<p>I have just posted a thorough review of Syracuse University based on my visit. You can see it in the alphabetical listing of schools.</p>
<p>Nice review. I know several students at SU and have visited.</p>
<p>The Syracuse campus is quite beautiful, especially some of the older buildings. The Class of 2009 is 24% students of color. Last year it was 17%. Quite an increase. The graduation rate is now 80%, 75% for minorities. Fifteen years ago, the graduation rate was 63% overall, 43% for minorities. If this is true, it is a great credit to Syracuse. I hope the change does not reflect lower standards or manipulating statistics. (I tend to be a skeptic.)</p>
<p>The city-side of campus is buffered from deteriorating neighborhoods by shops and restaurants on Marshall Street, a park, by the hospital, professional buildings, and by a sort if steep hill near the Carrier Dome. Past this buffer zone, the area is pretty bad, lots of vandalism. Students should stay away from that neighborhood. The other side of the large campus where many of the dorms and apartments are located is more suburban, even rural. </p>
<p>Through the Newhouse School they are strong in communications, journalism, broadcasting, film. Through the Maxwell School, they are strong in political science, history, economics. I think they have a solid English department and creative writing program. Biology and chem are quite solid. SU is associated with adjacent Upstate Medical School and Crouse Hospital and with the excellent adjacent SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.</p>
<p>Syracuse is like a private version of a public ivy. They made it into the top 50 US News best universities this year. SU is really an excellent university.</p>
<p>Collegehelp, I don't think that any of their programs are bad. I just think that some of their undergraduate program such as english, history, chemistry, physics, engineering and even business are just as good, if any better, at a number of other schools and state universities at a lower tuition price. Do these other schools provide the same degree of nurturing that Syracuse provides? Who knows?</p>
<p>You also note that Syracuse is ranked number 50 in country among national institutions,which I noted in my review. However, check out the peer review. Their peers don't think they are so great overall. Of course, this may vary from major to major. </p>
<p>Syracuse did particularly well because of its retention. Kids seem to like the school and, as noted in the thread with my reveiw, there is a lot of nuturing going on in that school including tutoring, writing centers, close advising etc. In my opinion, this is a strong point for why kids might prefer Syracuse. I should have noted this in my original review, but I did note these points in the same thread as the review.</p>