<p>I have only a decent gpa/sat score (3.4 and 1980) which likely can't be moved up too much by the end of this year, which is my junior year. This, along with my financial restraints, almost certainly takes me out of the equation for any top schools, or even decent private schools</p>
<p>My question is, if I would end up going to a SUNY like binghamton, will I have a chance to do well there? I strongly consider myself to have underachieved in high school, since till this year I was fine just getting by in high school and I wasn't worrying about increasing my grades in order to get into a better college. I also feel like if I go to a middle of the road school, it may hurt me down the road when I apply for grad school/jobs.</p>
<p>Basically, these are the main things I want to know</p>
<p>A) Can I get into top grad schools coming out of a school like Binghamton?
B) Does grad school really matter so much more than undergrad?
C) Is Binghamton the way to go, or are there other good, preferably cheap schools in the NY area if I want to go into finance/statistics?</p>
<p>Binghamton is an excellent school and you can absolutely get into a good grad school coming from Bing. I would like to add that your GPA is low for Binghamton. If I were you I would put some other SUNY schools on your list because Bing seems to be a bit of a reach school for you.</p>
<p>Strictly re: the financial aspects…I only have our own experience this year to base it on, so I don’t know if it’s typical or a weird anamoly. My son applied to a total of 15 schools - 4 SUNYs, two Out-of-state state schools, the rest private. With the exception of SUNY Buffalo…which admitted him to some honors college/program with a sizeable scholarhip (I don’t remember the name) the SUNY schools were just as much, or even more expensive than any of the other private schools. I went into the college search assuming that the SUNYs would be our financial safeties…but it just didn’t work out that way. I guess it’s because they don’t have big endowments/rich alumni lining their coffers…but they are not generous with the aid. In the end, we are paying HALF of what we would be paying for Bing for him to attend a school that costs THREE TIMES as much. Having said all that, Bing is a great school…increasingly more selective every year. Do well there and you’ll have great choices for grad school…don’t worry about that. But don’t rule out other schools with scary pricetags either because they might just end up being cheaper in the end.</p>
<p>A 3.4 will make it challenging to get into Binghamton, so look at other state schools too. You think you are capable of doing better scholastically, but the colleges have no way of knowing that you can do better.</p>
<p>It isn’t so much the name of the undergrad school, but your grades and GRE scores that will get you into graduate school. You may do better at the “middle of the road” schools that may allow you to earn higher grades than a more challenging school.</p>
<p>Keepingitlight: my younger, higher achieving daughter attends a private school that costs her about a third of what her older sister paid for a state school. Her $37K tuition grad program costs her $4K this year. Privates have the money to encourage top students who might otherwise go to a more prestigious school, but are happy to accept huge scholarships to look elsewhere.</p>
<p>Binghamton is the best SUNY so it won’t hold you back from anything but you shouldn’t assume you will end up going to there because your GPA is below average for accepted students and your SAT is average for Bing. Look at SUNY Stony Brook and Buffalo, they are easier to get into.</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure my GPA will be able to be raised by a bit (I’m expecting 3.5, optimistically hoping for 3.6) after talking to my teachers about it, and I’m retaking the SAT, and I’ve been getting 2100 and higher on practice tests lately. I’m not going to rely on getting into binghamton, but I’m going to take the essay/extra curriculars very seriously for the next year, and I think I have a decent shot</p>
<p>at everyone who said the private schools ended up much cheaper, which private schools are you guys talking about, and what methods did you use to recieve that much aid?</p>
<p>For finance, you may want to look at Kings College in Wilkes Barre, PA. Their business school is starting to gain a great reputation and they are generous with financial aid. I don’t remember the requirements for merit scholarships, but you should be able to find that on their website.</p>
<p>Many private schools award merit scholarships based on GPA and test scores. In the majority of cases, they do not have to be applied for but are automatic with acceptance to the school, as long as you meet the requirements. Your guidance counselor may have some private schools to suggest to you.</p>
<p>Wondering why nobody else thinks the title is offensive? And I have no relation to Bing.
Good enough for what? For who? Good enough for all the smart kids who go there?</p>
<p>maxkim It seems as if you think Binghamton is an average college where everyone can get in. I assure you its not. </p>
<p>SUNY at Binghamton, one of the most well-known and highly ranked SUNY has 40% acceptance rate and an average SAT of 1900. It is very well known for its Business program. If you like engineering, look at Stony Brook and Buffalo as Binghamton’s engineering isn’t that great. Stony Brook is great for almost everything. Buffalo is known for engineering only. </p>
<p>There are plenty of private college’s in NY that might give you same merit aid like Ithaca College, Manhattan College, RIT, Canisius College, Ramapo College, Wagner College etc. If you are willing to come to PA, there are some more like York College of PA, Villanova(reach), La Salle, Arcadia, Duquesne, Robert Morris etc. Pardon me if these don’t have your exact major.</p>
<p>The School of Management at Binghamton only accepts 200 students each year. It is a top SUNY and is not easy to get into. The students who attend are generally in the top of their HS class. I was also a little puzzled by your post, as you spoke about Bing as though it was beneath you to attend. I apologize if I misunderstood your intention. I would try Buffalo because their business program is decent. Marist is another school that I believe gives decent aid. You can also try Hartwick and Sienna in NY.</p>
<p>yeah, it’s sounding like I was misinformed. I had always heard the SUNY’s, even the best ones like binghamton, being described as schools that weren’t so great. Sorry if I came off as offensive</p>
<p>^^I think alot of people think the same thing…This year alone I know a couple of kids who assumed their SUNY choices were their safety schools, and applied to a bunch of other reach schools and got shut out of everything. I agree that Buffalo sounds like a solid match for you…and if you’d consider the CUNY system, the business program at Baruch and City College are excellent. As for aid at privates, I think the best advice is to apply to schools where your stats are at the top of what they are looking for. And don’t just go by name recognition. There are lots of schools in the tri-state area who’s name might not jump out at you but still offer a solid education…and without the $45+K pricetag that the more popular schools have. Good luck!</p>