Boston University vs. Binghamton?

I have been looking at colleges and BU and Binghamton are my top 2. However, I really can not deicde between the two. I think binghamton seems like a great place to get the classic college experience as well as great academics. However, I also think Boston holds many opportunities as well as a more unique field of classes that may interest someone like me. Binghamton is also significantly cheaper and I would probably get more aid there than at BU since I’m slightly above Bing’s average stats.However, I could still manage Boston’s high price if need be. I look to major in psychology but I’m open to switching around my direction to other similar branches. It seems to me that BU has more unique classes that could catch my eye and really guide me. But I do know that Binghamton does have a good psychology program as well. I truly do love the idea of Boston University and the feel I get from the school, however I wonder if Binghamton could offer an equally as great experience for a fraction of the price, even if it is less unique. If anyone has attended either school I would love to hear your opinions on the classes, vibe, and thoughts of the school in general.

I love BU, but I also know it’s not for everyone. Campus life, location, general vibe, etc. are all very important, and a lot of people wouldn’t like being RIGHT in the city like at BU.

In terms of psych itself, BU’s program is fine. I’d say better than average, but not FANTASTIC. Unless, that is, you have a strong interest in the neuroscience aspect, in which case I think BU offers a really nice program. If you are interested in more of the social sciencey aspects, then I’d say in terms of academics, both schools are probably the same.

In general, I love BU because I think it offers a lot of great opportunities like research experience, study abroad experiences, and I like the location. I also have really enjoyed my classes, but I’m more of a bio/environmental science person. I know a few psych majors that feel the same way though; they enjoy their classes and many have internships in various aspects of psych.

Thank you for the reply :slight_smile: I was actually looking at the Philosophy-Psychology major program they offer, it’s a single major that combines the two. Even though I’m going in declared psychology, I doubt I’m just going to stick to that general major. I plan to try to explore different paths and classes in that social science/humanities area to find what I’ll end up in. (History, psych, philosophy, possibly even bio) BU seems to be a good school for someone like me who knows their general field but is not quite sure yet what exactly they will do within that field, as they offer many different, unique classes and seem to encourage people to take them. Would you agree with this?
What you said about opportunity and the vibe of the school is actually what drew me to it in the first place so I agree that that is for me. Thanks again.

Yeah, I think I would agree with that! It definitely has quite a few options, so if you know psych is definite but not WHAT part of psych, I think it could be good for you.

How would you manage the extra cost at BU? Loans? Parents?

Yeah a combination of both. My parents are in a good spot financially where BU’s tuition isn’t nothing to us obviously but they’re prepared to help pay a good amount of it as well as take out loans. I will also be applying for some scholarships.