<p>TYMEL:
We have a son at UMiami (go canes!) and a son just started to look at schools. (going into senior year in HS). He wants to stay in the Northeast and while he will look at some private schools and OOS, he is going to look at SUNY’s too. There are many good ones and you can get a great education at an affordable price.
Glad you added the SUNY COLLEGES and not just the popular UNIVERSITIES. It is definitely worth considering Buffalo State, Plattsburgh, Oswego, etc. By the way, I did 2 years at Oswego (then transferred due to change in major) and I got an excellent education there. Beautiful campus. Really nice mix of Long Islanders and upstaters. Traveling home is doable from Syracuse airport or the buses provided during school closures. I know some current Oswego students who are very happy there.
With your stats, I think you would be a great fit academically at most of the “colleges”. I think Geneseo and New Paltz are the toughest to get into (and New Paltz is artsy so it may not be the right school for you anyway.) I think in the end you’ll have some great choices. You can always apply to the SUNY universities for your “reach” schools. My guess is, with the current economy, more and more students will be applying in-state, here and elsewhere, making the whole process even more competitive than ever. Your stats are fine and I don’t think you need to go the CC route.
Good luck.</p>