SUNY College at Geneseo Reviews

"If you are 18 and you have been accepted to SUNY Geneseo, do not go. I am writing this review with 13 years of reflection from since I last attended. A lot of people write how SUNY Geneseo is beautiful and an excellent institution. However, a place can be beautiful, but you can be bored and lonely as freak. I want to make this clear as I can: DO NOT GO TO GENESEO: YOU WILL REGRET WHAT OTHER THINGS THAT YOU COULD HAVE DONE WITH YOUR TIME. I lost 4 years of my life at this university from 19-22. Geneseo just has a 1 street with 7-8 businesses and that is the extent of what you can do around campus when you aren't in class. If you are a minority, the loneliness gets amplified 100x. The school is about 90% white. Geneseo doesn't have a strong network of companies that come to recruit there. There are no tech companies, defense contractors, banks, media, or consulting companies that actively hold career info sessions. When you are about to graduate, you will be left on your own to find a job. Geneseo is, in essence, a rural white town in the middle of bumfuck nowhere. If you are looking for a nice university that is affordable, I suggest any of the UCs, UNCs, or UTs. A lot of these universities are next to big cities and aren't outrageously expensive. I would suggest ASU, UNC-Charlotte, Georgia State, UT-Dallas, Ohio State University, CUNY Baruch, University of Houston, George Mason, or any CUNY are better choices. A lot of companies recruit from these universities too because you are next to a big city center. You will have a rich experience because you live next to a big city. Because there are so many people there, you will make friends: it will happen. Whereas, in SUNY Geneseo, you have to work harder and realize that its just a small pool of people. When the weekend rolls around not at Geneseo, you have a lot of options for you want to do. Also, you could be in a big university with a sizeable collegetown: University of Vermont(Burlington), University of Colorado (Boulder), University of Virginia (Charlottesville). With the big cities and sizeable collegetowns, there is a more diverse student population with more things to do: you can see a museum, you can see a concert, or you could can go walk around. Trust me-- you will not regret the decision to choose a different university that isn't like a SUNY Geneseo or Oswego, especially if you are Asian-American, African-American, Native American or Hispanic-American. Don't spend the prime years of your life stuck in a rural white town with nothing to do and no career network."

"DO NOT GO TO GENESEO!!!!! Terrible, terribel, terrible. The professors and administration doesnt care one bit about the students. As long as they get your money to give to their incompetent and pompous professors. The education school is a complete waste of time. Youll be put through so much stress (not from classes) just to be told you cant continue on. Dont waste your time, go to a different college where you can have better professors and classes. Dont listen to people when they say its an ivy suny. The professors will knock you down just because they dont know how to teach their classes. The whole school is an overrated piece of c***."

"Geneseo quickly become my home for the 4 years I spent there. The smaller community atmosphere, especially in the Geography and Anthropology departments, allowed me to thrive and easily talk to my professors about anything going on in college life. I also felt privileged to be able to shape my major so much on my own, incorporating internships and directed studies, study abroad programs, and conference presentations into my college expirience. And the funny thing way, years ago I never could have seen myself doing those things, and yet it happen easily for me there. If you go, which you should if you like small schools and having lots of amazing opportunities to hike and get outside all around, I hope you find it to be as much of as life changing adventure as I did."

"I graduated from Geneseo in 2017. I received a bachelors in international Relations and pre-pharmacy, and I am currently pursuing my doctorate in pharmacy. I am happy where I am now, however attending Geneseo was a very long road. I am going to cut to the chase, I wouldnt recommend this school for any people of color. Majority of the time they will try to put you in a program (where you have to stay in the summer before school) where you have to prove your worth. I graduated high school with a 97 gpa and they still wanted to put me in this program where I had to stay at the school the summer before it began! I had to show them that I was also accepted to NYU for them to push me out of it. Basically the school receives funding for putting you in this program. Furthermore, one of the classes that I took I had a 98.5 in, and the teacher tried to fail me. He explicitly wrote in a letter that, I lacked discipline and he thinks it extends to my home life. After I sent the letter to affirmative action there was a huge case at the school, and I passed the course with the grade I deserved. However, that is something I never expected to deal with at a liberal arts school. Also, anytime there is a march against police brutality or protection of poc, expect your fellow students to be non-supportive. They will comment of Facebook, yikyak and other social media forms that you should be studying instead of marching, and explain this is why poc are failing there courses. Would I say Geneseo has an amazing program, yes. However, I wished I picked a different undergraduate study. Also if youre going into International Relations, you need to have money. They now require that you spend over a month abroad and are trying to offer no alternative. I spoke to the dean and they placed me on an internship instead. However, not everyone can afford to spend 5,000 dollars to travel abroad, and not work for a month."

"This college did a great job preparing me in both the realms of history and research, as well as secondary education. While most student live on campus, I did not have much difficulty as a commuter/nontraditional student. The professors were available for questions, and the University staff were able to solve problems that arose. The preparation and support for my career were excellent. I found that I was well prepared for my Masters' degree program as well. The reputation of this college's programs is highly regarded and well known."

"RESIDENCE HALLS First of all, the tour was VERY misleading. The BS at orientation was also VERY misleading. They, of course, show you the nicest dorm and the nicest dining hall. What they don't show you are the dorms on South Side that the vast majority of freshmen live in. If you are going to live on South you should get a suite because the corridor dorms are absolutely atrocious at times. There literally was mucus, blood, and feces rubbed on the bathroom stall walls often. The custodian did not clean all of the feces for nearly two weeks. The shower areas smelled like pee and were clogged with hair, these were RARELY cleaned. I lived on a floor of about 20-22 girls, with only two toilets and two showers. Other floors had three toilets an two-three showers, which did somewhat improve "cleanliness" as the ratio of people to facilities was evened out. The sinks, there were four, were very dirty. They were constantly and at all times, even after "cleaning" covered in hair, toothpaste, and other unknown substances. I do think that other floors had a better custodian, unfortunately, ours did not do very well. The bathrooms were very difficult for me to handle and I often went to other floors to avoid the bathroom on our floor. THE FOOD The food sucks. Upperclassmen I met also agreed, the food sucked. They were doing construction on South and we did not have a dining hall. So for dinner we would either get food from he food truck "Chow Hound" or have to walk ten minutes to campus .... Oh yeah it also takes ten minutes to get to the main campus from South....anyway, the food at the smaller dining hall "MJ" made me feel physically sick, and the so called "healthier" options at "Fusion" are disgusting. The buffet at "Letch " is okay, it gets old super fast, and this hall is about 15 minutes from South unless you take the bus. The food seemed okay at first because they make it seem like you have so many options, but after about three weeks you realize that its the same thing every week and the ingredients are not fresh, are greasy, and always seem to have something off. They also seem to try a bit too hard to make some of the food seem fancier with odd dressings and spices that are really disgusting. I could barely handle eating the food after a while because I would feel so weighed down by it and often slightly sick. THE COST Food plans are INSANE. Freshmen are required to have the highest meal plans. Nobody can spend that much money on food, even though the cost of the dining hall food is also insanely high. People really struggled to spend all of their meal plan by the end of the semester as the school only allows 50 dollars to carry over to the next semester, a great way to rip you off. My residence hall experience was most definitely NOT worth the cost. I was truly miserable there. I know some students must have enjoyed the dorm, but people on my floor for some reason were not very social except for one group of girls. I know that this was the opposite in some other buildings, where people were very social. I made most of my friends in my classes and those were the people I would eat lunch with each day. I would eat diner with my roommate usually. Unfortunately, I did not have a good residential experience at Geneseo. The academics The academics are very good. If I lived closer I would have commuted. THE WEEKENDS If you aren't a big partier, you will literally have nothing to do. Nothing."

"SUNY Geneseo was a great place to attend undergrad. The professors and curriculum are the best in the SUNY system; while you received the same academic rigor as a private school, you received the benefits of small class sizes and easily accessible professors. The school was excellent with providing many different networking and professional class options. Besides all this, Geneseo is a safe town; as a woman, I never felt in danger walking on my own."

"SUNY Geneseo's department of Geological Sciences has had a profound impact on my understanding of Geology and on my future career outlook. The encouraging faculty always push students to go above and beyond the regular classroom activities by getting students involved in directed study programs with individual faculty members. The friendly atmosphere of this department will always be a fond memory of mine as I move forward in my career. I would highly recommend the Geological Sciences program at SUNY Geneseo for any student interested in this field."

"I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at SUNY Geneseo. From here, I have gained a priceless education thanks to the knowledgeable and compassionate professors, a kind and empathetic campus community, and numerous opportunities that made this campus home."

"SUNY Geneseo was an excellent institution. They offered many programs and the professors were extremely helpful. Everyone on the campus was friendly and I always felt safe. It is a small school and the town is beautiful. My degree is in Math and Economics and most of the professors were very knowledgeable. There were a few that were not very good at explaining ideas or concepts but they were always available for office hours. I formed bonds with many of the students in my classes and we would have regular homework and study sessions to help each other. It felt like a great learning community. The campus is absolutely beautiful. Make sure to take in the sunset as you come from a late class or are walking from the library. It's only 4 years for most so enjoy every minute of it."

"Great education, especially for the price! Being in state I had to take the opportunity to attend this institution. Originally I thought about attending a private school for my undergraduate education but knowing I was going into graduate school it did not make sense for me to spend the extra money when SUNY Geneseo was right there. Professors are amazing and willing to help you along the way."

"Nice campus. Small in terms of other schools in number of students but it helps you make a connection to professors. Lots of opportunity to expand interests and work within your major with your professors and other students"

"Small school, you will see the same people in all your classes. Not as many choices of majors and courses as a bigger school, so you can't really specialize in any field, but the professors are very good and you do get a good education. The campus is very pretty but smells like alfalfa and/or cow manure a lot of the time."

"A great school! It's a small environment, which makes it feel like home. The professors want to see you succeed!"

"The school is pretty small, so there aren't as many choices for majors/classes as you would find with a bigger school. The faculty is pretty great, though. The level of education you get will be much better than most other schools. They do take their reputation for being the "Ivy League" of state schools seriously."

"The school is pretty small, so there aren't as many choices for majors/classes as you would find with a bigger school. The faculty is pretty great, though. The level of education you get will be much better than most other schools. They do take their reputation for being the "Ivy League" of state schools seriously."

"I transferred to SUNY Geneseo after community college, and I am so happy that I did. I began in the Education program but realized that it wasn't for me. I fell in love with my English classes and the English faculty, and I wanted to commit more time to that major. The English department at Geneseo offers a wide variety of classes from medieval literature to comparative literature to in-depth courses on major authors. All of the teachers are committed to seeing their students improve and are very personable. I grew very close with my professors. The school as a whole was great. I had a job at the dining hall and enjoyed being there. It wasn't always an easy job, but it was very valuable. The school is also great about providing extra-curricular activities and bringing speakers on all different topics. One thing that makes Geneseo special is G.R.E.A.T. Day (Geneseo Recognizing Excellence, Achievement, and Talent), an academic conference held every spring. Student are able to present their research or creative projects to be shared with their peers and faculty across the school, and it was an excellent learning experience. Housing at Geneseo is good and steadily improving. Some residence halls are better than others, but they are working on refurbishing some of the oldest ones. It's the perfect school for people who like a quieter atmosphere in town. And you really can't beat the view."

"I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Geneseo. At first, I was doubtful as to whether or not I would enjoy my experience. I had given up the opportunity to go to my dream school to attend Geneseo. Although the college itself is small, and the surrounding area not very lively, the students at the school are what make it worthwhile. Everyone is incredibly friendly and open, and you will find that many students, while extremely driven and talented, are also incredibly humble. What the town lacks in activities, the school makes up for in well thought-out weekend events and many, many extracurricular opportunities. Additionally, the classes are top-notch–I have never had an academic professor I disliked, and felt as though all my classes challenged me to a sufficient extent. The professors are open and very helpful, and for the most part, I never had trouble staying awake in class. The Geneseo community as a whole-students, professors, and the like–are truly exceptional, and I would not have chosen any other school to attend."

"I had a great experience and would do it again. My younger sister is going there as well in the Fall, and I could not be more delighted. I am fond of all of the memories, and friends I made during my time at Geneseo."