“Binghamton probably does not include the SAT or ACT scores of Advantage students in their published information about the incoming class or the transfers. They can give the appearance of still being competitive because they have excluded the low scores completely. The actual average for the incoming class could be hundreds of points below what they publish”.
Hundreds of points lower than what they publish? Ridiculous. Let’s try a little math. In the fall of 2014, there were 2,528 full-time and 74 part-time freshman, for a total of 2.602. Their mean SAT scores were 629 CR, 660 M and 622 W There were 200 Binghamton Advantage students, up for 40 four years ago. If those 200 students scored 100 points lower on each test (and I’d guess it’s less than 100 per test), it would lower the mean for the group by about 8 points per test. Binghamton Advantage students are considered transfer students when enter Binghamton as sophomores or juniors and not included in the reported SAT scores, but even with 200 Binghamton Advantage students included in last year’s freshman class, they would represent less than 8% of the total. In a similar manner, the 139 EOP students included in the reported scores with a mid-range CR/M of 1010-1110 do not significantly lower the reported scores.
Conspiracy theories aside, I wonder if the Binghamton Advantage program has grown because juniors and seniors did not chose to live on campus in the new dorms in the numbers anticipated by the university. This year, returning students were asked to make their housing preferences for next year in the fall, which will give the university a better idea of available dorm space.
I don’t think I’d recommend Binghamton Advantage to a student, given that the cost is comparable to attending a SUNY school that they have been admitted to and they could always apply to transfer to Binghamton after a year or two if they still wanted to go to Binghamton. Binghamton Advantage students also have to live in break housing, deal with transportation issues to and from Broome, and their meal plan does not include food at Broome, but the program is obviously popular as it guarantees a transfer to Binghamton is GPA requirements are met.