Narrowed it down....SUNY Buffalo vs. SUNY Binghamton

College Search & Selection
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<p>Finally narrowed down my choices from 9 acceptances. Private schools were eliminated (U of R, Syracuse, Nazareth, and Wells.) Would rather save $ for med school. Decided SUNY Albany, Oswego, and Stony Brook weren't wise choices.</p>

<p>Buffalo vs. Binghamton............base answers on:
-Pre-Med/Biology major
-Atmosphere/campus life
-Location
-Which will look better when applying for med school
-Which school has better social life....parties
Really just looking for a solid pre-med program and an interesting campus life.</p>

<p>Thanks so much, I really appreciate the help!</p>

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<p>buf for parties and social life, bing for academics</p>

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<p>“buf for parties and social life, bing for academics…”
Isn’t one of them an all-around better choice?</p>

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<p>anybody…?</p>

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<p>Would you be in the Honors program at UB?</p>

<p>I would ordinarily lean towards Bing (and I am from Buffalo) but the thing is that Binghamton is currently in turmoil given everything that happened with the basketball team last year. Buffalo has been making a lot of strides recently, and you have the added benefit of being close to the medical school. More opportunities to do research, etc.</p>

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<p>Just curious, why wouldn’t Albany have been a wise choice? Is that a personal thing?</p>

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<p>Ya Buffalo does have a better location than Binghamton in my opinion. As far as Albany goes I eliminated them mostly because of their somewhat lax academics and party school reputation. I mean I’m all up for a little fun but if it’s so distracting that it’s going to hurt my academics (like it sounds like Albany is,) than I’m not willing to take that risk. </p>

<p>Anybody else…all feedback is greatly appreciated, I’m really having a tough time making this decision : )</p>

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<p>and no, I wouldn’t be in the honors program at UB…</p>

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<p>Scicero,</p>

<p>Like you, my daughter eliminated top tier private schools due to cost, and will decide from three choices: Geneseo, Binghamton, and SUNY Buffalo.</p>

<p>Especially given your field of interest, I’d go with SUNY Buffalo, hands down. The opportunities there are diverse, broad, and have depth. It is the largest and most comprehensive of the university centers, and as such, there are great opportunities on so many fronts… everything from research, to majors, to campus life and activities, to campus employment, etc.</p>

<p>Binghamton is a sweet and picturesque area, but is not near, nor a part of, an urban center that offers lots to do, and doesn’t offer a lot of opportunities for internships. </p>

<p>UB can be a fun party school if that is what you want to make it. There are many who party, but also many who are serious about their studies, and given the size of the campus and student body, there will always be like-minded students for you to associate with, whether you are highly studious, or go for a balance. Most students work hard, but still find time/make time to enjoy life.</p>

<p>Should your academic area of interest change, it is easy to change majors in a comprehensive school, without having to relocate. A smaller school does not offer as many options. Likewise, graduate opportunities abound for the same reason.</p>

<p>Beyond the campuses, the Buffalo area offers good diversity for hanging out and having fun. There are funky “strip” areas in the city itself, which are super popular with college kids, and there are a lot of college kids, as there are a bunch of other colleges in the area.</p>

<p>If you will have a car, the area surrounding the city has a lot to offer as well. 20 to 30 minutes in almost any direction will deliver you to great lakes, beaches, parks, ski hills, interesting attractions etc. Nice additions to the quality of life/college experience.</p>

<p>Also google UB2020 to see the master plan of where the university is headed growth-wise, both overall and with the medical sciences in particular. This growth initiative is already underway.</p>

<p>I’ve looked closely at the different SUNY alternatives mentioned above and hope D chooses UB, as I think it offers her the best opportunities overall.</p>

<p>Good luck with your decision!</p>

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<p>Thanks so much for your response SpeaksTheTruth, it really gives me a better perspective on Buffalo…and matches up with what I’ve seen (visited Binghamton again yesterday, is definately more isolated.)</p>

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<p>Son also chose a SUNY over all the OOS publics and the privates he was accepted to.
He loved Bing and UB the best anyway so economically it worked out.</p>

<p>Ultimately he chose to attend Buffalo as he is an engineering major and Binghamton does not have a good engineering dept and we were told, not a great math dept. Buffalo seems to be better for the sciences and has so many undergrad and post grad majors… Pharmacy (I think), 5 year OT, Speech and Audiology, and Nursing and medical/dental/law schools. </p>

<p>I think Buffalo will be your wiser choice and you will be friends with the other, many, science majors.</p>

<p>Good luck to you.</p>

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<p>Sounds like there is definately more support for Buffalo, and I did like their campus/location a lot better. But doesn’t Binghamton have a better reputation (top ranked SUNY school overall.) Just wondering if that would have any impact on my acceptance into med school or if Buffalo’s well-known science department would make up for that factor. Also worried that I would be just a number at Buffalo, it’s by far the largest SUNY / :</p>

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<p>My DD is also currently close to accepting U Buffalo admission for engineering over Bing & OOS Publics & privates. We visited 2 weeks ago and although a large campus it did not feel bigger to me than Bing. Bing is slightly better stats wise overall for academics(although not engineering) but if you excel at Buffalo I can’t see it hindering you in anyway re: med school. Also it is a significant research university and if you avail yourself of the opportunities there you should be a strong med school applicant. I do think Buffalo overall has more to offer location and socially speaking. I was more impressed with Buffalo than I expected to be. Although it was the last place I thought my DD would end up when she began the application process (I made her apply to it as a financial safety as the only SUNY with engineering & she wouldn’t apply to any schools on LI leaving out Stony Brook), I have come around to appreciating this undervalued school.</p>

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<p>Scicero,</p>

<p>It’s natural for you to be concerned about size given the enrollment numbers at SUNY Buffalo, but I would only let it concern you if you have a high need for a small, intimate school overall. </p>

<p>It is the size of the school that is actually one of its strengths. While some of your freshman core (lecture hall) classes may be quite large, (such as PSY 101), you will only find this in a few instances, and the remainder will be very manageable in size. Professors are accessible and helpful; classes are no bigger than what you have experienced in high school, and in certain electives or in your major, may be far smaller. Many students describe that the courses in their major field of study are like experiencing a small school (low faculty student ratio, close relationships with professors, friendships with classmates) wrapped inside of a very large university–with all of the benefits that large size provides–huge library resources, a wealth of course selections, a diverse student body, and the general vitality and numerous social and extracurricular offerings that a critical mass provides. So it is kind of the best of both worlds.</p>

<p>If med school is your goal, the university does have a guaranteed admission option that you could look into (to the UB School of Medicine). So if you end up liking it there, that’s definitely an option with a possible admissions advantage. But the med school is extremely competitive in terms of admissions, and will only become more so with the university’s future development initiatives, the investment in the downtown campus for the med school, and the university’s alliances with professional organizations in the fields of cancer research, bioinformatics, vascular research, etc.</p>

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<p>I know Buffalo’s way more diverse but what are the major student populations/types of students at each school…anybody know an answer to this one. It seemed like a lot of the kids at Binghamton were more “nerdy” and mostly white, but in Buffalo it seemed like there were a lot more foreign kids and kids from the “ghetto.” I know this sounds really weird, but I’m really just wondering if you could describe/label the typical student at each school. </p>

<p>-Only 2 weeks until the May 1st deadline…wish I could just decide : ( All feedback helps immensely!!</p>

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<p>any comments?</p>

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<p>It’s funny how the thread dies just at the point where things might get politically incorrect.</p>

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<p>Perhaps because some of the posters didn’t have kids there right now? I do…lots of internationals at UB, mainly Asians, and yes, they tend to stick together and speak their own languages. Idk about “ghetto” kids - my small-town D had no complaints about anything other than some ethnic foods with strong and, to her senses, unpleasant odors emanating from a few of the rooms in her dorm (and, btw, no cooking is allowed in the rooms so perhaps the RA’s take care of that situation). There certainly aren’t gangs or anything of that sort! Maybe the OP had heard stories about the area near South Campus? That is kind of sketchy, but no reason to go down there for most kids and common sense about walking around alone is always required on any campus/city.</p>

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<p>University at Buffalo outranks binghamton by 10 folds. UB has a medical school and way more science majors and students. Binghamton doesnt offer much research and its not that great for science</p>

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<p>I’m pretty sure he has decided by now considering the deadline is passed.</p>

<p>Actually he chose Buffalo</p>