Yeah, the whole a–g thing reads kind of bizarrely if you’re from elsewhere. I kind of wonder if it presents a barrier to some kids from California, too, just because the documentation is so dense—like, it maps easily enough, but it’s all phrased so obliquely.
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The most common issue for OOS applicants with the CSU/UC A-G course requirements is actually the VPA (Visual/Performing Arts) requirement (1 year). The A-G matching can be tedious but using the UCOP A-G course list as a guideline for OOS students can help with the categories.
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If you have questions, there is a CSU forum.
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I think that VPA requirement kept my very high stat kid OOS from applying.
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Kudos to the coaches/teachers/directors who show compassion and work with kids!
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I will personally testify to the excellence of the Syracuse food service.
We drove to Syracuse and back yesterday, about five hours each way with pouring rain on the way home in the dark.
ETA: My comments below refer to ESF.
D23 liked ESF. It was the first time she bought a shirt, with her own money, nonetheless. Not that I wasn’t willing but she was that quick.
Sadly, I have reservations.
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It’s the most expensive on our list. And I’m not sure if the additional cost is justified for what she could get elsewhere.
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Rooms are mostly triples, and there’s no on campus housing after the first year.
The surrounding areas seem mixed in terms of safety and that was not just my own impression but it was brought up by student affairs at the presentation we attended.
I’m projecting my own issues here, admittedly. I lost out in the housing lottery after freshman year at the uni I attended and ended up sharing a run down apartment in a not-so-nice area because it was all I could afford. I had to take precautions traveling to and from my apartment, particularly in winter when there were fewer hours of sunlight, and on weekends when there were fewer people around. I had someone try to break into my apartment while I was home. I just don’t have a lot of good memories about that situation and that has influenced how I have guided my kids in their college choice. I currently have an D20 on a campus in an area where a lot of care has to be taken for safety, and by her third year, she’s really feeling it and will probably commute next year.
I don’t know enough to say we would have the money to assure my D23 ends up in a safe place.
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I also got mixed feedback about professors, as in some don’t seem to care much about students. Since we have visited a lot of smaller LACs over the years where we tend to get overwhelmingly positive feedback about professors, to hear hesitancy about professors just got my attention.
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I also prefer campuses with green areas and this was urban with a tiny quad of grass. D23 likes nature and the outdoors (thus the interest in environmental majors) so I’m not sure how this would play out over four years. This is on my radar since D20 is having this problem now. “I look at the same two trees everyday and I have to take a train to another town to go to a park.”
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Billing seems like a headache. With three kids already in or through college, I have only had to pay one bill. This school would require us paying tuition and fees to one entity, room charges to another entity, and board to another…not to mention what might happen in the future living off campus. It just seems like a headache, especially dealing with EF issues.
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The school is very specialized so if D’s interests change she would have to transfer. She is someone who changes her mind.
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Not a lot of diversity.
Pros:
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The administrators we met could not have been more kind or helpful.
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They have all the resources of SU nearby.
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The students were unpretentious and down to earth.
I don’t understand all the CC terms even after all these years, but I would describe the students as far-from-preppy. I would prefer a mix of styles. Interestingly, I saw more diversity of styles at Hope College.
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So you are talking about SUNY ESF, not Syracuse University?
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Yes, ESF.
I edited to put in a note to make sure that was clear. Thank you.
I don’t mean to take anything away from ESF. The comments are just from my experience and influenced by my own biases.
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I assume you are out of state if ESF is your most expensive option? And is this your child’s top choice (since she quickly wanted to buy a sweatshirt)? It’s always tough when we, as parents, have reservations that our kids just don’t see. I can totally understand all those areas being either a red flag or big concern. I do have a good friend whose daughter attends ESF and loves it but I’m sure would be honest about pros & cons. So if you private message me, I could put you in touch with her and/or her daughter. Good luck! Such a stressful process!
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Yes, we are out of state. There’s a program that NJ students get the Rutgers tuition rate, but with the high cost of housing and high fees, it’s not inexpensive.
Another worry I have is that there is no student health center. My D23 gets sick often.
This is a real concern, in my opinion.
D17 got extremely ill freshman year at a university 750 miles away. (It was 1750 from where she went to high school, but we had to move the same summer she left for college.) There was no way I could get there easily to help. She was in the health center getting important medications and notes for the teachers. At 17 years old, she would have been extremely hard-pressed to deal with a private doctor whereas the health center was willing to coordinate with me with her permission. They also were able to take care of some blood work for a medication she was already on for that year.
I went to my university health center several times for important medications. Parents were 600 miles away. It’s difficult even as an adult to find new private doctors every time we move. I can’t imagine what that might be like for a student in October of freshman year!
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This is what I see:
Within an easy walk of the Syracuse campus, several medical providers are available to students. ESF has developed a relationship with Crouse Medical Practice (CMP) to provide health care as well as pharmacy services for ESF students who opt to use their services.
ESF Student Health at CMP provides a fast-track clinic offering medical specialties including:
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Chronic medical conditions that you need managed while at school
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Colds/flu/sinusitis/pneumonia/stomach virus/UTI’s/tick bites
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Depression/Anxiety screening and treatment (we will refer out if needed)
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Gynecological exams/pap testing/testing for sexually transmitted infections
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Injuries
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Laboratory testing
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Prescribe medications
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Referrals to specialty groups
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Sport physicals
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Vaccinations (Flu/Tdap/HPV and many others)
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Wellness exams
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X-rays
Walk in appointments are available, but appointments are recommended.
Location & Contact
Crouse Medical Practice
739 Irving Avenue, Suite 300, Syracuse, NY 13210
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Totally get it - but my daughter hasn’t been able to use her college’s health services - they are just overrun with kids. So you might be off campus anyway, no matter where you go. And they do have a relationship - as I see @amyizzy just posted.
The reality is likely, at many campuses, when you need health services, in a pinch, they’re unlikely to see you. Both my kids have had to use off campus services unfortunately - and if the urgent care isn’t open, it’s a fortune. But this might happen, health center or otherwise.
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And….she decided.
Mount Holyoke it is!
She has a music performance at her high school this morning (they have their alumni homecoming this weekend, she’s in several musical groups - I forget exactly which one is performing today). This afternoon we’ll make the deposit.
Yesterday after a practice AP test she went to be with some friends, and texted us she needed to take an evening off from everything, so they were going out. She came in around 11 - my wife and I weren’t pushing, but let her know if she wanted to talk anything through we’d be happy to listen.
Her response was ‘no need, it’s Mount Holyoke. Always was.’
It came down to the feeling of belonging, and the people she met there, and the beautiful campus, and all of it. Being able to sit in on 2 classes I think really cemented it. And I think the food, and e simplicity of the meal plan played a role, too.
She is staying on the Wesleyan waitlist - if she is offered a spot, THAT will be a super hard decision, I think. Just the one visit last fall made such an impression that it I still in contention - if she had been admitted and done an admitted student event I have no doubt she’d pick them. it’s a very long shot, but this year who knows….
This afternoon after making the deposit she will also write a thank you note to the AO at Case, she definitely advocated for her. And we can start planning for move in, parent weekend, and all the rest!
Thanks to all that have followed along and offered insight, I’ve shared with D throughout the process. This community has been helpful to us - hopefully sharing her journey has been helpful to others as well.
For those we met at the Experience MHC weekend, we look forward to seeing you at future family events!
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Congrats on having the decision made…and excited for her to join the community at MHC! It’s been such a great place for my ‘21 and the growth she’s experienced there has been amazing.
See you up in South Hadley!!
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So, college-age students usually are very healthy but… when they need medical care it can be a huge issue.
My older D was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in the middle of her junior year. Her college was in NYC, home of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Obviously this is an extreme case that hopefully none of your children face, but she was able to continue on in school because we could ensure she had access to the care she needed, even being able to do the fancy summer internship she had lined up. Had she been in a rural area, she would have had to take leave and come home.
So while this is extremely unlikely to occur, it is now a factor I think about, especially as my younger children looked for things to differentiate their choices.
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My son just committed to Syracuse and has several health issues. I feel fine about him being there. Ideally, he can just get care from his specialists at home during breaks. But if he gets sick or has an emergency, there are several hospitals right by the university. I’ll have to see what the deal is with their student health center vs other care options. But I’ll probably just tell him to go off campus since everything’s close enough to walk. I’d steer him to Upstate for anything complicated since they have a med school. I’d steer him to Crouse for general ER needs, since Upstate is a trauma center and has a higher load. Part of the summer task will be to strategize about this with him, I suppose. The arrangement ESF has with Crouse looks nice.
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Its good to see what other health care options are local to campus. My S21 is typically really healthy (eats well, works out daily) but he’s been sick a few times during his two years at college. He’s had the flu, strep, a horrible sinus infection that wouldn’t resolve and also a bad GI thing. He’s gone to the urgent care right off campus a few times, done a virtual appointment with CVS. once, used a private (but reasonably priced) healthcare agency that actually visits kids at their dorm and also gone to the ER once. The one place he hasn’t been able to use is the on campus student health clinic because they are always booking days out for appointments. They also refer many kids to the urgent care or ER anyway.
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Our daughter has major health issues and we are doing many things things to try and mitigate them and set her up for success at college. Access to Boston was a huge deciding factor. It’s still going to be tough.
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Yeah, in most cases I think I’d default to off campus care unless there’s a compelling reason to use the campus health center. I know most student health centers (that aren’t at universities with med schools) can’t keep up with the demands on them. We have good insurance, are savvy with this sort of stuff, and kid has greater than average medical needs. So the nearby clinics seem like good options.
We’ve instructed him specifically to be sure to help his college friends when they’re sick. We said “well, who do you think takes care of students when they’re sick in college”? And it was like a lightbulb went on in his head.
Oof, and thank goodness for Boston. My son got a last minute full-tuition award at U Delaware last week. I admit that one big reason we didn’t consider it further was the minimal medical facilities right near the university. It’s too far away from home for us to justify him having trouble getting to a major medical center. Your daughter will be surrounded with wonderful options. Once you get the plans all lined up it will feel better 
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