Is Syracuse a Good Fit?

Colleges & Universities Syracuse University
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I’d like to see if I would enjoy attending Syracuse before spending $75 on applying. I think I’d get in, but I’d rather focus on fit for now. I highly doubt I’ll be able to visit, so please don’t suggest that.

Asian female, averse to sports and Greek life (REALLY dislike frat boys), and I’ve heard both are prominent… Not really the party type, and dislike alcohol (no, I’ve never tried it, I just don’t like the smell and am afraid of getting drunk). I’ve read about the excellent media program, and I really like it, but I don’t know if it’s enough to outweigh the Greek/sports focus. I also prefer an urban setting, but it can be overlooked if I like everything else.

My family makes a little over six-fugures a year, but we have three kids, one with a genetic disorder, one going off to college soon, and a dog. I plan on getting a few scholarships though, and I believe I could get merit aid (I believe I’ll have around a 3.8 UW and above 3.0 weighted as a senior/junior).

I don’t really know about major… I want to dual major in English and a science (or STEM in general), and minor in Psychology, but I’ll likely go to a grad school in the science major. I’d also like to know (sorry if it seems shallow) how prestigious Syracuse is. I read in an old post (2005) that these are some wealthy students there, which is pretty off putting. I really, really want to go to a highly ranked grad school, so I’d like an excellent department that isn’t extremely competitive that can get me where I want to go. I’ve seen a few articles that put that put Syracuse researchers along with MIT, Stanford, Harvard, and sometimes Princeton. Would going to Syracuse get me to a grad school at some of the aforementioned schools or equivalent?

Additionally, I checked the official website, and they accept credit for most (if not all) AP’s if it’s high enough, which has a lot of appeal for me, since I plan on taking plenty. However, the chart seems outdated (they still have AP French Lit on there), so I’m wondering if it’s accurate. They didn’t mention if there were any limits on the number of transferrable credits, so is it safe to assume all of them can be transferrable if I meet requirements?

Can anyone provide insight, especially on Greek life/athletics? If you think I’ll dislike Syracuse, can you suggest some other place that fits my criteria better? Thanks in advance.

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Honestly, I doubt that you’ll have to deal with any of the things that you don’t like if you don’t want to. If you don’t want to rush, then don’t rush. If you don’t like parties then don’t party. It’s a big school with a lot to offer and there’s something for everyone. I think that you’re focusing too much on things that you’re not a fan of and forgetting that no one is forcing you to be a part of any of it.

Newhouse is one of the best communications programs in the nation. It’s also very, very difficult to get into. Syracuse takes a very holistic view of things so having a good GPA or extracurriculars isn’t enough. Once again though, when all that YOU focus on is sports or Greek life then yeah, you’re gonna hear a lot about it. And honestly, if you’re going to let that affect your choice then you truly need to reevaluate what college is and means to you. Academics are extremely important to the school.

I also suggest that you take the virtual tour online and go to each college’s website. Visit Newhouse’s site to look into the communications programs. Visit the others to see if they interest you. Even the admissions site will give you a great look at the school.

As far as grad school goes, I’m not sure. But you could always email someone at Cuse and ask these questions. There seem to be a lot of resources that you’re currently not utilizing. Sign up to receive information about different programs, check out the websites, email someone in admissions. All of these will give you more definitive answers than most people here can provide.

Also, the whole thing about rich kids is ridiculous. To me living in a household where 6 figures a year are made is rich. You can’t base your decision on people’s income. This is not high school. No one is forcing you to do things. You choose who you make your play dates with and if you go to a football game. If you don’t like any of that, simply don’t participate. If those are your main points then no college will be right for you because you’re focusing on entirely the wrong thing.

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@Syracuse19 Thanks a ton! I had read a lot about the Greek life/party scene/athletics/wealthy kids, and I wasn’t sure how much of it was accurate. I thought the focus on academics was good, and wanted to confirm.

Sorry if I seemed kind of negative at first. I’m kind of warh when it comes to picking colleges.

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At any private university of any rank/reputation, there will always be “rich” snobby kids. SU also does have a party/big sports reputation, but it is large enough to avoid it if you want to.

As for the academics, SU has some really good areas and some not so good areas. It all depends what you want to do. There are many resources to research undergrad and grad department rankings where you can see where they stand. Newhouse is top-3 or 5 in the country for communications and media - that would be a good one to be in.

At the end of the day, many grad programs care more about GPA and GRE scores than the reputation of the undergrad department, so I would find schools where you think you can excel and then you can get into a top grad school.