Full Ride...Must Make a Decision

Colleges and Universities A-Z Stony Brook University - SUNY
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<p>Hi,</p>

<p>I was admitted to the WISE program and received a full ride (including room and board)...</p>

<p>I looked at my family's EFC on the FAFSA website and it was suprisingly high. I haven't gotten my financial aid packages from other schools, but they are all need based, so chances are I won't be getting really good aid considering my EFC.</p>

<p>Financially, Stony is a REALLY good deal. I know the school has stellar academics, but I hear so many different stories that I'd like to learn more.</p>

<p>A) Is there REALLY no campus life? Are there really no extracurricular activities to be involved in? The website lists so many clubs and activities, but people say otherwise. Are events on campus (such as fundraisers, speakers, concerts, readings, plays, etc) a rarity?</p>

<p>B) How good is the study abroad program? Would my financial aid travel with me? Is it possible to work with the office to go to a school that Stony doesn't already have a program with?</p>

<p>C) How are the dorms at Stony? I'll be living at Gray if I go. How many people do I have to share with?</p>

<p>D) What are the benefits of the WISE program? Does it help with internships and (possibly) med school? Is it possible to be a part of WISE and also be involved in other non-science related activities/internships? Do I have to major in science?</p>

<p>I would really appreciate your input. Thanks for any and all help. :)</p>

2

<p>A) Campus life is touch and go. At times, you can’t turn the corner without bumping into someone playing the guitar and singing a song about how they grew up in Idaho. Other times, you’ll be taking a camera around campus showing everyone you used to go to school with how you can’t find a single person on campus.</p>

<p>In regards to clubs, there are plenty of active clubs. The only problem is that the funding for the majority of these clubs are minimal, and they don’t advertise to get new members. A lot of times, you have to know someone already in the club to be able to go there. Only the large clubs really advertise (Environmental Club, Vietnamese Student Association, Geology Club, Photography Club, Rotary, University Republicans, University Democrats, etc).</p>

<p>At Staller, there’s always a show going on (about every 2 weeks) and the Wang Center has shows of their own (about every month. So, there are a lot of things to go and watch. Staller also has a lot of movies that they play there every other week. </p>

<p>B) I love that you want to study abroad! As you know, Stony Brook is a part of the SUNY system. Any SUNY student can travel abroad with another SUNY school, regardless of affiliation. This is the way that it works: </p>

<ol>
<li><p>If the school that you want to study at is within the Stony Brook network (not SUNY network), you’re fine. You pay Stony Brook to study at the other institution. There’s no issues with Financial Aid, and you just need to go and apply to study abroad where you want to and get interviewed.</p></li>
<li><p>If the school that you want to study at is within the SUNY system, it’s a little more complicated. From my understanding, what you need to do is first apply to the hosting SUNY school. If accepted, they’ll give you a financial aid package and you’d apply to study abroad to a school which they offer programs abroad in. You pay the hosting institution (the SUNY school) when studying abroad. Let me give an example to clarify.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>You study at Stony Brook University.
You want to study at the American University in Cairo, Egypt.
Stony Brook doesn’t offer a study abroad program at AUC.
Cortland offers a study abroad program at AUC.
You apply to SUNY Cortland.
You’re accepted.
Cortland gives you a financial aid package, let’s say ~$15000/year.
You want to study at AUC for 1 semester.
The tuition for Cortland (1 semester) is ~$3000.
The housing at AUC is ~$2000.
The board at AUC is ~$500.
The total cost of studying abroad for one semester is $5500.
Cortland ofered you a $7500/semester scholarship.
You then have a full ride to attend AUC (+airfare, +groundtravel, +misc)</p>

<p>3) If you want to study abroad with another domestic school, the procedure varies and you have to contact them. However, it tends to be the same procedure as #2.</p>

<p>C) I live in Gray College, and I love it here! I’m not in WISE, but it’s a very quiet place that’s right next to the academic mall and Union. The rooms are very spacious and there are always people around to hang out with. Being in WISE, I’m not sure if you have to suffer trippling or not. I know that the girls and guys in the Honor’s College aren’t trippled and have only one roommate, and I’m not sure if WISE has the same methods. You’ll be living with either 1 or 2 people, depending.</p>

<p>D) I’m not sure of the specifics of the WISE program, but I do know that you have to be a woman in either science or engineering (hense the name). I’m not really sure of the definition of science, whether social or behavioral sciences are included in its definition or not. You’re actually required to take about a year and a half of non-science classes (general education), so you can of course be involved in that way. Intership-wise, you tend to have to major in the area that you want to intership in to be able to secure one. There’s always the option of majoring in a science or engineering field to maintain your WISE scholarship, and then double major in something else (say, English) to secure an internship with the English department. </p>

<p>[SUNY</a> Administration Approval Account Login](<a href=“http://www.sunysystemabroad.com/]SUNY”>http://www.sunysystemabroad.com/)</p>

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<p>Thank you for all of your help!</p>