<p>“Your first comments about Cornell and Ithaca (post 12) were not any more useful than saying “the Yankees suck” to the OP and the general tone didn’t change much as the thread went on.”</p>
<p>Well… IMHO… I think your opinion stems from the fact that it is in stark contrast from yours. You think I’m being insulting, but you are mistaken. Very often, parents and prospective students visit these places during the summer and get a completely distorted view of the place. I simply believe kids (and parents) need to know what they see in July is NOT the environment in which they will be attending college.</p>
<p>“So keep that in mind when reading about the job exodus from Upstate.”</p>
<p>I don’t read about it. I live it. UpstateNY is part of the area I cover and I’ve watched electrical engineering jobs and TAM for semis continually dwindle… with little signs of turning around.</p>
<p>“In fact, as a percentage of population up here, engineering/compsci is hanging in there pretty well. … percentage of scientists and engineers relative to all workers in NYS by region. … It was balanced pretty much as I would have expected …”
<a href=“Labor Data | Department of Labor”>Labor Data | Department of Labor;
[Page</a> Not Found - New York State Department of Labor](<a href=“Labor Data | Department of Labor”>Labor Data | Department of Labor). </p>
<p>You may have misinterpreted this data. It is not correlated with population density so it looks, at face value, like there are similar tech opportunities in upstate as downstate. The fact is the downstate area is the most densely populated area in our entire Nation. The small MetroNY area, in fact, has about twice the population as all the rest of NYS combined. </p>
<p>“Sure, in sheer numbers the NYC area will have many more opportunities, but this shows UpstateNY is not this vast wasteland for tech employment.”</p>
<p>Consider you’re on a football field and you have 1000 apples spread evenly on one of the end zones. You’d have to watch where you walked not to step on one. Now consider there are half as many apples spread evenly over the rest of the field. You might be able to walk across it with your eyes blindfolded without touching an apple. </p>
<p>When you consider the number of positions in Upstate, compared to metro areas, and then also consider the relative geographic spread of those positions, there is little to no comparison between the tech environments of upstate and downstate. I’m afraid to say, upstate is indeed a wasteland in comparison.</p>
<p>“Concerning the suicide rate, … is this really statistically alarming? I don’t know – is there a math major listening?”</p>
<p>No need for a math major. IMHO, as a father, I’m interested in the last 5… maybe last 10 years of data. That’s it. Anything that happened over a decade ago at any school is irrelevant and non-representative in any way to the current atmosphere/environment of the school. To average this kind of data over multiple decades is disingenuous, misleading, and amoral… again, IMHO.</p>
<p>“And I didn’t mean to knock suffers of SAD … do something proactive about it before it brings you down. … participating in the ski club or theater or something else…”</p>
<p>I appreciate your position on this, but if you had any idea of the efforts being put forth by Cornell with regards to depression and suicide prevention, you wouldn’t be saying a word about this to me. I know professors and personnel at Cornell… several for over a decade. I break bread with these guys when I’m in the area. This is an issue Cornell takes about as serious as any college could possibly take it. If you were breaking bread with us, NOBODY from Cornell would share your attitude about their suicide/depression rate. They may put forth a positive outlook in the press, but behind the scenes their teaching staff is probably one of the most aware, most trained, most concerned staffs I come in contact with…. and I come in contact with all the STEM universities in UpstateNY. This remains a serious issue at Cornell and I applaud the last few comments you made regarding being involved to all young people considering this or any other school. </p>
<p>“I don’t expect you to want to move up here or even like the place.”</p>
<p>Whew! I was worried there for a bit. </p>
<p>“Simply insulting other people’s hometowns/regions does no one any good.”</p>
<p>You misunderstood my intentions. What I have written are my true opinions about the place. I have no vested interest in liking it or not. I gain no pleasure (perverse or otherwise) in sharing my honest feelings/thoughts/observations about the area. I am simply reporting, to the best of my ability and as honestly as I can, to people interested in the area.</p>
<p>“An unhealthy focus by kids and parents on Ivies, HYPSM, “the best school” etc is a large part of what creates the pressures that makes kids want to jump into that gorge. :-(“</p>
<p>AGREED!!!</p>
<p>“Once you get some of your career under your belt, where you went to school becomes less and less important.”</p>
<p>I totally agree again. That’s why I suggested Stevens (full ride for the OP, if I remember correctly) versus Cornell (full cost, if I remember correctly).</p>