<p>First, let me tell you that I am an incoming freshman at Plattsburgh State. My top two choices after dwindling down the rest of the possible college choices were the same as you.</p>
<p>I want to major in something involving science. Either zoology, biology, biological sciences, or environmental science. Which school has better programs for this?</p>
<p>–As far as I know, Plattsburgh has a very good Environmental Science program and I’m pretty sure they have Biology and Zoology. They also have a very good nursing program as well.</p>
<p>I don’t want a very rural campus. (Are they both rural…?)</p>
<p>–Both are somewhat isolated, but have bigger cities within an hours drive of them. I’d have to say that Plattsburgh is less rural. First of all, the college in Plattsburgh is located directly in the middle of the city. It is a pretty good town, with a nice few blocks of cafes, restarants, and a few other local stores. On the other side of town is the commercial district with many big-box stores (a few include Price Chopper, Best Buy, Lowes, Bed Bath and Beyond, etc.). Cities close to Plattsburgh include Burlington, VT (1 hr.) and Montreal, Ontario Canada (+/- 1 hr.).
Oswego is more isolated. The city (really a town) is sort of depressed (thats how I felt when I visited) and has a few stores. They also have some big box stores, but I don’t think they have as many as the Plattsburgh area does. The closest real city is Syracuse, NY which is about 45 minutes away. Rochester, NY is about 1 1/2 hrs. away.</p>
<p>Which one is easier to get into?</p>
<p>–Roughly the same.</p>
<p>Which has smaller class sizes?</p>
<p>–Again, roughly the same to my knowledge.</p>
<p>Which one has a better reputation?</p>
<p>–It depends on what you mean by reputation. Both have good Hockey teams if you mean by sports. They are rivals actually. Academically, I think they’re the same.</p>
<p>Which one has a better campus (more dorms, less commuters, more to do on weekends, etc).</p>
<p>–Personally, I think Plattsburgh has a better campus. I’ll try to be neutral here, but obviously I chose Plattsburgh for a reason haha. Since Plattsburgh is slighty bigger, it is by default that there is more going on there. Oswego also has things going on, but I’ve heard from some kids that went there that the there isn’t a whole lot to do. Since Plattsburgh is nearby to bigger cities, that also allows for more activities. Plattsburgh has 6,500 students and Oswego has roughly 8,000. Oswego is therefore a bit bigger of a student body.</p>
<p>Hope this helps!!</p>