<p>I've seen the US News Ranking, just wondering what you guys think.</p>
<p>I'm applying to the following schools:</p>
<p>SUNY - Stonybrook
SUNY- Binghampton
SUNY-Geneseo
Fordham University
University of Maryland - College Park
Penn State - University Park
University of Pittsburgh</p>
<p>In my program:</p>
<p>Pittsburgh
Maryland
PennState
Fordham</p>
<p>
[quote]
just wondering what you guys think.
[/quote]
I think that they're all roughly the same quality and that you're splitting hairs "ranking" them.</p>
<p>I disagree; the SUNY's don't mean anything outside of New York State, IMO. Penn State, Maryland, Pitt and to a lesser extent Fordham will.</p>
<p>Pizzagirl, I'm a resident of NY state, but I always thought that many people were aware of the fact that the SUNY schools are decent schools - particularly the 3 the OP listed (they often appear on the US News Rankings and such that so many people pay attention to). But, as I said, that could be my misconception as a NY resident =P
To the OP, when you say "rank them," do you mean US News style, or as in which would be best for you? They're two entirely different questions.</p>
<p>sabster -- sorry to break it to you, but I'm with pizzagirl on this. I was raised in Maryland, went to school in Pennsylvania, and currently live in Texas, and I've never been heard or seen anything holding a SUNY school in high regard. I certainly couldn't distinguish one from another.</p>
<p>In northern VA, there are people here who want to go to Penn State, UMD, and I've heard Pitt and Fordham brought up once or twice, but nobody has heard of the SUNYs (though this may come from the fact that none of them are well-known sports schools)</p>
<p>Exactly. Those who aren't residents of NY State wouldn't know Stonybrook, Geneseo or Binghampton from a hole in the wall. The locations aren't meaningful and the schools aren't meaningful. It's like when the California people ask people outside California their opinions of UC Davis vs Mercer vs Riverside vs whatever. Or it would be like asking someone outside of my state (IL) what they thought of Northern Illinois vs Eastern Illinois vs Western Illinois vs Southern Illinois vs Illinois State. It's just not nationally relevant. Which doesn't make anything a bad choice per se, but just something to know.</p>
<p>do you guys think UMD is a good school?</p>
<p>and dandaman, which state are you from ? :]</p>
<p>As a midwesterner, surrounded by Big 10 state flagships - I'm sure it's a good deal for an in-stater, but I would see no reason for a midwesterner to choose U of Maryland over most Big 10 state flagships. If I were going to send my children to an out-of-state state flagship on the East Coast, I'd consider UVA or UNC over U of Maryland. I'm sure it's fine; it's just not a nationally relevant state flagship, IMO.</p>
<p>Speaking as a NoVa resident, UMD is academically quite good, but I would not go out of state for it, and I probably wouldn't go there in-state either as I've heard nothing particularly good about college park, and it's rumored to be quite a cliquey, segregated student body.</p>
<p>Thanks for your replies guys</p>
<p>ibclass, sabster: I wanted to see what people thought about those colleges b/c the US News Rankings don't really mean much to me.</p>
<p>freddycreativity: I'm in NY</p>
<p>Name recognition matters to me, but it never really hit me that the SUNYs aren't known outside of NY.</p>
<p>Well if you live in NY and are OK with staying there for a while, going to an SUNY wouldn't be a bad choice. You could get your first job in NY and gain some experience in your field, then move anywhere - that experience will be more valuable than any degree would have been.</p>
<p>Well if you live in NY and are OK with staying there for a while, going to an SUNY wouldn't be a bad choice. You could get your first job in NY and gain some experience in your field, then move anywhere - that experience will be more valuable than any degree would have been.</p>
<p>"Name recognition matters to me, but it never really hit me that the SUNYs aren't known outside of NY."</p>
<p>Why would they be? Like I said, do you know anything about NIU vs EIU vs WIU vs SIU vs Illinois State?</p>
<p>Really depends on what you intend to study. My impression, however, is different from some of the above posters in that SUNY-Binghamton & SUNY-Geneseo (Honors Program) are very well regarded in the Northeast.</p>
<p>Coldwind, we didn't say that the SUNY's weren't well-regarded in the Northeast. We commented that they don't really mean much OUTSIDE the Northeast -- I said it and it was echoed by two other posters who don't live in the Northeast. And I stand by that. I wouldn't expect an employer in Chicago to have heard of SUNY-Whatever any more than I would expect an employer in New York to have heard of Southern Illinois University.</p>
<p>... and I think saying they're well regarded in the northeast might be stretching it. As I said, I've lived in Maryland and Pennsylvania and the reputation of SUNY's as well regarded didn't extend there.</p>
<p>Correctamundo: sort of splitting hairs and sort of deciding between different types of food....or fruit..pick your analogy. It really comes down to you and what kind of experience you are looking for and why. I dont do school bashing and think its very unprofessional and sophomoric for those who do. All the schools you listed are fine schools. I know some of them better than others. But all of them are fine schools.</p>
<p>I have direct experience with Fordham and can tell you its a fabulous place, lots of fun, offering both a "New York" experience, as well as a classic college campus (gothic buildings) etc. Really a great place to go to college.</p>
<p>But its not cheap and the SUNY schools can trump it on finances easily. So it all depends on what you want. </p>
<p>Fordham Rose Hill (Bronx-main campus) is about 5,000 undergrads if that is a factor. Makes a great size, with lots of variety in dorms as well. </p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>There's a distinction between NY and "the northeast." </p>
<p>Having originally hailed from the part of CT near NYC, I'd say that SUNY Binghamton is known to those who keep an eye on college stuff because the NYT has done articles for more than a decade on its popularity among high-statted students looking for a comparative bargain. The rest of the SUNYs are indistinguishable <strong>academically</strong> in most non-NYer's minds, I think. For example, only in the last year or two did I become aware that Geneseo was a sort of "honors college" for the SUNYs, and I'm an admissions junkie. :) (BTW, Purchase has a great art museum.) This is not to in any way diss the rest of the SUNYs. </p>
<p>It's exactly what Pizzagirl says: I have no idea of the relative merits of the directional state schools in Illinois or Michigan, and I've been a student at the U of C and my H and his sibs all went to various Michigan schools. </p>
<p>Most people across the country have heard of schools mostly if a) they are Harvard, or b) they have big sports teams. So it really depends a) in which area of the country you plan to look for work after graduating, and b) what kind of field you go into (people in some fields will be much more astute about colleges, and people in some specialized fields will be especially aware of good programs at otherwise obscure schools).</p>