<p>I'm a rising senior from Southern California and I was wondering about the overall quality of education in New Paltz. Also what seems to be the general reputation of the school? How is the diversity? How are the class sizes? I'm planning to major in international relations. How's the surrounding area? How does it compare to CSUs and UCs? </p>
<p>Any other information about the school would be appreciated :)</p>
<p>I honestly would not travel all the way from California to attend SUNY New Paltz. There’s nothing wrong with the school, but it’s not worth traveling from California to attend it.</p>
<p>It would certainly be different than anything you would find in CA. New Paltz is in the mountains of New York state but close enough to NYC to get a bus there for the day or weekend. The town is loaded with restaurants of all ethnicities, funky shops and bars. It has a hippie, 60’s vibe crossed with an outdoorsy tourist destination. Lots of rock climbers, snow boarders, hikers, nature lovers, etc. The school attracts all types and is diverse racially, geographically and economically. My son recently graduated and enjoyed his time there very much. The student population tends to be down to earth, artsy and quirky. There’s about 6,000 undergrads so would be smaller than most UC’s. I think the quality of education is good and keeps getting better. Acceptance is competitive. The class sizes are small and my son got to know all his professors, some on a personal basis. No TA’s teaching classes. If I can answer any specific questions, feel free to ask.</p>
<p>Yeah I wouldn’t travel so far for new paltz
Maybe NYU/Columbia/Binghamton or something but I’m sure there’s plenty of better schools in CA</p>
<p>Oh and paying out of state tuition for a school with not that much prestige seems pointless</p>
<p>Yes, but I really like NYC and though New Paltz isn’t in NYC, I think it’s close enough. NP isn’t the only school I’m considering, but the class size is what drew me in. How are the students there? Are many of them considered to be bright or not very?</p>
<p>It’s nothing like NYC though just let you know it’s a small town</p>
<p>Depends on what you consider bright</p>
<p>There are all types, some are very bright and others not so much. :eek: Every year it gets harder to get in so the population is getting brighter.</p>
<p>It’s not as close to NYC as you may think. It’s about an hour and a half train ride to NYC.</p>
<p>New Paltz has a very small town feel–small, quaint, still trying to hang on to the old hippie stereotype. I just don’t feel it’s worth traveling from California to attend.</p>
<p>If you like small class size and still want something in new York check out geneseo
Best public school here(ranked) and as small or smaller then new paltz</p>
<p>I thought I would weigh in here if anyone has any questions. I’m a current student at New Paltz. I think it’s an amazing school, especially for in state students. I too had my doubts about it (even did some time away from there) but my total experience has led me back to New Paltz and I couldn’t be happier about that. </p>
<p>I can try to answer any questions from a student’s perspective so feel free to ask!</p>
<p>My friend is going to SUNY New Paltz this fall. She went there many times for tours, placement tests etc. She says it’s pretty cool but academically it’s really not that great when compared to other SUNY’s.</p>
<p>nybmc - glad to hear you went back and like it! My D is freshman. Likes her roommates and met some casual friends, but is having a hard time finding a group scene on weekends. Seems like many freshmen leave on weekends. Does that get better? I’m hoping the art program keeps her there.</p>
<p>@ clairevoent; NP admission stats are ranked second only to Geneseo of SUNY Colleges as far as I know, so not sure where the “not that great academically” perception comes from. If you are looking for challenges academically, you will surely find them. Look into the Honors Program. D graduated in May and considered many of her classes challenging academically. She had profs who were nationally, and internationally, recognized in their fields, in freshmen year one of her profs was a pulitzer prize winner. She wrote a 40 page thesis for graduation and presented at a national conference. As with most things in life, you get out of it what you put into it!
@keepinonlis: takes a little while for them to find the “niche” in freshmen yr. Give it time, there are lots of kids campus, and lots to do in town. Have her try joining a club, or taking a class at the gym. The art program is great!</p>
<p>Np stats are not ranked after geneseo , that’s wrong ^</p>
<p>Among the 4 year SUNY colleges (which doesn’t include the 4 universities), NP appears to have the second highest mid-range scores…that may be what vahevala was referring to:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.suny.edu/student/downloads/Pdf/2012_Admissions_qf_stateop.pdf[/url]”>http://www.suny.edu/student/downloads/Pdf/2012_Admissions_qf_stateop.pdf</a></p>
<p>Academically, Geneseo is a better choice</p>
<p>How artsy is new paltz? I’m considering, but im not exactly the most ‘artsy’ type of guy</p>
<p>I have same question as joshn728, when I tell my classmates I’m considering NP they say but it is so artsy. I visited once and although I saw some creative types, there were also people that did not seem to fit the “artsy” stereotype. Is it really that artsy, am I missing something? I love the location , not so far upstate and I love NYC. I am also considering Oneonta, but I have not seen it yet, going in March. Opinions on the differences between the 2 schools? Will a not artsy person fit in at NP?</p>
<p>Does artsy really mean hippy (not artists per se?). Does hippy these days really mean hipster? (are there hippies anymore?)</p>
<p>While Geneseo is probably the better choice academically depending on department, it is geographically closer to Cleveland, Ohio than it is to Manhattan.</p>