Hello! I am looking into NYIT, Hofstra University, SUNY Cortland, Binghamton, and Stony Brook. I have heard good reviews about the SUNYs, however, not so great reviews about NYIT and Hofstra. I was wondering what the users on here thought about those two schools in particular?
Thank you!
I was accepted to Hofstra with a scholarship last year. They’re an okay school academically, I’d give them between 3 and 3.5 stars. But they are lacking in other areas. The campus looks nice, but the only place to go to do anything is NYC. The area immediately surrounding campus was the worst of anywhere I applied. Very dangerous and crime-ridden; sketchy at best. It’s also a private school on Long Island. The people there tend to be very snobby, full of themselves, cliquey, two-faced, etc. The students there also aren’t very intelligent. I personally felt that while I deserved more $ from them, it wouldn’t have really made a difference as I wouldn’t have gone there regardless. I wasn’t incredibly excited about the school at all, and I just felt that I wouldn’t have been at all happy (or safe) there. Overall, 3 stars out of 5.
As for NYIT, I have a family friend who commutes to that campus. I don’t know a whole lot about it except that I haven’t seen the most flattering reviews of it on RMP or Niche. From what I’ve heard and read, I’d give it 2.5 stars academically and otherwise.
If you get into either of the SUNYs on your list, then Hofstra and NYIT become irrelevant.
PM me with anymore questions. 
What are you looking for in a college? Are you just interested in one that gives you a degree in 4 years with a low or reasonable cost or are there other aspects of it that are important?This is by no means a trivial question. Do you want a place students are challenged to think; do you want a place that is fairly tradition and uses the teaching approaches you are most familiar with (2 tests, one paper, quizzes) or radically different (taking one course only each semester), and on and on. What are you seeking?
@LBad96 Thank you so much for your post, I will definitely PM you!
@lostaccount I’m interested in a college that gives my a degree in 4 years with a relatively low cost, I’m okay with either being challenged or sticking to tradition. I would like to go to a college that not only has a good atmosphere on campus, but one off as well. I love the city-life, which is why I was sticking to New York, my main concern is the financials.
@collegeseeker79, With a 1650 (1150/1600) SAT, 3.6 GPA, and low income parents, your best bet is to find a school in your home state of Nevada. Commuting is a great option for many students. If your stats aren’t high enough to get into the closest 4-year school, you may have to commute to a cc first.
You said in Sept. that your parents aren’t currently working; if that’s still the case, I think you need to focus your energies on your home state.
@austinmshauri My GPA is 3.8, not 3.6, and I am in a cc right now and will earn my associate’s degree by the beginning of June 2016.
That’s great, @collegeseeker79. Are you a transfer student? I thought you were still in high school. How much can your family afford to pay for school?
@austinmshauri I am still in high school, it’s just that I go to a community college high school so if we work hard enough, we can earn our Associate’s Degree by the summer. My family can pay for a little more than half of the tuition, depending on where I apply.
@collegeseeker79, NYS schools cost $30k for OOS students and you wouldn’t get any aid from them. If your parents don’t earn much (less than $50k, I think), you may qualify for up to $5k/year in federal Pell grant money. Otherwise, all you can get is the ~$5500 guaranteed federal student loan. Can your parents pay $25k/year?
Getting an Associate is meaningless if you plan to get a 4-year degree - focus on distribution requirements at your future colleges. Typically it’d be one semester or two of Composition, one course in statistics and sometimes one course in calculus (depending on your major), 2 courses each in arts/humanities*, science, social science, foreign language. If you have that, you should be covered, but not all colleges, especially highly selective colleges, will give you transfer credits - these classes will help you get in and get a scholarship so that you can attend all 4 years and benefit from everything they have to offer. However, they’d expect a much higher test score - have you tried the ACT? You really should try as some students score better at it.
I’m originally from California and I go to school at Hofstra. Academically, Hofstra is honestly one of the better schools I looked at (and I looked at a lot). They have a lot of equipment and resources on campus that 90% of the schools I looked at don’t have. For example they’re the only university to have 4K cameras, the only university to be the flagship station for a professional sports team (New York Islanders), and you can get a Bloomberg certification directly through the University because they have so many Bloomberg terminals.
I was also worried about the surrounding area and that was an issue that my mom had as well when we visited campus. However, I’ve never felt unsafe on campus. The side of campus that has all of the dorms locks up after 10 PM so you have to swipe your ID to get back on campus. On the side with all of the classes I’ve gotten out of class or meetings at 10 or 11 and still never felt unsafe walking back to my room and if I ever have I’d just call Public Safety to walk me back to my room.
As far as student life and having things to do, NYC is definitely a big thing that a lot of people do, but there are also a lot of things to do on the weekends on campus and around Long Island. Clubs on campus are always hosting different things to do so there’s always something going on.
I would definitely suggest visiting Hofstra or maybe shadowing a student for a day before completely ruling it out as an option.
@collegeseeker79 A quick note about geography (from someone who lives in New York State): There is a large state attached to New York City. You say you’re looking for the “city-life,” and therefore want to go to Cortland and Binghamton. Both of those towns are basically in the middle of nowhere, and nowhere near NYC. For some scale - Cortland is as close to NYC as Boston or DC is (i.e. ~4 hours w/o traffic). Syracuse is closer, but (again, from a nearby resident) it’s a dump.
Basically, even though they’re in the same state, going to many of the SUNYs =/= going to school in NYC.
I would pick a CUNY schools over Hofstra University or NYIT any day. CUNY schools that would possibly accept your academic profile would be CUNY-Queens College or CUNY-Brooklyn College (CUNY, Baruch College is a possibility with your community college profile/grades/AA degree). Both offer MIS/Business Management degrees. The cost for out of state students: ~$30K. Can be less depending on “off-campus” housing (sharing an apartment/house with other QC/BC students).
America’s Top Colleges 2015 RANKING
http://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/#tab:rank_page:4_state:New%20York
I think I would look at Manhattan College over all of those schools except Fordham
"There is a large state attached to New York City. You say you’re looking for the “city-life,” and therefore want to go to Cortland and Binghamton. Both of those towns are basically in the middle of nowhere, and nowhere near NYC. For some scale - Cortland is as close to NYC as Boston or DC is (i.e. ~4 hours w/o traffic). Syracuse is closer, but (again, from a nearby resident) it’s a dump.
Basically, even though they’re in the same state, going to many of the SUNYs =/= going to school in NYC."
Binghamton is a dump and is very isolated. There is nothing in Cortland at all. Like Binghamton, it is economically depressed and devoid of almost anything. It resembles the Appalachian poverty you have probably seen in movies. Syracuse University is a school with a lot more school spirit (any is a lot more than Binghamton). Syracuse is better than Binghamton or Cortland, which I think are just horrid towns. Syracuse offers a lot more but not necessarily worth driving 80 miles for. That is the distance Syracuse is from Binghamton. Cortland is midway between them and unless you love hunting and fishing (Think Deliverance), there is simply nothing there.