I got accepted as a transfer to both SUNY Binghamton (put into Harpur for Economics due to late application but given option to transfer to SOM for Bus. Admin. w/ Finance concentration in Spring 2017) and American University Kogod for Finance. Both of the schools are so different, both in specializations, areas, and student body. Binghamton will be much, much cheaper than American ($12,000 vs. $35,000) but I wanted to know if anyone has any personal insight into the two schools. American is very attractive due to the great area, amazing connections, awesome internships, and their great international studies school (considering this to be my minor). How does Binghamton SOM compare to American’s internship or recruiting opportunities? What is the student body like at Binghamton? How is the social life? Is it hard to fit in as a transfer? Is transfer housing usually an issue?
Any insight on both or one school would be much appreciated!
I happen to loove DC, but I also love Binghamton 
I can’t speak for American but Binghamton SOM has a very good reputation. Everyone I know who graduated ended up with nice jobs, mostly in NYC. The student body at Binghamton is generally very friendly and active - obviously Binghamton isn’t the most vibrant urban town, so students try to make up for it by having a lot going on around campus. Everyone is part of some sort of club or organization and there really is something for everyone. On the weekends, most people go downtown to a bar or frat. I wasn’t as into that, so I did it less frequently and hung out on campus more.
I had a few friends who were transfers, it never seemed to be a big issue. Everyone is pretty chill here.
I can see why you’d want to go to american but I’m not sure it’s worth the price tag. Binghamton!ton SOM is fine, better if you major in accounting. The environment, well it’s not DC I can tell you that much but Bing students can find work in NYC. Most of the student body is from southern new York with a few internationals. If yo know a lot of your friends from high school are coming to Bing it might be a good fit. Otherwise, I’ll be honest and say that it can be difficult to meet people as a transfer but the good thing about SOM is that a lot of it is project based so you might get to make friends there. But the cliqueyness can be a drawback. Anyway, SoM is a good value and probably the best choice from a financial perspective.
@sprinkles12 My main goal after undergrad is to do management consulting overseas. If I went to American I would likely either double major in Finance and IR or major/minor. SUNY Bing doesn’t have an IR program. I know they have some regional studies and a Bus Admin - Global Management program but they’re not their strong suit (as far as I know). Also, I’m more interested in the macro IR because I’m not 100% sure yet the exact area I want to study. I wouldn’t mind working in NYC for a couple years and I’d love to graduate with less loans, but I’m wondering if the lack of international expertise at Bing would hurt my chances of getting placed overseas, and if it’s worth it to sacrifice lower loans for a better program.
Well, if wanting to choose American over Binghamton because of a specific program is understandable. Yeah, binghamton does have some study abroad options but it does not have an IR major and going to school in DC would give you access to internships and opportunities that you won’t get at bing. I wish you luck no matter where you end up going.