Stony Brook University Top Questions

Stony Brook University is composed of predominantly pre-med students. Stony Brook University is very strong in their departments of sciences/engineering, mathematics, and computer science. Nevertheless, their liberal arts departments are decent, yet, not as strong as the STEM departments. In addition, Stony Brook University has many commuter students which means that on weekends, many people go home and thus, the campus life on weekends seem "dull." The weekends will not be dull if you actively find things to do, hang out with your friends, or catch up on things you wanted to do and etc.

I have only been here for one year, but it has been the most profound experience of my life and I can't see it happening anywhere other than Stony Brook

I believe Stony Brook is a good middle ground for students looking for a quality science education at an affordable price. Our university is ranked very high in our science and research departments, a ranking I can vouch for as a Biology major. Unfortunately, since this school is so heavily dedicated to science and engineering, it may not be suitable for those looking into other fields such as business or law. However, regardless of what a student chooses to study at Stony Brook, there is always help available.

There are a lot of things I want perspective frosh to know before coming to SBU. First of all, this school is huge! This includes both the tremendous size of campus as well as the number of students who attend here. It takes on average 5-9 minutes to walk almost anywhere from dorm halls to class. One thing I would definitely change is the on campus food. They got rid of Taco Bell (WHY?!). Wendy's, CPK, "Dunkin Donuts" (probably the ghetto-est ever), and the campus dining food gets sickening very quickly. The best thing about this school is that you are given a lot of freedom- but of course this entitles a lot of responsibility. People assume I party a lot and have so much fun when I tell them I go to this school. While I do have fun, it is only because my friends and I seek out the fun or make the fun ourselves. There aren't a lot of parties and the Greek life isn't impressive at all. The worst part of SBU is that since the campus is so big and a lot of people go home during the weekends, SBU is sort of dead. It becomes worse when you realize without a car, you are entrapped in this deserted island. Even when you go off campus, there is nothing to do for quite a great radius. My opinion of the school's administration is that they are bunch of suits trying to steal any kind of money they can from its students whether it be through an annual increase in tuition or ridiculous prices for books. The biggest recent controversy on campus was the fact that there are new charges being added to the tuition but just recently the university was given $1.5 million...(exactly?!). I do admit there is a lot of school pride- just go to any student ask them "WHAT'S A SEA WOLF?" and find out for yourself what we think of ourselves. Classes here are really hard and you must keep up with the material otherwise you are going to be as depressed as the kids that are sitting at the library the night before the final! One experience I will always remember is meeting all of my friends. Because of that one incident, I am able to have fun and make the best of my time here at Stony Brook.

It is a good school. There is an abundance of interesting classes and a lot of new people to meet and get to know. However, tuition keep going up, the meal plan kind of sucks, and there is a lot of construction on campus. The campus is large, but not so big as so you couldn't walk completely across campus in about 15 minutes. Sometimes administrative red tape can be very confusing, but the staff are generally friendly even if they have no idea how to help you. School pride is something that is really big in some circles, and not so important in others. You can easily go to a rally and rage and cheer with hundreds of other students, or be comfortably, completely negligent. I like this aspect of the school; how they encourage school spirit without demanding it. Personally, my favorite area to hang out is the TAC or "Tabler Arts Center". Starting at around 9pm and lasting almost completely through the night people gather in front of the TAC to hang out, make friends, and be generally silly. I will always remember these giant gatherings of friends and soon to be friends as we experimented in all sorts of crazy things.

Stony Brook is really good at providing opportunities for every type of college student. There is a bit too much science-driven students which shows in the lack of emphasis in the Humanities department. Also the campus is a bit liberal and it's hard for conservative students to express themselves. There is a lot of school pride and there are options to leave campus (the train to Penn Station is five minutes away!). The school's administration is a bit annoying, but overall it's a good school

The best thing about this school is the location. I love being surrounded by trees and fresh air. I would probably make more programs to make everyone feel more welcome, because it is so easy to become just a number in such a large school. One of the most frequent complaints that I've heard is that the food is less than average. On the other hand, this is not my personal opinion.

I love Stony Brook University with all my heart. However, I do realize that SBU is not an ideal fit for everyone. Choosing a college is a very important decision and should not be done hastefully. Here are some factors that I believe are important about every university. I have included some details about why I specifically love Stony Brook for each catagory. 1. Location – Do you want to live close to home or do you want to live in a completely new environment? Personally, Stony Brook was the ideal balance between close proximity to my family and a new environment. Campus is only a 1 hour drive away from home, however, I don’t find myself feeling obligated to see my family every weekend. On a positive note, due its proximity and the amazing public transportation services on Long Island I have gone home on weekdays just to eat dinner with the family. Along with location comes an often overlooked factor – weather. If you are not someone who enjoys the snow chances are you would not like going to college in upstate New York. I personally love Stony Brook because we get every type of weather. This allows me to add to my ever expanding shoe collection with new boots, flip flops, sandals, etc.Stony Brook University is located on Long Island which offers a great suburban life as well as access to the world's greatest city - Manhatten! I am able to easily get to NYC with an hour drive or a two hour train ride! In the summer Stony Brook's proximity to many of Long Island's best beaches is a great way to enjoy an afterwith with friends after classes. 2. Programs and majors - One of the most important things to look into when selecting a college are the programs they offer. Even though, a vast majority of students apply to college with an “undeclared” major, make sure your college of choice offers classes in the general subject matter you are interested in. I love Stony Brook because of their science curriculum. As a research university Stony Brook's science classes are challanging but engaging! Students are also always given the opportunity to conduct research with professors in a subject of interest. 3. Cost- It is very important to take into consideration the tuition rates when selecting a college. Obviously, you don’t want to put yourself into incredible amounts of debt as an undergraduate especially if you are planning on pursuing higher education. Luckily, Stony Brook is a public school (SUNY – State University of New York) and has relatively affordable costs of attendance. :) 4. Extracurricular Activities – These expereinces not only compliment things you learn in class but also they can serve as a way to explore on of your new passions. Stony Brook has over 300 clubs and organizations! I am 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} sure that within this vast number you will find something you are passionate about. 5. Size of the undergraduate class- Most likely you knew everyone in your highs school graduating class but in college this can dramatically change depending on the size of your undergraduate student body.The nice thing about Stony Brook is that there is enough people that you can remain anonymous yet I have this theory that everyone knows everyone by at least 3 degrees. 6. What is the school “known” for?- I consider Stony Brook a well-rounded school but I am proud to say our strongest departments are science, engineering and journalism. Before you select a college do some research about their most popular and well known programs.

I love the people that I have met here. I would change the registration process for classes because it is so difficult to get into required classes sometimes. The size of the school is decent. Stony Brook is a pretty good school and I think anyone that goes here should be proud to go here. The most frequent student complaints are that there is nothing to do on campus but honestly, your experience is what you make of it. If you don't stay on campus and go to events, you're going to be bored with your experience.

The school programs are phenomenal and the football team is doing really great this season. Going to events and being involved on campus really makes this a fun place. There are a wide range of courses and majors offered here, but it is difficult to choose a major for that reason. The wide selection allows for lots of opportunities to learn interesting things.