UMASS alum needs SUNY advice

Colleges and Universities A-Z SUNY - General
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<p>My wife and I both graduated from UMASS and we both had great experiences. Our son is a High School senior and was accepted to UMASS (Communications program). We live in New York and the tuition at UMass has gone through the roof. I also hear that they are trying to increase OOS acceptances so that the increased tuition will offset some of the budget cuts.</p>

<p>My son is a good student and has been accepted to a number of SUNY schools including Albany, New Paltz, and Oneonta. We do not know what to do. All of the SUNY schools are good ones and I believe that New Paltz is rated even higher then UMass. So we are torn.</p>

<p>Our son can go to UMass for $34K or a SUNY school for $17K. I do not want to sound cheap but what what will he get for the extra money? We have visited all of the SUNY schools and they seem very nice and I am sure that he can have a great experience at either one.</p>

<p>I would love any advice, recommendations or thoughts that you can provide.</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

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<p>Welcome to CC and congrats to your son. He has three fine choices in his SUNY acceptances. Has he visited all three schools? They each will have a different “feel” and vibe, but he will be able to find what he needs academically at any of those schools. Not sure what the value-add would be for UMass. And no, you’re not being cheap.</p>

<p>My D is a sophomore at UBuffalo, a school she chose over other more highly ranked schools, including two Ivies. She chose UB for fit, felt that it was the right choice for her, and she is thriving. We were looking at paying close to full freight at any of her other schools, but were prepared (<em>gulp</em>) and fortunately able, to have done that. So although she did not choose UB for financial reasons, there is absolutely no question that it has created a far more flexible financial situation for our family. In addition, she was fortunate enough to receive a full tuition scholarship, and will graduate debt-free, and with far more options in terms of grad school, travel, the kinds of jobs she’ll be able to pursue, etc. </p>

<p>New Paltz is a hot school right now, its reputation is on the rise, it’s got an artsy vibe, and a progressive administration doing very interesting things. Look for CC poster LilyMoon; her son is a happy transer to NP I believe and she sings the school’s praises.</p>

<p>Oneonta has a really high quality communications program (I have had direct experience with interns placed from that program). There are also some interesting hidden gem programs at Oneonta that suprise some people (for example it hosts the Cooperstown Graduate Program in Museum Studies, one of the most highly regarded programs in the county in that field). Oneonta can be logistically difficult, transportation-wise. It is also very much a college town, with Hartwick also located there. </p>

<p>Albany is of course much larger, and urban, and again, has its own distinct flavor. Lots of opportunities for convenient internships in the Capital Region (media companies, pr, advertising, state government). Convenient public transportation also, if that’s a concern.</p>

<p>Good luck to your son.</p>

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<p>It’s not about being cheap, it’s about being smart. These days it really doesn’t matter which school you go to, unless it’s an ivy. Almost everyone goes to college now and an undergraduate degree is no longer what it once was. </p>

<p>Today, a masters is required to differentiate yourself. So a state school at 17k is as good as UMASS or any other college. Nobody is waiting at the doors for your child when he graduates. Plenty of kids can’t even get jobs no matter where they went to school. I know others will chime in about how there is a difference and for some majors there may be, but overall it doesn’t really matter. My son is going to New Paltz and then he will go on to get an MBA. Spend the money on a top grad school and your son will go a lot further in a career.</p>

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<p>SUNY for sure. No need to pay double for a school that is on par with the SUNY’s. Also, for Communication major, no need to look outside SUNY. The education your son will receive will be fine at a SUNY. If for some reason, your son decided to major in a specific area not offered at his SUNY, transfer after Sophomore year.</p>

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<p>I can’t think of any reason to choose U Mass over a SUNY, especially if it is going to cost so much more. Orchestramom’s input was excellent. Your S should, if possible, visit each of the 3 SUNY schools. This should help him decide.</p>

<p>By the way, in the rankings, New Paltz is 43 and Oneonta is 45. So both are highly ranked.</p>

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<p>Romann</p>

<p>I assume you have talked your son out of Northeastern and its “scam” coop program, to use the insulting term you called it on another thread. You never posted an apology for that crack despite 15 posts explaining and defending Northeastern and its coop program.</p>

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<p>TomSrOfBoston</p>

<p>Northeastern is out of the running!!! Based on much of the feedback, it appears that no apology is necessary. I trust that you are one that had a positive experience.</p>

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<p>So you still think that coop is a scam? Sad. I feel sorry for your son. </p>

<p>Most replies to your initial post denounced your claim.</p>

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<p>I value constructive criticism of colleges on these boards and that posters are free to state their personal opinions of such colleges whether it be negative or positive. But personal attacks against any poster detract from the purpose of the thread.</p>

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<p>My neice is sr at NP…my daughter is a freshman at Oneonta. Thay are both excellent students and both love their choices. Neice is more of the “artsy” crowd previously mentioned, daughter is more athletic prep crowd. They often discuss the relative merits of each, but in the end, both are excellent SUNY choices with increasing reputations. This one is a “feel test” for your son.</p>

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<p>Muffy333</p>

<p>Thank you for your post regarding personal attacks! I think that you summed it up perfectly.</p>

<p>Also, thanks to everyone else for your constructive input. Keep it coming!!</p>

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<p>If he’s sure about Communications, I’d recommend Oneonta. Out of the 3 SUNY’s you’ve mentioned, they have the stronger Communications dept.</p>

<p>My friend’s son just finished visiting both New Paltz and Albany. He liked Albany better.
During his visit, he attended a men’s basketball game at the college and had a blast. He felt that there was more going on at the campus and he liked the easy access to off-campus stuff—malls, restaurants, movies, and access to Albany. It’s important to remember that this is HIS opinion. Other’s may feel differently.</p>

<p>You really need to visit these schools before making your decision. All 3 of these colleges offer a great bang for your buck. You need to visit and see which campus environment
(and surrounding area) feels right to your son.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

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<p>Hi if it helps, I went to SUNY New Paltz from 72-77. Times were different, the world was different. But it was the best experience…My daughter very much wanted to go and was rejected. Major bummer. But she’'s over it. SUNY NP has good academics, great theater and arts, english, psych, teaching. John Turturro and i were roomates, how cool was that. I don’t know about Comm though. And the social life is …well what can I say. Through the roof. It was the best. In the 80s the alum dept sent me an appeal saying that they’d worked hard to re-brand SUNY NP so it wasn’t known so much as a party school. I wanted to write back saying that that was NOT an incentive for me to give. My social life was almost as important as my academic life. Almost. Anyway, good luck, I hope it helps. </p>

<p>DR</p>