<p>thanks all for the info on SUNY Potsdam and for the thoughts on Towson. It is true that if enough stus stay/live on weekends it is a little less important how many don’t live on campus. One of the reasons I’ve looked to see if a campus as a Hillel is not because we are observant, like you Emmybet, but because it can be a connection that will make a big school seem smaller. I think we’ll try to get to Towson and check it out.</p>
<p>mdcissp – the various majors your son is considering are not all in the same school within binghamton – some are in harpur (the liberal arts college) some are in the school of management (SOM). when you first apply to binghamton, you apply to a specific school depending on your intended major (undecideds are considered as applications to harpur). SOM is one of the hardest schools at binghamton to get accepted to as a freshman. it is possible for a student to transfer from one school at binghamton to another – but it can be hard to transfer into SOM – it is probably easier to transfer from SOM to harpur than from harpur to SOM. </p>
<p>so if your son wants to apply to binghamton, he’ll need to decide whether he is applying initially to harpur or to SOM – and realize it may effect his ability to change his major after he is there.</p>
<p>i would strongly encourage you to visit binghamton and to try to meet with someone from the departments you son is interested in.</p>
<p>(fyi – it looks like the financial engineering is a concentration withing a management major – [Binghamton</a> University - Academics: Schools and Colleges: School of Management: Current Students: Undergrad: Programs: BS in Management: Concentrations: Financial Engineering](<a href=“http://www2.binghamton.edu/som/curstudents/undergrad/programs/bsmngmt/financialengineering.html]Binghamton”>http://www2.binghamton.edu/som/curstudents/undergrad/programs/bsmngmt/financialengineering.html))</p>
<p>Thanks so much for the tip about the various majors at Binghamton. Web site says need 3.5 to get into SOM to study Financial Engineering. Does this mean you apply to SOM as an entering freshman? Does this mean 3.5 weighted GPA? Which major is in Harpur?</p>
<p>Anyone know of any other schools on this thread with similar majors? </p>
<p>My son said he wants to apply and if accepted, will go tour the school. Anyone know how far it is to drive to Binghamton from the DC area?</p>
<p>you apply to SOM as part of your initial application to the school - you can major in either accounting or management in SOM. i thought the reference at the financial management web page to the 3.5 gpa referred to which management students would then be allowed to do that concentration – but that’s just my guess, i have no personal knowledge about the program. the people who can really answer your questions about the program would be the ones in the department. while you can get a lot of good information here, it simply can’t substitute for going and talking to people at the school who can really explain the different programs so your son can make an informed decision as to what he wants to apply for.</p>
<p>while i can understand not wanting to visit colleges until accepted, at binghamton you have the issue of which school to apply to – visiting and speaking to people in the different programs your son is interested in might help him decide if he wants to apply to harpur or to SOM (as well as which program in either he is at least initially interested in.)</p>
<p>actuarial science is part of the math major and is therefore in harpur. an economics major would also be in harpur. accounting would be in SOM. management would be in SOM.</p>
<p>its about a 5 hour drive from DC to Binghamton – thru Pennsylvania.</p>
<p>Confuzd, wht is your daughter looing to study?</p>
<p>Emmy, I think your kids can be both mensches and nonobservant</p>
<p>MDCISSP, a friend today told me his freshman son is enjoying Binghamton, although he went there not knowing anyone. Nice kids; challenging work; lots to do.</p>
<p>Can you put down a first and second choice for your intended major at Binghamton or is it only one major in your application? Thanks so much. </p>
<p>I’ll ask my son if he wants to drive up there soon. </p>
<p>Do you know if any of the other SUNYs or other schools have similar majors?</p>
<p>
[url=<a href=“http://www2.binghamton.edu/admissions/apply/saf-online.html]Binghamton”>http://www2.binghamton.edu/admissions/apply/saf-online.html]Binghamton</a> University - SAF-online<a href=“SAF%20is%20the%20supplemental%20admission%20form%20–%20explained%20at%20the%20site”>/url</a></p>
<p>(and look at all the other application info at this page and links there in)</p>
<p>site where you can search what programs are offered at which SUNY’s – [SUNY:</a> Program Search](<a href=“http://www.suny.edu/student/search_programs/currfd_oas_main.cfm]SUNY:”>http://www.suny.edu/student/search_programs/currfd_oas_main.cfm)</p>
<p>note – this includes 2 year and 4 year schools, so be careful what program you select to look at (ie, bachelors vs. associates).</p>
<p>Many thanks for these valuable links and important info about applying to Binghamton. Will research further. It was very nice and thoughtful of you.</p>
<p>Towson: A lot of the “commuters” are actually upper classmen living in apartments in the surrounding area. Some of these apartments are within walking distance and some require a bus or car to get to campus. As Rockvillemom said they have some new dorms, and are building more. Towson seems to be in the process of becoming more residential each year. I recommend visiting. I know a lot of kids who have had good experiences there. My daughter likes it better than UMCP, but like Rockvillemom, I have some concerns about the academic rigor. They do have an honors program. Any student with a 3.7 unweighted GPA and above an 1800 SAT is guaranteed admission to the honors program. Students with one of the two criteria are also encouraged to apply.</p>
<p>When my older daughter was looking at colleges, I preferred schools that offered on-campus housing for all four years. Her school does have high-rise apartments for upperclassmen, but this year (her junior year) she chose to move to an off-campus apartment with some friends. She is living 2 blocks off-campus on a street filled with students. She loves the extra space and break from elevators. Many of her friends at other schools are living in student garden apartment complexes with amazing ammenities. Another friend attends a schools where most students must live on campus for all 4 years, and she would prefer to move off-campus as a senior.</p>
<p>Has anyone seen the Binghamton application? How long and complicated is it?</p>
<p>Towson off campus housing: While waiting for the campus shuttle to Amtrak (which may be discontinued this year?), I noticed a few nice looking, newer buildings across the street from Towson. Have not been inside. For those not familiar with Towson, the surrounding area is very nice.</p>
<p>Financial Engineering is offered at Carnegie Mellon. It might be a reach but maybe one worth exploring.</p>
<p>I also thought this might be interest you mdcissp:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.finance.pamplin.vt.edu/careers/careerguide.pdf[/url]”>http://www.finance.pamplin.vt.edu/careers/careerguide.pdf</a></p>
<p>From Virgina Tech. Maybe some of the tech school programs might be interesting to your son.</p>
<p>The points about who actually lives on- and off-campus are spot on. An overall percentage in campus housing isn’t the best information to use, because it is natural for 3rd and 4th year students to move into apartments, and their doing so doesn’t mean the residential “feeling” of the school is lost. It’s good that many places will say what percentage of FIRST year students live on campus. That is a much better indicator.</p>
<p>My college senior D is living “off-campus” (so she is a commuter by these definitions … by bike and foot …). Her house is as close as many dorms could be. But living in her own place is definitely right for her now, as it was for me at her age. </p>
<p>I think the growth in honors programs is a very positive move. I am curious what the experience actually turns out to be - I haven’t heard anything negative, but they’re so new and have proliferated so quickly that I imagine there are some bugs. Mostly they sound just wonderful, including honors housing, so that the kids can live more like they would have at a more selective school. Sometimes I wonder what the “other” kids think, when the honors students get so many perks, but it seems to go wonderfully.</p>
<p>My D2 will be offered honors at a few of her schools, and I’m curious if she will take it. I can see pluses and minuses for her either way.</p>
<p>Binghamton App - Can use common app or the SUNY app.</p>
<p>Regarding Carnegie Mellon. D and I went to a local information session by them. Very impressive presentation. D is very excited to go visit the school this fall. However, I will say that if your child is really a “b” student, this school would seem to be a real reach. I do have the admission statistics that they gave out for all of the schools if anyone wants them.</p>
<p>The most impressive thing about the presentation was when they talked about job placement for their undergraduates. Of those not going to grad school, they said that 99% of the graduates had jobs lined up by graduation and that included the drama and art majors!</p>
<p>info re binghamton application process. [Binghamton</a> University -](<a href=“http://www2.binghamton.edu/admissions/apply/freshman/]Binghamton”>First-year Applicants: Get Started Here | Undergraduate Admissions | Binghamton University)
see also [Binghamton</a> University - Undergraduate Admissions](<a href=“http://www2.binghamton.edu/admissions/]Binghamton”>Admissions | Binghamton University) for many links regarding admissions.</p>
<p>you can use common app or SUNY app – and then binghamton supplement. </p>
<p>mdsiccp – you really need to go to the school’s website and familiarize yourself with the info there – not just for binghamton, but for any school you are considering. i know, for example, binghamton has changed certain policies over the last couple of years – eg., they used to have early action, got rid of it last year, brought it back this year – if you rely on people posting here, you risk not being given the most up to date information if people respond based on what they knew was the case even just a year or two ago. and i’m sure that is probably true at other schools also.</p>
<p>mdmom - I would like to know the Carnegie Mellon admissions stats. This schools seems like one that should be on my son’s short list.</p>
<p>We toured this school for older son. It is good place if you feel your child has a focused passion and the program matches. Not always easy to switch majors. You apply to a particular major (unless this policy has changed recently-check on it). I feel my younger son needs to be able to switch majors if he needs to as most freshmen do not know 100% what they want.</p>