<p>I (a mother) received a very nice letter today from the admissions office thanking me for writing the parent essay. I think that is pretty classy. I attended SUNY Binghamton and really hated it. I did not want my son to attend a SUNY school, but he applied to Geneseo as a "financial safety." But I have to say that all of our contacts with the school have been every bit as (or more) professional than the other 6 (private) schools he has applied to. I was also impressed with Geneseo on the tour. It will be a tough sell to my son because it is so close to home, but I'm starting to think it wouldn't be such a bad place for him.</p>
<p>why did you hate bing?</p>
<p>Well, first of all I was there 25 years ago! I just never "fit in" there. It was too impersonal for what I needed at the time. Just to give you an example, I ended up as a freshman living on a floor where the RA spent the entire year off campus at her boyfriend's. No one cared or noticed. I don't recall ever having any kind of academic advisement. There was a severe lack of diversity on campus, with nearly every student coming from the NYC/Long Island metro region. That meant a lot of them already had established friendships. At the time it seemed like they all wanted to be doctors or lawyers, which gets a little old fast.The courses were VERY "Pre-Med weed out" which I do not think is useful in ANY way. Professors had no time or interest in undergrads. They weren't particularly overwhelmed in research - they just didn't particularly care about students (except one I can think of in the Socio dept, who I saw has recently passed away).</p>
<p>Hopefully things have changed for the better there. I know at least one person who really liked his time at SUNY-B. Every college will have some kids who love it, and some who hate it. So, take all opinions with a grain of salt. The important thing is to try to get a real feel if it fits YOU or not. That is not something that got much attention when we were kids.</p>
<p>I know everyone's opinions are different, but thanks for voicing yours. I was about to apply to Geneseo, but wound up applying to Bing as my only SUNY. In the case of a disaster where my financial aid packages are all dismal, Binghamton would be an option within my financial bracket. Yeah, I can see how Bing can be perceived as impersonal. A bunch of students from my school go each year. One girl was complaining about how there are so many TAs, and how few of them speak English (maybe she exaggerated a bit). Plus she couldn't use a calculator in certain math classes, which I think is slightly harsh. Basically at Binghamton I get the feeling that it's sink or swim, and you're on your own. And since it's a large-ish public university, of course profs aren't going to hang around and try to help you out when they have bigger and better things to do. And pre-meds are still dominating the campus in large numbers, from what I hear. But thanks again; your opinion was very helpful and something I'll remember when decision-making time comes. :)</p>
<p>eh how hard is binghamton, i have a friend at geneseo who is working her ass off (smart also) and is getting a 3.3. And then there's the no name recognition for grad. school.</p>
<p>but binghamton is so pre-med weeding and the professors are all stingy, apathetic teachers (to do research only), that i don't nkow where to go.</p>
<p>Binghamton, hard? No, I meant that it's very lacking in support in case you want any. I'd prefer a place where I can get some help with my essays or things I happen to have trouble with. But seriously, I think I can graduate Binghamton in three years or even less, what with AP credit, SUNY Albany credit, and Mercy College credit. Less than three years... wow, that's cheap tuition!</p>