The new era- truth now

lostaccount
Mon, 22 Dec 2014 01:42:26 +0000

I want to make it clear that I do not represent the school at all. I know a lot about it and will be truthful about it I I would hope the same if I were the one doing the asking.

I was just asked questions about Binghamton apparently from a friend of a student I’d worked with. The student assumed I represented the school and asked about ranks in terms of Public Ivy schools and some other questions. The questions made it seem like Binghamton was Harpur College of 1980. Wrong! The questions made me think that a lot of misinformation is out there, perhaps from decades of PR that was not as accurate as it could have been. Describing the school accurately would reduce the number of students who feel that their preconceptions were wrong. I made it clear to that student and I will say here that I do not represent the university in any way.

Binghamton is emerging from a decade or more of scandal. The previous president stepped down when a report about the most public of the scandals was about to be released. I believe she was destructive to the university. Other administrators left too although I believe that many involved did not. Some aspects of unethical/illegal conduct became public- some did not. My opinion was they misrepresented the school too. I think that does a disservice to students. If I were doing the asking, I’d want no less than the truth. Someone speculated that I’d been rejected from the school. No. There are pros and cons to any school. To not admit that is to be dishonest or ignorant. We may disagree about what those are but students will benefit from the conversation. What I write represents only my opinion. Give yours if you disagree.

To answer, there are no public Ivy schools. Some outstanding public schools enroll many students as strong as some of those at some Ivy League schools. I would not list Binghamton among those schools. Binghamton isn’t Berkeley, UCLA (or any of the top UC’s), Georgia Tech, Michigan, UNC, UVA, Wisc, William and Mary, or Indiana/Urbana. It is not the next tier (Penn State, Florida, U of Wash) either. I would put it in the following category.

Binghamton is a medium sized public university with relatively low tuition, large classes, nice dorms, a student body primarily from NY, and a broad range of majors although no where near as many as most flagships. Students get their degrees very efficiently. I believe they graduate on time with less debt than those graduating from many schools. Students can shave off a year or so with APs-a 3 could get credit for some topics. Since many students come from the suburban areas around the city-Long Island and Westchester-a good proportion of the graduates want to return to that area after graduation. They tend to be successful getting jobs in NYC. Compared to graduates of schools where students are less likely to end up in NYC, the salaries of graduates end up being high (as is the cost of living) so Binghamton ends up high on lists about salaries of grads. GPAs of graduates tend to be high (grade inflation). Students are given 4 credits for courses they’d get 3 credits for at other schools. They don’t need more credits to graduate. This is a whopping advantage to students!

High GPAs help students gain entry to professional schools (compared to places like Princeton with grade deflation). Those that are not as strong are advised out of the running for certain professins early so the success rate at getting into professional schools is good. If I were to predict, I’d say that the student body is filled with good students from the 2nd quartile to the upper 3rd quartile in high school-if the ratings were not inflated by careful choice of less rigorous classes if a B were expected. Mid range students. There are a lot of good mid-range students in NY and Binghamton certainly fills that niche. By and large it is not an intellectual climate. Not many were conflicted between Chicago and Binghamton. Students tend to like the school, most find that they are very similar to many other students so making friends is easy. It is comfortable for many because so many others from their high school attend. It is easy to get back and forth from the NY met area too. Binghamton is a good school with a lot to offer students who were in the middle of the pack in high school. The middle is big so it is a good fit for many.

Students who like winter sports will find that the proximity to many recreational parks is a major plus. There is a nature preserve right on campus. Skiiing not far. Finger Lakes very close. Loads of out door opportunities.