Information on Elmira College and reccomendations

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Does anyone know anything about Elmira? Are the students there happy, do they find decent jobs, how selective is it? What is campus life like? We did not find it in the college guides we have.</p>

<p>My daughter is looking for a small school (I think) but one that has some life to it! Not an Ivy. More like a SUNY school. We live in northern westchester county, NY</p>

<p>A school within 1 or 3 hours from home would be ideal.</p>

<p>she has good ECs, about a 3.2 gpa and a bit above avg. on SATs (which she is retaking soon)</p>

2

<p>Hi daisy- L I Mom here. My d is just starting soph year at SUNY Cortland-
Can't tell you much about Elmira-
but there is a pretty good site- <a href="http://www.collegesofdistinction.com%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.collegesofdistinction.com&lt;/a>
They list a number of NY schools, that may fit the bill including Marist, Ithaca, Hartwick, Iona and a host of others but Elmira is not on their list.</p>

<p>I visited ALOT of the Suny's over the past few years as both my girls are now in college, so if you want some info re:SUNY's just holla.</p>

3

<p>marny1,
Thanks for your post. I am holla-ing! We saw Stony Brook and Binghamton. My d liked Bing. not SB so much. I would like to hear whatever you have to say about SUNYs.
Looking forward to your reply.
thanks!</p>

4

<p>ya got me right before we're starting our venture back to Cortland tomorrow-so we can start our "conversation" but we may need to continue next week when we get back-
my d was a pretty average + HS student- about 89 average--lousy SAT's- 960 (?) but better on ACT as she got 23 which is equivalent to around 1060.
She applied to UB, Albany and a bunch of the colleges (Cortland,Oneonta, Brockport, Buff State) and Delhi as an absolute safety.
I was a bit surprised but very happy as she got into all the SUNY's. Everyone felt she had a shot at some 4 year SUNY's- but kids with her stats have often been rejected from schools like Oneonta and Cortland let alone UB.
D is a sports management major, so it was logical for her to choose Cortland.</p>

<p>It seems that some of the 4 year college have a "strong program" in a particular area of study like Purchase for performing arts-- Crane School of music at Plattsburg (?)and Oneonta has a music production major. So if you have a particular interest, you may find that one of the SUNY's is a better match for you. The Suny viewbook (and website) is a pretty good place to start as it gives a bit of info about each campus and the "popular majors" for each school.
I read some of your earlier posts - I think you said your d may be interested in Nursing? Buffalo, Stony Brook and I think Brockport have nursing programs.<br>
I was most surprised that my d got into Buffalo, as I really didn't think her stats would get her in-- but she did apply as an Exercise and Sport Science major (or something like that) so that might have helped her in admissions. I think nursing at Buffalo is pretty competitive.</p>

<p>My d really likes Cortland. It's great for phys. ed, sport management, teaching, and it has solid programs in many different areas.<br>
I was more impressed with the SUNY college campuses than I thought I would be
Cortland, Oneonta-New Paltz- Brockport were all really nice, pleasant college communities. </p>

<p>if you want- feel free to PM me next week- I really got to get ready for our trip upstate. My d is finished packing- but I'm not.
Good luck</p>

5

<p>thanks again. Good luck to your daughter in school. And to you - in getting packed on time!</p>

6

<p>Dear Daisy1,</p>

<p>As a semi-recent alumnus I think that I can give you an accurate assessment of the school. Elmira is small, about 1400 students, and everyone is very friendly. The classes are small as well, with most classes under 20 students, and none over 50. Your daughter will know her professors personally, and it will be noticed if she's not in class. Despite the school's small size, it boasts one of the most beautiful campuses in NY and excellent facilities (labs/dorms/gym/pool/etc.). The student body consists mostly of students from Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states, and isn't as diverse as many bigger schools and a lot of SUNY's. Academically, EC is rigorous offering more than 35 majors, Business and education being the most popular. All students live on campus, which creates a feeling of community that you won’t find at other schools where many students choose to find off-campus apartments. </p>

<p>The school has about a 60% acceptance rate with that average high school GPA of 3.5 and a good range of SAT's. It sounds like your daughter would fit academically. </p>

<p>An important factor for many parents and students, and rightly so is the cost. Elmira is on par with other private colleges at about $41000, but don't let that price fool you, EC has one of the most generous financial aid programs of any of the colleges that I looked at. I don't know the specifics, but you can find them easily on a web site like Peterson's college guide. </p>

<p>Another important factor to consider is what happens to students after they graduate. I was an English lit. major and have been working as a public relations professional since graduating. I will be completing my master's degree in journalism this year. My wife, also an EC alum, is finishing her master's degree in counseling psychology and will soon be working as a guidance counselor. Our friends all went on to great jobs and excellent graduate programs and have spread out across the country. </p>

<p>I’m sorry if my review is a little too glowing, but I know first-hand what an excellent school Elmira is. I would suggest taking a look at it. The other school’s that I considered, that have a similar profile are: Hobart and William Smith, Hartwick, St. Lawrence Univ., and Skidmore, and Ithaca. </p>

<p>Good luck and feel free to ask me any specific questions, I would be happy to answer.</p>

7

<p>Hi -Just a quickie-- </p>

<p>did you look at Wells College ? near Ithaca and Syracuse. It just went
co-ed last year. D # 1 is at Cornell and did her study abroad through Wells, so I have been on the website recently. I believe the tuition is somewhat reasonable and may be a school to check out.
One of my co-workers graduated Wells 20 + years ago, I know whe stays involved with her college even today!</p>

8

<p>i know someone who chose elmira over several 'name' schools. she LOVED it. beautiful campus, very friendly warm student body.</p>

9

<p>Thank you all! We are going to see Elmira on 9/15. We will have a tour and D. will have an interview. eclaum, can you give me some information about the interview? What should she expect to be asked? How was dorm life?
It is great to hear such good things about this school!</p>

10

<p>daisy1,</p>

<p>An interview and a tour are great ideas for any of the schools your daughter is considering. If, after the tour/interview, she decides that EC is a good fit, may I also recommend doing an overnight visit. The admissions office will pair your daughter up with a student and she will be able to get a better idea of dorm life and ask more specific questions, and sit in on some classes. Choosing a college is a big decision, so it's best to have as much information as possible. </p>

<p>As for the interview itself, I suspect that they'll ask your daughter about her interests, her high school experience, etc. </p>

<p>My experience with dorm life was good. There are many housing options for students since they are not allowed to move off campus. Freshmen are all placed in freshman dorms: Anderson/Alumni (co-ed by floor) and Columbia (all female). Sophomore-Senior year students may choose from a variety of options including single/double rooms, suite-style rooms, and college-owned cottages and houses. Additionally, the college is building a new dorm, beginning this spring, for upper classmen which will include private bathrooms and central air conditioning. The web site (<a href="http://www.elmira.edu%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.elmira.edu&lt;/a&gt;) is an excellent source of information. </p>

<p>Very best wishes to you and your daughter wherever she decides to go.</p>

11

<p>One more thing. During the interview they will probably ask her how she herd about Elmira, what other schools she is looking at, about her family, what she wants to major in and why, what her SAT/ACT scores are, what classes she is taking this year, and what clubs, or sports or other things she does outside of school. Other things might be "if a friend was to describe you what would they say", what are strengths and weaknesses, where does she see herself in 10 years and any questions she might have.</p>

12

<p>This will be her first interview and it is helpful to have a preview of what they might ask. Thanks for the information!</p>