Out of State Students

hudsonvalley51
Tue, 20 Nov 2007 21:51:35 +0000

Dutch – While I welcome dissenting opinions I was hoping for a slightly more civil response. I do notice you are new to this site, however, so you may not be familiar with the rules of engagement.

It would appear that you think I am casting aspersions on Geneseo, which I certainly am not. I am raising the question, however, as to whether or not the college experience at Geneseo suffers in this particular area because of its overwhelmingly NYS student body. I think that’s a reasonable question.

I also think it is reasonable to assume that a significant majority of a public college or university’s student body hail from the state where it is located. I would suggest, however, that students at public universities have much to gain the more they are exposed to diversity in the student population. At the University of Virginia and the College of William and Mary, for example, the out-of-state percentage of admitted students is capped at around 30%. I would also note that not all SUNYs are as NYS-centric as Geneseo. Close to 20% of students at SUNY Plattsburgh are from other states. In an exchange on a SUNY Stony Brook thread this summer Chris, a SBU admissions officer who often posts there, indicated that some of his colleagues hoped to increase the percentage of OOS students at their schools, as well as expand admissions marketing outside New York.

When I think of an “Ivy” I think of a school with high academic standards, a smart student body and professors who are recognized leaders in their fields. I also think of a student body that reflects national, cultural, social, economic, racial and – yes – geographic diversity. I have no qualms about Geneseo billing itself as “New York’s Honors College,” but when it refers to itself on its website as a “Public Ivy” perhaps it is somewhat overstating the case.

I don’t mind your disagreeing with me, but the accusatory tone wasn’t necessary.