SUNY Binghamton

Actually located in Vestal, NY (close to Pennsylvania), on 887 acres above the Susquehanna River;  SUNY Binghamton is touted as a "Public Ivy".  It is also "the number one best value in the nation," says Kiplinger Magazine in 2010.  The average cost of tuition, room & board is $18,000 per year.  That's a deal compare to the "Actual Ivys", who average $50,000 per year.  But alas, it is quite competitive.  Over 20,000 apply each year for just over 2,000 seats.  There is also quite a large number of transfer students as well (over 4,000 apply for just under1,000 seats).   One third of SUNY Binghamton students transfered from somewhere else.  This begs the obvious question, "Why don't these students just start out at Binghamton to begin with?"  The answer is simple, the transfer requirements are easier to fulfill than the freshman requirements.  Out of the six schools on campus, the two hardest to get accepted into are the School of Management and the Decker School of Nursing. 

With a total student body of over 11,000; SUNY Binghamton is the third largest of all the SUNYs that confer doctorate degrees.  The student body is diversified, but with a disproportionately larger group of Jewish students from Long Island.  Bare in mind the winters at Binghamton are bitter, with an average temperature of 15 degrees F, and a wind chill of -20 degrees F.  Summers are beautiful at a high of 80 degrees F; but with a 190 acres of forest and wetland nature preserve on campus, there is very little to do on or off campus for the city folks.  Vestal and Binghamton are small towns.  Buses will take you to NYC on holidays at a reduced rate, but it is 3 1/2 hours door to door.

Students who applied to SUNY Binghamton, also looked at Alfred University, Colgate University, and SUNY Stony Brook.  For more information on SUNY Binghamton, visit http://www.binghamton.edu/

SUNY Binghamton is located at 4400 Vestal Parkway, Vestal, NY  13850 (607) 777-2171

SUNY Albany

Located in Albany, New York; SUNY Albany, or University of Albany, as they prefer to be called, is the second largest of all the SUNYs that confer doctorate degrees, as far as student body.  There are over 18,000 students and ten schools/colleges on the campus at the capital of New York State.  Political Science majors in the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy need not worry about access to internships at the many state and federal agencies located just a short bus ride away. 

The not so attractive quadruplet dormitories sit like four guard towers at the corners of a prison camp, waiting to shoot down escapees.  This 1970's architecture cover most of the campus with a cold and impersonal touch.  Sitting in stark contrast at the other end of the campus is the shiny new, state-of-the-art, $5 billion dollar, 800,000 square foot Nanotech Building, housing facilities for every high tech industry in the world.  It is the cutting edge of Nanoscale Science and Engineering.  It is so exclusive, only 184 students are currently enrolled (33 Undergraduates, 22 Postgraduates, and 129 Doctorate students)

Students who applied to SUNY Albany, also looked at Siena College, SUNY Binghamton, and Union College.  For more information on SUNY Albany, visit  http://www.albany.edu/

SUNY Albany is located at 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY  12222 (518) 442-3300

Marist College

Located in Poughkeepsie, NY; Marist College is perched on the Hudson River.  The brand new $35 million Hancock Center houses The School of Computer Science and Math and multimedia classrooms all overlooking the breathtaking Hudson River; as well as the Marist Institute for Public Opnion and the IBM-Marist Joint Study Project. The Fashion Design and Merchandising programs in the School of Communication and Arts offers tons of internships with the major NYC fashion houses.  Communication Arts majors will be interested to know there are also intersessions available in Hawaii.  That's right, Hawaii!!!  Nearby IBM Corporation (with facilities in both Poughkeepsie and Fishkill), has a longstanding partnership with Marist that has Marist students and faculty utilizing emerging technology in their research and classrooms.

Originally established in 1905 as a seminary by the Marist Brothers, Marist College is a small private college, with 5,000 students on campus.  The college became fully coed in 1968 when it admitted women.  With over 1,000 members, Campus Ministry is the largest student club at Marist.  Most of the 50 states are represented, but there is a disproportionately large number who hail from Long Island and New Jersey.  Marist has been given the unflattering nickname of 'Mattress College', and not for it's hospital corners.  Freshmen housing is restricted to residential halls; but sophmores, juniors, and seniors choose among the many townhouses based on a point system which rewards campus activity participation. 

Students who applied to Marist College, also looked at Iona College, Manhattan College, and Siena College.  For more information on Marist College, visit http://www.marist.edu/

Marist College is located at 3399 North Road, Poughkeepsie, NY  12601 (845) 575-3000

SUNY New Paltz

Located in New Paltz, NY; SUNY New Paltz, with a student body of over 8,000, is a very competitive, 4-year, residential liberal arts college.  Founded in 1828, as the New Paltz Classic Academy, SUNY New Paltz is located on 257 acres set in the Mid-Hudson River Valley, next to one of the nation’s oldest street, Huguenot Street, settled by French Huguenot refugees in the 1600s.   From almost anywhere on campus, a northward glance brings your gaze to Sky Top, the landmark summit of Mohonk Mountain House, another national historic landmark hotel resort, and the set of the 1994 feature film, The Road To Wellville.  The newly completed SUB Addition is an award winning glass design incorporating green elements throughout.

In 2007, Newsweek magazine rated SUNY New Paltz as America’s “Hottest Small State School”.  This is further illustrated by the over 19,000 freshmen and transfer applications last year.  The school accepted only 35% of the applicants with a very diverse student body.  Why is SUNY New Paltz so hot?  One might credit the low tuition.  The typical undergraduate New York State resident pays $5,270 per year for tuition.  Considering the enormous amount of majors available in bachelor degrees, it is a steal.  Typical private institutions average $30,000 per year for tuition.
 

Students who applied to SUNY New Paltz, also looked at SUNY Binghamton, SUNY Buffalo, and SUNY Geneseo.  For more information on SUNY New Paltz, visit http://www.newpaltz.edu/

SUNY New Paltz is located at One Hawk Drive, New Paltz, NY  12561 (845) 257-7869

New York University

Located in Washington Square Park, the heart of Greenwich Village, in New York City; New York University, with a student body of over 40,000, is one of the largest private universities in the United States.  Founded in 1831, by Albert Gallatin, former Secretary of Treasury during Thomas Jefferson and James Madison’s administration, NYU was intended as, “in and of the city”; the University with no walls and no gates.  NYU owned and operated libraries, faculty and staff offices, classrooms, labs and residence halls occupy all four sides of Washington Square Park.  The park and its famous arch, the emblem of NYU, and a replica of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, are historical landmarks and a popular hangout for students, local residents, and tourists alike.  Famous alums include Samuel F.B. Morse and Martin Scorsese.  World famous faculty members include Nobel, Craaford and Pulitizer, MacArthur, Guggenheim and Fulbright Fellowships, Oscar, Emmy, and Tony winners.   If you walk the neighborhood, there are plenty of star-gazing opportunities of the entertainment kind.

For the past few decades, NYU has expanded outside of Greenwich Village exponentially.  In New York City alone, there are classes offered downtown, midtown, and in the outer boroughs.  The Polytechnic Institute of NYU in Brooklyn, formerly known as Brooklyn Polytech, the second oldest school of engineering and technology in the U.S., is now an affiliate.  Among the many study abroad opportunities there were two locations featured in the PowerPoint presentation of our visit day.  The Admissions Officer was pushing their other two campuses (Abu Dhabi and Shanghai) a little too aggressively; touting it’s 4:1 teacher/student ratio, its wholly English language classrooms, and its free round trip flight for any applying student.  As one of the many parents sitting in the Info Session, I can assure you, interest was not high. 

In New York City, there are 15 schools within NYU, most notably, the Gallatin School of Individual Study; where the Admissions Officer was proud to inform us has a recent grad majoring in ‘Evil’.  This is truly a liberal arts school.

Students who applied to New York University, also looked at Columbia University, Cooper Union, and University of California at Berkley.  For more information on New York University, visit http://www.nyu.edu/

New York University is located at 50 West 4^th Street, New York, NY  10012 (212) 998-4550

Vassar College

Located in Poughkeepsie, NY; Vassar College is one of the original Seven Sisters, or the seven liberal arts colleges in the Northeastern United States that are historically women’s colleges.  Together with Barnard College, Bryn Mawr College, Mount Holyoke College, Radcliffe College, Smith College, and Wellesley College, all were founded between 1837 and 1889.  Radcliffe has since merged with Harvard University and Vassar College has turned coeducational since 1969.  Founded in 1861, by Matthew Vassar, the original mission of Vassar College was to give young women a liberal arts education equal to that of the best men’s colleges of the day.  Vassar offered women the full range of courses from art history to zoology, taught by the leading scholars of the day.  We followed our student tour guide into the Thompson Memorial Library, where the famous larger than life stain glass window resides, depicting Lady Elena Lucretia Cornaro-Piscopia in 1678, the first woman to be conferred her PhD (in Theology), trimmed in pink, amongst a sea of men.  The scene depicts the school’s colors (pink and grey) representing the rose dawn of women’s education rising out of the sea of grey, what higher education was previously.

The buildings and grounds are meticulously maintained, funded by the endowments established by nearly 150 years of alumnae/i.  Having gone coeducational only a little over 40 years ago, Vassar College is keenly aware of both genders in all their internal and external communication.  Vassar College relies heavily on the generosity of the students who have gone before.  That's not to say that legacies are a shoe in when it comes to admission.  The school may be liberal, but is still highly selective.  One of the requirements of admission is proficiency in a second language other than English.  Last year, Vassar received nearly 8,000 freshmen applications for 670 seats.  Given the fact that Vassar only confer Bachelor degrees, that speaks volumes.

The student embassadors who shepherded us on our visit day emphasized two specific qualities possessed by the Vassar undergrad.  "Vassar is very 'chill' and very 'liberal'."  One can only imagine the myriad of definitions for their chosen adjectives.  I thought Vassar was a east coast school. 

Students who applied to Vassar College, also looked at Brown University, Dartmouth College, and Yale University.  For more information on Vassar College, visit http://www.vassar.edu/

Vassar College is located at 124 Raymond Avenue, Poughkeepsie, New York, NY  12604 (845) 437-7000

Union College

Located in Schenectady, NY; Union College was founded in 1795, and confers only bachelor degrees.   Union College, along with Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, was known as the “Big Four” in the 1830s because of the high number of students it graduated.  In 1845, Union became the first liberal arts college to offer Engineering as a major.  After 175 years as an all-male institution, Union College began enrolling women in 1970.   The centerpiece of the campus is Nott Memorial, a rotunda (actually, 16 sided) with a National Historic Landmark designation since 1986. 

Last year, Union received nearly 5,000 applications, admitted nearly 2,000, and enrolled 500.  That’s a 40% admission rate.   In addition to fraternity and sorority houses, Union has Theme Houses, where students with similar interests can reside together.   Similar interests include ARTS House (Association of Ridiculously Talented Students), Iris House (for the LGBTQ community), Ozone House (for the Green community), and Thurston House (for those interested in East Asian interests).  Most of these 'mansions' were previously owned by General Electric, the company in this company town.  Since the recession, Schenectedy has fallen on harder times.  Tuition at Union is higher than peer schools.  Financial aid packages are available, but the student body ends up being predominately from the white upper middle class.

Union College, along with Cal Tech, Dartmouth, and Northwestern is part of the small number of colleges that utilizes a trimester system.  There are 10 weeks in each of the three semesters between September and June where students enroll in only three courses at a time.  The advantages to the trimester system is that by taking only three courses, instead of the usual four or five, you are able to focus on less subjects; in addition to covering more courses in a given year, and spreading your GPA out among nine grades instead of 10 or 11.  The disadvantages to the trimester system is that due to the shortened time frame for each course, everything moves at a faster pace.  Five weeks into the semester you have a midterm, and five weeks after that, a final.  This system is not for the slacker. 

Students who applied to Union College, also looked at Boston University, Kenyon College, and Brown University.  For more information on Union College, visit http://www.union.edu/

Union College is located at 807 Union Street, Schenectady, NY  12308 (518) 388-6000

Manhattan College

Located in Riverdale, NY; Manhattan College was founded in 1853.  Manhattan is a Catholic liberal arts college in the Lasallian tradition.  The School of Engineering’s Chemical Engineering Department is ranked among the top five in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.  One of the biggest marketing points of Manhattan College is that it is the last stop on the IRT Line #7 train.  Students can walk to the subway and ride all the way to New York City using mass transit for the price of a subway ride.  Very convenient.

Manhattan has a total of 3,500 students, with 2,900 undergraduates.  Last year, Manhattan had a 63% acceptance rate.  Famous alums include Rudolph Guiliani, former New York City mayor and Raymond Kelly, New York City police commissioner. 

Students who applied to Manhattan College also looked at Fordham University, Hofstra University, and Pace University.  For more information on Manhattan College, visit http://manhattan.edu/

Manhattan College is located at 4513 Manhattan College Parkway, Riverdale, NY  10471 (718) 862-8000

Connecticut College

Located in New London, CT, Connecticut College was founded in 1911, as the Connecticut College For Women, in response to Wesleyan University closing its doors to women.  It became co-educational in 1969 and changed its name to Connecticut College.  Considered to be part of the small group of institutions called, "Little Ivies", it boasts an average faculty to student ratio of 9:1.  It is a small, highly selective liberal arts college, considered to be the most expensive in the country for 2011-12 at $54,970; but the average scholarship package per student is $30,390.

All undergraduates are expected to live on campus. There is no Greek life, but students can kick off each weekend early with Thursday Night Events (TNE), which are activities sponsored by rotating organizations, classes, and residence halls.  On Fridays, students can venture into the college’s town of New London for the weekly Friday Nights in the District, during which shops and galleries stay open late.

The College is known for interdisciplinary studies, service learning, and shared governance.  Every student signs an Honor Code that allows them self-scheduling, non-proctored final exams.  The campus, overlooking Long Island Sound, is a 15-minute drive to Mystic Seaport, the largest maritime museum in the country.  Hartford, CT and Providence, R.I. are both an hour’s drive away.

Students who applied to Connecticut College also looked at Brown University, Wesleyan College, and Hamilton College.  For more information on Connecticut College, visit http://www.conncoll.edu/

Connecticut College is located at 270 Mohegan Avenue  New London, CT  06320 (860)447-1191

Trinity College

Located in Hartford, CT; Trinity College is a private liberal arts college founded in 1823.  It is also the second –oldest college in the state of Connecticut.  Coeducational since 1969, the college enrolls 2,300 students.  Trinity College is part of the New England Small College Athletic Conference, also known as the “Little Ivies” (along with Amherst College, Bates College, Bowdoin College, Colby College, Colgate University, Connecticut College, Hamilton College, Haverford College, Middlebury College, Swarthmore College, Tufts University, Vassar College, Wesleyan University, and Williams College.)

Some of the most breathtakingly beautiful examples of gothic architecture can be found on Trinity’s campus in an area known as the “Long Walk”.  Designed and built by William Burges and F.H. Kimball.  The Trinity Chapel is also a sight to behold, composed almost entirely of limestone; it is the tallest point in the city of Hartford. 

In 2011, Trinity reported an increase in admission application by a whopping 47.38%, an unprecedented occurrence.  Trinity’s President James F. Jones credits the vast opportunities Trinity offers that are being better publicized through the new admission materials, website, and social media.  A recent Huffington Post article also claimed that Trinity graduates number among the largest group of millionaires in the country. 

On our stroll through campus it was hard to ignore the elitist air and the privileged scent of the students.  Although not an official Ivy League College, Trinity students exist in a “bubble” of intellectual exploration on an academic mount out-of-reach by most high school students.  It must be nice to be a Trinity student.

Students who applied to Trinity College also looked at Wesleyan University, Connecticut College, and Tufts University.

For more information on Trinity College, visit http://www.trincoll.edu/Pages/default.aspx

Trinity College is located at 300 Summit Street  Hartford, CT  06106  (860)297-2000

Amherst College

Located in Amherst, MA; Amherst College is part of the Five College Consortium, established in 1965, which is comprised of Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.  The schools are geographically close to one another and are linked by buses which run between the campuses.  Students in each of the five colleges are able to attend classes at any of the five institutions, at no additional cost. Amherst College is exclusively undergraduate, with less than 2,000 students on campus.  It is ranked as the second best liberal arts college in the county by U.S. News & World Report.

Founded in 1821, Amherst is the third oldest institution of higher education in Massachusetts.  In the 19th century, when Williams College debated over whether or not to relocate to Hampshire County, those in favor of the move left Williamstown to open Amherst College.   Amherst went co-ed in 1975, admitting women for the first time in its history.  Amherst admission is highly selective, only 12% of applicants are admitted each year.  Annual tuition is through the roof at over $60,000; all inclusive.  However, Amherst remains one of the rarest of rare institutions - a need-blind admissions policy for domestic and international applicants that meets the full demonstrated need of every admitted student, eliminating loans for low-income students.  The net price of attendance is approximately $13,000 per year.

Needless to say, it is really, really hard to be admitted as a freshmen.   The small class size, the personal attention from an academic adviser charged with only five advisees, ranks Amherst one of the highest in schools for dollar spent per student.  Amherst is known as the “Singing College”, with numerous a cappella and singing groups.   Other traditions include sliding down Memorial Hill on dining hall trays after a fresh snowfall.  Some say the sport of Ultimate Frisbee was created at Amherst in the 1960s.  Amherst has many notable alums including Charles E. Merrill (1908), one of the founders of Merrill Lynch & Company and Raymond J. Teller (1969), half of the duo Penn and Teller.

We were very very impressed with our student tour guide.  He had an obvious talent for public speaking.  We also heard some students singing on the residential quad.  Campus life seems idyllic.  

Students who applied to Amherst College, also looked at Brown University, Williams College, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.  

For more information on Amherst College, visit  https://www.amherst.edu/.

Amherst College is located at 220 South Pleasant Street Amherst, MA  01002 (413) 542-2000