Good state universities in New York State

Parents Forum
1

<p>Hi all,</p>

<p>We are about to move from the United Kingdom into the Niskayuna area in upstate New York . My son (who is currently 15 years old) will do two years of high school - most likely in Niskayuna High, before going off to university. Due to the high cost of private colleges, it is very likely that we will have to opt for a state university. Can anyone advise us on which are the good state universities in New York State? Is there some sort of ratings list for state universities in the USA? Also, how easy / difficult is it to obtain part or full scholarships? Being from England, we have no idea how scholarships are awarded. Any help at all would be most gratefully received.</p>

<p>Time for a cuppa!</p>

2

<p>Good luck with your move!</p>

<p>The top SUNY (state university of New York) schools are Geneseo and Binghamton, and there’s a range after that. You can go to the website and read about them: [suny.edu</a> - The State University of New York](<a href=“http://www.suny.edu/]suny.edu”>http://www.suny.edu/)</p>

<p>Albany attracts many students because it is the state capital, which offers different opportunities.</p>

<p>New Paltz is, according to our guidance counselor, up and coming.</p>

<p>Stony Brook is excellent for the sciences (top research hospital there)</p>

<p>Buffalo is the largest.</p>

<p>You can check their freshman class profiles to see what test scores and GPA each looks for.</p>

<p>You will be filling out the FAFSA form on January 1 (as close after it) his senior year. That is the basis for federal aid (and the schools use this). Others can tell you what kind of test scores the SUNY schools consider for merit aid (based on academics rather than your finances).</p>

<p>You found a great website for research and you are certainly starting early enough. The SUNY schools are very good.</p>

3

<p>If your son is fine with the idea of upstate NY for college, SUNY Binghamton is a great option. If he has good grades and good test scores and he wants to get a bit further away from home, there are out of state public schools that would also be quite inexpensive. </p>

<p>At many, many, many private schools, it is not difficult to receive a partial scholarship. Some offer full tuition scholarships. Some offer full tuition and more (including living expenses).</p>

<p>Since this will be his junior year of high school, this is the right time to start looking at colleges. Some of the major factors students look at are whether they prefer a large or a small school and whether they prefer a school in an urban, suburban, or rural area. You might enjoy looking at the Colleges That Change Lives web site - there are many great small colleges around (not just the ones listed there).</p>

<p>You might also consider Canadian schools, especially the University of Toronto, McGill, UBC, and Queen’s. Excellent colleges and not too expensive compared to U.S. schools. Several students from our H.S. have chosen McGill and really love it there.</p>

4

<p>NYS has an extensive public university system (State University of New York - “SUNY”). There are four university centers – Binghamton, Albany, Buffalo, and Stony brook – of which Binghamton is the smallest and most selective. There are then many state colleges, of which Geneseo is the most selective. There are also two year community colleges that are part of the SUNY system. Niskayuna seems to be pretty centrally located – not far from Albany, so none of the SUNY schools would be a prohibitive driving distance away. This is the link for the SUNY system in general – you should be able to get a lot of info there to start – [suny.edu</a> - The State University of New York](<a href=“http://www.suny.edu/]suny.edu”>http://www.suny.edu/) here is a list of all of the SUNY schools – [SUNY:</a> Complete Campus List](<a href=“http://www.suny.edu/student/campuses_complete_list.cfm]SUNY:”>http://www.suny.edu/student/campuses_complete_list.cfm)</p>

<p>In-state tuition and fees for the SUNYs are extremely reasonable – under $20,000 for the year (which at least here in the US is VERY reasonable.) Re scholarships – there are two issues – first need based financial aid – you have to fill out forms and the school determines what aid it gives based on need – the process is pretty much the same at private and public colleges – there are two basic forms – FAFSA (a US gov’t form) and the Profile (a form from a private organization that some schools use) – that need based aid can be in the form of grants (free money), loans, or work study (the student gets an on-campus job). I have no idea how the fact that you won’t be a US citizen (I assume) would affect any of this – the guidance counselor at your son’s school may be able to help you figure a lot of that out. The second type is merit aid – it varies by individual school as to how much merit aid scholarships are awarded – some SUNY’s pretty much don’t give any, others do.</p>

<p>As a result of the economic conditions here the last few years, more and more kids have been choosing to go to the SUNYs for financial reasons – making them increasingly hard to get into. But there are so many SUNY’s, I think most in-state students can find an appropriate one. </p>

<p>FYI - none of the SUNY’s are located in New York City. NYC has its own college system – CUNY – which is also quite extensive and offers some good schools – but most do not offer dorms and most students in CUNY commute from home.</p>

<p>One more thing about the SUNY’s – there are also some SUNY programs within Cornell University – an ivy league private university. The SUNY programs at Cornell are listed at the above link I gave of all SUNY programs – the tuition at these Cornell SUNY programs is not quite as inexpensive as the regular SUNY schools, but is much less expensive than private tuition at Cornell – so if your son has the grades to get into Cornell and is interested in one of the fields covered by the SUNY programs, it can be a more affordable way to get an ivy league degree.</p>

<p>Finally, once you get here, your son’s guidance counselor should be able to provide you with plenty of information about the SUNYs. FYI – there are also public universities in other states that NY residents tend to go to (Deleware, NJ, Maryland, Pennsylvania, to name a few) that will be cheaper than a private college, but more expensive for NY’ers than the SUNYs.</p>

<p>Also fyi – if your son is arriving here for his junior and senior year, expect there to be info thrown out quickly about the college testing. The PSAT is given the fall of junior year – its essentially a practice test for the SAT which is one of the two college exams students take (colleges generally require either the ACT or the SAT – the SAT used to be more popular on the east coast, but the ACT is increasing in popularity – some kids do better on one, some on the other, many students take both to see which they do better on). A VERY high score on the PSAT can put a student in the running for a National Merit Scholarship (the amount of that scholarship can vary based on the college attended – don’t worry about it now.) Students often then take the SAT and/or ACT spring of junior year and/or fall of senior year.</p>

<p>I can imagine the move can be overwhelming. Don’t feel you have to cover too much too soon. You’ll have time for you and your son to get acclimated before you have to start making decisions.</p>

5

<p>What is your immigration status? Is your son’s the same, or is it different? </p>

<p>US citizens, legal permanent residents, and certain other immigrants (primarily those who hold refugee status) are eligible to apply for federally determined financial aid with the FAFSA [FAFSA</a> - Free Application for Federal Student Aid](<a href=“http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/]FAFSA”>http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/) These individuals are considered domestic applicants for financial aid purposes. People who have any other kind of visa status are considered international applicants for financial aid purposes. They do not file the FAFSA. Each college or university sets its own policy about financial aid for international students. You will have to ask about which forms you need to file for each institution.</p>

<p>Each state sets its own policy about requirements for in-state residence. Some states consider students in-state for tuition and fees at the public universities no matter what their immigration status provided they have lived in that state for a particular length of time. Others grant in-state status only to individuals who qualify to file the FAFSA. You need to find out what the regulations are in NY.</p>

<p>Your child can take the PSAT/NMST exam, but again, if he doesn’t have a visa status that would qualify him to file the FAFSA by the time he is due to begin college/university, he cannot be awarded a National Merit Scholarship.</p>

<p>The best resource for international applicants is [EducationUSA</a> | Study Abroad, Student Visa, University Fairs, College Applications and Study in the U.S. / America](<a href=“http://www.educationusa.state.gov/]EducationUSA”>http://www.educationusa.state.gov/) If you have time before your move, you may want to contact the office in the UK to ask their advice [EducationUSA</a> - Center Profile - US-UK Fulbright Commission - Fulbright Advisory Service](<a href=“http://www.educationusa.info/Fulbright-UK]EducationUSA”>http://www.educationusa.info/Fulbright-UK)</p>

<p>Wishing you all the best!</p>

6

<p>Hi…welcome to the US and to College Confidential!!! :)</p>

<p>Will your son be considered a permanent resident by the time he applies to college?</p>

<p>If so, that will make a huge difference. A green-card resident has many more opportunities for scholarships. Many scholarships are not available to internationals. Also, as a green-card resident in NY, you’ll get instate rates.</p>

<p>As for scholarships …along with green card status, much will depend on his GPA and test scores. Yes, be sure to have your son take the PSAT during October of junior year at his high school. If he has pending residency status at that time, he needs to quickly contact NMCorp and submit the right forms indicating such. Nat’l Merit Corp phone 847-866-5100 </p>

<p>Does your son test well? Does he have a high GPA?</p>

<p>Depending on your sons stats (GPA and test scores), he may get better scholarships outside of NY. NY state schools are good, but there are better schools that offer better scholarships as well.</p>

7

<p>College tuition in the US is confusing because many people don’t pay the “sticker price” and practices for awarding scholarships vary from school to school. State colleges have a lower sticker price but usually do not have as much financial aid to give out. </p>

<p>If your family’s income is low-to-medium, your S will qualify for “need-based aid.” Some very elite schools only give this kind of aid, but some of them (e.g. Harvard) are very generous with it. There are online calculators that will help you get a sense of whether you would qualify for need-based aid (and how much) but the formulas for meeting need vary from school to school. </p>

<p>If your son’s test scores and grades are high–at least high relative to the applicant pool at a particular college–then he might qualify for “merit aid,” which is given out regardless of family circumstances. </p>

<p>There is much discussion on the College Confidential site about which schools give what kind of scholarships, how generous they are with need-based aid, and what the criteria for merit scholarships are at various schools.</p>

<p>My niece is at SUNY Geneseo and loves it. It’s a gorgeous campus and is more like a liberal-arts college than a big state university. There are lots of good options in the SUNY system for students with a wide range of abilities and interests.</p>

8

<p>College tuition in the US is confusing because many people don’t pay the “sticker price” and practices for awarding scholarships vary from school to school. State colleges have a lower sticker price but usually do not have as much financial aid to give out as the private colleges. </p>

<p>If your family’s income is low-to-medium, your S will qualify for “need-based aid.” Some very elite schools only give this kind of aid, but some of them (e.g. Harvard) are very generous with it. There are online calculators that will help you get a sense of whether you would qualify for need-based aid (and how much) but the formulas for meeting need vary from school to school. </p>

<p>If your son’s test scores and grades are high–at least high relative to the applicant pool at a particular college–then he might qualify for “merit aid,” which is given out regardless of family circumstances. </p>

<p>There is much discussion on the College Confidential site about which schools give what kind of scholarships, how generous they are with need-based aid, and what the criteria for merit scholarships are at various schools.</p>

<p>My niece is at SUNY Geneseo and loves it. It’s a gorgeous campus and is more like a liberal-arts college than a big state university. There are lots of good options in the SUNY system for students with a wide range of abilities and interests.</p>

9

<p>I am sure that you are seeing the price for SUNY and are shocked - I work with people from the UK and they pay a lot less for their kids to go to college than even the state schools in the US. SUNY Binghamton doesn’t offer a lot of scholarships, from what I understand, I don’t know about the other SUNY schools.</p>

10

<p>The State University at Buffalo (UB) typically offers partial scholarships for kids with SAT’s 1300 and up, and students in the 1500 and up SAT range may qualify for the full Presidential Scholarship.</p>

11

<p>Not on topic, but my 16 year old son was born in Niskayuna. We moved away when he was 3 years old. Poor kid - when he’s asked where he was born, he either has to write “Niskayuna” or “Schenectady.” Fortunately, most questions just ask the state (not city).</p>

<p>We enjoyed the area when we were there and hope you do too!</p>

12

<p>I would definitely take a look at Geneseo. This is one of the best public liberal arts colleges out there. </p>

<p>Geneseo’s latest rankings:
[Geneseo</a> Cited in Latest College Rankings | SUNY Geneseo](<a href=“http://www.geneseo.edu/news_events/latest-rankings]Geneseo”>http://www.geneseo.edu/news_events/latest-rankings)</p>

<p>The college is well known for its focus on undergraduate education. </p>

<p>The campus is beautiful, with dedicated professors and bright students (GPA 94, SAT 1340). The school is also becomming more diverse. </p>

<p>Also take a look at President Dahl’s Fall 2010 Convocation Address which discusses Geneseo’s strengths and future plans.<br>
<a href=“http://www.geneseo.edu/webfm_send/2964[/url]”>http://www.geneseo.edu/webfm_send/2964&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

13

<p>Both in-state and out-of-state tuition is much lower at the SUNY schools than at other public Universities in the northeast.</p>

14

<p>Niskayuna High School is one of the better publics in Upstate NY. The kids of many faculty and staff from Union College and SUNY Albany attend the Niskayuna district and these parents generally expect their progeny to be competitive at selective colleges – public or private. The guidance staff at Niskayuna have much more experience than many of their colleagues in nearby districts in working with students and parents in the selective college admissions process. They are also more savvy than most of their counterparts in identifying appropriate merit scholarship opportunities. Bottom line, don’t rule out a private college at this stage in your search.</p>

15

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<p>That’s not quite true: Two specialized SUNYs that I know of are located in New York City, and both of them have excellent reputations in their respective fields.</p>

<p>The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) centers on preparing students for careers in fashion industry, both the artistic side and the business side. Courses are offered in fashion design, marketing, entrepreneurialism, photography, packaging design, computer graphics, international trade, and many other subjects. Located in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, the school offers housing in four residence halls.</p>

<p>For more info about FIT: [Fashion</a> Institute of Technology - Academics](<a href=“http://www.fitnyc.edu/33.asp]Fashion”>http://www.fitnyc.edu/33.asp)</p>

<p>Another SUNY within New York City is the Maritime College, located in the bucolic (I’m not really kidding) Bronx waterfront community of Throgs Neck. Students there pursue degrees in naval architecture, engineering, and marine environmental science. You can even study humanities there. Graduates are licensed in various capacities and go to work for the Coast Guard, Merchant Marines, etc. It is a cadet way of life, though, so someone would have to want that type of college experience. Also, I believe that a certain number of summers at sea are required, depending on the major selected. The training ship sails from the Bronx to various ports in Europe and back. I think for the right student, SUNY Maritime is a great choice.</p>

<p>For more info about SUNY Maritime:
[SUNY</a> Maritime College - About Maritime](<a href=“http://www.sunymaritime.edu/About%20Maritime/index.aspx]SUNY”>http://www.sunymaritime.edu/About%20Maritime/index.aspx)
<a href=“http://www.sunymaritime.edu/[/url]”>http://www.sunymaritime.edu/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;