[Baba booey]

I've narrowed my list of 7 schools I got into down to 2:SUNY Albany and SUNY Binghamton.

I got into the Albany business program, they offered me some scholarship and some aid, which brings everything to around $15k(out-of-state).

I applied for Binghamton SoM(school of management), but got waitlisted and accepted into their 5-year MBA program. I only got offered aid, which brings it to somewhere around $20k(out-of-state).

Someone told me that jobs don't recruit at Albany anymore but they do at Binghamton.

I know Binghamton's program requires me to maintain a 3.3, whereas Albany's program requires me to maintain a 3.2.

Binghamton is about 2:40 from me, whereas Albany is just under 2 hours.
I know a few people from each school, so going would bring me a whole new group of people.

I know that Binghamton is a far more selective and competitive school than Albany is.

Which school do you think would be my best bet?

 

[DanTheMiataMan]

The one with more connections... IMO getting an MBA is more about making connections.

 

[smrtby123]

Can I ask why staying in Jersey not an option, there are some great business programs and you won't pay crazy amounts of money to go out of state.

I know SUNY: Albany is a good school, and I will warn you ahead of time about 5 year programs. They sound great on paper but the course load is intense. I am doing a 5 yr double major of physics/ME engineering and it slipped into 6 years because its a lot of work. You are smashing 4 years of undergrad and 2 years of graduate work into 5 years so your per-semester average is going to be higher than normal. They are awesome if you can make it through them, but its tough.

[size=xx-small]*Woo 200 posts![/size]

 

[ksu06]

Ah yes, college decisions! I remember making this decision a year ago (though it seems like much further away!). I would say you should definitely consider the social aspects of the schools because the classes, teachers, etc. are only half (if at all) the college experience. The type of people you will be surrounded by in the next few years matters a lot more in my opinion ... Have you visited both schools?

 

[Gatto]

I'm up at the University At Buffalo and I know we have a ton of transfers from SUNY Albany because they hated it there.

 

[jinp6301]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanTheMiataMan /img/forum/go_quote.gif The one with more connections... IMO getting an MBA is more about making connections.

x2

Binghamton's MBA program isint too good i think.

 

[chesebert]

go to the best MBA program you can get in..technically it's really Top 10 MBA program or bust, if you were going straight through without any substantial working experience; although it would be difficult to get into Top 10 MBA without any substantial work experience unless you have very very high GMAT

 

[Nocturnal310]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gatto /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm up at the University At Buffalo and I know we have a ton of transfers from SUNY Albany because they hated it there.

oh..i have some friends there.

 

[G-man]

From what i have read here, the best choice would appear to be SUNY Binghamton if you can keep the workload. If the 5 year programs are hard, and the university/course is known to be better/harder then employers will know about it, and will appreciate it.

On the other hand, you will be stuck there for your postgraduate (or so I presume, I don't know if you can move after 4 years). So if you decide that you do not want to do an MBA, or if you want to move to a different university, then you can't.

Have you visited both places, because that can be a major deciding factor (you are going to live there for 5 years). Talk to the students there, and see if they really like it, or if they think its just ok. Plus, talking to past graduates/potential employers in the future is always good, if you can find some (phone the HR dept of a company and ask, the worse they can do is say they can't help).

 

[Baba booey]

I visited both schools. I liked Binghamton more, a few less students but still a much cozier campus nestled in a more wooded area. I wasn't originally looking to get a masters degree right away though.

 

[gilency]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baba booey /img/forum/go_quote.gif I visited both schools. I liked Binghamton more, a few less students but still a much cozier campus nestled in a more wooded area. I wasn't originally looking to get a masters degree right away though.

If you are financially able to keep going for a masters, I personally think tha would be a good thing for you in the long run.I was in the same posiiton a few yrs ago (not business though), and the best decision I made was not to stop. Once you are older, youll have mortgages and car payments not to mention expensive children! It was now or never for me.

 

[928GTS]

A lot about choosing schools is how you feel when you visit there,if a school "feels" right then it probably is. Albany has been working hard at making itself more competitive by being far more selective in who it accepts as well as trying to introduce new programs with new staff. Binghamton has always been recognized as one of the top schools in the SUNY system.

 

[Baba booey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 928GTS /img/forum/go_quote.gif A lot about choosing schools is how you feel when you visit there,if a school "feels" right then it probably is. Albany has been working hard at making itself more competitive by being far more selective in who it accepts as well as trying to introduce new programs with new staff. Binghamton has always been recognized as one of the top schools in the SUNY system.

So you'd say Binghamton would be good, as long as I could keep up the grades?
And Troy, NY...right by RPI and SUNY Albany

 

[smrtby123]

15-20k a year is still pretty good when compared to a state school in NJ.

I wasn't trying to discourage you from doing a 5 year, they are a great thing and will put you on top of the graduating class in terms of job potential, but it is difficult, especially since your GPA is highly monitored. Honestly college is not that bad if you go to class and do your hw so the GPA minimums are really not a problem. If you never go to class and only study right before an exam you might be in trouble, but hey I knew people who could do that.

 

[Baba booey]

Well I'm visiting family in Ithaca before I go to the SUNY Albany open house on Sunday. I visited Binghamton again on my way up just to get another look(considering I haven't been there since July 08). It is a LOT bigger than Albany, despite having 4k less students. It also does come off as a lot nicer looking than Albany, the cars that people drove, the building(a lot of newer places). I still got a tough decision.