SUNY Schools for English Majors?

Question

Just some background information: I'm currently going to a school (Buffalo State College) that I hate for many reasons. I'm going to be transferring to a local, community college (Erie CC) for Fall 2007 and Spring 2008. However, for Fall 2008, I plan on going to another college, preferably a SUNY school, for a major in English, with the possibility of a minor in Journalism.

What are the top SUNY schools for English majors? I preferably don't want a huge school, but if that's what it takes, then I'll settle with it. If someone could give me some suggestions of SUNY schools with good English departments, that would be greatly appreciated. Also, if you could let me know your source for how you know the school has a good English department, that would be great.

On a side note, English at Buffalo State College is a joke - ENG101 was easier than anything at my high school ever was.

Just some more information about my grades and stuff: My GPA this past semester was a 3.3 (which equals out to the high 80s). My overall average in high school was a 92.5.

Many of the reasons I do not like Buff State include the fact that the school is very poor with many poor people going there just to get their refund checks from the E.O.P. program. Also, the dorms are so ridiculous.

Answer 1

I would suggest SUNY Albany. Albany is a research school so a lot of the teachers are here because they are currently working on projects and must teach to receive funds. When is that bad? When you're talking about a computer science or biology department. When is that good? For English departments. Most of the professors are well acknowledged specialists in their fields, some recognized throughout the world. Also, there is a wide variety of classes to choose from with fewer restrictions, so you tend to find subjects you're interested in with teachers who really do know their stuff. My overall suggestion? Inquire into the honors program if you decide to attend. If you are accepted, you work one-on-one with a teacher, a supervisor and a second reader to produce a thesis. My topic is "The Parental Void in Emily Dickinson" and it has been a wonderful but challenging experience. I know you mentioned in your question that your other school is too easy, so this would be a way to challenge yourself.
The down side? I'm from Buffalo also and I LOVE the people and sense of community. Albany is a bigger school and doesn't have that sense of community. But it is definitely worth the sacrifice to look into. Email some of the teachers in topics you're interested in, see if they'll give you some advice.

Answer 2

Suny Purchase Majors

Answer 3

It's hard to make suggestions without knowing exactly what you dislike about your current school or what your grades are like :) However, you might want to take a look at SUNY Geneseo, SUNY New Paltz, SUNY Binghamton and SUNY Purchase for starters. However, don't limit yourself to just SUNY schools -- with financial aid and merit scholarships, you may be able to attend a private university for pretty much the same price. So, given your interests, you might also want to look at, and apply to, some of these schools as well: Syracuse University, Fordham, Hamilton, Hobart & William Smith, Boston University, NYU, Skidmore and Vassar. Finally, keep in mind that the intro. English classes are typically the weakest classes in the department. Higher level courses are almost always more academically challenging. Good luck!
Carolyn Lawrence, independent college counselor, www.AdmissionsAdvice.com

Answer 4

Binghamton is arguably the main prestigious of the SUNY faculties, and Stony Brook is an exceedingly close 2d. Stony Brook is likewise good for pre-med...fantastically because of the fact it has a med college on campus, which provides the scholars an excellent sort of exposure (or a minimum of an excellent sort of possibilities for exposure) to drugs. It has an invaluable popularity for technological awareness and math.

Answer 5

SUNY Purchase used to rate top in the Northeast of U.S. for literature degrees (B.A.). From my understanding they have added a concentration in journalism. I went to Purchase and LOVED it. Finished w/ a b.a. in literature and minor in anthropology. Great school. Had so many classes with less than 20 students in them- lots of personal attention.

Good luck!