I applied for biochem at UR and Skidmore and medicinal chemistry at UB, my specific major might change in the future but will definitely will stay in the same biology+chemistry realm bc I want to go into a career in biomedical research
I was admitted to UB’s honors college
I’m a PA resident but I have a lot of family in western NY, I have family in Buffalo and about an hour from Rochester, but none near Skidmore
I applied to both U of R and UB because they’re extremely strong research schools with so many opportunities for me, Rochester in particular is amazing with medical research, and I could very strongly see myself going to either of them.
The two main differences between UB and Rochester is that UB would accept all of my AP credits while Rochester would accept very few, and at UB I could graduate earlier, with an additional major, do a dual-degree program in a shorter amount of time, etc. The other difference is that all of my financial aid at UB is merit based, while Rochester was majority need-based, so as my parents receive raises and I get a job Rochester will become increasingly expensive.
Skidmore was the only college I applied to that I never toured and I never really looked much into it. I only applied because my mom saw that they offer really good financial aid, and I’m only really considering them now because of that good financial aid. (I’m visiting them in a week)
It’s difficult to compare these places because I’m so familiar with UB and Rochester and would absolutely love to go there, but Skidmore is just so much cheaper in comparison it just feels stupid to not consider it. UB and Rochester’s prices are doable, but would require private student loans, at Skidmore I could graduate with no loans which would be an incredible privilege
You are doing the right thing by visiting Skidmore!
If it helps, all your options have very good reputations in my circles, so I don’t think there is a bad choice here.
As to Skidmore specifically, Bio and Chemistry are both reasonably popular majors there as per NCES data, which is a good sign. As I assume you know, they have a dedicated concentration in Biochem within the Chem major, which you are not wedded to doing but it is good to have as an option. The Bio major then has concentrations in Biomedical Science, Cell and Molecular Biology, and Integrative Biology. In fact, integrative sciences is sort of a theme of theirs, as they have a new Center for Integrated Sciences. They also have a dedicate Neuroscience program (including a major), which you didn’t mention as a current interest but is another thing people interested in biomedical research sometimes end up liking.
Point being that Skidmore is one of the LACs (not alone, but among them) that has been investing in facilities and organized academic programs suitable for people with your sorts of interests.
Rochester and Buffalo are of course excellent research universities for these interests as well. But, I would guess if you do end up going into a career in research, you will likely be doing graduate studies at a research university anyway. And one nice thing about doing your undergrad at an LAC like Skidmore with a research interest is there are no grad students to compete for research positions, so the faculty really needs you.
So, a great foundational education at Skidmore with the option to explore some of these different possible angles, including both in classes and labs, could be an excellent first step along that path. And if you can save a lot in the process, that can make it easier to prioritize the best opportunities for further experiences, education, and so on, without worrying about how to pay off loans.
Skidmore is a very good college. It is a very good idea for you to be visiting it before you make up your mind.
One daughter attended a relatively small school (a bit bigger than Skidmore). I became a big fan of small schools, as did she. She had small class sizes, which helped her get to know her professors quite well. Knowing her professors helped her to get very good research opportunities. The combination of the good research experience plus knowing her professors helped her quite a bit in terms of getting into a very good PhD program. She is right now working towards her PhD in a biomedical field. Having passed her qualifying exams biomedical research is what she actually is doing right now.
Congratulations on three great acceptances. These are all very good schools.
I do not know your family’s finances. However, avoiding private loans, and avoiding all loans, would be a big plus also. This plus a degree from a great school such as Skidmore would help you get a very good start. Avoiding loans really will help you a lot when you either get to graduate school or start a job after getting a bachelor’s degree.
Let’s see how the visit goes. I feel that these three acceptances are very good news.
Skidmore is a fantastic choice and for less than $5,000 it’s an incredible bargain for you. No loans is something your future self will thank your current self for.
Skidmore has invested in science and offers research opportunities to undergrads, the town is wonderful, the students are fun and dedicated. I hope you love your visit because if you do it’s a superb option for your academic interests. (Your other choices aren’t bad but academically for your interests Skidmore is stronger than Buff or about equal to UR so all things being equal Id pick the college that really wants you!)
Typically it’d take a BIG raise (typically more like going from part time to full time, changing jobs and company, getting a huge bonus…) for your parents’ new income to make your financial aid very different. A typical raise/bonus wouldn’t affect you much.
Yes, there are a lot of statistics supporting the view that good LACs place relatively well in PhD programs, and I believe this is the heart of why. When you are applying to PhD programs, enthusiastic support from your undergrad department is critical. It is of course possible for top students to get that sort of support at a research university, particularly once you get to more advanced classes only taken by majors. But opportunities to build those relationships from the very start of your college experience is a feature of LACs.
To be sure, part of the explanation for those statistics is that savvy kids interested in possible PhD programs then disproportionately choose LACs for this reason. But that doesn’t mean they are wrong!
What can you afford? That you got Skidmore for $4K tells me you have a tight budget.
You don’t need family around. That’s a nicety. And it’s not that far.
UR will be more personalized than UB, even with Honors, is my guess - as a smaller private. Both Skid (small) and Rochester are outstanding names and the cheapest.
In the end, what won’t hurt your family - both Rochester and Skid meet need - and yet are $21K apart.
So that tells me budget might be an issue here.
If you can afford $25 or $30K, choose of the two you like. But if that really stretches your family, Skidmore is a great get.
Carrying large undergraduate debt through PhD study would not be a good thing. At the BA/BS level, biology and chemistry tend not to be highly paid, so large debt would not be a good thing.
As an aspect to consider, UB isn’t the SUNY that’s best known for the study of biology.
If you might be leaning toward Skidmore or UR, of which both would be excellent for the study of biology, I believe you could choose either with confidence.
I have visited and toured Skidmore twice, with two of my sons. I did not get the impression that it was more liberal or political than any other Northeastern LAC. And Saratoga Springs is a fantastic town!
With the caveat that opinion is invovled, I’d say that Stony Brook is the best known of the four University Centers for the study of biological sciences. For undergraduate study, I’d include Binghamton as well. Nonetheless, if UB were to place, say, third in this very strong group, I wouldn’t regard this as a slight.
Just some basic numbers, using the latest NCES data and calculating the percentage of graduating seniors with a primary major in the Biology supercategory, it looks like this:
Binghamton 20.4%
Stony Brook 13.6%
Buffalo 9.9%
And adding:
Rochester 12.5%
Skidmore 10.0%
This isn’t of course a comprehensive measure, but there is something to just checking that your major area is reasonably popular among graduating seniors, as that means it ended up working out to their satisfaction.
In this case, I would not see a reason in this data to form a particular preference between the three schools the OP is actually considering.