Hello, I am taking American Degree Transfer Program from INTI College, Malaysia. I am majoring in civil engineering specialling in transportation. I got admitted from all 3 universities, Iowa State University (IA), SUNY Buffalo(NY) or University of Nebraska-Lincoln (NE). I have no idea which should I chose? All universities seemed very interesting. I have made some research on them. They have pretty good academics, beautiful campus, and diversity, unique cultures. My parents recommended me to chose SUNY, but it seems expensive. This question is still puzzling me for weeks. Can anyone please give me some insights?
How much more expensive is the SUNY? On a travel airfare search site run some sample flights from you to each location. Are any of the locations much more expensive to get to than the others? Does that erase the cost differential?
What are the price differences? Assuming that they are roughly equal:
I’d lean toward Iowa State or Nebraska over SUNY Buffalo. Iowa state has the best engineering rankings and is the nicest of the towns (Ames). Nebraska is a big 10 school and you’ll get the full American college experience - sports and all - there. Buffalo is not the nicest of towns , has unpleasant weather, and is pretty boring. Buffalo has Niagara Falls, but you have to go the the Canadian side to get a good view.
Iowa State. although they are all good, IMO Iowa State is the best engineering school of the 3 and it is the least expensive for international students. $5000 per year less than the others. it also has the largest engineering career fair in the country.
however if your parents strongly prefer SUNY Buffalo, that is a very good choice as well.
bring warm clothes because all of these locations will be COLD in winter
I second the choice of Iowa State. This school gets very high ratings for Civil Engineering.
I mean the living costs in New York is quite high, as compared to the states in the midwest like in Nebraska and Iowa
The tuition fees is more or less the same. What I mean is the living costs in New York is quite high, as compared to the states in the midwest like in Nebraska and Iowa
It depends on your costs and your needs.
My daughter did engineering in Buffalo. She had a great experience, used some innovative management styles, and is working in Southern California for a huge contractor. We’re in California. I don’t think she would have survived those midwestern areas, but everyone is different.
The airport is 10 minutes to the school. Buffalo is split into two campuses. The main campus is in Amherst (closer) to the border. It is in NY so the shuttles to NYC are closer.
Nebraska and Iowa are in farmland. Yes, there are things to do there, but you may be flying out, a lot, for interviews.
Go, according to costs, if you are on a budget.
Iowa State would get my vote, although I start to worry that too many of us commentators seem to be in agreement on this. Iowa State does have a beautiful campus, and it will offer the All-American college football experience as well. You will like the people/students there.
I’ll argue against Iowa and Nebraska. Too isolated, too rural, too far from interesting places to explore. Nebraska is, quite frankly, a big bore. There, I’ve said it.
How much does each cost?
BTW, cost of living in New York City are very high, but not in Buffalo, New York State, about ten hours away from NYC.
I too would pick Iowa State because the weather is a bit better than Buffalo (tons of snow and ice, even now) or Lincoln Nebraska , the town is more interesting, and it’s the best academically.
^ Well, ISU and UNL are both big and in college towns filled with international students.
As an engineering student, you’re not going to have a lot of time to go about town anyway.
@“aunt bea”: She wouldn’t have survived those Midwestern places culturally? The weather is about the same as Buffalo.
on the whole Nebraska is pretty flat and boring but Lincoln is a city of 300,000. that does not sound isolated or rural to me.
Iowa State is a big campus with 36,000 students, and Ames Iowa is a college town of 60,000. that sounds kind of appealing to me.
and is Buffalo really some sophisticated metropolis with fascinating areas to explore? it’s Buffalo. well, they have Buffalo Wings, i will give them that. but otherwise it’s a bunch of drunk Bills fans body-slamming each other into folding tables at tailgates.
Regarding climate, Buffalo appears warmer than the other locations, should you prefer that:
Average January Low (F)
Buffalo: 18.3
Lincoln: 14.5
Ames: 10.8
(Sperling’s.)
Have you been to Lincoln? It is a town on its way out. Buffalo, no way, that is the middle of nowhere with brutal cold. Process of elimination would lead to Iowa. Pleasant campus, big student population and great program (from what people say on here), all the seasons.
@kimhao98 What are the top 3 priorities in a college for you and your family? Quality of program, size, location, spirit of school, price, demographics - what is the most important thing? You should decide around your priorities.
Western New York is not NYC. Culturally it is a lot closer to Nebraska and Iowa. The nearby big city (2 hrs) is Toronto. Sure, SUNY Buffalo is on the nicer side of town, but still nothing all that great.
It’s going to be more expensive to fly in an out of any of the nearby airports at any of the universities than to a major hub airport. The OP also has the potential issue of crossing an international border if the OP flew into Toronto where airfares are a lot lower. In general Buffalo<Des Moines<Lincoln for airfares from Malaysia.
Here’s some actual information about Buffalo. It would seem to be an excellent place for a rising civil engineer.
It sits at the confluence of Lake Erie and the Niagara River, with the massive Niagara power plant a few miles away.
The long-awaited replacement for the Peace Bridge to Canada is likely on its way in the near future. Buffalo recently unearthed the western terminus of the Erie Canal and it has become a focal point for downtown activity.
There is plenty of good food and excellent architecture from the likes of Richardson and Wright. The park system was designed by Olmsted and a '50s era expressway that dissects it is likely headed for redesign or replacement.
The city has a strong, revitalized core, but some of its neighborhoods remain in need of attention. Others are vibrant and thriving. Mass transit is minimal and inefficient.
The university is member of the American Association of Universities and is essentially New York’s flagship.
Three seasons are quite nice in Buffalo. Admittedly, winter takes a little getting used to. However, with a snowstorm forecast to hit the Northeast this week, they are hardly alone.
And we do love the Bills!
@merc81 : this doesn’t reflect windchill and whatever makes winter brutal in buffalo in ways it’s not in cold Nebraska and cold Iowa. I do think Suny Buffalo is excellent for engineering but not above Iowa, and temperatures feel way worse there. Also, cloudy skies. It’s just, brrr. Worse than Minnesota in my very personal opinion.
If they are available I would try to get your hands on some good college guide books (ex. Fiske, Princeton Review, Insiders Guide) and read up on your choices.
Personally my D’s friend liked SUNY Buffalo but I know nothing first-hand about the other schools.
@MYOS1634: Sperling’s attempts to take some of these factors into account, scoring Ames as a 33 out of 100, where a higher score indicates a more comfortable year-round climate, and rating Buffalo at 47. Regarding cloudy weather – albeit for a different season – The Places Rated Almanac states “Summers are mild [in Buffalo], with more sun here than anywhere else in the state.”
That said, I’ve lived on the plains (though somewhat further north than Iowa), and experienced an absolute cold there that I hadn’t encountered previously elsewhere.