SUNY New Paltz

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hey! I haven't really posted on this forum much, but I was wondering if those familiar with SUNY New Paltz could recommend if it is a good fit for me. I am currently a freshmen in the honors program at a large out of state University, and I am very unhappy here, particularly because it seems to be a huge commuter school. Since nobody is here on the weekends, I find the university disturbingly quiet, plus everyone is very clicky with their high school group. I am looking at school to transfer to for fall 2008, but unfortunately, as a transfer student, there are little to no scholarships available and money is a huge factor in my decision. </p>

<p>Based on other posts I have seen and my own research, SUNY New Paltz seems perfect for me--it seems to foster a creative and accepting environment, where students are motivated yet fun-loving. I am also a huge nature enthusiast, and it seems to have the perfect surroundings. Plus, the tuition is affordable! However, I have a couple concerns. First, although I am very liberal, I am not an overly artsy or hippy type, but most of my high school friends were. I love working out and am somewhat of a down-to-earth jock, so I don't know how well I will fit in. Secondly, I have a pretty strong academic record, and i am looking for a school that will challenge me. I graduated 5/200 in my class with a 4.0 gpa on a 4.0 scale (plus many AP classes), a 30 ACT, and i have a long list of extracurriculars, including 3 varisty sports. (Last year, I did apply and get into many highly selective schools, but I had to turn them down because of the high tuitions.) New Paltz didn't really fit within the academic range I hoped for, but after my first semester at my current university, I found that the social environment and the student body is more important to me. However, I also want to be able to get into a good graduate or medical school after my undergraduate graduation. I want to be around student who are motivated to learn for the sake of learning and who are friendly witty, and accepting. I definitely do not want a commuter school, but I saw that NEw Paltz's student population is 95 percent in-state (I'm from ohio), which makes me nervous.</p>

<p>shhoot, well i'm really sorry that this is a really long rant kinda thing, so my main questions are:</p>

<p>1.) Will an out-of-state feel out of place and "out of the circle" at SUNY New Paltz
2.) Will an academically-strong student be challenged at such an unranked university?</p>

<p>Any opinions or suggestions would be very much appreciated!</p>

2

<p>jingle- Hi! I'm a NY mom and know a bit about the Suny campuses. My d is at Suny Cortland.
first the good news- most SUNY campuses are NOT commuter schools. Though we are overwhelmingly NY based students, most kids stay on campus on week-ends. The main exception may be SUNY Stony Brook. Which is great for pre-med and science, and not far from NYC-- but I hesitate to recommend it as it still has a bit of a commuter reputation.<br>
Univ. of Buffalo, may fit your needs a bit better. Also very good for pre-med.So I suggest you check their website out. Make sure you check for U of Buff and not Buffalo state. Both SUNY --but 2 different schools.</p>

<p>Suny New Paltz (as well as my kids school-Cortland), may not be the best choice for a strong pre-med student. You really may want to be in a more academically competitive environment. </p>

<p>There is also another SUNY based "science" program- known as ESF - Environmental Science and Forestry program. It's housed on Syracuse University. You are a SUNY student, pay SUNY tuition but you live on the SU campus. For a science/pre-med person, you may be able to get the curriculum to work for you,
check<br>
SUNY-ESF</a>, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
it's one of those strange SUNY programs, so if you need a little help understanding the esf/suny website- just holla!!
Good luck.</p>

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<p>My son has applied to SUNY New Paltz as a transfer from the University of Miami and is strongly considering the move. Even though he would be going down as far as ranking goes, he feels the social environment is possibly more important to him at this point and wants a more accepting and down to earth place to be.</p>

<p>I don't think an out-of-state student will feel out of place at NP. The student body is diverse and I believe there are many oos and international students attending. </p>

<p>If you decide to transfer, let me know. If my son decides to transfer as well, it would be nice if you guys got to know each other.</p>

4

<p>I think it is a perfectly appropriate choice and you will love it there. New Paltz is a wonderful town and the outdoor activity there in the Catskills by the Hudson is great.</p>

<p>Yes, you are highly credentialed, but there will be other students like you. Some very able students from my D and S's high school attended. There are excellent opportunities in the sciences, even though the school isn't known for that. Kids I known have gone there for innovative health sciences programs.</p>

<p>You are in somewhat shooting distance of Manhattan and Vassar, Bard and Marist are all in the area as well.</p>

<p>You might also consider SUNY Stony Brook if you like the water, but it may have some of the drawback of the school you are already at.</p>

<p>NY is a big state. New Paltz has a lot of downstaters (NYC, LI, Westchester), but it has its share of upstaters as well. That gives it a diverse population and many ethnicities are represented. New York is a fairly cosmopolitan place. We welcome immigrants. (Haha)!</p>

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<p>Do most of you agree that an out of state student would feel comfortable at a SUNY? Are there some that are going to feel better to an out of state student than others?</p>

6

<p>Jingle, I know of someone who attends and who loves it. It is a very accepting school near a cute little town. The kid is a quieter type but has made lots of friends. Also it is more of a liberal school. If you are looking for more liberal schools with pre med and at a good price I would look at SUNY Binghamton. It is a highly ranked and a very well respected school. Other schools you may be interested in are Wisconsin, Skidmore and Kalamazoo (although I don't know how liberal this school is). Good luck!</p>

7

<p>No one mentioned that SUNY New Paltz is near the CIA (Culinary Institute of America). A great place for a great meal when out of state parents visit!</p>

8

<p>SUNY Binghamton might be a better choice for you: it's stronger academically, welcoming of transfers, has a respected premed program, and is big enough for all kinds of niches.</p>

9

<p>thank you so much for your helpful relplies! I understand that other SUNY schools might better fit my academic wants, but I am more interested in the campus environment (i really want it to be aesthetically pleasing) and student body. I am pretty self-mitivated, so I figure I can always study on my own for the MCAT to achieve an exceptional score.</p>

<p>Also, I really don't mind if it is in New York or not...so I am not confined to the SUNY schoolsystem </p>

<p>LilyMoon--your son sounds like he is in the exact same situation as me! I hope his transfer decision goes well. I would for sure love to get in touch if we both end up at New Paltz</p>

<p>marny1--SUNY-efs seems really interesting, and I have definitely been looking into that since you mentioned it. Thanks so much! Do you know of any other schools that have this school within a school kind of program? These might be very good options, because of the tuition deals.</p>

<p>Anyways, I am planning on going on campus visits soon, since that is the best way to determine if its a fit, so I will probably hit a couple of the NY schools.</p>

<p>Thanks again for your reassurance. I have been talking to my oober conservative and controlling parents about SUNY New Paltz, and they aren't really too pleased about me chosing an artsy and non-name brand university. I have been trying to make a list of pros and cons to convince them--any myself, I guess-- to accept my reasoning. You guys have been really helpful.</p>

10

<p>jingle- the only other "school within school" programs in NYS that I am aware of--</p>

<p>Cornell has program in CALS (Ag and Life Science), ILR (Labor relations) and Human Ecology. Tuition for instate is around $19,000 (my other kid is in ILR) but OOS it is quite pricey- (around $33,000)</p>

<p>and Alfred University- NYS school of ceramics. That is the most complicated program to explain. School of ceramics is somehow linked to their engineering/ bio program. Tuition is also somewhat reasonable for OOS kids.
see if you can find info on it via SUNY website (not SUNY Alfred Technical college) but Alfred U. or just check out Alfred U, NYS school of ceramics.
I'm going to be partying soon for New Years. So if you have any questions in trying to find the right website, I'll be around tomorrow.
Happy New Year to all!!</p>

<p>SUNY Bing does have a solid academic reputation. That might work out too.</p>

11

<p>Jingle1:</p>

<p>I just discovered your post. My d is a freshmen at SUNY New Paltz and loves it! She is also very strong academically (3.9 HS avg, 1460 SAT and 3.95 1st sem.) She was also accepted at some top colleges (CMU, Hamilton, Bard etc.) but decided on New Paltz because of the art dept and the Honors program. You may be a strong candidate for the honors program. Jeff Miller is the head of the honors program and has been a fantastic resource for her so far.They have great opportunities for seminar style classes, as well as internships. She will be starting a seminar class taught by a pulitzer prize winning journalist this semester. She loves the kids, although the art kids are really known as the partyers, the honors kids of course more serious. The town of NP is very cool, tons of outdoor stuff...very big on rock climbing. They also have a beautiful new gym on campus. She has taken the bus a few times into NYC to see bands etc. Her biggest complaint is the food. </p>

<p>Let me know if you need/want any more info. I don't know too much about the science program at all.</p>

<p>Best of luck!</p>

12

<p>We’re considering New Paltz for our son fall 2014.
Does anyone know of any Aspergers students taking advantage of the new Comprehensive Service Program for students in the Autistic Spectrum offered by the Disability Resource Center?
Does anyone know of any Asperger students living in Lenape or Esopus Hall?
I understand they are the only two halls with air conditioning. Are they somewhat quieter living because they are further away from the other dorms?
Can anyone from NP make a suggestion?</p>

13

<p>Rather than reviving a 5 year old thread that doesn’t address your issues, you would do best to start a new thread on the SUNY forum, and I suggest using a title that will catch the eye of those with something to offer–e.g., “Aspergers at New Paltz”:</p>

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