<p>I recently got accepted and my parents really want me to check out this school. </p>
<p>I heard the science program is good but i'm a little apprehensive about the size/location. All my other choices are smaller more rural colleges like Geneseo and Juniata. </p>
<p>Stony Brook looks a little too big. Can anyone tell me how the class sizes are there? I mean can you make close friends or get help from professors? Or is it just one big pool, where you're on your own. </p>
<p>Stony Brook is a great choice for science majors... my friend is a freshman there, though, and she said her introductory classes were about 500 students. So obviously, that would be the "big pool" type of situation, but I don't know about the higher level classes.</p>
<p>What you may want to do is schedule a visit to Stony Brook and follow it up with a visit to Geneseo. Your parents (and you) will realize that they are two totally different college environments. Visit each and you'll have a better idea of what type of environment is a better fit for you.</p>
<p>I suggest you do a search on weather at Cornell, which would be not different from Geneseo.</p>
<p>Most people I know (4-5) who went to Cornell liked Cornell but hated the weather from November through March. Thats 50% of your time there. If you are a person who gets depressed with long, cold winters, take that into consideration with Geneseo.</p>
<p>Well i've had the chance to visit Geneseo and absolutely love the campus, since I live in the northeast already, the weather didn't seem much different to what i'm used to. </p>
<p>Thanks for the info though, I definitely plan on visiting Stony Brook for a comparison. :)</p>
<p>Though it seems, Geneseo would be a better fit for what i'm looking for, just hope I can get accepted.</p>
<p>Okay, SUNY Stony Brook is an excellent school for basically every type of science, but note that many of the professors teach thousands of students each year, so it's kind of like being a little fish in a big sea. I would check it out, personally... I did not fall in love with Stony Brook, I'm considering Geneseo or Bing as my SUNY backups =)</p>
<p>Intro science courses at Stony Brook are big, but in most departments (even in the sciences) you quickly get to smaller courses with more personal attention. Even the biggest classes with the busiest professors usually have accessible office hours with profs who are happy to help, as well as lots of TA availability (and TAs are often great, dedicated teachers). What are you planning on majoring in, besides doing the pre-med sequence?</p>
<p>You definitely can make close friends among other students and form relationships with professors. When I first got to SB, I thought it was terrifyingly enormous--my entire high school only had ~200 students, and at Stony Brook my chem lecture alone had more than that! There was definitely a week or so where I wondered if I would ever see the same person around campus twice. But I quickly realized it wasn't as overwhelming as it seemed at first. You settle into routines, find a niche, and get close to people surprisingly quickly if you put yourself out there. I've had 500 person classes, but I've also had 4 person tutorials and independent studies. I almost never walk across campus without seeing at least a few people I know, and lots of professors know me well. Plus, there are always new people to meet and new niches to explore if you feel like you're getting into a rut.</p>
<p>The academic advising is an area where you do have to look out for yourself, since the general academic advisors aren't always knowledgeable about specific major tracks, and the departmental advisors vary in their skill and commitment to undergrad advising. </p>
<p>But in most respects, a big school can feel a lot smaller than you'd think.</p>
<p>Ahh yes Geneseo and Binghamton are on my list as well though Geneseo is more of a top choice than a back up for me hehe. :P</p>
<p>And Pseudonym thanks so much for the informative post. I plan on majoring in biology and maybe doing a music minor. Definitely gonna be a biology major though. </p>
<p>Your post was quite reassuring, atleast now I know that it is possible to find your place at Stony Brook. Were you able to do 4 person tutorials your freshman year? Or are most of the classes 500+ as a freshman?</p>
<p>As for the advising program you mentioned. If I need to look out for myself, would it possibly be harder to choose the right track for medicine?</p>
<p>Here's a review of the school from The Princeton Review:</p>
<p>State University Of New York - Stony Brook University</p>
<p>"Stony Brook University “is a great place for ambitious, focused students who actually want to learn something” at a “great research university in which classes are challenging and interesting.” Nearly half the undergraduates here pursue traditionally punishing majors such as biology, computer science (“one of the best undergraduate computer science programs,” according to at least one student), and engineering. The school also boasts “a strong marine biology program,” a popular undergraduate business program, and a solid selection of liberal arts majors. Students in the science and tech majors describe the school as “challenging but worth it,” noting that “the sciences here are amazing. Now that I’m interviewing for medical schools, I’m seeing just how highly they think of Stony Brook’s undergraduate science programs!” Professors are accomplished and, while “They can be boring, they know what they’re teaching like the back of their hand. They will be very helpful in office hours, as long as you ask questions that show them you’re trying.” As at similar schools, “The only thing you have to watch out for, occasionally, is getting a professor who does not speak English well; that can cause some problems!” Students have “plenty of research opportunities” here, which is another plus. Stony Brook’s administration “may consist of nice people, but it’s pretty poorly organized. When there is some sort of paperwork involved, nothing ever goes right the first time around. Also, nothing is convenient, and you’ll usually have to go in circles to get something done.” Most students find the difficulties worth enduring and focus instead on how the school delivers “a great education for a reasonable price.”
"The typical student at Stony Brook University “is a middle-class Long Island or Queens kid of Jewish, East Asian, or Indian background.” Minority populations are large across a broad demographic range; the school is home to many who are “either Asian, African American, or Hispanic and very, very liberal.” Subpopulations “tends to stick to themselves. . . . The atypical students are probably quite miserable at Stony Brook. There is definitely a very Long Island high school–like atmosphere,” in part because of the large commuter population and in part because the student body is so large. One student writes, “All students fit in, but the student body is often impersonal, and it is very difficult to develop lasting friendships and relationships as a result.”
"“Life at Stony Brook depends on whom you surround yourself with,” students tell us. While “a lot of students complain that there’s nothing to do on campus,” others counter that “the problem is that students aren’t willing to put in the effort to find those activities.” One undergrad explains, “There are many activities in campus life. However, you won’t be aware of them at all if you don’t . . . look them up. There are a lot of places where you can go play sports, and most dorms have places to play pool, Ping-Pong, or just watch TV.” The school is home to “lots of student clubs with something for everyone” and Division I intercollegiate athletic teams, but “No one goes to athletic games. It’s really depressing as a pep band member to play to a dead crowd.” Hometown Stony Brook “is basically suburban. It is not the best college town. There are a few clubs and bars in the area that some students go to on Thursday nights. However, you have to have a car to get there. . . . If I want to have fun, I generally have to go into the city [NYC]. The city is about 2 hours away by train.”</p>