<p>We are going to be in Albany NY this weekend and will have some free time on Saturday morning (possibly Sunday afternoon as well). I'd like to see if D (a junior next year) could take a look at schools nearby.</p>
<p>She's currently thinking of biological sciences(genetics),environmental biology or biomedical engg as the fields she might be interested in. She wants a medium sized school.</p>
<p>A quick search on college board shows me 7 colleges in the area - RPI, Union, Skidmore, SUNY (Albany), SUNY (Saratoga Spring), Siena College and College of Saint Rose. I think RPI would be the most interesting one from her based on what I know. </p>
<p>I'd appreciate any info you have to share about these 7 colleges (or any others that might be close by - within 50 miles or so). Any other tips on visiting these college would also be great.</p>
<p>I think I would try to hit RPI, Skidmore, and Union. </p>
<p>RPI is very close to Albany, in Troy, not a pretty campus or a pretty city. I gather the academics are very good – and quite possibly what your D is looking for. I was there about 8-9 years ago in the summer for a sports tournament.</p>
<p>Skidmore <em>is</em> in a pretty town and is a pretty campus. It’s maybe 45 minutes north of Albany. We did a drive through when we were in town for a regatta.</p>
<p>Seeing the two schools together would be a contrast – maybe the sort of thing that would help to crystalize what she’s looking for. </p>
<p>Can’t help you on Union, but I think of the rest it’s the one I’d try to visit. </p>
<p>Did a drive-by on Sienna 4 years ago … it looks like an overgrown high school. Seriously. Son would not get out of the car.</p>
<p>RPI-great academics but my D hated the campus, the tour guides, the admissions guy (he’s not there anymore)</p>
<p>Skidmore was absolutely gorgeous but is completely different from RPI. It is a small liberal arts college-no engineering which is what RPI is famous for.</p>
<p>SUNY Albany is a good (not great) state school and will probably be a safe school for someone with the stats for RPI.</p>
<p>We really liked Union, but it is a little small to be considered a “medium” sized school. I don’t think they have bioengineering, but they do have a strong bio and pre-med program.</p>
<p>I too think it would be well worth the drive to get out to Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Amazing school that would probably set the tone for other campus visits. </p>
<p>Perhaps a visit to Williams and RPI could be used to show two very different schools so that your daughter could see if she likes liberal arts schools, tech-focused research universities, or neither.</p>
<p>We visited Siena twice with D and once with S. Both of them liked it very much. It ended up being second on D’s list and S didn’t end up applying as they didn’t have the major he ultimately decided he wanted.</p>
<p>Marist College situated right on the Hudson in Poughkeepsie NY. Great school, gorgeous campus and the area is very scenic. Excellent bio related programs but no engineering.</p>
<p>I hadn’t thought of Siena as looking like a high school, but in fact it’s campus is about half the size of that of my boarding school. My older son went to CTY camp there. It was pretty, but a little out of the way.</p>
<p>RPI does like women - even ones doing biology not engineering. They gave the daughter of a friend of ours generous merit aid and upped it each year. She’s now in grad school at Cornell.</p>
<p>My recollection is that Union is big on jr. year abroad, and are one of the few schools who have organized engineering programs abroad.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the suggestions/info. Very much appreciated. She’s going to check SUNY, Albany since she’s right there. Will probably visit RPI since that seems to line up best with her interests. Depending on time, she’ll also try and get to either Union or Skidmore.</p>
<p>She does want to see Williams - but we might have to do that another time.</p>
<p>mathmom - I thought Union didn’t do engineering - am I wrong? It does seem small - just a bit bigger than her high school!</p>
<p>^Just checked the website they definitely do engineering and even have engineering abroad programs. [url=<a href=“http://engineering.union.edu/eta/]Engineering”>http://engineering.union.edu/eta/]Engineering</a> & Computer Science @ Union College - Engineering International Experience<a href=“Nice%20to%20know%20I%20remember%20correctly.”>/url</a> They do a presentation at college night at our high school every spring. Always sounds great, for someone else’s kid. :)</p>
<p>RPI
Suny-Albany
Skidmore College
Union College</p>
<p>I’m actually really impressed by Union’s engineering department. At every major engineering university I visited there was a Union College graduate on the engineering faculty so that must say something about the quality of the program. If I remember correctly, the professor at Northeastern who gave the information session on admitted students day was a Union College graduate.</p>
<p>Also Union College has in my opinion the best information sessions if you are lucky to get the person that I got. He made tons of jokes and embarrassed people and kept us interested. However, probably a little bit more fun than substance
“You know what the best thing about living on campus is? Free toilet paper”
we had to leave the information session early and it was the most embarassing thing ever because he made us feel bad in a funny way haha so be prepared for that!</p>
<p>Great school that is getting more and more competitive every year. Also named Best small state school by Newsweek. About 6,000 undergrads, so not that small. If you want to know more, my son transferred there so can try and answer any questions.</p>
<p>If you’re making another trip to check out Williams, then see Smith as well. It has engineering, plus access to the 5-colleges in the area; Amherst, Mt. Holyoke, UMass and Hampshire.</p>
<p>I thought Union was beautiful when we looked at for my son two years ago. Schenectady’s nothing special, but not horrible and the school is on the boundary between a residential area and the “urban core’” so called.</p>
<p>I think it has a trimester? Very greek, too, if I remember correctly. A little like Colgate in the party hard/work hard model. Liberal arts w/ engineering, which is an interesting mix. A good school, but in the end, not what S wanted. I was impressed with it.</p>
<p>Seems like Skidmore and Williams might not be what your daughter’s looking for, given her fairly specific interests. </p>
<p>Skidmore is, I think, a bit artsy and maybe wealthy. When we toured with my daughter several years ago, the guide pointed out that you could bring your horses along. D didn’t like the vibe. It’s in a pretty setting, though.</p>
<p>Williams is bound to have a great biology department, but given your daughter’s fairly specific interests, I’m not sure an all-out liberal arts school is what she’ll be looking for.</p>
<p>RPI is obviously the most hard core technical school. Great reputation in upstate NY.</p>
<p>RPI’s campus has changed a lot in recent years. It may not be scenic but it has a lively vibe and seems like a school on the upswing. </p>
<p>Williams had by far the best information session and tour guide of any school we visited. It’s closer to Troy than Amherst by quite a bit, but that Rt 2 drive is quite beautiful. I strongly suggest going when the tour and info session are available.</p>