[luvelyasian]

i'm down to two schools.. and i don't know how to choose so if you guys could help me out with an opinion on whats the most important factor in choosing the college you go to.. that would be great

The Name (reputation)
You feel comfortable there (you feel you can adapt/know someone there)
You feel you will be challenged there (feel like you will be taken out of comfort zone; to grow)
Has your specific major
Location

SUNY Albany seems to have a less good reputation and is known as more of a party school,
i'm not too sure i'd be comfortable there since i don't know anyone there and there are very few Asians,
I think i WILL be challenged here because i have to try to get into the pre-optometry program
which means this place has my specfic major, pre-optometry and if i make it i can cut two years off my optometry studies.. ( HARD though) plus i won't know anyone, its far from home.. so i have to be totally independent..
its in Albany.. i'm in brooklyn ...

SUNY Stony Brook has a better reputation as being good for science,
I feel like i've been there before, plus my sister goes there and there are MANY asians,
I hear there is a lot of reading to do..
Doesn't have pre-optometry but i could just do the biology major ..
and its closer to home...

i keep on going back and forth on these two..
what does this mean really...? i got a phone call from a student from Albany asking what would make me choose Albany and if i had any questions for her about the school.. in a way it seemed a little desperate, but is that kinda a good thing or bad?

[astar]

I personally would rank it this way:

Comfort Level/Location (location for me affects my comfort level)
Major
Challenge
Reputation

That's for me anyway.

I'm torn between whether or not to rank major first. I guess you're in kinda the same boat as me. I want to be pre-med but a lot of school just have an advising program for it, so I'm going to major in biology if I get into said schools.

You'll have to be independant sooner or later, that's how I think of it anyway.

[luvelyasian]

but if you got into a school with a pre-med program, would you a choose a college you felt comfortable at instead?

that's my dilemma

[litoxshortaii]

if ur js uncomfortable abt being away frm home, it's not like they're on opposite ends of the country.. they're still in the same state. and you'll definitely be able to make friends and have a good time and be comfortable after getting used to it. also, if it's a not-as-good school, you might excel there whereas at the better school, you might be js the average student. idk, im js listing other things to consider... i dont think i'd know which to decide either if i were you ><

[luvelyasian]

^ yeah true..

i'm just wondering now how bad a school is albany repuration-wise really?

the first thing i hear from ppl about albany is that its the biggest party school.. but academic-wise is it that bad?

they seem a little desperate though because a person's called twice to ask what would make me choose Albany

[chibifry]

I'm from NY
Im not going to respect you as much if you say you're from albany to be plainly honest. Stonybrook is a good school. I know. especially for science.

if you're going into the medical field, you're going to end up going to grad school anyway. Im telling you, go to stonybrook!! stonybrook is more selective than albany, and the cirriculum is actually quite challenging there. stonybrook is really improving and the place is actually quite pretty ..

sb sb sb :]

[scooby]

stony is known as a big party school too.

but i understand what kind of jam you're in, im trying to pick btw two suny schools myself. its hard ;[