<p>If anyone attends this school, or knows about it, I would like to learn about it. Thanks.</p>
<p>Seems to produce a lot of musicians - they have a great student run jazz group.</p>
<p>Thank you. Does anyone else know anything about this SUNY?</p>
<p>northeastmom,
I have a very close friend whose D is a senior there. I am sure I can get specific questions answered if you spell them out for me. I think her daughter is something like a graphic arts major and I think she picked Fredonia because of the strength of this type of program.</p>
<p>Thank you very much. I would appreciate your help momof3sons, if it is not too much trouble. Questions:</p>
<p>How is off campus housing (%of students that go off campus after freshman year, as well as average cost of off campus housing)?</p>
<p>Is a car necessary? </p>
<p>What is the general area like?</p>
<p>How is public transit?</p>
<p>Nearest airport?</p>
<p>How are programs generally in the areas of history, English, education, communications and business? </p>
<p>How are the dorms and how is the on campus food?</p>
<p>Thank you very much.</p>
<p>I don't know anyone personally that attends Fredonia, but many kids from around here do go there and generally, I hear good things. Most of them major in either music or education. Fredonia has a good reputation in our area for both those majors. I have been to the campus a few times to attend events there and the campus is nice and not overly large. Easily walkable. They have a very nice pool/atheletic center and a large performing arts theater.<br>
The nearest major airport would be Buffalo. It's about a 45 minute drive down I-90.</p>
<p>northeastmom,
I will get these answers for you as soon as possible. I believe that my friend is away with her youngest child looking at colleges. I'll try reaching her tomorrow.</p>
<p>northeastmom,
Here are some answers for you:
Sophomores really do not move off campus, some juniors do, many seniors do, but they do not have to move off if they do not want to. Seniors can apparently get single rooms in a specific dorm. Off campus housing was described to me as "cheap." It is located in town, which is a small town with 2 and 3 family "old-fashioned" homes.</p>
<p>A car is not necessary, although my friend's daughter has a number of friends with cars. She has never had a car and really hasn't needed it.</p>
<p>The general area is a very small, safe town. The town of Fredonia apparently blends into the town of Dunkirk. There are small restaurants, bars, movies, Walmart, bowling, hotels/motels</p>
<p>Public transit-A bus runs through campus and goes into town, restaurants, the movies, WalMart, etc.- It is FREE to students!</p>
<p>The nearest airport is Buffalo, 45 minutes away. Students can get a bus into Buffalo, and then back out to the airport. She has found that when it is time to go home to a suburb of NYC on break, that she has friends who are either driving to Buffalo or Rochester and are happy to drop her at the airport. Getting back to school from Buffalo airport necessitates taking a bus from the airport into the city of Buffalo and then a bus back out to campus. That cost might be ~$20. You can also take a cab from the airport out to Fredonia, but of course that would be more expensive.</p>
<p>Dorms and food-Typical cinder block dorms. 3 stories. Doubles, some singles, some suites.
3 cafeterias on campus-decent food, good variety. In addition to the cafeterias, a lot of buildings would have sandwich places so that you would not have to go back to the cafeteria to grab lunch. The student union also has food available and there is now a Starbucks on campus.</p>
<p>The population is heavily weighted towards kids from Western NY State. There is a much smaller population from "downstate," where this girl is from. There is less obvious wealth displayed at Fredonia than you would see at SUNY Buffalo. (This was a comment made by the mother who has one child at Fredonia and one at Buffalo.)</p>
<p>Small classes, no large lectures. Good professor relationships.
Education major is excellent, as are the music and performing arts majors. They have a fantastic concert hall on campus.</p>
<p>Could not get answers about the other majors who inquired about. Hope this has been somewhat helpful and my friends are happy to answer any other questions or put you in touch with specific people at Fredonia.</p>
<p>Thank you very much. This is very helpful. I don't know anyone who has attended Fredonia. How does your D's friend get to campus without a car, or is she living on campus? Is she comfortable as one of the "downstate" kids? I wonder how an OOS would feel.</p>
<p>Thank your friend for being so helpful. I want to thank you for taking the time to ask your friend about Fredonia. This has been very informative.</p>
<p>Hi northeastmom,
I gather that all of the housing "in town" is within easy walking distance of the campus, say 5-15 minute walk. She is a senior living in one of the off-campus houses and either walks or hops on the free bus if it's really cold. Her mom told me that her daughter is much more cognizant of the fact that many of the kids from western NY do not have a lot of money and some are putting themselves through school. (Not that my friend's family has lots of $$, but it was interesting to hear that her daughter has become more aware of this sort of thing.) I think that she is comfortable as one of the "downstate" kids. I know that on several occasions she has hosted a number of her friends from "upstate" at her home "downstate." It is a relatively easy commute to NYC, and is a first time experience for the "upstaters" to visit "the Big Apple."</p>
<p>It sounds like it they make it very convenient college living, and it sounds like an overall nice college experience. Thank you.</p>
<p>We went to Fredonia over the weekend for my S's audition . The audition people were very helpful . There was a Starbucks ( new building ) on campus for parents while waiting and we thought , although small , the campus was the prettiest modern campus of all the SUNYs. It's designed by the famous architect I.M. Pei ( who designed many famous museum annexes) . </p>
<p>The Music school is a tight community of 600 students .I know that there is walkability to the town from the campus as well as Greyhound runs through , plus , the Free metro bus ( which helps during those cold winters ) . Freshmen have to stay on campus . A cousin's D - a senior - stays off -campus and it's very safe , reasonable . small town type of atmosphere.</p>
<p>We met parents who traveled all the way from L.I. & Albany area of prospective students so it must draw from all parts of the state . I also noticed in the dorms car pool boards for other parts of the state--and PA which is 20 miles away.</p>
<p>easydoesitmom, Thank you for posting. I have since gotten a couple of emails about this school. It seems like a very nice school, and a good value for a music major, or education major.</p>
<p>One thing no one mentioned to you, the strip between Erie Pa and Buffalo gets hit very hard by lake effect snow. It is not a great place to be during the winter.</p>
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<p>Ray, Is it worse than UB, Oswego, and and some of the other SUNYs? I would think that it is all pretty much similar, especially UB, since it is not far from there.</p>
<p>Worst? hard to say that UB and Oswego are any worst. I guess I'd just say we do have real winters here.</p>
<p>In upstate NY the winds always come from the North East. Because the Great Lakes take a few months to cool off, it sets up this day in day out pattern and potential for Lake Effect snow. Those of us that have lived here our whole life have gotten used to this ongoing greyness, cold, wind and snow. Sometimes people coming into the area have trouble adjusting.</p>
<p>They experienced the coldest March ever - zero temps for two days ! But all that Lake country produces beautiful vineyards around it in the fall . It's New York State wine country .</p>
<p>Oooh, too cold for me, but heck, I am not the one having to live there for 4 winters! :D</p>
<p>northeastmom, I have a cousin who lives in Erie and from her experience, and ours trying to visit her!, yes, the weather is much worse there than it is in Buffalo. The lake effect snow that comes off Lake Erie tends to hit the 'southtowns' much worse than it hits Buffalo. This is not to say that Buffalo winters are easy because they're not, but anything out towards the PA border is going to be worse. This can obviously cause transportation issues in the winter months, with that long drive to the Buffalo airport. The drive from Fredonia to Buffalo is approximately 45 minutes (by car) in good weather but a bus trip is likely to be longer and the bus goes to downtown Buffalo where the student would then need to get a cab to the airport which is northeast of the city, all of which needs to be taken into consideration.</p>
<p>The weather sounds too lousy. The school and the area sounded nice, and the price is right. Dealing with this weather will probably drive us away from this school.</p>