Hello!
I recently got accepted to a variety of different schools and I have narrowed my choices down to SUNY Oneonta and SUNY Geneseo. That being said, here is a little bit about myself:
I am interested in going the pre-med route and thus want the school to have a strong BIO, CHEM, Math department as I would like to be prepared for the MCAT. In regards to what I want to major in, I am not entirely sure. Right now I am looking into sociology or another social science. As I said before, my main concern is not in what I major in per se, as much as it is in having the strong foundation to prepare me for the rigors of Med School and the MCAT. I know Geneseo is academically stronger (On paper anyway), but I really like the vibe I got from Oneonta. I guess my question is, is Oneonta’s “Pre-med” department as academically strong as Geneseos? Would it prepare me adequitly for the MCAT? And yes, I understand a lot of the learning is the responsibility of the individual, but I want a school that can prepare me to take the MCAT and allow me to succeed.
Thanks in advance!
Austin
I know someone who goes to Oneonta for the exact same thing, and she doesn’t like it all that much. Her philosophy is that it doesn’t matter where you go to school for undergrad as long as you do well (which is somewhat true), so she decided to stay. I can’t speak for the whole university, but she didn’t like it all that much. Her main complaint is the prof’s “only show up for a paycheck, which can be frustrating when you need help with a lab or something like that”
Many people go to med schools after starting out in SUNY schools, so I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Just choose a college you like and that fits you. Also, check out Rate my Prof .com for prof reviews. They even have school reviews on there that can give you other people’s opinions that aren’t on this site.
Good luck!
I would say visit both schools and see which vibe seems to be a better fit for you. If you liked the vibe at Oneonta more then go for it. Geneseo is ranked slightly better than Oneonta but not to the point where it should have a complete impact on your decision. In fact, Oneonta has a far lower acceptance rate than Geneseo, so Geneseo isn’t as selective as it once was. Geneseo does have a stronger but rigourous science program- a lot of kids just can’t keep up with the work load, so you might want to consider that because your grades could suffer. They’re both SUNY schools, so I don’t think medical schools will care too much about which one you got your undergrad from. Also, not sure if this is a big consideration of yours but I think the whole social scene at Oneonta is a lot better and more inclusive than Geneseo. Ultimately, I would say choose whatever school you feel you will get better grades at and actually enjoy more.