<p>As the mother of a junior-year college student at a pubic NJ school, and another child who will be a freshman at SB in the fall, I can tell you that whether a school is public or private really has no bearing on the facilities or the academics. My older dtr was at a private school in CT her first 2 years, and I thought the whole campus could use an overhaul…and we were paying top dollar. She transferred to a public school (Rutgers) and it’s been a world of difference: better professors and facilities. And, after seeing SB, it was a no-brainer for her sister. What a beautiful, thriving campus we found! Talk about state of the art facilities. Just read their website about all the exciting research coming out of SB and continuing renovations. BTW, I attended a public university almost 30 years ago, U of Maryland, which today enjoys an outstanding reputation. Like SB, it is constantly renewing itself (but SB will cost us thousands less!) And, regarding ‘suitcase school’, I think all schools have that reputation when many of the kids that live close go home (plenty of kids at Maryland left each weekend) but those of us from NJ and other states stayed, and it was great! Quieter, but plenty to do. And with SB accepting at least 15% out-of-staters, there will be a lot more students, and activities, on campus than ever before.</p>