<p>Hey I'm a new member of this website and I have a few concerns I would like addressed. So I'm a high school senior, and I just got a disappointing and unexpected rejection from Cornell University. I now only have the option of attending either SUNY Stony Brook or SUNY Binghamton, but with the strong desire and intent to transfer. My problem is that I don't know which SUNY i should choose. I am declaring a Biological Sciences Major with a not-yet-determined 2nd choice Major to Cornell's CALS school. I was wondering if anyone could help me in my chose to choose the right SUNY where i can transfer. I want to maintain a close to 4.0 GPA and take courses in Biology I/II, Chemistry I/II, Physics I/II, Calculus I, Academic Writing, Public Speaking. At where will my chances of transferring be greatest, an education at Binghamton or an education at Stony Brook? Also where can I find statistic for Bing and Stony transfers? I know Stony has a stronger biology reputation but would that mean it would be more difficult to maintain a high average? Does Cornell acknowledge Stony Brook's supposed reputation? Would it be than wiser to go to Binghamton for biology? These are just some of the questions on my mind. If anyone can help answer my questions It would help me SOOOO MUCH! Thanks</p>
<p>I don't know anything about SUNY but this
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Biology I/II, Chemistry I/II, Physics I/II, Calculus I, Academic Writing, Public Speaking.
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looks a bit overambitious.</p>
<p>Taking general bio, chem, *and *physics along with their respective labs *plus *calculus and academic writing in one semester is more difficult than it sounds to a high schooler.</p>
<p>Edit: I'm applying to Cornell as a bio sciences transfer myself, so I'm taking most of those courses (except gen physics). Your proposed 8 courses (including labs) would amount to about 22 semester hours. Not saying it's impossible, but as a 1st semester freshman bio major, it's unnecessary.</p>
<p>Why not the University at Buffalo? It's a huge school, so you are more likely to be able to mix those courses.</p>
<p>I didn't apply to the UBuffalo unfortunately</p>
<p>Well those are the classes that I listed are required from the major I'm transferring into. I do however have AP Calculus and AP Chemistry Credit, so I'm hoping those my AP credits will substitute for the class. So then I only have to deal with Biology, Physics and the English courses.</p>
<p>I agree with Caillebotte, in terms of the sciences, I would stick with Bio and Chem, plus the labs, during your first year, along with Calculus and a Writing or English course. I'm assuming that by taking these pre-req courses, you are interested in medical school, or at least some type of graduate education...</p>
<p>Yes, you want to be a competititve applicant and enroll in, (and do well in), difficult courses to demonstrate your work ethic, motivation, and ability, however, you don't want to go overboard and jeapordize both your transfer chances AND your post-graduate plans by burning out way too quickly.</p>
<p>For the most part, pre-req science courses are the same no matter where you take them, well, at least in terms of the material. The ability and the availability of the professors and TA's, class sizes, and the depth of the material reviewed is what I find varies most between campuses when it comes to these courses. </p>
<p>I transferred to Hopkins from Stony last year and I didn't take one single pre-req course, except for one semester of Bio, (I decided to wait to take pre-reqs as the thought of taking Chem with 500+ students in a monster lecture hall didn't do it for me.) Transferring up to a great school can be accomplished and you don't have to kill yourself trying in the process.</p>
<p>In terms of Stony or Binghamton, I think Binghamton is slightly higher ranked, I'd look into the population of both schools, student to teacher ratios, and the possibility if you can get into an honors program at either school. Also, Binghamton = snow and cold weather, I'm not sure where you are from, and also, Stony is closer to BNL, and Manhattan, although it's a hike. </p>
<p>I don't think Stony Brook maintains transfer rates, I didn't even inform them I left, lol. Likewise, I doubt Cornell is going to post where their admitted students transferred from due to privacy concerns. Check out the old Cornell threads, you might be able to find information there...</p>
<p>
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Well those are the classes that I listed are required from the major I'm transferring into. I do however have AP Calculus and AP Chemistry Credit, so I'm hoping those my AP credits will substitute for the class. So then I only have to deal with Biology, Physics and the English courses.
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Physics isn't required by CALS.</p>
<p>I also had AP Biology, AP Chemistry, and AP Calculus credit but those are irrelavent. At most colleges, bio majors still must take the general 1st year sequences (which are typically deeper than the AP curriculum). Cornell doesn't accept other universities' AP credit, so you'll have to actually take gen bio I/II, gen chem I/II, Calc, and academic writing.</p>
<p>Just saw your second post, now things make more sense. 3 science courses in one semester sounded a bit too hardcore for me, lol.</p>
<p>UB has rolling admissions, so you can still apply. (Just putting that out there.)</p>
<p>This is what I have gathered from college discussions:
Binghamton - More known for engineering
Stony Brook - More known for hard sciences</p>
<p>But I don't think either will give you a significant leg up over the other.</p>
<p>I would wait until second semester to take a hard course load like that. I know you want to impress cornell but overloading yourself and having a gpa that drops wont impress them. I am a freshman at Loyola College in Maryland. First semester I took bio I and chem I along with psychology/western civ/spanish. I found the courseload wasnt challenging so this semester I decided to up the courseload. I am taking spanish, global environment, chem II, ecology w/lab, calculus, and writing. It amounts to 21 credit hours and I am in line to get another 4.0 like my last semester. Hoping to transfer to Tufts for next year. Take a moderate load with bio and chem and then second semester, if you werent challenged, take a heavier courseload. Cornell requires a mid-semester report so they will see what your expected grades for second semester.</p>
<p>p.s. most schools wont let you take on a courseload that heavy your first semester as a freshman. I know there was a credit cap for my first semester but I am not sure how SUNY works.</p>
<p>Oh I see, okay I think my concerns for course selection goes have been answered. But my only problem is whether it will be easier to maintain a higher GPA in biological sciences courses in Binghamton or Stony Brook, and whether a high GPA at either Binghamton or Stony Brook matters at all, which I don't think it should? I also read from these forums that Binghamton has a higher transfer rate, so is this a positive thing? Or will it mean that many kids will be attempting to transfer, and possibly transferring to the same school as me and therefore I will meet with competition? I kinda of like Binghamton for its proximity to Cornell, but I also like Stony Brook for its proximity to home. I just don't know what to pick.</p>
<p>Something that will make a difference is letters of rec, so maybe a school where you will have more face time with your professors is a plus.</p>
Bing has a limit for freshmen - 18 creds per semester