Hello,
I’m a senior in high school trying to decide between Hamilton College and SUNY Binghamton. Some important things to me in a school are: academic support (how often are profs available to help individually/office hours), vibes (I’m an outdoorsy girl), overall happiness of students, quality of psychology professors…
It’s down to these two schools… somebody help me!
These are two excellent and quite different options.
I think Hamilton likely has the edge in all the areas you’re focusing on, and it will have a stronger academic climate and a more affluent and geographically diverse student population.
You didn’t say anything about costs, which I assume means they are around the same or your family is comfortable with the arrangement.
Good luck.
These sites pertain to some of your criteria:
Thank you! Yeah, costs are both similar.
Nice, thanks! I see that Hamilton ranks highly on the outdoorsy one…
Even if you will be approaching the study of psychology from a different orientation, you should find it interesting that preeminent American psychologist and behaviorist B. F. Skinner graduated from Hamilton.
I think Hamilton is the better option overall, based on your preferences.
Hamilton is the clear winner here. It’s a truly special place and will perfectly suit your needs.
Based on your preferences it seems like Hamilton is a great option. But both are excellent colleges so go wherever you feel is the best fit. Two reasonable people could make two different choices.
These two schools are super different with seemingly the only thing in common is that they are both in NY! Have you visited both?
I find it fascinating that B.F. Skinner went there! He is definitely one of their most notable alumni.
Congrats!
Two of my daughter’s friends are freshmen at BING- one psych, one geology. We all just spent a weekend all together visiting in my kid Maine, and really got to talk.
Both BING kids said the same thing: Having just gone through registration for Fall classes, they concluded that advising is virtually non-existent.
Not surprising, as hubs and I are SUNY graduates, that was always lacking at SUNY.
((Hubs is actually BING alum, & literally said to them “WOW sounds like nothing has changed in 30 years.”))
Hamilton best choice by your standards if cost is not a factor.
You’ve asked about this before. If cost is an issue, Bing. Otherwise, Hamilton is a superior choice.
@OceanAir , my son is a senior at Bing. It is a myth that advising is nonexistent. Students have to be proactive in seeking it out. My son and his friends (the ones who make an effort) have been able to see advisors during his whole time at Bing. I’ve even called myself a few times, when my son was still trying to choose his college, and I literally got people on the phone who talked with me immediately.
Advising is nonexistent if you don’t seek it out. It’s on the student to make the appointment.
Back to the OP, going by what you seek in your experience, Hamilton is your best bet for sure.
If you would like to combine your interest in psychology with an exploration into American studies, then you may want to read Skinner’s Walden Two. Although originally published in 1948, the book’s utopian aspects became broadly recognized during the social transformations of the late 1960s. For reasons related to this, Skinner appeared on the cover of Time in 1971.
I wish you the best of luck in choosing the best college for your goals and interests.
I have visited them both! Yeah, they definitely are different. I love Hamilton for its academics, beautiful campus, and small class size. When I visited, all the students were super friendly and knew each other— a really close community. At Binghamton, I liked the simulation hospital they have (since I’m pre-med) and I think I felt less intimidated by the level of difficulty the classes may be compared to Hamilton. I have major imposter syndrome.
I definitely need advising! I know that Hamilton is good about that. Price at Bing is actually a little more expensive!
Yeah it’s really fascinating! I’m a nerd, so I’d buy the book and try to find a copy of the Time magazine he was on and keep it in my dorm lol.
Clearly choose Hamilton then. Bing is good at what it does, but it can’t compete with Hamilton for less money. Hamilton is highly regarded.
My post is not meant as a dig at Bing or SUNY… just sharing info and experiences of two current, smart, proactive students who certainly know to seek out advising as needed. Nevertheless, they are finding it lacking. I think it’s a general challenge SUNY students will encounter, and always have.
Of course! Good to know!