SUNY-Binghamton or SUNY-Stony Brook

[j814wong]

SUNY-Binghamton
Pros
- Far enough to become independent but close enough to go take a van service home on holidays or occasional weekends.
- Nearly as good as Stony Brook biology department-wise but research lacks in comparison to Stony Brook but not in a very negative and unappealing way.
- Not as many pre-meds (still a lot) as Stony Brook so I can focus more on learning than competing.
- I like the student body of Bing more than that of Stony Brook because students seem a bit more relaxed there.
- Research is not as great as Stony Brook but still good enough for me to build a resume and do something interesting.

Cons
- Weather is so-so, not the best by any means, but tolerable.
- Not as bike friendly as Long Island.
- No established cycling club or team (The latter isn't exactly easy to establish without good funding to start with anyway).
- Not as prestigious as Stony Brook in terms of science but what matters is achievement during undergraduate. In the end, Binghamton still offers enough opportunities to shine as pre-medical applicant.


SUNY-Stony Brook
Pros
- More prestigious biology department but as you good folks probably know, prestige isn't that important. What matters are grades, and extracurriculars which both universities provide anyhow. Look at cons.
- University Scholars Program (I am not all too impressed with it though. The things they offer can be attained with a little personal effort outside the program. 250 students are admitted to this program so I am competing with 250 other bright students for limited resources part of the program. This can partly be a con.)
- Better research (However, asI don't have any interested in research heavy medical schools, this is only a small Pro)

Cons
-1 hour drive from home. Too close for my liking and my parents would force me to return home every weekend. If this can be avoided (Every other weekend would be fine perhaps) then this can count as a Pro.
- More prestigious biology program attracts a great deal of pre-meds that I would have to compete with for resources and opportunities. I would consider myself bright (I rank in top 3% of my HS Senior class) but still not bright enough to compete efficiently with plenty of other pre-meds
- No established cyclingteam (This isn't exactly easy to establish without good funding to start with anyway).
- Campus is dead on weekends.

I personally lean towards Binghamton How can I get a definitive answer? Any advice on how I should approach this?

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[nysegop]

Stony Brook
Closer to New York = Win

Binghamton is actually harder to get into even though Stony Brook bio is "more prestigious". Binghamton also ranks higher. They both have only 47% female which is just weird. Honestly though, none of that matters. Choose based on location and cost. They both are excellent schools with good science departments and a fair amount of research.

 

[Arijos0222]

Stony brook

I have a house near there. If you can coexist with the elitist then you will be fine.

 

[j814wong]

Regarding the Stony Brook student population, I know that pre-meds tend to gravitate towards there rather than towards SUNY. Are the people that go to Stony Brook more aggressive when it comes to academics and less willing to help out at Binghamton as some others have said in other places? Or are those people just the kind of pre-meds and gunners that just at like they are "all that" and such or are the pre-meds smarter and more competitive than those at Binghamton?

Really, both schools have their merits and the deciding factor is the student population. I'm not very outgoing when it comes to interacting with peers but I think I interact with teachers and superiors quite fine.

Specifically, I am not look for a student body that I fit into but one that I am able to succeed against in the battle that is pre-med. I'm no gunner nor will I mess with anyone's academics but I want to be sure I can deal with the types of pre-meds at each school.




Also, is the University Scholars Program at Stony Brook really that special scholarships aside? It promises personalized academic advising but this could be gotten anywhere if I just take an initiative and visit advisers often regardless of school. It also promises priority registration which I don't see as anything amazing despite being nice to have. Another thing that is probably the most interesting is the "Opportunities to participate in special symposia, trips, and other co-curricular activities". Are these opportunities really that special that it gives the Scholars a significant boost?

Thanks for your help everyone.

 

[nysegop]

Regarding the Stony Brook student population, I know that pre-meds tend to gravitate towards there rather than towards SUNY. Are the people that go to Stony Brook more aggressive when it comes to academics and less willing to help out at Binghamton as some others have said in other places? Or are those people just the kind of pre-meds and gunners that just at like they are "all that" and such or are the pre-meds smarter and more competitive than those at Binghamton?

Really, both schools have their merits and the deciding factor is the student population. I'm not very outgoing when it comes to interacting with peers but I think I interact with teachers and superiors quite fine.

Specifically, I am not look for a student body that I fit into but one that I am able to succeed against in the battle that is pre-med. I'm no gunner nor will I mess with anyone's academics but I want to be sure I can deal with the types of pre-meds at each school.




Also, is the University Scholars Program at Stony Brook really that special scholarships aside? It promises personalized academic advising but this could be gotten anywhere if I just take an initiative and visit advisers often regardless of school. It also promises priority registration which I don't see as anything amazing despite being nice to have. Another thing that is probably the most interesting is the "Opportunities to participate in special symposia, trips, and other co-curricular activities". Are these opportunities really that special that it gives the Scholars a significant boost?

Thanks for your help everyone.

Stony Brook is part of SUNY...............

 

[j814wong]

Stony Brook is part of SUNY...............

My mistake. I know that. I meant to say SUNY Binghamton.

 

[Promotetruth]

Biological sciences is ranked by US world report as 181 at Binghamton and 68 at StonyBrook. 181 is pretty crappy!

 

[j814wong]

Biological sciences is ranked by US world report as 181 at Binghamton and 68 at StonyBrook. 181 is pretty crappy!

That ranking is specifically for the graduate school. If you press on that rank, it takes you to the graduate school section.

I don't believe that a college's graduate school should be considered a comparison point among colleges when looking into said college's undergraduate department.

Also, some people have said that US News is inaccurate in that it places too much emphasis on how much money or funding a college gets in determining ranks. Stony Brook recieves more funding than Binghamton I'm sure but that does not necessarily say that Binghamton's program is that much worse than Stony Brook. I don't really tust those rankings. I actually prefer studentreviews.com to US News in that it's first hand ratings from students past and present. But of course, it is subject to its own set of flaws and bias.

Even those medical school admittance rates on are subject to bias in how each college generates that number. Binghamton claims 65% while I can't find any numbers for Stony Brook on their website or their resources.

Another reason Stony Brook is not as exciting to me is that despite the funding it's research programs get, I'm not interested in much research. I'll do some research in college, Binghamton or Stony Brook. but I want to concentrate more time and efforts in community service.

_____________

But the issue remains in the types of students that go to each school. That, in my opinion is the deciding factor because, student body aside, I am sure that both colleges can offer quality education (Despite SB being superior in research).

 

[j814wong]

Stony brook

I have a house near there. If you can coexist with the elitist then you will be fine.

What do you mean by elitists? Do you mean people who are actually very smart and challenging? Gunners? People who are all talk?

 

[Bones DO]

SUNY-Binghamton
Pros
- Far enough to become independent but close enough to go take a van service home on holidays or occasional weekends.
- Nearly as good as Stony Brook biology department-wise but research lacks in comparison to Stony Brook but not in a very negative and unappealing way.
- Not as many pre-meds (still a lot) as Stony Brook so I can focus more on learning than competing.
- I like the student body of Bing more than that of Stony Brook because students seem a bit more relaxed there.
- Research is not as great as Stony Brook but still good enough for me to build a resume and do something interesting.

Cons
- Weather is so-so, not the best by any means, but tolerable.
- Not as bike friendly as Long Island.
- No established cycling club or team (The latter isn't exactly easy to establish without good funding to start with anyway).
- Not as prestigious as Stony Brook in terms of science but what matters is achievement during undergraduate. In the end, Binghamton still offers enough opportunities to shine as pre-medical applicant.


SUNY-Stony Brook
Pros
- More prestigious biology department but as you good folks probably know, prestige isn't that important. What matters are grades, and extracurriculars which both universities provide anyhow. Look at cons.
- University Scholars Program (I am not all too impressed with it though. The things they offer can be attained with a little personal effort outside the program. 250 students are admitted to this program so I am competing with 250 other bright students for limited resources part of the program. This can partly be a con.)
- Better research (However, asI don't have any interested in research heavy medical schools, this is only a small Pro)

Cons
-1 hour drive from home. Too close for my liking and my parents would force me to return home every weekend. If this can be avoided (Every other weekend would be fine perhaps) then this can count as a Pro.
- More prestigious biology program attracts a great deal of pre-meds that I would have to compete with for resources and opportunities. I would consider myself bright (I rank in top 3% of my HS Senior class) but still not bright enough to compete efficiently with plenty of other pre-meds
- No established cyclingteam (This isn't exactly easy to establish without good funding to start with anyway).
- Campus is dead on weekends.

I personally lean towards Binghamton How can I get a definitive answer? Any advice on how I should approach this?

SBU would have more research opportunities and the winters are milder. It's not that expensive to dorm, and if you have a really high SAT they may give you a full ride and boarding + books, assuming you're top 3% in a class of several hundred, instead of top 3% in a class of 50.

 

[nysegop]

Biological sciences is ranked by US world report as 181 at Binghamton and 68 at StonyBrook. 181 is pretty crappy!

1. That ranking is for the graduate Biological Sciences department. Undergraduate education is a lot different than graduate education.
2. Rankings honestly aren't that important.

 

[Arijos0222]

What do you mean by elitists? Do you mean people who are actually very smart and challenging? Gunners? People who are all talk?

I'm from that area and you come across people who go to private schools on the island or have uber-rich families that come from old money. Me being Hispanic, I am somewhat of an outsider in the area (my house is in brookville) and while they don't bother you, they certainly don't associate with you.

It's an "ivy league" atmosphere since many people from Long Island are well known and they send their kids to these schools because they are alumni.

Personally, I fit in but it's a totally different world to people who aren't used to it. Mansions and huge estates everywhere.

 

[nysegop]

I'm from that area and you come across people who go to private schools on the island or have uber-rich families that come from old money. Me being Hispanic, I am somewhat of an outsider in the area (my house is in brookville) and while they don't bother you, they certainly don't associate with you.

It's an "ivy league" atmosphere since many people from Long Island are well known and they send their kids to these schools because they are alumni.

Personally, I fit in but it's a totally different world to people who aren't used to it. Mansions and huge estates everywhere.

Some people have helipads right next to their driveway so they can helicopter to work in the morning. I'm not kidding...

 

[Arijos0222]

Some people have helipads right next to their driveway so they can helicopter to work in the morning. I'm not kidding...

Yes I know exactly what you're talking about lol one of my father's co-worker does that.

We don't need to, he can bike to the office

 

[nysegop]

Yes I know exactly what you're talking about lol one of my father's co-worker does that.

We don't need to, he can bike to the office

Your father must be smart.
It's good for the environment.
Good for overall health (including brain function)
Decreases congestion.
Saves money.

 

[j814wong]

Yes I know exactly what you're talking about lol one of my father's co-worker does that.

We don't need to, he can bike to the office

+1 to bike commuting!

 

[j814wong]

Yes I know exactly what you're talking about lol one of my father's co-worker does that.

We don't need to, he can bike to the office

+1 to bike commuting!

 

[Arijos0222]

Your father must be smart.
It's good for the environment.
Good for overall health (including brain function)
Decreases congestion.
Saves money.

yeah he realizes it's pointless to use our car because it does like 12 MPG in the city (Jaguar XJR) and if it snows that's the only time he does use it. He's also conscious about the environment and is thinking about selling it and getting a Nissan leaf and that's not a joke lol

 

[nysegop]

yeah he realizes it's pointless to use our car because it does like 12 MPG in the city (Jaguar XJR) and if it snows that's the only time he does use it. He's also conscious about the environment and is thinking about selling it and getting a Nissan leaf and that's not a joke lol

I'll take a Jaguar XJR any day.

 

[j814wong]

Can someone give me more details about the grading policies for Stony Brook and/or Binghamton's introductory biology, introductory chemistry, introductory physics, and calculus coureses?

What of grading curves?

 

[Yankeedoodle13]

Estates everywhere? True, you won't find that in Binghamton. Abject poverty. Got that one! Meth houses on many corners? Check. Poor schools and run down communities. Check. high rates of depression, food stamps, unemployment. Yes! A miserable climate and a brain drain operative over a 20 year period with no possibility of an uptake in the economic trajectory. Yes! Binghamton has all that and more. Twenty years ago a New York Times article called Binghamton a burned out industrial city. And now looking back, those were the good old days. Now Binghamton (and Vestal and Johnson City) can best be described as colossal dumps. I suppose whether you prefer the estates to the poverty depends on what you are looking for. I'd rather be surrounded by estates I'd never be able to afford than be stuck in a city where the property has become so worthless that the only people left are those lacking education and resources enough to move. But that is just my opinion.

 

[Arijos0222]

Estates everywhere? True, you won't find that in Binghamton. Abject poverty. Got that one! Meth houses on many corners? Check. Poor schools and run down communities. Check. high rates of depression, food stamps, unemployment. Yes! A miserable climate and a brain drain operative over a 20 year period with no possibility of an uptake in the economic trajectory. Yes! Binghamton has all that and more. Twenty years ago a New York Times article called Binghamton a burned out industrial city. And now looking back, those were the good old days. Now Binghamton (and Vestal and Johnson City) can best be described as colossal dumps. I suppose whether you prefer the estates to the poverty depends on what you are looking for. I'd rather be surrounded by estates I'd never be able to afford than be stuck in a city where the property has become so worthless that the only people left are those lacking education and resources enough to move. But that is just my opinion.

I'd choose SUNY too. Very very good for the Physical Sciences.