<p>I want peoples opinions on the two. I have made the following pro/con list of my own... feel free to add to it, or just to add your own comments.</p>
<p>I'm trying to make up my mind by Sunday so that if I DO want to dorm at Binghamton, the form goes online on April 15th. And I don't want to spend all this money to dorm if I can't even get the dorm I want...</p>
<p>Stony Brook</p>
<p>PROS
- Easy to get home
- Long Island pizza & bagels
- Known for research advances nationally, if not internationally
- Very affordable
- Has a medical school*
- Accepted into University Scholars Program
- Ability to save money for medical school
- Continue Friendlys job
- Research = HUGE!
- More time to focus on studies, since social life would take a back seat.</p>
<p>CONS
- Feel like Im going to work = commuting.
- Need a functioning car for ALL FOUR YEARS.
- Additionally, gas money = $$$
- Dreary campus.
- Too many Northport-ers/too familiar.
- HUGE lecture halls = HUGE classes.
- Bigger than Binghamton
- Will never have THE college experience.
- Lack of school unity half a commuter school.
- Those that commute, originally plan to do so, in my opinion.
- * Going to the same school for Med. School as undergraduate isnt necessarily good. Fierce competition with others Stony Brook undergraduate graduates.</p>
<p>Binghamton</p>
<p>PROS
- Undergraduate focus
- HUGE Jewish life
- Independence
- Pretty campus
- Get away from parents, but a decent distance away.
- RA = leadership role.<br>
- Has a nursing school backup in case MD isnt my plan anymore.
- Reasonable transportation to and from school. (i.e. Bus, friend, parents)
- Really smart student body more selective.
- BIG study abroad program.
- Smaller lecture halls (approx. 400) = smaller classes in general.
- Wouldnt need a car (maybe in sophomore year, but not a requirement)
- Already foresee myself there/feel at home.
- Change in scenery/setting.
- IVY of the SUNYs reputation.</p>
<p>CONS
- Up to $40,000+ in debt (if current financial situation persists, without being an RA)
- Known primarily in the Northeast (?)
- Rural-ish area* (Though this does NOT have to be a bad thing)
- Weather = mostly rainy and cold. Could be depressing.
- Would require moving assistance to get stuff to dorm.</p>
<p>just commenting on a couple of your points --
re the fact that there is a nursing school at binghamton -- i think people generally start the nursing program freshman year -- if that is really an important factor, you might want to look into the ease of transferring into the program in later years.</p>
<p>binghamton is not rural. geneseo is rural. binghamton is a much smaller city than NYC, but it is a city. and the school itself is in vestal, a suburb, and vestal parkway will feel very much like a typical suburban thorough fare with all the fast food and chain stores you are used to on long island. (i would guess there's opportunity for jobs there -- there is even a friendly's not too far from campus :) )</p>
<p>also always remember -- many students transfer into binghamton and stony brook -- so which ever you choose, if it ends up being the wrong choice, you can always change your mind and transfer later.</p>
<p>binghamton at least claims that since they have a relatively small graduate school, undergraduates do get the opportunity to participate in research (i have no personal knowledge as to how easy this in fact is). so while stony brook may have more research going on (since it is bigger) be sure to ask about how easy it is for an undergrad to get involved in it.</p>
<p>I don't plan on going to the Nursing school. It was a point to make in case I want to attempt to transfer IN if I don't want to go for the whole MD thing...</p>
<p>And I've visited Binghamton. Hence the "rural-ish". Geneseo is too rural for me. But Binghamton, I really do like.</p>
<p>And it's not about the "wrong" choice. It's about the MONEY aspect. To me, that's the biggest thing... the list was a means to see if there really was anything else to it that is stopping me from going to Binghamton. </p>
<p>My dad keeps emphasising the LOAN bit that I will have to deal with. And considering that I want to go to medical school, this could be an issue. But, to me, I want the college experience... And I just don't know if putting myself into some debt upon graduation (since Bing. is listed in the top 15 schools with the lowest debt, according to an article I read somewhere...) is worth it. I don't want to "waste the money". Though I have figured I could always go to Binghamton, find out I don't like it anyway, and transfer to SB. Or, I could find out we can't afford the other three years and be forced to transfer... I just don't know what to do.</p>
<p>And the HUGE graduate school at Stony Brook is one of my more valid points... and I like the "home-y" ness of Binghamton, with the undergraduate focus. And you bring up a good point with how easy it is to get a research position... hm. I'll try to bring that up when I visit SB on Saturday. </p>
<p>once you've been away at school, moving back home to become a commuter can be very difficult. so starting at binghamton and transferring to stony brook for money reasons (assuming you like binghamton), may not be easy and may in turn increase your unhappiness at stony brook.</p>
<p>if you start at stony brook, is it possible to save up money (working part time and over the summer) to then make a transfer to binghamton economically easier? (but don't let part time work interfere with your ability to get your work done -- gpa is so important for med school applications)</p>
<p>don't underestimate the burden of debt -- and be sure to know whether your loans are subsidized or unsubsidized -- with the latter, interest accrues right from the start -- it can mean quite a bit of difference in terms of what you actually owe.</p>
<p>When you think about the cost of commuting to Stony Brook vs living on campus at Binghamton, don't forget to consider the cost of maintaining your car and keeping it fueled at today's high gas prices. It's nice to have a car in Binghamton, but you can live a decent life on campus without one. And after your first year, if you like, you can move off campus, where rents are much lower than anything you're used to on Long Island. Living on campus and cooking for yourself can cost a lot less than living in a dorm and eating on a meal plan. If you use a car to get to campus from an apartment in the community, your commute will be short, so you won't use a lot of gas. Also, between the county bus system and the campus-operated system, you can live off campus pretty comfortably without a car. So while you'd certainly save money by living at home, the cost of spending four years in Binghamton might not be as high as you think.</p>
<p>good points raised about costs even if you live at home -- when my d went off to college, we did notice a drop in grocery bills at home, car insurance rates drop if a child is away at school (child has to be more than a certain number of miles away and not regularly using the car), my guess is we also saved on hot water without her hour long showers ;). and once she moved off campus (not in binghamton, different college) our costs dropped considerably over the campus room and board plan.</p>
<p>can you get your folks to somehow figure out some of those cost savings and ask them to allocate that money to the money they make available for you at binghamton? it won't make up the difference, but it can help.</p>
<p>bizymom - I have a subsidized loan, and the unsubsidized Parent PLUS loan. Additionally, I tried telling my mother that because I wouldn't be home, the expenses they're used to spending on me would insted be put into my college experience. She didn't seem to get that it all adds up, as you seem to point out from your own experience.</p>
<p>Does your D think it was a wisely investment to go away? Or were finances never an issue?</p>
<p>my d is not planning to go to medical school (or any other expensive post-college pursuit) -- so not a situation that you can compare in terms of projected debt burden.</p>
<p>in terms of purely non-economic issues -- i think both my d and i would agree that going away to college is a wonderful experience. but it is easier to appreciate the value of that experience when one isn't concerned with compiling 8 years of debt (college + med school). </p>
<p>just one more thought to throw into the mix -- if you go to binghamton on a tight personal budget -- there will be other people there on similarly tight budgets, but there will also be many people there for whom the suny tuition (as opposed to private) means that their parents are going to be more liberal with other funds (eg. its not uncommon to hear parents offer to let their kid have a car if they go to a suny and save them private school rates). since the social atmosphere is an important factor for you -- will it be seriously affected by you having to be frugal? not that you have to spend a lot to have fun in college -- but we hear all the time, especially at private colleges, about how kids feel when their friends go out to dinner and they can't afford to go. (and there are probably many students who end up going to a suny so that they can afford for that not to happen to them) </p>
<p>whatever you decide to do -- just go into it with your eyes open as to how your financial situation will affect things - both now and in the future.</p>
<p>It reads to me that you REALLY want to go to Bing.
I think Stony Brook will not give you the opportunity for well roundedness since it leans more towards science and research.
you may be thinking you want to be an MD, but when you get closer to decide in a major, I believe Bing will give you that opportunity to make an educated decision. Yes, Huge Jewish life that you may not get in a commuting school. As for transportation, they have shuttles all the time to go to the main places you need to hang out.
Good luck to you, perfectedchaos</p>
<p>bizymom - I'm normally really careful with how I spend my money anyways, that that wouldn't be a problem to me. Additionally, I could easily get rides home from a friend during breaks to save on the $43 bus ride. Of course, I would have to contribute some money towards gas, but it would be cheaper. And I could sell back some textbooks at the end of the year too to get some more money back. </p>
<p>There are a bunch of little things I think that could help things work out. Additionally, I've been working on scholarships and I'm willing to work for the money. I don't expect anything to just be given to me. </p>
<p>And multitasker - I'm so biased towards Binghamton it's nuts! That's why I wanted to see other peoples views on the situation, to know that I'm not crazy for wanting to go away. lol.</p>
<p>It sounds as though your decision comes down to the issue of money and affordability. If you're trying to finance your college completely by yourself without parental help, I would encourage you to not get yourself into too much debt for your undergraduate education. You'll have that monkey on your back from the minute you graduate. Most kids like yourself dream of the true college experience which includes living on campus and far away from home. Unfortunately, sometimes we can't always have what we want because of finances. Perhaps you could consider commuting/living at home for the first two years at Stony Brook---so you can get your general ed. out of the way while saving some money (by reluctantly living at home). Get a part time job during the school year, work your bottom off during the summers and sock the money away. After two years, transfer to Binghamton using the money you saved. I know it's not what you want and it's a shame that your parents can't kick in enough to make Binghamton happen in the fall. You're not going to find a cheaper college cost than SUNY. If you have to worry about a $43 bus ride, then you really can't afford to go away to school right now. You also have to factor in $1,000+/yr for books, health insurance, transportation, spending money, etc.</p>
<p>nysmile - I never said that I can't afford it. I was just saying, that I could find little things that would cut down cost when I had to. Not that I don't have $43 to spend on a bus ride home. Going to Stony Brook may be an option, but as of right now, the situation stands that with the financial aid, and some scholarships going to Binghamton is doable.</p>
<p>Based on previous posts discussing loans and up to $40,000 in debt, it sounded as though finances were the deciding factor. If you feel that it's doable, definitely get off of Long Island and go to Binghamton. On the other hand, if it means a $40,000 debt to you as stated initially, it's not worth it.</p>
<p>Just got to bing..sounds like you would really prefer going there. I personally feel that Stony is the better school, especially if you plan on going into medicine. Plus, as much as you may be surprised to hear this, the social life at Bing is rather bland.</p>
<p>Perfectedchaos: in other schools letters written about special circumstances could help explain your situation, and perhaps more money would be given to you. I would talk to the FA if those letters are feasible so that you and your family could explain how much you would love to attend. Give a call tomorrow ad see if that is possible.
I feel bad for you because I know you wanna go there.</p>
<p>Forget Binghamton. $40K is a lot of money in the grand scheme of things. Is dorming really worth it? I think not. Stony Brook sounds like a better choice.</p>
<p>How far are you from Stony Brook? The actual savings from commuting are not that significant. Depending on your schedule, you will still have to eat at the school. Their food is rather expensive from what I read on the SB forum. So do you still get the food plan at SB? Parking is another cost. When I looked at the actual savings involved, and you should do this yourself, I found that my son would save about $2500/yr. This is a far cry from the 40k you describe. </p>
<p>There is a good case to be made for going to Stony Brook for your intended major, library resources, philosphy and history courses geared towards the medical profession, research opporunites and so on. However, I think that the school that fits YOU best is always the way to go if you can do it.</p>
<p>I agree with others and sense that you really want to go to Binghamton. If you can do it, go for it...Binghamton is indeed a great school!</p>
<p>I find it funny that this post is no longer relevant. I am currently attending Binghamton, undergoing a work study program, and looking into (well paid) internships, and scholarships to help pay off the rest of my schooling... Additionally I may be an RA next year, and if the internships don't work out for this summer, I am going to work practically full time to make up for it. =)</p>