<p>My son is having difficulty deciding between Stony Brook's honors program and Geneseo's Edgar Fellows program. Pros of SB: closer to home, has Marching Band which he wants to join, many majors to choose from (he is undecided major), full tuition scholarship. Pros of G: nicer campus, less crowded dorms, Edgar Fellows hard to turn down, $2000 scholarship. Looking at it this way, SB seems the better choice, but that Edgar Fellows program is very attractive. Does anyone think that should sway him toward G? Thanks for any opinions/suggestions!</p>
<p>I have heard many pros and cons about both schools.</p>
<p>Stony Brook is a bit dull on weekends, but the academics are first rate.</p>
<p>My nephew told me Geneseo’s classes were more like high school classes, but he is the only one I’ve heard this from.</p>
<p>Surely your son has a visceral reaction to the schools and knows where he’s most comfortable.</p>
<p>My S attended a private with FA. However, both kids had SUNY schools as financial safeties. DD had Binghamton and DS chose Stony Brook. Neither wanted to venture that far west.</p>
<p>I live ten minutes from Stony Brook. I have also taught there briefly part time (I teach full time somewhere else) and both my kids will be getting Masters there in the Fall. If you have specific questions I will try to answer them.</p>
<p>I will tell you that the two most brilliant kids in S’s graduating class went to Stony Brook. Dads are at Brookhaven lab, one Russian, one Danish. These kids are physics geniuses and smarter than the kids who went to Princeton (thought they are amazing too.)</p>
<p>Obviously, I don’t know as much about Geneseo, but if your child prefers it, I would have no qualms about sending him.</p>
<p>PS I’ve grown quite fond of SB’s campus.</p>
<p>Thanks, MYTHMOM. My husband went to Stony Brook, and we agree that the academics are tops. My S is leaning towards SB but is having a really hard time declining the Geneseo Edgar Fellows offer. They do such a good marketing job, and kids in the program rave about it. Now he wishes he hadn’t been accepted so he wouldn’t have to make the choice.</p>
<p>Does anyone have any thoughts on the Edgar Fellows program at Geneseo?</p>
<p>Waving to mythmom! We are neighbors; Im two towns east of where I think you must be. We are transplants to lawnguyland, but it is starting to feel like home!</p>
<p>NYmom - My DS12 applied to and was accepted to both SB and Geneseo; although ultimately he chose a different school to attend. If he had to choose between the two, he would have chosen Geneseo. Both of these schools are good academically, but the college experience would be very different. Does he want a larger research university and all that has to offer, but one that is rather quiet on the weekends, because a significant number of kids go home; which means their lives are still centered around home and home based friends, not college based friends. Or would a smaller college where professors teach classes be more attractive to him. DS found the science at Geneseo to be top of the line and would have enjoyed going there. Additionally, if your DS is looking outside of a science major, then Geneseo would be the winner, hands down. I think this is more about where your DS feels comfortable, rather than which school is better.</p>
<p>Hi geogirl1!!!</p>
<p>Actually SB also excels in the arts because of the Manhattan infusion. Music and Art are both really good departments.</p>
<p>I agree with you that this is about fit and there is no wrong choice.</p>
<p>Thanks to both of you. I just realized that we were viewing the Geneseo offer as too good to pass up. But the Stony Brook offer is ALSO too good to pass up – full tuition scholarship and honors program. While my DS did feel more comfortable at the Geneseo campus, he did not feel UNcomfortable at SB. SB also has the Marching Band and music strength, which are important to him. G just seems to be doing a better job marketing their honors program. Maybe the SB honors is just as good. If it were up to me at this point, I would choose SB for him. But I have to leave it up to him. </p>
<p>If anyone has any insight into the quality of the Honors program at SB, we would appreciate it.</p>
<p>Honors program is good with special designated classes. However, Geneseo might be better. I don’t know. The kids I have known there have been very happy. Two are now in med school. One is in a PhD program in psych. However, if your son is more comfortable at Geneseo, that just about says it all. Would he use resources of NYC? The train station is on campus. I am sorry I can’t be as enthusiastic for Geneseo. I just don’t know enough about it. I don’t mean to be biased.</p>
<p>That’s OK. Everything you are saying is helpful. I think he probably would take advantage of NYC if he finds he has the time. It seems to me that either choice would work for him. It’s tough to decide, but eventually something will sway him one way or the other. We are going to take another look at Stony Brook on our own tomorrow. Thank you so much!</p>