton. But UVM might be a better fit for them than binghamton. I know people who went there and the vibe is totally different both the school as well as the town of burlington. If they are a avid skier/snowboarder or a huge fan of the outdoors, it might be a better fit.