College decision day is coming up on us very soon. High school and prospective students across the nation are narrowing down their final decisions among many possible matches. We need to remind everyone that The State University of New York is the largest public higher education system in the nation, educating approximately 1.3 million students in more than 7,500 degree and certificate programs, continuing education and community outreach programs, and nearly 2 million in workforce and professional development programs. There are several reasons to pick a SUNY institution as your college of choice, and to help narrow that choice down, here are 50 more of of the top reasons to attend a SUNY school near you!
- There’s not just one SUNY. We have 64 different campuses to choose from!
- We’re so close to you already. Half of New Yorkers live within 5 miles of a SUNY campus; and 99.8% of the population live within 30 miles.
- With the new Excelsior Scholarship, SUNY tuition just became free for families that make less than $125,000 a year. This program is the first of its kind in the nation.
- SUNY wants all students to become financially literate. Smart Track allows students to understand how they are paying for college and what the next steps are financially, beginning in high school.
- No matter what you’re interested in, there’s a way for you to study it at SUNY. There are over 7,000 degree and certificate programs to choose from, with new ones being added all the time.
- Open SUNY allows students to complete degrees from bachelors to doctorate fully online through a SUNY institution.
- SUNY is connected to all of New York State. Partnerships with other schools, like the UAlbany and Albany Law affiliation, offer students an accelerated path to advanced degrees.
- The EOP program provides access, academic support, and financial aid to students who show the potential of succeeding in college but who may not have otherwise gotten a chance to do so. It’s celebrating 50 years of access and success this year!
- We know that a well-rounded education is critical, which is why we put such a strong focus on Applied Learning. It has even become a graduation requirement at some campuses, guaranteeing students an opportunity for real world experiences.
- Our Applied Learning vision is being met by companies in New York. We formed a partnership with National Grid that allows our students to get hands on training for class credit and a path to employment.
- The START-UP NY program creates applied learning opportunities for students with over 200 approved company partnership options for students to gain experience in their chosen fields.
- As a SUNY student, you can participate in any study abroad program, regardless of host campus. That means over 1,000 programs in 60 countries on all 7 continents is at your disposal!
- Yes, one of our campuses even offers a trip to the end of the world in Antarctica!
- SUNY has a growing international presence. A new partnership has been established with Cuba, allowing students to travel and study in the country.
- Faculty use their real world experience to teach in the classroom, like how the recent trip of 20 educators to Cuba has given our students real-life accounts of historic events.
- We offer scholarships to make studying abroad a possibility for everyone!
- In addition to our students traveling abroad to study, more than 22,000 international students call a SUNY campus their home.
- Research at SUNY happens in every field, bringing in nearly one billion dollars in annual Research Activity Support.
- The SUNY Research Foundation is one of the only system-wide research bases in the country. Most research centers in higher education are campus specific; ours is system-wide, allowing students to partake in research opportunities with other campuses.
- Our students take part in life-changing research themselves, gaining national recognition for projects like creating a new way to provide access to clean drinking water.
- One campus is ranked #14 on the US News Undergraduate Research/ Creative Projects list.
- SUNY recently launched the Impact Foundation, a first-of-its-kind philanthropic endeavor that will further university-wide programs and multiple campus projects to help take student success to scale.
- Community service matters at SUNY. 19 of our campuses were named to the President’s Community Service Honor Roll last year.
- Students give to those less fortunate than themselves however they can. Some students even find ways to travel to new places to give back, like the Tennesse-Kentucky border.
- We are leading the nation in Fair and Impartial policing, educating law enforcement about the impact implicit biases have on policing.
- The SUNY’s Got Your Back Campaign is a system-wide effort to provide comfort kits for victims and survivors of sexual and interpersonal violence. The Student Assembly helped us fill more than 10,000 bags!
- The It’s On Us pledge is a system-wide pledge to recognize, identify, intervene against sexual assault on your campus and to create an environment in which sexual assault is unacceptable and survivors are supported. The majority of Student Government Presidents took the pledge to make their campuses supportive communities.
- The student voice is present in decision making. The SUNY Student Assembly is the student government of the entire SUNY system; not just at the campus level.
- A fair shot at higher education is important to SUNY. The Ban the Box initiative, which was adopted by SUNY, was heavily pushed by students to ensure all their peers had an equitable shot at admission.
- We are in the neighborhoods surrounding our campuses. Students love the opportunities to live on and off campus in dorms, apartments, or houses!
- Thanks to the SUNY Construction Fund, those that do live on campus are constantly seeing new construction and updates to the residence halls and living arrangements on their campuses.
- The Completion Agenda shows our commitment to helping students finish their degrees. Just last year, 96,000 degrees were earned, and that number is set to climb every year.
- #SUNYCompletes!
- SUNY offers a wide-variety of classes. We have the traditional math and English, but we also have classes in Craft Brewing.
- And a class in the Principles of Fly Fishing.
- Or go way outside the classroom to learn about Extraterrestrial Life!
- We have our eye on safety in America. The new College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity is the first of its kind in the nation.
- Some pretty cool people come to visit us, like the President or Vice President of the United States!
- We have over 760 athletic teams throughout SUNY, providing athletic opportunity in every kind of competitive sport.
- Championships are a regular thing at SUNY, like the Division III national championship in womens hockey or the NJCAA national championship in mens lacrosse.
- Our schools are filled with music and culture, from classical excellence at the Crane School of Music to events like UAlbany’s Parkfest and SUNY Oswego’s OzFest.
- Notable alum, Al Roker from SUNY Oswego, is always coming back to visit SUNY. This year, he helped set a Guiness World Record during Rokerthon III at Oswego.
- We host the best spring tournament of all every year – our very own Mascot Madness!
- Our students are stewards for the clean future of our planet. The construction of a solar-powered home earned some a national recognition.
- Chancellor Nancy Zimpher is wikipedia famous. Systemness!
- People take notice of our academic excellence. More than 20 SUNY schools were reported in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2017 Best Colleges Rankings.
- The value of the academics you get at SUNY is second to none too. Multiple SUNY schools have been recognized on Kiplinger’s 2017 Best College’s Value list.
- You can apply to multiple SUNY schools in one step with Apply SUNY.
- I’m sure you’ll love us! Our nearly 3 million SUNY alumni (12% of New York’s population) certainly do!
- We’re never satisfied with where we are. Everyone at SUNY is committed to be the best at getting better.
