Impression of Binghamton University

I was wondering if anyone has a child attending Binghamton University and what your opinion is of the school? My child has just started Binghamton this Spring and I am a little disappointed so far with what our experiences have been with this school. They have such a great reputation but I am not finding they live up to their reputation. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

My daughter attended Binghamton. She had IB credits going in and was able to graduate early. She had no particular problems at all.

I went to Binghamton, I also had no problems and was able to double major in three years. Are there any particular issues you’re having?

My son applied and was accepted but chose to attend another school. However, there are a lot of kids I know who recently graduated or are presently students and they all seem/seemed to like it a lot. One of my friend’s daughter even transferred from Cornell to Bing after 1st semester freshman year, not because she wasn’t doing well at Cornell - she just hated it. She was much happier at Bing. She is now in medical school.

My nephew is attending Binghamton and is finding it a positive experience. He’s a business major.

I have no first hand experience but I’ve heard good things about it. I was recently in Binghamton and was I pressed with the revitalization going on there.

Our daughter was accepted at Binghamton, we had visited it twice, once informally and the second time for an official visit. We live in NY we considered Binghamton and Geneseo to be our in state flagships. I have no doubt that the quality of the education that is available there is excellent. There were lots of really bright and engaging kids there.
We didn’t love the area (off the campus grounds). We know a number of students who have attended there and are attending there now. I am not aware of any thing negative about their experiences.

@pha516 What are you disappointed with? In what way is Bing not living up to your expectation?

Yes, wondering along with @VMT‌ what the disappointments are?

We visited and have researched the school (D has applied) and have listened to comments. We’ve heard lots of positives but also enough negatives to have concerns–academically, the big lecture classes, unresponsive profs and bureaucracy, difficulty in enrolling in classes needed to graduate.

And of course the location and season don’t help–a harsh winter in a town that has its problems and is far from a major city.

My son was a Spring admit and I certainly understand that Spring admission is going to be a little different than Fall admission. We were advised that the Spring admits should move in on Thursday 1/22/15 after 9:00 am and to check in to their dorms. When we got to the school there was no one directing us,no signs, no one to greet us at all. My son had the name of his dorm so we went to the dorm and did not have any idea where to park or who to meet with. We saw one or two other confused families also not knowing what to do or where to go as Spring admits. My husband sat in the car in front with his flashers on while my son and I went up to the dorm. We came in the first set of doors and since we did not have a key card we could not get into the building. We saw through the glass some people in a room and banged on the door for a good 5 minutes before we got anyone’s attention. The person in the front office had no idea what to tell us to do. He gave my son 2 keys and a card to get in his room and said we could go to the room and bring my sons belongings in. I asked him if there was anywhere else we should be checking in and he said he did not know and to check down by the student union. We drove to the student union and when we went in we were asked if we were there for orientation. I said my son was a spring admit and asked if there was any where to check in for that and they said not that they know of. I then said “so I guess we are on our own”? and the reply was I guess so.

We went back to the dorm and my son and I went to the room. When we walked in the room I have never seen so much dust and dirt in my life. I understand for the Spring admits the rooms cannot start out clean at all because of the other roommate already living there, but what a horrible first impression of the dorm for a Spring admit. I went back to the front office and asked to borrow the vacuum they had sitting there. I vacuumed the floor and we brought my sons stuff into the room and set up. There was no one else in the building yet. Since this was Thursday I said to my son that there might not be anyone there until the weekend. There was nothing planned for the Spring admits to get together that night, no welcoming dinner, nothing. I just felt this was the most unwelcoming welcome for a new student.

My son’s roommate did not show up until Sunday so my son was alone in the room from Thursday until Sunday. No one else on his floor was there either and when they started coming back he realized he was in an all Sophomore dorm. When you are a Spring admit they put you anywhere they have a spot. My son has been trying to change his dorm since the first day but still has not been able to. When my son finally met his roommate it ended up he was an International student form India. My son is the most easy going person you could ever meet. He likes everyone and had no problem with having an international student as a roommate.The issue is that the student does not talk to him at all. He will say hello and goodbye but will make no other conversation with my son.

Don’t get me wrong, My son is very happy to be attending Binghamton and is very excited about his college experience.He has made some friends and is trying to stay positive about the dorming experience. He tries not to come back to his room because he finds it so depressing. Binghamton is a school run by the kids, not the faculty. Even the bus system is driven by the kids. Prior to my son attending we had attended two orientations. We were told prior to the first orientation that they would be registering for classes at the orientation only to be told at that orientation that registration would not be that day. When we got an email stating that there would be a date to register we asked if we could do it on line and were advised that we must come back to the school to register. So we had no choice but to make another trip to the school. At the first orientation one of the parents asked if this was the first year for Spring admits and the president of the school replied yes. It was not. From what I read on line it started the previous year.
I have another son that attends University at Buffalo. In the 4 years that he has been there I have never had a complaint… the school is double the size and is extremely organized.

Binghamton has such a wonderful reputation… I’m sure academically it lives up to that reputation. I have never been one to complain but I was just hoping my son would have a great first year experience at a top school like Binghamton. I am just wondering if anyone else who was a Spring admit has had any type of similar experience.

I read your recent post so went back to read your others. Wow I am sorry to hear about your experience. It is so important for schools to be straight forward and truthful.Feeling like you are not getting what you were told or feeling like you are not being welcomed is not the right way to begin college. I hope things have improved for your son.

Ey, but now Bing is going to be in a film! (The Rewrite, where a hollywood has-been writer has a one-semester gig teaching there; he tries to turn into “hit on the undergrads” until he starts being a bit more responsible with his job/taxpayers’ money. Note that when the main character is a jerk, Bing = backwater, but as he warms up, he starts being more appreciative.)

My daughter was a transfer, starting Spring 15. We had the exact same experience as “pha516.” She was supposed to move into the dorm on 1/19. No one was there to greet us. The dorms were completely empty. No way was I leaving her there alone…it reminded me of the Shining movie. No evening events were planned. The dining plan didn’t start until the end of the week. It didn’t seem like spaces were reserved in classes for these Spring students, and it was a free-for-all trying to find space in classes that would be of any interest to her. I expected better from Binghamton! Once all the returning students moved back into the dorm, things got much better. She’s happy as can be with her decision to transfer to Binghamton, but it was not a very welcoming beginning.

Are certain dorms reserved for spring admits?

At most universities, they just sort of stick Spring admits whereever openings have materialized, so far as I’m aware.

Binghamton could possibly be different temporarily, because they’re currently in the process of a dorm building boom. It would hypothetically be possible that a new dorm could be completed at the beginning a a particular Spring semester. I have no idea if that’s actually the case though.

A dorm building boon timed just right to coincide with a downturn in the number of NY high school students who could be headed to college. http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/12/12/college-enrollment-falls-for-second-year-in-a-row

Way to go Binghamton University! How many staff members will be needed to recruit students from Shanghai? No English necessary! Or shall we save NYers money and stop building dorms?

The new dorms are at least in part replacing older dorms that were built in the 50s and 60s. IIRC after the new ones are in service the older ones are being torn down.

My own alma mater, elsewhere, did the same thing,