Union....hidden gem

<p>I am curious about Union. The New York Times recently identified the college as one of its hidden gems. It seems that Union is an ideal destination for a top quality education, great athletics, and it's not impossible to get into. My exposure to Union graduates has left me admiring them as much as any Ivy League types. Apparently, their new president is one of the best to lead the college in a long, long time. Any thoughts?</p>

<p>Welcome to the forum, psiupsilon. </p>

<p>I have not visited Union but have thought of it as one of the "undervalued stocks" in colleges -- schools which are very solid but for whatever reason do not get all the attention and application pressure of some other excellent schools.</p>

<p>Schools in upstate New York have to compete with some solid state schools as well as Cornell. Upstate New York also does not have the same "cachet" as a destination as New England -- although the weather may be quite similar! As a result, schools such as Union and U of Rochester, Hamilton, etc. among others can be relatively good "admissions values." </p>

<p>You may want to post on the Union College forum as well to get feedback. <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/forumdisplay.php?f=420%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/forumdisplay.php?f=420&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Thank you. Your comment on the New England schools vis a vis the New York ones is very interesting and helpful.</p>

<p>great school, one of my favorites</p>

<p>psiupsilon:
What other schools are you comparing it to? What are you looking for in a college? Or do you attend Union now?</p>

<p>We visited a few weeks ago. I was surprised the NYT called Union a "hidden" gem. It's a pretty hot gem around these parts! The weather was great on the day we visited and the campus was beautiful. Very nicely manicured lawns and gardens. Unfortunately school was not in session, so we couldn't get a true "feel" of the place. It is definitely on our list.</p>

<p>Weenie,
No I do not attend Union. I thought this was a parents' forum.
It is the subtlety of Union's reputation that I find interesting. With its history and its assets, I wonder why it does not enjoy greater acclaim on the national stage.</p>

<p>There was a discussion of Union a few weeks ago. Summary: lovely, a lot of people like it, very preppy/rich/party atmosphere, some people disappointed in quality of academics. I'm sure you can find the thread if you look; it may have been one that discussed a bunch of colleges.</p>

<p>We visited Union with our son a few months ago and came away very impressed. We're originally from the Albany area so we knew the school well. Academics are well respected and the physical plant is beautifully maintained. I think Union has been hurt, as have other upstate schools, by the upstate economy. Schenectady is less than inviting and areas South of campus aren't pretty. One downside to us was the fact they run on a trimester system; three 10 week sessions. The first break begins at Thanksgiving and students don't return until after new year's. It seems like a tough way to get acclimated in your first year. Has anyone had experience with the trimester system and how have your sons/daugthers coped?</p>

<p>For some thoughts on trimesters:</p>

<p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=82486&highlight=trimester%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=82486&highlight=trimester&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>I attend a school with at trimester system and I love it. It was not difficult to adjust to at all, in my opinion</p>

<p>My niece recently graduated from Union and loved her time there. She wasn't crazy about the trimester system though because none of her friends were home while she was (long fall break) and she arrived home at year end long after her friends making it tough to get a job. She adapted, though, and found ways to make use of the long break (like traveling, working). My niece had lots of contact with her profs and was offered summer internships.</p>

<p>My DD attends a qtr system school (4 qtrs per yr, you attend 3). Like the trimester system, the classes move quickly. In the qtr system, my DD was done with 1st qtr before Thanksgiving, came home for 2 weeks and could really relax before going back to start new.</p>

<p>I'll mention one thing about Union's trimester system. Because (unlike, say, Chicago and Stanford) they start early, as the other posters have noted they have a six-week break. It's really easy to get significant hours at retail jobs during that period. Both of my kids envied their friend from Union who essentially worked full-time plus during the Christmas shopping season and made some serious dollars.</p>

<p>Not much different from my school (back in the day) that had a 7 week winter session. I had a job as a bank teller and made a good salary. Was offered to continue in the summer, but being young and stupid, preferred to work as a lifeguard (making a lot less).</p>

<p>Hi, MLS716,</p>

<pre><code> My son will be entering his sophomore year at Union and absolutely loves the trimester system. The year before he entered, despite faculty objections, the students voted by a large majority to keep the system as it was.
I wouldn't want to be one a trimester basis - school isn't over until the second week in June and school breaks don't coincide with any other schools, but my son points out:
1. Three courses per term is a more manageable load
2. Opportunity to take more classes in different areas - 9 rather than 8
3. Opportunity to take extra courses
4. More scheduling flexibility - more opportunities to take courses that

might otherwise be closed out
</code></pre>

<p>He loved freshman year and is eagerly anticipating returning on Labor Day.</p>