Great program vs great feel? 2 days to decide...

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Well, I got into some good schools but I've narrowed it down to 3. UAlbany, Siena, and Binghamton. I got accepted to the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering of SUNY Albany, and they need a decision by the 15th. I'm still pretty undecided, so I'm looking for advice anywhere I can get it. Here are my opinions on the colleges, any feedback would be helpful.</p>

<p>UAlbany:
Cost-~$4000 per year (tuition+r&b)</p>

<p>The nanotechnology program here is ranked #1 in the world, so obviously this would be a great opportunity. They just opened it up to undergrads, and I'd be the first class to graduate 4 years in the program. This program has small class sizes and amazing opportunities for internships (I'd imagine...tons of businesses work there). They will help me find a job after graduation, and it will probably be a high paying one. However, it is untested at the undergrad level and a little separated from the main campus.</p>

<p>Academics aside, I would not consider attending UAlbany. It's not that I hate it, in fact I'm sure if I got there I'd end up liking it, but I never stepped on campus and said "this is where I want to be". The campus is a large concrete block, which most people consider ugly. I've come to not mind it, and the fountains are nice. Also, it's 5 miles from my house. Most of all I'm wary of the campus life. I didn't love the people there and it has a reputation as a party school. I'm not really a partier, not that I'm against drinking, but I'd rather stay sober. Oh, and I'd probably be in the honors college there (haven't decided yet).</p>

<p>Siena College:
Cost-~$6000 per year</p>

<p>I got the best feeling from Siena. I stayed overnight and everyone there was great. Current students went out of their way to make me feel welcome (and they weren't told to greet us) and every prospective student that I talked to was very approachable. The campus is beautiful. Basketball team is great. Only problem is that it's a little small for me.</p>

<p>Academically, they have a program with UAlbany so that Physics majors at Siena can get direct admission to the nanotech program for grad school if they hold a 3.3 or something reasonable like that. So ideally, I would go to Siena and then go to Albany for grad school. Only problem is that if my plans change, a physics degree from Siena doesn't get me as far as a nanoscale science degree from Albany.</p>

<p>Binghamton University:
Cost-~$8000 per year</p>

<p>It's mostly between Siena and Albany, but BU is on the table. Great campus, the people were nice, and its a great size. I feel like I'd fit in well at Binghamton.</p>

<p>Believe it or not, Binghamton is my worst choice academically. I'm sure they have great programs all around and I really can't go wrong here. But I don't know anything about their Physics department and it's my worst bet if I want to go into a nanotech related field.</p>

<p>So there's my dilemma. I'm probably in a good situation wherever I go, but I still wanna make the right choice. Not that responses from an internet forum will make my decision, but I'm curious to know what other people would choose in my situation.</p>

2

<p>Siena…has a distinct personality.</p>

3

<p>It sounds to me like you’ve already made your decision. You want to choose between happiness, and a program’s value? What kind of decision is that? Frankly, I think you underestimate the academic value of Siena. The Nanoscale Program, while certainly a great opportunity, is also a great risk. It’s in its first year at the undergraduate level, and while expectations are high and no doubt it’d be great to get involved with something so fresh, it’s hard to predict the value it’ll have. You have all of graduate school to search for a ‘program’; choose a college because it has a stimulating atmosphere, choose a college because you know it’s the right fit. If you aren’t positive you want to go for Nanoscale anyway, why put yourself in a program that heads only in that direction? Sounds like you’re trying to go by the ‘sink or swim’ method. Truth is, a high percentage of college students change majors, a signifigant statistic if you yourself are unsure.</p>

<p>If your “plans change” as you say they might, a Siena degree won’t halt you in your tracks. A Nanoscale degree is a nanoscale degree. A Physics degree is far more broad, and weighted against a program other grad schools have little idea how to value I don’t think it’s so worthless. Besides what if you change your mind further, go for math, economics or something else? Will you have better success in a specialized program you weren’t sure you wanted to join in the first place, or at a LAC with advisors that don’t handle massive numbers of students and a variety of majors that don’t require transferring out of a program?</p>

<p>Ultimately the choice is yours. But to me it seems like you’ve already made it.</p>