<p>Hello,
I'm trying to decide between suny brockport and suny oneonta entering as a freshman for fall 2014. I was also accepted to emerson college and toured/really liked it but cannot attend because it's out of my family's price range, and I don't want to come out of college with 100K in loans in 4 years. So now I'm really having a tough time choosing between Oneonta and Brockport. I want to major in psychology and minor in creative writing. I enjoy sports and arts but I'm not really obsessed with any particular one. Brockport is 7 hours away from where I live, has bigger dorms, offered me their honors program, and I'd love to study abroad in junior year at Oxford. However, it also has a reputation for being one of the easier suny schools to get into, filled with jocks and possibly a lot of people there have stds. It also has endless winters and a very scarce town. Oneonta is about 4 hours away from where I live, is on a very hilly campus and seems to have a more dominant sense of greek life and alcohol use. It's considered slightly more prestigious than Brockport and has other study abroad options too, although I don't know how reputable they are. My parents really want me to go to Oneonta but I'm not sure I should. Any advice please, from either people who currently go to either or alumnus? Would either school offer more internship or job opportunities after college, or have a stronger communications field than the other, or are they pretty similar and neither would get you farther than the other in the real world? Thank you! </p>
<p>Just to dispel some of the beliefs about Brockport: it has been getting much more competitive to get into in recent years. I believe it is less competitive than Oneonta, but not significantly so. Years ago Brockport had a lower reputation, but that has changed. While there are a lot of phys ed majors, the business school is also very popular and is a strong program. The nursing program is a very high demand major. The science buildings recently underwent a significant upgrade, so by no means is everyone a jock. There is a mix of very smart students who are taking advantage of the affordability of Brockport, and yes, some students whose main focus is on partying (like you would find at all schools). I don’t think there would be a higher rate of STD’s than any other group of 18-21 year olds. That is a rather odd assertion. Regarding the weather, yes, winters are long in upstate NY, but I don’t think Oneonta’s winters would be a significant improvement. One thing that you have heard that is definitely wrong is that Brockport is a scary town. It is actually a lovely, quaint little village on the Erie canal. It is in a fairly rural area 25 miles east of Rochester, which is one of the nicest cities and suburban places in upstate NY (outside of the downtown area, like most cities). I don’t have any experience with Oneonta, so I can’t help you with that.<br>
Hope this helps!</p>
<p>** correction: Brockport is 25 miles west of Rochester.</p>
<p>I can’t answer your other questions, but I did want to let you know that the study abroad opportunities will be the same at either school. A student at one SUNY school can take advantage of the study abroad programs offered at any of the other SUNY schools.</p>