SUNY vs. Nova-NEED Help+opinions Please!!

[steviey2493]

Well I just got pulled off of the wait list at SUNY today. I am a New York state resident. I also got accepted into Nova too. I need help and opinions from students there now, previously, or anyone with friends there!!!

My main concerns are, if I want to practice in NYS after I graduate, is SUNY going to be that much better of an edge? Is SUNY as hectic as some have said it is? Here is my pro/con list:

SUNY-Pros
1. Most consider it a top 3 school in the nation, very competitive reputation. Their first time board pass ratings are 95%, 99%, and 92%. Really good.
2. In state tuition (even with higher living cost) is cheaper than Nova, around $20k for me over 4 years
3. If I want to practice in New York, I'd think it'd get me a lot better connections and maybe an edge at a private practice for a career!
4. Life experience-Who gets to live in New York City, save money, then pack up and leave? Pretty cool.

SUNY-Cons
1. I've heard its stressful from students. Very type A. There is no summer session, so the spring and fall must definitely be more hectic. I think the day to day life is worse than Nova.
2. Commuting by subway each day I think is going to get old after a while. I can't just hop in my car, drive 3 miles, and be home. I can't hop in the car and go get fast food. The apartments aren't going to be as big or nice as Florida either.
3.I've lived in upstate NY for 22 years. Being in the city is a change, but the weather isn't. They do have a couple rotations in Florida and California though.

Nova-Pros
1. BEAUTIFUL campus. Loved the atmosphere. I believe the environment impacts your learning. I felt I could stay on campus all day. If I have a rough week or day, I get to go hang by a pool or a beach to calm my nerves, and the sun is always shining.
2. Living situation seems a lot more convenient. I'd have my car with a parking space right out front, and a good size apartment with resort style grounds. I feel it lifts up the mood right there.
3. The staff at Nova is awesome. Juan and Fran are very helpful and care a lot about their students.
4. The day to day life seems a lot easier to deal with. There are summer sessions so you are there more, but the curriculum is a bit more spread out.

Nova-Cons
1. My big thing I am concerned about would be attending Nova and maybe not being as connected or have an edge in getting an ideal job. I know Nova is a big deal down south, but I am 99.9% sure I won't practice there. I don't know if I should be worrying about this as much.
2. It is more expensive. It will cost me an estimated $20,000 more over the 4 years to go here.

So. I need help please! SUNY seems like it may be a better choice career wise in the long run. BUT, Nova seems to be a fit for me in the day to day life in optometry school. Am I over estimating the school I go to in terms of a job? I'd like to work in a privately owned place. Can any students from Nova or SUNY agree or disagree with some of these points for me? You can message me or post in here your thoughts. Thank you all a ton!

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[guest99]

I say NOVA, change of scene is sometimes better.

Both good schools

 

[happymango]

I'm a first year at SUNY. I solely went there for the reputation + cost. Honestly, when I visited, I hated the atmosphere of NYC. However, the city is not bad. There are some perks - always some cool thing happening in the city of lights. And everything is within walking distance. Using the subway everyday is not horrible, either since it runs regularly (just check the trains for delays before going to one!). Apartments are very expensive so I just went cheap and live in kind of a sucky apartment. But whatever, most of my time is spent at school anyway. The people here are not all type A. There is some competition but not nearly as bad as I thought. Overall, everyone is nice.

SUNY does have a good reputation b/c of our high board pass rates. However, they're not significantly higher than other schools, I think. And, I don't attribute SUNY for the high board pass rates. The students who get into SUNY have better OATs and better GPAs. So obviously these students will study more and better for boards ... hence the high pass rates.

So just choose where you think you'll be happier cause optometry school is not easy!!

 

[steviey2493]

Thanks for the reply! It's been decided I'm going to SUNY! I know the debt to income is a complaint among some people, and I just couldn't pass up the in state tuition rate. Plus I'll be able to have old friends visit and not have to worry about spending hundreds to get home!

For the boards I totally see your point. I def think the early clinical experience is a bonus though, for me at least in terms of learning.

I'll see you in the fall!! Can't wait!!!

 

[sergioowns1]

happymango could you tell me the cost of living on your "sucky" apartment?

 

[ODCareer.com]

You've certainly covered the majority of pro's and cons of each school except for one crucial one- $$$$$$$$. An optometry education is very expensive today given the AVERAGE optometry income (some OD's do very well for themselves and loans are of minimal concern). So 3 things I'd consider in your shoes.

1) SUNY will cost you much less over the course of your optometric education (if your in-state)
2) Where you go to school does not truly matter for jobs overall. You will however tend to develop more contacts in areas that you do your externships.
3) Each optom school tends to have their own "specialty". SUNY is binocular vision, NOVA is ocular disease. If you have a particular interest in one area of eyes consider leaning towards that school.

I've collected a significant amount of information on the optometry school cost, educational emphases, and other factors previously. See http://www.odcareer.com/optometry-school-comparison/ for more info.

 

[sergioowns1]

ODCarrer what does it mean in-state?