Hi everyone! I’m a recent grad from Geneseo and would be happy to answer any questions people may have about Geneseo. If any of you have questions about classes, dorm life, the food, extracurriculars, or the town in general, feel free to ask.
Hi, thanks very much for the offer. Geneseo is a possibility for S. Possible major Physics, some other science. He loves music (plays clarinet) and would like to play in an orchestra/band, and maybe a jazz or other ensemble. He is seriously into chess as well. Can you tell me about music at Geneseo?
Also, what is the town really like? Is it a town?
And how do you characterize the student body?
Thanks again!
@momcinco Geneseo is definitely a great school for the sciences. I majored in biochemistry and psychology, so I spent a lot of time taking biology, chemistry, and physics courses. The chem department is absolutely amazing, and the biology department is great too although they do try to weed students out a big more since there are so many biology majors. Physics is definitely a tough major, but those who make it to upper level classes seem to love it and there are a lot of research opportunities.
I don’t know too much about the music department, but a roommate of mine was very involved and students can take part in ensembles for credit and there are definitely a lot of shows they put on.
I really loved the town of Geneseo, although it can be quiet at times. Everyone is so welcoming and most of the shops cater to students. I’ve always felt safe walking home alone after a night out and off-campus housing is very cheap compared to other schools. Some people may find the town to be lacking if they come from a big city, but Rochester is only about 35 minutes away and buses run there on the weekends.
I’d say the student body is very friendly and accepting of everyone. It does lack in diversity a bit, as most students are white kids from NY, especially from the Long Island area. We definitely have a nerdy reputation, as Geneseo is a hard school to get into, but most students do like to have a good time and about 30% of students are involved in Greek life.
Thanks very much! All good info. And now for the really important question: How is the food? 
@momcinco I’d say the food is one of the biggest complaints most students have. The meal plan tends to be extremely expensive for what you get, and there are limited options for those with dietary restrictions. I think most students would agree that Fusion Market and MJ are the better options on campus, and there is a Starbucks on campus as well. The campus is trying very hard to listen to student feedback and make necessary changes, so hopefully there will be a lot of improvement in the future.
How is the career center at Geneseo? Is there a lot of support for students looking for jobs? Do most students graduate with a set career or plans for graduate school?
I’m planning to major in English and am concerned about finding a job after graduation.
I didn’t use the career center very much, since I was pre-health and found certain professors to be a much better resource. Professors are a big help, and they regularly send out any relevant job postings they receive. I also know people who went specifically to certain professors for help with resumes and cover letters. Since class sizes are fairly small here, it is quite easy to get professors very well and I found this to be a very good thing when it came time to apply to grad programs. Geneseo also has a career fair and grad school fair every year, which can be very helpful. They also have some pretty useful graduate data available on their career development office. There are job breakdowns by major, mean salary breakdowns, etc.
How is the 7 year BS DO program with NYCOM ? does all the people end up matriculating into NYCOM or there are lots of drop outs ?
@Blackbelt999 I don’t have any experience with this program or know anyone who was involved with it. Sorry.
How is the Geology program at Geneseo? How are the dorms? Compared to other schools I’ve seen the dorms seem on the smaller side.
@Carolinenora pretty much all of the geology students I know loved their program! It’s somewhat smaller than the other science programs so they tend to get a lot of help from professors and there were a lot of great trips for geology majors. I thought the dorms were pretty decent. I lived in Wayne and Steuben before I moved off campus my junior year (most people move off campus junior year). I thought both rooms were a decent size, although Steuben was a bit more outdated but they renovated the bathrooms the year I lived there. Personally, I thought the worst dorms on campus (southside suites like Nassau and Suffolk) were still nicer than a lot of other schools I looked at. I’d say the nicest dorms on campus are definitely Monroe, Seneca, and Putnam, but a lot of freshmen love to live in Daga because only freshmen live there and it tends to be more of a party dorm.
overall thoughts on Geneseo? went for admitted students day and still not sure…seems like there;s not alot to do on the weekends - although the academic end seams pretty strong.
@SBWG1111 I was involved in Greek life, so there was always something for me to do on the weekends. People who are in some type of organization (Greek, sport, etc.) usually don’t have that many complaints about lack of things to do, but those who are uninvolved generally have a harder time. Geneseo is really what you make of it, and getting involved will make your time there so much better. Rochester is also very close and I loved going up there on the weekends, or even to Letchworth State Park!
Hi, I’m not that interested in joining a sorority at Geneseo, will that be a problem socially?
I’m deciding between Geneseo and Fairfield, which is closer to my home. May I ask where ur from and how easy it was to go home on weekends and/or breaks? How is the grading system there, is the grading tough there? How large are the intro classes? Were you able to study abroad, if u wanted to? Do you have any knowledge of the accounting program? Thanks so much in advance!
@hava939 some people find it difficult to party if they aren’t in an organization, as most parties are closed because of social host laws, but it’s really what you make of it. I have a lot of friends who were extremely happy with their time in Geneseo even if they weren’t involved in sports or Greek life. I lived about two hours away, so it was very easy for me to go home on the weekends and I did so about once a month. I thought the grading system was very fair. Many professors curve classes, and I never had a professor that used a bell curve; if you earned a grade, you would get that or maybe better. The largest intro class I took was about 180 students, but there were tutors available and the professor offered review sessions where students could get their questions answered. I chose not to study abroad because I was a science major, but I had a few friends who did and they absolutely loved it. Geneseo has many summer courses abroad and many students choose to take the humanities gen-ed requirement abroad over the summer and love their experiences. I have a couple friends who are accounting majors, and it is a tough major but definitely prepares you well. You do need to apply to the school of business, which does have a GPA requirement. Students in the school of business are also required to attend personal development events periodically. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Thank you so much for responding!
Thanks for your response. I was up at geneseo for students admitted day last week. I liked the campus but feel it might be too small. Have some other options however they are much larger schools. Thoughts on classes? Very difficult? Manageable ?
@SBWG1111 it really depended on the classes for me. Most of the gen-eds were fairly easy, as well as the 100- and 200-level psych classes I took. 300-level psych classes were a little more difficult but still pretty manageable. I also thought the upper-level courses in my biochemistry major were difficult yet manageable. Certain classes were definitely weeder classes, and I found them to be very difficult (genetics, orgo, physics). It really depends on the major too. Do you know what you plan to study yet? That might help me give you a better idea.
My D is considering SUNY Geneso and has been accepted into the Edgar Fellows Program. She was accepted at Mount Holyoke and Bard, but the financial aid packages were not great so she is facing the choice that many students have to face. How is the honors program at Geneseo? Are the dorms in Dante House nice? I know they are quieter, but she doesn’t mind that. Are many of the classes at Geneseo small and discussion based or more lecture? She would be an English/Writing major. How is the English department? How is the environment at the school- is it friendly whether you are in a sorority or not? How is the student attitude toward the lgbt community- is it accepting in general and would it be safe? Is the campus safe in general? How is it handling the winters and the hills? Are there a lot of different clubs and club or intramural level sports (lacrosse?) Sorry so many questions
@bhappy2 I was in the honors program for a couple of years, and as a science major I didn’t particularly like it. Although the classes were interesting and the professors some of the best, it just didn’t work with my interests. The $2000/year scholarship is great though, and my friends who were liberal arts majors liked their experiences much more. I’d say that Dante house is one of the nicest corridor-style dorms, besides Monroe, and that the people who live there are usually very friendly, albeit the dorm as a whole is quieter than other freshman-only dorms like Daga. It is one of the farthest dorms from classes, so she should definitely plan on a 10-15 minute walk to classes.
The classes at Geneseo are definitely a mix of discussion and lecture. In my science courses, most were lecture classes, but my gen-eds and honors classes tended to be very discussion based; English classes would probably be more discussion based. I had a few friends that were English majors, and they all loved it. The program was retooled a couple years ago, so I’m not really sure of the exact requirements.
I have found the campus to be extremely friendly to everyone–people are very polite and accepting, and Geneseo has made strides to help the LGBT community like opening gender-neutral bathrooms. I have also found the community to be very safe and never had a problem walking home at night.
Geneseo does have a large Greek presence (~30%), but the environment is not unfriendly to people who choose not to affiliate. I’m not sure if your daughter is the type who would want to go to parties on weekends, but most parties in recent years have become closed to people not in organizations, and people who are not involved in sports or Greek life sometimes complain about the lack of nightlife options for those who are unders.
Geneseo tries very hard to keep the campus cleared in the winters, but sometimes they don’t do the best job of salting. I’d definitely recommend investing in a good pair of winter boots with traction, as Geneseo only cancelled classes due to weather once in my four years.
There are so many different clubs for people to join. There are cultural clubs, gaming clubs, career related clubs, dance organizations, club sports, Greek life, and so much more. I know there is a men’s club lacrosse team, not so sure if there is a women’s team. If there isn’t, many people are always interested in starting new clubs and quite a few were started when I was there.
Hope this answers your questions, let me know if you have any more!