Chance me? (HS class of 2017)

Colleges & Universities A-Z Binghamton University - SUNY
21

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Nope they are not different from 3 credit hour classes in other places.

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So you claim this is a fact because you saw it in this online op-ed piece where the guy presents it more as a hunch because he doesn’t believe the provost because his housemate blew off his classes but still passed. Really? That’s it? That’s your source? That’s not a source - that’s just nonsense.

Part of his argument is “there are no external studies or standard to verify” the provost’s claim. Well don’t the folks at Middle States, ABET, CCNE, etc. verify this as part of their accreditation process? So where are studies that verify the provost is lying? Easy to make accusations, harder to back them up.

You do know that this system isn’t unique to Binghamton don’t you? Schools such as Univ of Rochester, NYU, Colgate and Duke have the same system of 3 hrs of class/ 9 hrs of outside work = 4 credit hrs (or equivalent). That is not the same as 3 hrs of class/ 6 hrs of outside work no matter how many times you try to say it is. Try taking your “fact” to the Duke forum and see how it goes for you.

“When I state factual information, as for example when I say that Binghamton awards 4 credits for 3 hour classes (that would earn 3 credits in most other schools), I am reporting factual information.” No you are not - you are wrong. I pointed that out to you, provided evidence of it, and you doubled down on it anyways.

It’s clear that your bitterness toward Binghamton is clouding your thinking. Give it a rest.

22

Binghamton University assigns 4 credit hours for classes that meet for 3 hours. Compare the syllabi of Binghamton and Stony Brook. I’ve never seen a reliable difference in course requirements or expectations. You may be able to find one class at Binghamton that requires more than the same class at SB and you may be able to find one class at SB that requires more than the same class at Binghamton. I have not seen a reliable difference. Have you?

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So Radiix, looks like you are a strong candidate and may be able to shave a year off your time in college with so many APs.

24

Curious how you’re concluding that he’s a strong candidate with below average SAT scores. What makes you say that?

25

Radiix, meant to ask, do you plan to swim for college? If so, have you been in contact with one of the coaches to express interest in the school?

26

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I have not seen a reliable difference. Have you?

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Actually I have. Here’s a few:

Freshman year Physics:
Binghamton PHYS131 - GENERAL PHYSICS I (CALCULUS BASED)
This is 4 credit hours and consists of 3 hours of lecture, 2 hours of discussion and 1.5 hours of lab.

Stony Brook PHY 131: Classical Physics I – Calculus based
This is 3 credit hours and consists of 3 hours of lecture, 1 hours of discussion, no lab.

Binghamton PHYS132 - GENERAL PHYSICS II (CALCULUS BASED)
This is 4 credit hours and consists of 3 hours of lecture, 3 hours of discussion and 1.5 hours of lab.

Stony Brook PHY 132: Classical Physics II – Calculus based
This is 3 credit hours and consists of 3 hours of lecture, 1 hours of discussion, no lab.

Freshman year Chemistry:
Binghamton CHEM 111 CHEMICAL PRINCIPLES
This is 4 credit hours and consists of 3 hours of lecture, 1 hour of discussion and 3 hours of lab.

Stony Brook CHE 131 General Chemistry 1B
This is 4 (yes 4) credit hours and consists of 3 hours of lecture, 1.5 hours of discussion and no lab.

There is a 1 credit lab section that is optional (3 hours) - CHE 133, so what is worth 4 credits at Binghamton is actually equivalent to 5 (!) credits at Stony Brook.

Freshman year Math:
Binghamton MATH 224/225 Calculus I
This is 4 credit hours and consists of 4.5 hours of lecture

Stony Brook AMS 151 Applied Calculus I
This is 3 credit hours and consists of 3 hours of lecture.

Binghamton MATH 226/227 Calculus II
This is 4 credit hours and consists of 4.5 hours of lecture

Stony Brook AMS 161 Applied Calculus II
This is 3 credit hours and consists of 3 hours of lecture.

These were all based on course descriptions and schedules as there is no externally accessible syllabi repository for either school. How do you have access to them? I couldn’t find enough random ones from Google to even make a course to course comparison between similar classes. The ones that were there from either school had very little in regard to workload expectations.

But even if you had access to all the syllabi, it is clear you didn’t try too hard looking for differences. These are standard required classes for science and engineering majors that are easy to compare, not obscure courses.

I recently asked a friend of mine who teaches at BU about this and his response was that yes indeed the school does enforce this. He said he taught a 3 credit course he developed at another university and the department curriculum committee required him to either add a discussion session or to add assignments to his existing class plan to meet the requirements for the 4 credit hours. As I have known him for years, I consider his word reliable.

27

Can someone please help me? I’ve come to this thread to find out about the factors involved in the admissions process or at least what people here think about them. Instead, its very clear that one person with an agenda is dominating the thread, making strong comments and then hiding when asked to back them up.

I know dry little about the school but really want to know more. So I’d appreciate it if people can post more thoughts about the pros and cons of the OPs applications without the types of distractions this thread has seen so far.

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The OP should be a strong candidate. A GPA of 3.51/3.84 falls well within the university’s published 25%-75% range of 3.3-3.9. Likewise if the 740/710 is actually attained, it would fall above the schools average of 629/660. 6-7 APs is also probably on the high end for applicants but obviously the scores might make quite a difference. For instance, would be great if you are an AP Scholar.

Not enough information was provided about some important aspects of the application. For example, the OP mentions having various academic awards at the school level. It would be helpful to know more about the school, its size and related information. If it is a large competitive high school, then the awards may play a larger role in the application than if it is a small less competitive school. Also, being a varsity swimmer might make the OP almost a shoe in if the plan is to swim varsity and if the speeds are very competitive. Also, the OP did not include information about grades for specific classes or years. There are many ways to get to a 3.5 GPA-best would be if the OP had very strong grades in math and science, with grades improving each year.The students performing ability could also make the OP a shoe in if there was external validation that the OP was outstanding–NYSSMA scores, for example. There is just not enough information to know if that is the case.

But I think the OP is strong even if at a smaller school and even without plans for varsity if the SAT scores are as predicted and if grades in the AP classes were strong. The ECs are significant in terms of number and probably level of achievement within them but right now they read too much like a laundry list. OP may want to organize them around themes to link to goals. Goals don’t have to be simply major but include rationale for why the ECs were pursued-what common theme characterizes them and drives the engagement in them.What role might they play for the OP in college and how might they help the OP be a valuable member of the college community due to participation in the EC on campus, for instance.

Last, the fact that the OP is OOS is a plus for admissions at a SUNY.

All together, I would expect that the OS will be a very competitive applicant to the school. I can’t imagine otherwise.