I am trying to attend an institution to obtain my Bachelor’s in Viticulture and Oenology and am having trouble picking. Last fall I had an internship at a vineyard/winery in Mason, Texas and decided to study cold climate regions. I have been accepted to Finger Lakes Community College in New York and Plumpton College in East Sussex, England.
I have taken all the necessary steps to receive my entire degree abroad at Plumpton but I am still caught up on my other option. Plumpton offers a shorter degree length, 3 yr BSc (hons), and close proximity to all of the major wine regions of the world but Finger Lakes has a transfer agreement to Cornell.
I talked to a few graduates from Cornell who told me that just having a degree from there opened up enormous possibilities.
Which is, in your opinions, the better option: A degree abroad closer to the wine regions of the world or transferring to the top notch facility/program at Cornell?
Thanks a lot!
-whillyer
Frankly the program I think of in the US for viticulture is UC Davis. Since that is not an option I think both will be fine. Is one less expensive for you? I would dig into each program to find out how grads do in the job market.
I would recommend Cornell. The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is looking for students applying to a specifiec major like oenology with a reason for it like your internship. If your grades match the entering profile I would try for Cornell.
UC Davis is definitely a power house in the US for V/E studies but I really want to study cold climate and due to its location in the East Coast, Cornell would be a better fit. For both schools (domestic or abroad) I would be taking out loans and working during the entirety of my degree but going abroad is cheaper (3yrs instead of 4) but doesn’t have the notoriety. By the time I transfer to Cornell I would be a resident of New York and would pay in-state tuition which is comparable to to most private, in state universities.
No you won’t. You can’t just get in-state tuition living in a state while attending college.
Are you sure Plumpton College isn’t well known in the business? That would surprise me.
Does New York operate differently? I am not a dependent and would be paying New York taxes for two years prior to enrolling into Cornell. Is it not possible to obtain in-state tuition in this manner?
Are you not a dependent for tax purposes or also by the financial aid definitions?
Those moving to a state to attend college aren’t usually granted instate tuition. You will have to establish residency before attending the CC, imo. You may be given financial aid by Cornell, though, if you are independent for financial aid purposes.
@whillyer - If you are no longer a dependent for financial aid purposes, it may be possible to establish in-state residence for tuition and fees in NYS. However, usually you need to live and work in a state for a year before beginning classes in order for that to happen. If it looks like you moved there in order to go to college, they might not give you in-state status. So check that out carefully. Ask about working full-time and studying part-time for the first year or so.
You need to find out which place has the best recognition in your industry. Can you get hired in the US with a degree from Plumpton? If you graduate from there, will Cornell or Davis admit you into a grad program if you want to return here and continue your studies?
How old are you? What is your current state of residence?
From what little I understand, growing conditions in the Finger Lakes are lots different than in California. The Finger Lakes region is producing some really good Reislings, et al, cold-weather wines though:
.http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/16/dining/reviews/in-the-finger-lakes-devotion-to-riesling-shows.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
The Finger Lakes “wine trail” has become a big deal there, actually. But these are still relatively small outfits. Since conditions are so different, training in NYS may not totally equal Davis for working in California. Don’t know how it would transfer to Germany, etc. but one would have to imagine that local training would be yet more on point and better recognized locally.
“By the time I transfer to Cornell I would be a resident of New York and would pay in-state tuition which is comparable to to most private, in state universities”
Just to correct you, If you were in fact able to establish NYS residency- the feasibility of which I do not know- then you would presumably be applying to a program in the College of Agriculture, which is one of the “contract colleges”. Tuition is lower in these colleges for New York State residents, by about $16,000 I was last told. The tuition would be lower than the tuition at most top level private universities.
I talked to Cornell yesterday and everything would work. Even if it didn’t and I had to pay out of state tuition, I could still make the payments. I am not worried about the financial end.
I am more interested in finding out which option is more desirable in the eyes of employers; a degree from a top level university or a degree from a foreign, yet respected, program.
“I am more interested in finding out which option is more desirable in the eyes of employers”
In that case, suggest try to talk about this with some prospective employers, and grads of the respective programs.
(IIRC you did talk to some grads of the Cornell program already)
It seems to me that for an employer Cornell trumps the English program, because it’s a known quantity. Your employer may send you abroad later but with that Cornell degree they know you have what it takes and learned what they want you to know.