I got accepted with a full scholarship, and I was wondering about the academic, and reputation of this college. It was made in 2014 so I get that the ranking may not be as high as other colleges. But I have three main questions, I can’t seem to find the answer to anywhere else.
Is there anything any of you would tell me about the academics, entrepreneurial opportunities, and social life of this college.
Can a student easily transfer out of this college to a college where there is more than nanotechnology like Rice after one or two years?
Also, I got into NC State, Chapel Hill, Virginia Tech, and SUNY Polytechnic. Any advice on which to choose for nanotechnology?
The SUNY Nanotechnology school is undergoing major changes. The former President of the school has been indicted. I would be cautious. Have you visited the school? You have other very good options.
I live near this school. It is amazing!! The facility and money put into this place is really something. I don’t know anything about the social life but it is essentially part of SUNY Albany so I would imagine you would really be a part of that social scene. The tech industry in Albany is booming. If you got a full ride, I don’t think you could go wrong.
While the SUNY Polytechnic Institute name is new, the campus and curriculum (or at least its foundations) is a decade older (i.e. established in 2004). This still makes it quite new compared to many other colleges. Just to clarify. The school is not as high ranking as some other STEM-focused schools but according to US News, it is one of the top 20 regional North universities.
Academics (I am assuming you are going to the Albany site) consist of your conventional STEM courseload you will take Chemistry I & II, and Physics I, II, and III. After that, depending on your major (Engineering or Science) you will take unique classes the following year (i.e. sophomore). As an upperclassman, you can choose specialized classes to fit your needs. I have a full list of courses at hand if you would like more information. One noteworthy thing I would like to mention is that the General Education requirements aren't as rigorous as other colleges, so if you don't like medieval literature classes that have no relevance, this is a good thing. Oh, and you can get involved in research as early as freshman year.
CNSE has a history of an entrepreneurial program, but I’m not sure how it compares to more established universities. All of the success stories I hear from the program mostly concern graduate students, although undergraduates have competed and won awards in Business Plan competitions. You should direct your questions about this to CNSE faculty member Dr Schultz: http://www.sunycnse.com/AboutUs/FacultyStaff/Faculty/LauraSchultz.aspx lschultz@sunypoly.edu
Social life…I cannot answer this question thoroughly. Can you tell me what your expectations / preferences in regard to collegiate social life? By the way, SUNY Poly is not part of UAlbany, so you will only be able to access limited facilities and community clubs. You can still meet people there though, since it’s next door.
Transferring is a tricky affair, because a lot of the courses have specialized courses. I do not know anyone who has successfully transferred past their freshman year. Although this is only tangential to the question, a lot of CNSE graduates to get into good grad schools.
Your decision should ultimately depend on what KIND of nanotechnology you want to focus on. I would encourage you to browse through the faculty of all of these colleges, and find professors whose research interests match with yours. If you for example love doing molecular biology nanotech and find such a professor in Chapel Hill, consider choosing that place. If you like solid state devices and find that kind of research at SUNY Poly, consider this place. Nanotechnology is a very broad field, and can give you a lot of options.
If you, or anyone else has additional questions, please let me know.
Sorry for the late reply,
I am out of state. ACT:33 Weight GPA: 5.3 @UndisputedTruth
Thanks for the information. I am more interested in the solid state devices research, and its applications. Also, I am interested in the use of nanotech for higher level processing chips.
As for the social life question, I am a really big introvert and I would like to go to a college that has activities and things to do for people who don’t really want to party.
Also, is there any way to take more than one degree at this school. I was thinking of learning computer science, applied math, and nanotech. Is there any way to do this even though I was accepted to the school of nano-engineering.
When we researching undergraduate schools for nanotechnology and Came Upon cnse comma my daughter was thrilled with what they had to offer. We went to visit last spring and my daughter agrees that it’s undeniable that their facility has got to be one of the best there is. We also toward SUNY Albany and were extremely rudely informed by Albany that they are two completely different schools and I can’t expect Albany to know anything about what cnse does. We had read that cnse students not allowed to participate in Albany extracurriculars and certain benefits they offer their students. However our tour guide at cnse did explain that there is allowability to take other classes within schools in the SUNY system. But I’m not sure how far that it allowance extends as far as taking computer science or applied math classes.
I am pretty sure my daughter would go there if she could get a full ride. However she is currently deciding between a large scholarship at Louisiana Tech or little if anything from Virginia Tech. Out of state to both.
For any possible confusion CNSE (College of Nanoscale Science & Engineering) is SUNY Poly, Albany location. My understanding was they only teach nano majors and all SUNY Poly nano majors Attend CNSE.
CNSE started within Suny Albany and separated a few years ago. The separation was somewhat controversial. They are physically close to each other. I would be surprised if classes could not be taken at Suny Albany.
Op - did your scholarship cover room and board? D got her acceptance and a partial scholarship last night. Were a bit excited until we realized that the already seemingly expensive room and board prices were per semester
Given your interest in solid state devices, CNSE might be your thing. Have you been able to attend an open house at all, though?
As a fellow introvert myself, there aren’t as many organized things to do as you might expect. I know that you can join community clubs at UAlbany, as well as things like Orchestra and a handful of club sports. There are occasional events, but you’ll find it better to do things separately, with your own classmates. For example, I occasionally go hiking of my own accord. Other than that, getting sidetracked while you and your peers are trying to finish a homework assignment is always a great pastime.
Then again, I spend most of my time playing on my computer, so I might not be the best person to ask
You can do a limited amount of minors and majors. Some of my peers are doing a dual major in mathematics. I myself am doing a minor in mathematics. I believe you can also cross-register for class in the UAlbany campus, though only for elective credit.
@UndisputedTruth
While I understand that the phrase “full ride” is commonly used to mean pays everything, the OP actually used the phrase “full scholarship” which is less commonly used when meaning pays everything. In either case, there is enough ambiguity in common use to verify the actual meaning the speaker intended, rather than the meaning inferred by the reader.
