New Paltz vs. Geneseo

Colleges and Universities A-Z SUNY - General
1

<p>Want some honest opinions here, please.</p>

<p>Is Geneseo really that much better than New Paltz?</p>

<p>My S has been accepted by NP and been told by the coach at Geneseo that he's in. He's been hosted for an overnight at NP and will see Geneseo for the first time for an overnight in a few weeks. Loved NP but is in love with the idea of going to Geneseo because of its reputation. Wants to commit to Geneseo if the visit goes as he expects it will. Great school, great price, I know; so what's the problem, right?</p>

<p>Personally, I'd rather see him at NP based on location and the fact that I know he will be able to juggle athletics and academics at NP. But, I, too, hear the reactions when I tell people he's even considering NP over G. </p>

<p>OF COURSE, it's his decision. Just would like to hear others' thoughts.</p>

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<p>My son is at New Paltz and he just loves the location. Being 1 1/2 hours from NYC is a big plus as he has taken advantage of free trips to the city that were tied to his major. The town is a fun and funky college town that is within walking distance to the campus. Poughkeepsie is a 20 minute car ride away and he goes there regularly for the malls, shopping and restaurants. Although Geneseo has the academic reputation, the remote location is a common complaint. I have heard there is not much to do in the area and that students become bored very quickly. I guess it depends on what your son is looking for. I imagine the visits will help with his decision.</p>

3

<p>I’m currently a student at New Paltz, so feel free to ask any questions. </p>

<p>Geneseo may have a better reputation than New Paltz, but the academics here can be challenging and engaging too. As for the immediate surroundings, I personally prefer New Paltz. I’ve visited Geneseo before and while the town is cute, it’s very small. Rochester is the largest city close by, but it’s 45 minutes away by car. New Paltz isn’t large per se but the community is thriving. There’s quite a few restaurants and small shops along Main street when the campus becomes too boring.</p>

4

<p>Wait and see how the visit to Geneseo goes. There’s a very good chance that he will change his mind once he visits. I suggest letting this play out on it’s own. Geneseo was in the top 3 when our youngest son was searching for colleges. During his visit, it dropped off his list.
He did not like the location. He didn’t like the feel of the campus. The main building where many of the lectures are held is a converted elementary school. It looked eerily similar to his old elementary school. It sits right behind the Main St. and the Main St. sure didn’t seem to provide anything interesting. </p>

<p>Visit Geneseo ASAP. Let him experience the long and boring road trip to get there. Let him experience the small Main St. Remind him to envision it covered in snow for a good part of the academic year. Maybe he’ll love the smallness of the area. Or, maybe he’ll realize that it’s not what he thought it would be like.</p>

<p>My intention is not to portray Geneseo in a bad light. It’s a great school. However, it’s important for kids to actually visit the school and see the campus and surrounding area rather than to base their decision of the pictures they see on the website or the blips written in college ranking magazines. There is definitely much more to consider than where the college falls on a publicized ranking list.</p>

5

<p>All good responses. Thanks. I am looking forward to seeing how it plays out, especially that long and boring road trip. It’s hard to get everyone away from that college-ranking mindset. I’m starting to feel like I’m one of the few parents who isn’t caught up in having the right sticker on the car.</p>

<p>Anyone else? How about someone from Geneseo weighing in?</p>

6

<p>There is a difference between being a popular school and being an academically superior school. When you look at GPA’s, SAT’s, and the quality of the student body Geneseo is the clear choice…but may not necessarily be the right school for you. One of the most important parts in choosing between the two schools is fit. Which school is right for you? Which school will allow you to be your best. We don’t have much to go on here in order to advise you. New Paltz is fine school as are many other SUNY’s. Either school is good, but Geneseo, in my opinion, is the better choice from an academic viewpoint.</p>

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<p>What does he want to do after college? If he wants to go to med/law/grad school, his As at Geneseo will help him more…</p>

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<p>My daughter is hoping to get into Geneseo. It is interesting the comments that are always made about Geneseo’s location. My daughter loves Geneseo and adores the campus and the town. It is true that Geneseo is 45 minutes from Rochester but from what we hear students do drive to Rochester when they feel the need to. But there are several activities and things to do on the Geneseo campus that I think this really isn’t much of an issue. I am sending my daughter to college to take advantage of every opportunity and experience that college has to offer…in my opinion Geneseo has much to offer. </p>

<p>Also, students who love outdoor recreation will feel right at home at Geneseo. There is so much of it right around Geneseo. Letchworth State Park is just beautiful!</p>

<p>NP is a fine school but Geneseo academically is much more challenging and I feel will better prepare my daughter for graduate school. </p>

<p>I am glad my daughter feels that Geneseo is right for her. </p>

<p>Every experience we have had with Geneseo so far has been top rate and on par with the privates! I am sold! I just hope she gets in!</p>

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<p>Why choose Geneseo?</p>

<p>1) Geneseo delivers on what it promises which is providing a top rate affordable undergraduate education. </p>

<p>The academics are truly excellent. The Sciences, Speech Pathology, the Business Program, Education, the Social Sciences are all strong programs. The coursework is challenging but in a good way. I had Professors that taught at Geneseo and other local colleges and told us that they challenged us more because they knew they could. The Professors are approachable and want you to succeed. Will you study at Geneseo? Most definitely!!!</p>

<p>2) There is an insatiable sense of campus pride. It is catching! Geneseo students know that they are at a top rate public college and are proud of it as well as they should be. Geneseo students compete just as well as many of the top privates in national competitions the Federal Reserve Challenge is just one example. </p>

<p>3) Plan to attend graduate school? Over 40% of students attend graduate school. Geneseo students are well prepared for graduate school. This school places allot of emphasis on developing well rounded students with strong writing and critical thinking skills. </p>

<p>4) Geneseo has created a state-of –the-art Student Affairs program that has been nationally recognized as a best practice in American Higher Education. So having things to do on campus is a priority here. </p>

<p>5) Gold Student Leadership Development Program – Geneseo’s innovative program is available to students to help prepare them for leadership roles and responsibilities in service to the college and the global community. Students get involved in personal development programs, institutes, leadership certificates, service learning, and volunteer work. </p>

<p>6) Geneseo is committed to Community Service. The college was once again named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor roll. The award recognizes colleges and universities for their impact on issues from poverty and homelessness to environmental justice. Geneseo has been on the honor roll every year since the recognition was launched in 2006.</p>

<p>7) The campus is one of the best out of the SUNY system. It is a mix of old and new buildings which maintains the history and charm of the campus. The views are beautiful especially from the gazebo overlooking the valley. I always enjoyed the small town feel of Geneseo and how involved and connected the college was with the local community. I also took advantage of the skiing opportunities in the winter, biking, camping and hiking through Letchworth State Park (The Grand Canyon of the East, they say), trips to Rochester if I wanted to get out of town, and of course visiting friends at other colleges. I always enjoyed my trip back home to Geneseo. I am a Long Islander, so I did the long haul to Geneseo but actually began to enjoy the trip when accompanied with friends. Some of my best memories were those road trips back to SUNY G! </p>

<p>8) SUNY Geneseo’s Athletic Programs reflect the same level of excellence as its academics. The intercollegiate athletics program is comprised of 20 teams. The Hockey and Basketball games are probably the most popular. 2008-2009 season Geneseo finished second in the Commissioner’s Cup standings for overall sports performance in the SUNYAC conference. Within the SUNY Athletic Conference, Geneseo has earned 43 out of 134 Chancellor’s Scholarship Athlete Awards since 2003 (Nearly 1/3 of all awards). Geneseo has less than 10 percent of the total undergraduate enrollment of SUNYAC colleges. This level of academic performance is pretty amazing. For the recreational athlete, the college provides 23 intramural leagues and an all-weather outdoor track which was a recent improvement. </p>

<p>9) As for the Rankings US News, Princeton Review, Fiske, Kiplinger, did I miss one? All they do is reaffirm what we already know about Geneseo. The school is consistently recognized for its focus on undergraduate education and providing value for the dollar. That definitely is worth recognizing and Geneseo deserves all of the honors and accolades it receives. It once was a hidden gem now it is just a gem!</p>

<p>10) As a successful hospital administrator I can tell you that I owe a lot of my success to Geneseo. I breezed through graduate school because of the skills and learning opportunities made available to me at Geneseo. I still stay very connected to Geneseo because I see the value of a Geneseo education. Students who work hard in high school should be able to receive a quality, well rounded college education and experience at an affordable price. This is what Geneseo promises and delivers. </p>

<p>Because of all of the budget cuts across SUNY Geneseo is actually reducing its enrollment for the incoming class of 2014 by 75 in order to maintain quality. Even though the college will lose tuition revenue they do not want to jeopardize the level of academic excellence. That to me demonstrates this college’s commitment to its students and what they promise.</p>

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<p>Thank you everyone, especially Geneseograd for the time you took to share your experiences. Your post is proof-positive of the quality of a Geneseo education.</p>

<p>I can’t state enough that I know it is his decision, but now I can feel confident that no matter which school <em>he</em> sees as the best fit, I can share in his excitement.</p>

<p>Thanks again!</p>

11

Can I ask what your son decided to do, and which school he attended? My daughter is facing a similar dilemma. I would love her closer at NP, but her dad thinks Geneseo is stronger academically with a better reputation (she also was accepted to Binghamton, so that throws another wrench in the works!)

12

@AnxiousMomof2 OP probably won’t respond since this is six years old but I can offer some help because I went to Binghamton, my brother went to New Paltz, and I was strongly considering Geneseo. I don’t think Geneseo’s academic strength is miles ahead of Binghamton or NP. No one is going to not hire her because she went to one of the three over the other.

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Thank you rebeccar. Were you happy with your choice of attending Binghamton?

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SUPER happy. I loved it there. I went to UPenn for grad school and actually missed Binghamton the entire time! It has a great community, academics, opportunities… it also had a very good reputation in New York. All of my friends are happily employed.