Hi. My son is undecided about what area of study to pursue. He has been accepted by BU and Boston. He got schlolarship of $35k and nothing from Bing. He is admitted to arts and sciences colleges at both schools. What’s the better school for the above situation?
I would select whichever school has the best price tag. (I’m not sure of your total cost at BU)
BU wouid be $10k more than Bing per year. Putting money aside is BU the better choice over Bing if you are entering freshmen who is undecided?
Is your son OOS for Binghamton? Total COA at BU is $75k, so you pay 40k. If he’s OOS at Bing, his COA is $42.5k. $10k is not unsubstantial, of course. If he’s instate, I would say he should go to Binghamton. I personally don’t feel BU is worth paying $40k a year for if he gets instate tuition to Bing. Bing is a public U and doesn’t have the huge endowment of BU.
Apart from that, Binghamton has good academics. Obviously, he needs to consider what environment he prefers. BU is urban and more than double the size of Binghamton. He will have larger classes initially. If he wants access to the outdoors, Binghamton is probably a better choice.
Can you afford the extra $10,000 a year for BU without hardship?
Personally, I do not think BU has stronger academics than Bing. Binghamton is a great school. I think it will come down to the environment that he prefers. Does he want to be in a city?
If cost is not a big factor, I would seriously consider BU. I’m not as familiar with Bing, but BU has tons of options for undecided students. In addition to arts and sciences, they have schools of communication, health sciences, business, education, and engineering. Advising is excellent and Boston offers great internship opportunities.
Sorry, saw your post #2. I would never pay $10k more a year for BU over Bing. Not worth it, IMO.
Thanks for all your comments. Yes we are from NY so instate tuttion applies. My son is also a city kid and went to a very culturally diverse H.S. I know BU is more city but Which school fits the diverse mold the best. In addition We are going to send appeal to BU for more $. Anyone been successful with an appeal?
It’s commonly thought that BU is notoriously stingy with aid, so try, but don’t expect much.
I’ve been to both schools, along with about 30 others. In terms of race, I think Binghamton is one of the most diverse schools I’ve ever seen. Not surprising for a public that takes the highest performing kids from around the state. BU is going to be more geographically diverse and will have more international students. It also has a much bigger student population. Binghamton is nothing like Boston. Is your son willing to try something different?
Personally, I don’t like BU at all. The campus is not cohesive, Warren Towers is awful, it’s huge and sprawling. Binghamton, if not lovely, has a real campus and will offer a more traditional college experience. Many kids who attend college in a city like Boston spend quite a lot of money going out in the city. Not so many places to spend your money in Binghamton.
BU’s campus is a matter of taste. My D loved the vibrant campus, loved running along the Charles River, and especially loved living in Warren Towers her Freshman year.
ok so none of the schools are top 20 but BU definitely has better reputation and more interesting/diverse student body. if money is an issue Bing is fine but if you are ok with extra $10 per year i would go to BU…and yes campus is a matter of taste
Definitely agree that BU’s campus is a matter of taste. Cannot see how one would think the reputation of Binghamton would be on par with BU. BU is a top ~30/40 school with a national reputation and T1 admission stats; the same cannot be said for Binghamton.
I don’t think the fundamental quality of undergraduate education is tangibly better at BU than at Binghamton. If the “draw” of BU is the city experience… the BU summer session has extensive course offerings with open enrollment and housing options. If this were my kid, I’d suggest he go to Bing, and offer to spend some of the money saved on a summer or two at BU. Best of both worlds - he can have fun in Boston when the weather is nice, and take some interesting classes at BU that will transfer into Bing, and enjoy an affordable education on a more traditional campus during the academic year.
While the “worth it” factors depends on much, if someone is drawn by a city I do not think this solution. I would personally be pretty miserable in that scenario as a city lover. And of course I could make the best of it, but school is 4 years of your life, which just like 40K, is also nothing to sneeze at.
If the 10K a year difference doesn’t include loans, I would go BU here for fit reasons, and to some extent academics, though I agree the academic experiences won’t be a night and day difference. BU will carry more prestige, but that only plays a significant role in a few select majors and industries these days.