<p>I'm a high school senior who will be going to SUNY Plattsburgh for pre med. Do you guys think that Plattsburgh is good for pre med. I will also be in the Honors Program. Do you think the Honors Program will enhance my application for Medical School?</p>
<p>My older son is a Physics major and in the honors program at SUNY Plattsburgh. His roommate is a biology major and also in the honors program. DS loves it. Because of the small size, he is getting lots of individual attention and is even doing a research project with a prof this summer. He chose PSUC because of the scholarship aid-great and he liked the area. If you do choose PSUC, try for the international dorm (Adirondack) since the International students are usually more serious about their studies and you can go visit the other dorms for a party… Good luck with your search process. (The honors program won’t hurt your application to med school.)</p>
<p>My daughter is also at PSU and loves it. She is an ed major and in the honors program. She is an RA and was in an International dorm (not Adirondack) last year; she liked it but felt that a lot of her residents were too aloof and she worked hard to get them involved in the school activities. She brought home one of her residents, a biomedical (or some such) major from another country who will have an internship this summer at a lab in NYC. She stayed with us for a week. This young lady also loves Plattsburgh and is very happy with the education she is getting there.</p>
<p>I will say that during our college search process, I did not meet any school personnel as pleasant and helpful as those at PSU. The orientation leaders were great and the student services people are very helpful, even the financial aid people are nice. Once, my husband didn’t get a check we thought was coming and I called in a panic because I didn’t have that tuition installment ready. They were SO nice, said thank you for telling us and of course, we’ll give you another week. I was hysterical because I thought D would be put out of her classes. They were so lovely I almost cried from relief.</p>
<p>Another thing, PSU actually gives money. Most SUNY’s don’t. My D got 1K per year (not the max) with a 1260 SAT. She also has earned merit money from her department and from the volunteer dept.</p>
<p>Quick note- Adirondack has substance free sections(ie no illegal drugs, alcohol or smoking) which attracts many of the international students. For the last two years, more than 50% of the students on my son’s floor were internationals. Yes, they are quieter but son likes that and goes out to meet friends at other dorms for social life. He did find like Joan52’s daughter that they don’t participate in dorm activities so it was harder to make connections. So, if you do choose a quieter dorm be sure to join some clubs(including the honors student association) and you will definitely find your niche (and friends) at PSUC. Also, they were one of the more generous SUNY schools in terms of scholarship aid. One thing that PSUC does that son appreciated before he got a car is that the school runs a free shuttle bus from the campus to the mall, Walmart, and some other locations on a regular basis.</p>
<p>Momofbassist -</p>
<p>Your S has a car up there? I told D she can’t have one till senior year and only then because she’ll be student teaching. </p>
<p>D is in a number of music related clubs and activities -she’s a singer and guitarist. She’s made many of her friends through those activities. She has a lot of friends who do Greek life but she had no interest in pledging.</p>
<p>For the OP, my D loves PSU so much that she is spending the summer up there this year.</p>
<p>If you’re interested and it’s not too late, sign up for Odyssey, a camping trip that runs the week before school starts. You can move in a week early and beat the rush. D did it first year and now she’s an RA, so we miss move-in again.</p>
<p>Wow thank you Momofbassist and Joan52 for your generous responses. What a coincidence, i already signed up for Adirondack Hall. I was very nervous on which dorm to select because i am serious about my studies (pre-med) and now since you guys mentioned it i feel like I’ve made a great choice. I appreciate it, thanks.</p>
<p>Another thing that is convenient about Adirondack is that it is connected by tunnels to one of the dining facilities and another dorm building. So, when the weather is bad you don’t have to put on a coat to get some food. Plus, the laundry facilities are down in the basement and if the Adirondack machines are all in use, you can use the tunnel to go over to the other dorms facilities. (You will find some party types even in Adirondack but can always try to arrange a room switch through your RA if that happens.)</p>
<p>MD -</p>
<p>Thanks. Dumb question - are you a guy or a girl? I ask because my D will be an RA at Adirondack this year. Momofbassist is right - there’s a tunnel to the Algonquin Dining Hall, which is D’s favorite. By the way, the food is pretty good at PSU.</p>
<p>I hope you like it at PSU. My D is going back for the summer next week as she has a job on campus. </p>
<p>Joan</p>
<p>I’m a graduate of a sister SUNY college. You can receive a quality education but be mindful that you’ll have less margin of error with respect to your GPA and MCAT scores. Stay passionate and committed right out of the box.</p>
<p>Joan52 - I’m a guy from NYC
Gasdoc - That’s awesome, what do you mean by “less margin of error with respect to” GPA and MCAT score. Do you mean that I have a better chance of obtaining a higher GPA, etc, beneficial for me? thanks</p>
<p>OK, so you won’t be one of my D’s residents. </p>
<p>You should try and go to the events that the RA’s plan. I went to CUNY and lived at home, so I never had the college experience, but I see how hard my D and her RA friends work to plan programs that will appeal to the students. It’s alot different when my H was an RA and it was legal to have life revolve around keggers!</p>
<p>If you’re not a partyer, which I hope you are not since you’ll be in a tough major, there are plenty of activities to do that don’t involve beer pong. There are lots of intramural sports teams, music and drama activities, Greek life, winter sports, volunteer work - you can volunteer in one of the hospitals, which would look good when you apply to med school. If you’re interested in volunteering, PM me and I’ll get you in touch with the volunteer office, where my D works.</p>
<p>I was honestly unfamiliar with PSU before my D’s GC recommended it. Now, I think of it as a little gem in the SUNY system. I’m just afraid my D won’t come back downstate when she gets out.</p>
<p>Yes thank you Joan52, I already took CVPH Hospital into consideration for volunteering. Do you think I’m allowed to shadow doctors of different specialties at CVPH? I ask this because i shadow right now - a gastroenterologist at a Hospital in the city. Do you think I’ll find that position? If not, do you think i can find a job related to medical field, such as at the hospital or nearby nursing homes?</p>
<p>Gasdoc - what do you mean by " less margin of error" in regard to GPA and MCAT scores
Anybody???</p>
<p>I know that the volunteer program runs activities at a couple of nursing home, but they are more like interacting with the seniors than with treating them. It might be good if you’re considering a career in geriatrics because you can learn pretty quickly if you actually enjoy dealing with elderly people.</p>
<p>I also know that a couple of years ago, one of the community scholarship winners volunteered at the TBI center (I’m not sure if that’s affiliated with CVPH) and I’m pretty sure that the volunteer center could help get you set up with the hospital. As for shadowing, I don’t know about that, but it could be something you would discuss with your mentor as the hospital.</p>
<p>I think what Gasdoc means is that because PSU is not as highly ranked as some of the schools your competition might come from that you would need to have higher scores than they might need.</p>