My 2 Cents on SBU - must read for prospective students

Colleges and Universities A-Z Stony Brook University - SUNY
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<p>Itsher, you can’t go around saying what you said either. Baruch is a VERY strong Business school, but the SUNY schools as a WHOLE are stronger than the CUNY schools as a WHOLE. Saying Baruch is a better Business school than Stony is accurate, but doesn’t mean the school is above Stony. Harvard is #1 in the world, but not all of its departments fall in the top 20, or even top 30. But that doesn’t change the fact it’s one of the best (if not the best) higher education institution in the World.</p>

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<p>Hey guys, sorry for grave-digging this topic, but this is very important to me so I had to ask. SocialDeprived wrote on page 5 that even though he’s been in the country since he was 6 years old that he’s considered as an ESL student. Would this still be valid today? I migrated to the US when I was 6, have amazing grades and my SAT score is well over 2000. Just because I wasn’t born in the US would I still be placed in the ESL class? I’ll be a senior this fall so I’m just doing my research and I haven’t applied anywhere yet. Thanks a lot.</p>

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<p>Your English class level is based largely on your SAT scores; your place of birth shouldn’t come into the equation.</p>

<p>Chris</p>

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<p>I would like to add my 2 cents to this thread as well. I think this university is pathetic. I am aware though that it’s supposedly changing and different these past couple years. Irrelevant. I believe this university is fundamentally incapable of providing a collegiate experience that a research-level state university is presumed to provide. Here are some of my complaints:</p>

<p>First off, I cannot think of any reason to actually go to this institution out of desire. It is my belief that the most common reason people go to Stony Brook is out of need, not want. Either it’s the cheap(er) price, proximity to home, you are a commuter student(who are part of the problem), you are an international student(which for them this I guess is a good situation), or you cannot get into a better school. Studying math/physics/comp sci may be the sole reason for wanting to go to this school, but I am not even sure about that. </p>

<p>Second, the staff. University level administration may inherently be a pain in the ass, but the type of people at this university makes the misery all the more miserable. They, whoever they are, need to fire many people.</p>

<p>Third, the buildings. The buildings themselves are just ugly and bad. What is the Student Union? Is that a bomb shelter? Figure the bombs wouldn’t understand what they are bombing and pick another target. And the layout of the campus is bizarre as well. A lot of bizarre spatial arrangements where space is just wasted. And what about the Student Activities Center. One, it tricks you thinking you are going into this wide open place only to discover nothing of the sort; it’s in fact a renovated narrow building with “cleverly” added components. Two, why the hell does it even exist? The university has a student union to being with. Granted it is the worst building I have ever been in, but it does exist. I also love how for whatever odd reason, the middle of the campus is raised a level or two from the rest of the campus. I do not understand the logic in that design. Not only do you have to get up and walk 70 miles to the classrooms with your books, you also have to really want it. And, yes, I am aware new buildings have opened, which are nice, and the whole actual stony brook area is nice also. The campus is still a behemoth.</p>

<p>Fourth, the atrocious parking, the irresponsible housing situation, the horrible food, the campus turns into a ghost town on the weekends, and terrible student life infrastructure don’t help matters just the same. The weather also is no fun.</p>

<p>Fifth, that whole “diversity” was/is annoying.</p>

<p>Sixth, the absence of help and general advisement by anyone. I have heard this has changed though.</p>

<p>Lastly, the admissions process was pathetic, at least when I applied. Exactly like the OP said. It was as if no thought was put into it. Ya know, like the rest of the university.</p>

<p>Now, having said all that, I do actually believe this university can be solved. However, not at all by what has gone on. In other words, I believe the various problems that exist at Stony Brook exist at other universities across the country. The other SUNY schools I am sure get the same crap food and trouble with administrative needs. We all know, quite recently, the whole “diversity” thing isn’t just an issue at this school (i.e. UCLA). So if that is the case, that many imperfections of university life exists at other institutions, why then does this place have so many horror stories? I believe the reason this university is/has been so bad is because it is simply and unavoidably located in the wrong place. First rule of real estate…location, location, location. And it is because of that, that nobody wants to go to this school. Nobody seeking a genuine college experience could possibly want to go to where this place is located. It’s just illogical. So, because of it’s location it is permanently doomed and will never reach some greater level of stature. It is my feeling that if you were to take the same exact system that is Stony Brook and put it somewhere upstate, the entire experience would change. People will want to be there and the majority of them will literally be choosing to go there. It would require a literal separation from your home, both actual home and home area. And then you would make something of it (i.e. make it your own place). Once that happens, all the imperfections and administrative crap of college life becomes part of the experience, not thwarting the experience. </p>

<p>The ultimate solution to this university is actually to break it up. Serve the LI region with a regional state college and create another university level school somewhere else where the research and faculty can continue and smart students seeking that academic rigor will gain the other side of college, the experience. Of course, this is will never happen, but this is the solution. In place of that, just shut the university down, end the denial and misery.</p>

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<p>I am going to reply to the above comments piece by piece.</p>

<p>Second, the staff. University level administration may inherently be a pain in the ass, but the type of people at this university makes the misery all the more miserable. They, whoever they are, need to fire many people.</p>

<p>Clearly, you had a bad experience with someone or something at Stony Brook. Perhaps your approach to the issue was inappropriate or misguided.</p>

<p>**
Third, the buildings. The buildings themselves are just ugly and bad. What is the Student Union? Is that a bomb shelter? Figure the bombs wouldn’t understand what they are bombing and pick another target. And the layout of the campus is bizarre as well. A lot of bizarre spatial arrangements where space is just wasted. And what about the Student Activities Center. One, it tricks you thinking you are going into this wide open place only to discover nothing of the sort; it’s in fact a renovated narrow building with “cleverly” added components. Two, why the hell does it even exist? The university has a student union to being with. Granted it is the worst building I have ever been in, but it does exist. I also love how for whatever odd reason, the middle of the campus is raised a level or two from the rest of the campus. I do not understand the logic in that design. Not only do you have to get up and walk 70 miles to the classrooms with your books, you also have to really want it. And, yes, I am aware new buildings have opened, which are nice, and the whole actual stony brook area is nice also. The campus is still a behemoth.**</p>

<p>Student Union is being completely renovated starting this year. There is a fully developed and extensive transit system if you prefer not to walk from distant areas. Portions of the campus are raised to accommodate land contour, the numerous maintenance tunnels/areas underground and the fact that Long Island is prone to flooding.</p>

<p>**
Fourth, the atrocious parking, the irresponsible housing situation, the horrible food, the campus turns into a ghost town on the weekends, and terrible student life infrastructure don’t help matters just the same. The weather also is no fun.**</p>

<p>Never had any issues with any of these.</p>

<p>**
Fifth, that whole “diversity” was/is annoying.**</p>

<p>That’s how higher education is. Get used to it.</p>

<p>**
Sixth, the absence of help and general advisement by anyone. I have heard this has changed though.**</p>

<p>Absolutely changed.</p>

<p>So, because of it’s location it is permanently doomed and will never reach some greater level of stature.</p>

<p>Rising ranking and prestige state otherwise. Plus, in all honestly, the SUNY University Centers are being held back by the state fiscal issues. The empowerment act needs to be a passed.</p>

<p>Obviously your experience at Stony Brook (or lack thereof) has tainted your opinion of the University. I would encourage others to disregard this individual’s thoughts and visit the campus for yourself or talk to a more involved group of current students.</p>

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<p>I forgot to add one other comment. The need to offer explanation is only another symptom of how badly an institution is. That explanations are required opposed to the absence of complaints (or the absence of an abundance of complaints) in the first place shows a implicit difference between one place and another. I am sure there are people at this place that can have a pleasant experience. I stated clearly that for the person seeking an actual college experience, this is cannot be in your decision making process. Even if things have changed, you would still need to move the university and get rid of the whole commuter/local population. The university cannot engineer a society. That has to happen naturally from the bottom up.</p>

<p>Your explanations just cloud the honest, pure truth. Be honest, deal with realities, you may find much more success. Accept the truth and deal with them opposed to trying to cloud things. I know what I am talking about and this place is never the place for the genuine college experience. If that is not your objective and you are seeking a degree, a job, and a good education, go. Fine. People should just know what they are getting themselves into and this place does not have the basic potentials to rise above it’s limitations. So people researching real universities (i.e. non-commuter universities) should know not to compare this place to other real universities, even the other SUNY research centers. Academically, I believe Stony Brook has higher quality than Buffalo and Albany and is far and away the best place, even above Binghamton, when it comes to engineering, math, physics, comp sci. It still is not on par with the experience of college. The truth about this place is hard to decipher because of it’s sort of dual identity. On appearance, it is another top notched state research university, by the sheer fact that it mechanically is one. In reality, the intimate details that one experiences at the place show an institution that is pretty much a regional college serving a local population.</p>

<p>And there are no rising rankings. The most popular of rankings, US News, continually ranks it in the 90s. This has been throughout the 2000s where changes have occurred. What are you expecting now? If you are talking graduate rankings, that I would support is a different matter, but then we are not talking about the collegiate years of development. The areas of math and computer science and other sciences are well respected (as it should be) and many, many international students come to graduate school here. And why? The research!! That is in fact the only reason the university ranks in the top 100 in the first place…the credentials of the faculty and the research that is produced, which is great. I saw on the website the other day an honor was given to the chemistry department for the guy who invented the MRI. That is an amazing achievement. But any top state university should and does have such things. The problem with this institution is that it barely has anything else and is further doomed by limitations beyond people’s control, meaning the location. It is a fact that you move the location and you solve ever single problem. Anybody looking for years of personal development that comes with the 4 years of undergraduate education will not get it at this place. If you are a NY resident, studying science and have the finances that prevent you from going to a private university, even with some sort of loan financial aid, you need to go here but you are in a very unfortunate situation. For your personal life, you should not consider this place. Don’t listen to the distortions being told. I don’t deny they come from a good place. People who are trying to change the perception of this university are commended that they are trying. The problem is the place has it’s limitations and if you are associated with it and trying to change it, that it cannot become the type of state university on par with the top state universities is a painful truth to accept. </p>

<p>Lastly, to the campus itself, that you explain that the campus is raised to accommodate land contour or that Long Island is prone to flooding is only making my point. The university is in the wrong place! It is terribly designed (from what I understand, a guy who designed prisons, designed this place) and if the actual geography is further to blame for that in addition to bad campus planning it just shows how bad this place is. Do you not see that? I feel like there is the idea that people deny that the university is 4 foot nothing and barely talented at basketball, yet expects to play in the NBA if it just wants it hard enough. This is crazy talk. </p>

<p>And lastly, I understand there is a new recreation center or something like that being put up next to the student union. That to me is just another bonehead decision in the long line of bonehead decisions from this university. Why? Because if you are going to renovate the student union and make it some sort of mecca of student life while you also create another mecca of student activity right next to it, where the hell else are you going to want to go on campus? You are going to have an overflow of traffic in that area. It is too concentrated. Then the football stadium is right there as well as the basketball arena. Where? Where else would you go on campus? Especially since there is no college town outside the place on any level. The distribution is just not right. More bonehead decision making. </p>

<p>I’m not trying to be cruel, I am just trying to honor the truth. I want to be wrong. That the truth is painful is not my fault. That responsibility probably belongs to the people who thought of this place to begin with.</p>

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<p>Also, as far as the problems caused by the state government. One, I do not believe the “empowerment act” will do anything. Two, it is a problem and is another reason not to acknowledge this school in your decision making process.</p>

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<p>A good thread for those considering this school or any school to read. Many of the situations described exist in many schools. When you go to a large university with grad students teaching, it is not the same as the professors at a LAC. If that is important to you, do not go to a university with a lot of grad students. If an active on campus life is important, make sure the school is not a suitcase or commuter school and that there is a lot of housing on campus. Schools where kids primarily live off campus don’t tend to have as much happening on campus especially on weekends. A large population coming from the immediate area, commuter or not is also an indicator that kids go home a lot and many of them already know each other.</p>

<p>I know someone with a son at SB who is enjoying his freshman experience immensely. My son’ s good friend went there and liked it as well. So there are kids who do like the school. My son went to SUNY Buffalo, and there are similarities, but the school was large enough and there was enough of a student enclave that he was able to enjoy his 4 years there, though he would be the first to say that other schools might have had a tighter campus with more things to do.</p>

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<p>Binghamton the place to gooo!!</p>

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<p>DJStony (or any other SBU rep): Please answer this question for me.</p>

<p>Why does SBU accept so many freshmen in their admission process? By doing that, you force all incoming freshmen into dorming in a triple (THREE students forced to live in a room designed for TWO. But suddenly, when they become a sophomore, they get the normal 1 roommate situation. Why is that? Let’s say all of the incoming freshmen you accepted do decide to stay. Will you have room for them? </p>

<p>To answer my own question, I think this is a clever yet stupid way to increase revenues. The SBU admissions staff know that their retention rates are mediocre so they take in more students than they can actually house for their freshmen year. This does two things; 1. it puts people off because a triple is poorly designed (refer to my original post for why) and 2. it makes people not want to stay for another year. So what happens? Let’s say SBU can actually hold 5000 freshmen, but they take in 7500 and force them all into triples. SBU gets to profits from the extra 2500 people they take in, knowing that next year they will leave the school.</p>

<p>So you fear that people won’t stay after their freshmen year, so you accept more than you can actually can, hoping that x number of them actually stay in the school. This is also why so many people complain about not being able to get into the classes they NEED to graduate on time, its ridiculous.</p>

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<p>I think I need to add this disclaimer:</p>

<p>The only connection with SBU I have is being an alumnus. I am not a representative of the University. The statements I make are my own.</p>

<p>The ONLY official representative here is ‘sbuadmissions’.</p>

<p>I have observed over the years that tripling during freshman year is common among many Universities. The full-time retention rate at Stony Brook is 87%. Not bad if you ask me.</p>

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<p>Regarding the acceptance rate of Stony Brook:</p>

<p>It is better for the school and the students alike is Stony Brook overbooks its housing for freshmen. The fact of the matter is, many people with amazing grades will apply to Stony Brook. Colleges like that kind of academia and they WILL accept them. However, it is also a fact that many of these students will decide to go to other places such as Ivy Leagues or other big name schools. My guess is that Stony Brook accepts a lot of these people because they know that they might go someplace else.</p>

<p>Now think of it the other way. If Stony Brook only accepted the best of the best (because let’s face it, these types of people are hard to say no to), and none of them decided to come. Here are the disadvantages:</p>

<p>Waitlisted people would have probably decided to go to another college by now.
Those who didn’t get accepted that WOULD have gotten accepted BEFORE would not be able to go.
The school loses money.
The students who COULD have gone lose the opportunity.</p>

<p>Most of their acceptances come from people of great quality.
The day that they all GO to Stony Brook will be decades after the day that they all DONT go to Stony Brook.</p>

<p>Now if you ask me, an extra roommate isn’t that bad, and you know what? I enjoy the company.</p>

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<p>well said lol</p>

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<p>Jeez theres so much hatred on this thread lol
If you didn’t like the school/don’t like it no one asked you to apply/attend and no one is stopping you from transferring.</p>

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<p>Lachrymose, I would just like to add, that is my point. There is SO MUCH hatred for this university. That is really bad. People become severely disappointed when they come to this school, people meaning the type of population I described my criticism is beneficial for. If I recall, around the end of the 1990s, the institution was on the verge of losing its accreditation from the organization that accredits undergraduate degrees. I also believe the reason was that it was just so poorly run as an educational institution they couldn’t possibly justify maintaining accredited status. The school, and President Kenny, did improve the school, yes, but to improve it from that dangerous status is sad. Before President Kenny, the presidents beforehand were all hardcore scientists which I believe ran the place to nourish the scientific research, not students. So, in fact, not only do you have the confusion about what type of academic institution it is (a regional state school or top ranked state research university), you also have this other enclave that is all about scientific research that does not care about students. Anyone from the university has to know what I am talking about.</p>

<p>And I agree no one asked me to apply or attend. I made a huge mistake. Absolutely. I joined this place to help others not make the same mistake. You know, many have said, at this university, nothing will be handed to you, opportunities await you, etc. That is another dishonest explanation. I don’t think people should be fed things like they are royalty. The complete absence of services or accessibility by a place to the point that you are totally on your own is an entirely other matter that is a wholly owned problem of the service provider, not the consumer. Anyone wanting more help, please PM me. Disappointment and possibly depression await many at this institution…</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/20/health/20campus.html[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/20/health/20campus.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>I understand your points and I’m sorry I came off belligerent in my last post.
SBU wasn’t my top choice but the value that the university provides academically (with scholarships, finaid) was too great of an offer to pass up in my situation and in many any other cases. That being said I know of a lot of happy people at SBU but most of them had similar complaints about administration etc but they said the same thing reiterated in this thread, your college experience is what you make of it. But again, it seems to be a very financially viable option for a lot of students especially in this economy. SBU may be far from perfect but people still seek to enroll there so they must be doing something right…</p>

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<p>I completely support you. All I want is for you or whoever to make an informed decision. Know you will not experience the type of life you would if you went to another, any other, state university of stature. Any of the other SUNY university centers included. </p>

<p>As far as the staff and administration at this place, they are not doing anything right. It is the law of numbers. New York City has a population of 8 million, LI a couple mil, NYS 15 mil or so. That’s all. I promise you.</p>

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<p>seriously, all these negative comments…
if you dont like sbu, then transfer out! no one no one stops you.</p>

<p>for some of sbu problems, it is understandable. i am from public high school, one of the top high schools in nyc. the teachers are horrible. the admin is unpopular. if you choose public schools, you will have these problems. therefore, u have to be active in finding opportunities. i dont think the quality of teaching will ultimately determine ur success. with the horrible quality of teaching at my school, there are still many ppl going to great colleges. dont go to a school because a few say horrible things about that school. every school has unhappy students. and if u dont like, u can always transfer out.</p>

<p>and too many asians in sbu? if they were not asians, they would get into better schools. the top private schools have the most racist admission policy in the country. only public schools dont consider race that much.</p>

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<p>Hold up hold up hold up,
I want an answer to my question :slight_smile:
So are you saying that they just look at your gpa & SAT score? Or our transcript and SAT score</p>

<p>And don’t look at the clubs and Ecs and things you’ve been doing over the years?</p>

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<p>@realisticapp Why do I feel like you’re referring to Bronx Science? :P</p>