SUNY or Salus Scholars?

[winter25]

Hi everyone!

I need some advice. I'm trying to decide between SUNY and Salus Scholars. I keep going back and forth between the two...

The tuition would be about the same ($30k/year for 4 years at SUNY) vs. ($40k/year for 3 years at Salus). The main difference would be in paying for living expenses for an additional year at SUNY and working a year earlier with the Salus program. I know everyone always says go with the cheaper, but these are very different programs, so I feel like I should consider some different factors.

For one, the Salus program is still relatively new. No one has graduated from the program yet and it's such a small class size (12 people) that I'm worried I might not find people I really get along with. Will I be prepared for boards? Will I be super stressed since it's a year-round program for 3 years? Also, I feel like I would have more opportunities to get involved at SUNY. During my tour, students kept talking about all the different clubs/activities & I really like the fact that I could have a social life outside of school.

They are also very different programs. Salus uses a quarter-system and a lot of online learning so I wouldn't necessarily have to be in class everyday from 8-4. This is something I like because it would allow me to have more flexibility in my schedule. Also, since there's only 12 people in the program, I would get a lot more 1-1 attention with clinic & teachers. SUNY is a semester-system and has 100 people in the class.

Another factor is that SUNY is in NYC, which is without a doubt an incredible city. Salus, on the other hand, is more in the suburbs, so there's just less going on. (although I'm not even sure if I'll have too much time during optometry school to do stuff outside of opt school anyway). I would definitely need a car at Salus, whereas in NY I could just rely on public transportation.

Can anyone from either school provide some advice? I know I need to be the one to make the decision, but I'd love any input.

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[deleted613943]

I go to SUNY, but I grew up in the suburbs. Therefore, I'll give you a SUNY perspective of it. I also interviewed at Salus. I would say the two couple of big factors you should consider and lifestyle and curriculum of the program, as there is not too big of a difference financially.

Life style:

I have lived in the suburbs for a good 15 years, but I also lived in New York city, specifically Queens, when I was a kid for a good 3 years. Despite living in the suburbs so long, I was always a huge city girl on the inside. I therefore had no problems choosing SUNY for this reason. However, once I got to SUNY. I lived alone, and I felt super homesick the first two weeks of school. This was despite being rather well-adjusted to city life compared to a lot of my classmates. If you don't have family or friends in New York or you're not used to living in the city, be prepared to do some adjusting. Also, do A TON OF RESEARCH on the nyc housing market and its neighborhoods early on if you choose to come here. If you want tips on that feel free to pm me. I'm highly enthusiastic about this topic.

When I interviewed at Salus, I felt more at home in terms of setting. I didn't feel as home people wise. I knew way more people from undergrad that went to SUNY than I did anyone that went to Salus. Salus is very suburban and chill. Elkins park resembled my undergrad and home life. My big pet peeve is however driving which I would have had to do in Salus. If you like driving, then going to Salus is not bad. However, the cost of maintaining a car is higher than the cost of public transportation in the city. If you already have a car though, this shouldn't be too much of a problem if you come to Salus. If you come to SUNY, learn the basics of the subway system. Housing is also easier to find for Salus.

Curriculum wise:

This is a big difference. First year in SUNY looks like this: 4 hours of lectures in the morning and on average 3 hours of lab/clinic in the afternoon. At Salus, it's less hours in lecture and more hours in clinic. The former will help you more for part one of boards. Both will give you an early exposure to clinic, but you get more of it at Salus. Take your pick. Your days at SUNY will be filled with a lot of studying and being in lecture, but with a great payoff in the end. We, SUNY-O kids, are a super-tight knit community. Everybody helps each other out. Nobody wants you to fail. I'm not entirely too sure about what a typical day at PCO looks like. Ask a PCO kid.

Congratulations! Good luck with decisions!

 

[winter25]

I go to SUNY, but I grew up in the suburbs. Therefore, I'll give you a SUNY perspective of it. I also interviewed at Salus. I would say the two couple of big factors you should consider and lifestyle and curriculum of the program, as there is not too big of a difference financially.

Life style:

I have lived in the suburbs for a good 15 years, but I also lived in New York city, specifically Queens, when I was a kid for a good 3 years. Despite living in the suburbs so long, I was always a huge city girl on the inside. I therefore had no problems choosing SUNY for this reason. However, once I got to SUNY. I lived alone, and I felt super homesick the first two weeks of school. This was despite being rather well-adjusted to city life compared to a lot of my classmates. If you don't have family or friends in New York or you're not used to living in the city, be prepared to do some adjusting. Also, do A TON OF RESEARCH on the nyc housing market and its neighborhoods early on if you choose to come here. If you want tips on that feel free to pm me. I'm highly enthusiastic about this topic.

When I interviewed at Salus, I felt more at home in terms of setting. I didn't feel as home people wise. I knew way more people from undergrad that went to SUNY than I did anyone that went to Salus. Salus is very suburban and chill. Elkins park resembled my undergrad and home life. My big pet peeve is however driving which I would have had to do in Salus. If you like driving, then going to Salus is not bad. However, the cost of maintaining a car is higher than the cost of public transportation in the city. If you already have a car though, this shouldn't be too much of a problem if you come to Salus. If you come to SUNY, learn the basics of the subway system. Housing is also easier to find for Salus.

Curriculum wise:

This is a big difference. First year in SUNY looks like this: 4 hours of lectures in the morning and on average 3 hours of lab/clinic in the afternoon. At Salus, it's less hours in lecture and more hours in clinic. The former will help you more for part one of boards. Both will give you an early exposure to clinic, but you get more of it at Salus. Take your pick. Your days at SUNY will be filled with a lot of studying and being in lecture, but with a great payoff in the end. We, SUNY-O kids, are a super-tight knit community. Everybody helps each other out. Nobody wants you to fail. I'm not entirely too sure about what a typical day at PCO looks like. Ask a PCO kid.

Congratulations! Good luck with decisions!

Thank you! do you find that you have enough time to enjoy the city? Do you feel you have a life outside of school?

 

[deleted613943]

Thank you! do you find that you have enough time to enjoy the city? Do you feel you have a life outside of school?

Very little time, but you'll find a way. There are happy hours after exams.

For me, I like to go shopping or grab quick bites to eat with my friends/classmates on the way home. I am a huge foodie. I am a frequent customer of GongCha (W 39st in Manhattan) and FayDa bakery (Forest Hills, NY). Come here a month in advance and explore. If you don't come to nyc often, and you haven't done all the touristy things, do them during the summer before class starts. But please don't take one of those BIG BUS tours here. It makes you look like a tourist, and nyc is really a city of walking.

There are even optometry-related breaks you get from studying. I'm going to a Connecticut state optometrists' association meeting/get-away in Connecticut next next weekend with 25 of my classmates/upperclassmen. All hotel and meeting expenses paid. We also have vision screenings in the city, and you go around with your classmates and upperclassmen checking people's eyes. Those are fun. I'm going to one this weekend in Brooklyn. I'll also be in one that is in Flushing next month.


Honestly, there is so much here to do. It's always easy to find something to do in the city. You can just hop on a subway anytime you want and go wherever and whenever you want. You are spending your study breaks well in the city. Explore all the boroughs. Every neighborhood has their own small gems. It's not just Manhattan. This goes for housing too. Look at apartments in Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan.

 

[winter25]

how much does everyone study on average outside of class/clinic?

 

[deleted613943]

how much does everyone study on average outside of class/clinic?

Way too much for our own good. It's on average 3-5 hours a day. Most people, including me, try give an off day to do stuff like grocery shop/clean our apartment. That is usually me Friday afternoon after designated practice time. You also have to factor in the 3-4 hours per week we're practicing techniques outside of class/lab. You don't have it easy here. Trust me.

 

[winter25]

Way too much for our own good. It's on average 3-5 hours a day. Most people, including me, try give an off day to do stuff like grocery shop/clean our apartment. That is usually me Friday afternoon after designated practice time. You also have to factor in the 3-4 hours per week we're practicing techniques outside of class/lab. You don't have it easy here. Trust me.

Overall, are you happy with your decision to attend SUNY? Do you think most students are happy or is everyone way too stressed out all the time?

 

[deleted613943]

Overall, are you happy with your decision to attend SUNY? Do you think most students are happy or is everyone way too stressed out all the time?

I am happy with my decision to attend. I wouldn't have it any other way. I think most people are happy. There are definitely tough days that you forget why you're here, but there are also good days too. More good than bad. Your professors, your friends, and upperclassmen definitely remind you of the good, and why you're here. You realize that you are all in this together. You find ways to take your stress out and gain motivation to keep studying. It could be something just as simple as going to your professor's office to vent or an upperclassmen giving you encouragement. Remember you got in and you belong here. Don't stress too much about decisions and being here