Hello! So I’ve been debating with myself about whether I should go to Stony Brook University or University at Albany. I’m a NY resident so I would prefer paying for in-state tuition. I want to go into nursing. Stony Brook has a nursing program but it is not direct-entry, so I would have to apply my junior year. Albany doesn’t have an actual nursing program within the school, but they do have a “pre-nursing” track and a Physician Assistant program (which I am also considering). I’ve already been accepted to UAlbany, but I’m still waiting to hear from Stony. I do want the college expericing, so I would dorm at both. Since both of these school are don’t have direct nursing programs, does it matter which I choose? Which would better prepare me for a nursing program? All help is appreciated. Thanks.
Would also like to know which school is better in terms of social life? Student involvement? Research/internships? I’m serious about my studies but I also don’t want to stay in my dorm all day being antisocial.
Stony Brook has a reputation for being a commuter campus, where a lot of people go home on the weekends. Albany definitely has a more active social life. Both have a decent reputation - I’d say SB is in general higher, but I really don’t know anything about nursing programs/rankings.
I would go for Stony Brook. It is overall a better school than Albany and has a great medical program.
I know that you didn’t ask this question, but have you considered SUNY Plattsburgh? It’s not a suitcase school, but there’s an Amtrak station in town, it’s half an hour from Canada and across the lake from Burlington, Vt. It also has a direct entry nursing program. My D graduated from its direct entry teaching program but she has a number of friends who are/were in the nursing program and all have gotten jobs, passed their licensing tests, etc.
We looked at Stony Brook, my H’s alma mater, but all of my kids rejected it as being too close to home. Albany didn’t really have what they were looking for, except for middle son, who wanted poli sci but rejected Albany as being “hideous.” He also chose Plattsburgh.