Stony Brook vs Mount Sinai

[2121]

Hi

So I got accepted to the Phd programs at Stony Brook (Genetics) & Mount Sinai (Biological Sciences). Both offer tuition scholarships + stipend. I kind of like both the programs (both places have faculty whose research interests fit mine and their phd program seems pretty good) Am trying to decide which might be a better fit for me. Since I'm an international student I dont have the opportunity to visit the campus and see what its like and was therefore hoping that some of you who have actually visited both &/either campuses could tell me somethn about the school.. what you felt..your opinion abt the faculty n students. Since I actually like both programs kind of finding it difficult to decide so any insight will be greatly appreciated!

Edited March 20, 2010 by 2121

[fuzzylogician]

Have you talked with faculty and students at both schools (skype, phone)? If not, do so. It's not as good as meeting someone in person, but it'll give you an idea of what the professors are like. Students are likelier to tell you what they really think when there's no written record of it, so if you talk to your potential advisor's current students, they will feel more comfortable giving you a true opinion.

[eleanorrigby]

I'm an undergrad at Stony Brook in art history now. The science programs ARE really good. It's a nice school, there are a lot of international students, so you might like that but I'll warn you that, according to my experience its a large, impersonal campus. I wouldn't not go based on that, but I suppose its good to know. If you have any specific questions about Stony, I'll be happy to answer them for you

[2121]

I have spoken with two faculty members over the phone.. both of them were prof i would like to work with... i have written to two current students at mount sinai.. waiting for their reply.. SBU i did not have a phone interview but I did correspond with some students and they all seem to have a good opinion of the place but like you said I doubt students will actually tell me the nittygrittys on email.. but no idea what else to do.. thanks for the advise though!

Have you talked with faculty and students at both schools (skype, phone)? If not, do so. It's not as good as meeting someone in person, but it'll give you an idea of what the professors are like. Students are likelier to tell you what they really think when there's no written record of it, so if you talk to your potential advisor's current students, they will feel more comfortable giving you a true opinion.

[2121]

Hmm i think campus life does matter to me.. one of the major concers I have about SBU is that its located in a quiet place n Im more of a city person.. dono how I would adjust to life there so could you tell me a little more about the place? places you can hang out and stuff you can do? Obviously the fact the Mt Sinai is in NYC is a huge factor for me but I do know SBU is really good academically so Im torn between the two!

I'm an undergrad at Stony Brook in art history now. The science programs ARE really good. It's a nice school, there are a lot of international students, so you might like that but I'll warn you that, according to my experience its a large, impersonal campus. I wouldn't not go based on that, but I suppose its good to know. If you have any specific questions about Stony, I'll be happy to answer them for you

[daimiasue]

I was at Purdue two summers ago and really enjoyed my experience. There is a really large international population there. Didn't do much hanging out but I'm sure that there are places you can go, it's a university after all. The LIRR runs bear the school so you would be in NYC in about 2 hours. I think it is located perfectly because its in a quiet area but you can get to the city whenever you like. There's an Asian center where they serve Indian, Chinese and Japanese food plus NYC will have everything that you could want. Good luck with your choice..not a bad dilema to have.

[green_tales]

Hmm i think campus life does matter to me.. one of the major concers I have about SBU is that its located in a quiet place n Im more of a city person.. dono how I would adjust to life there so could you tell me a little more about the place? places you can hang out and stuff you can do? Obviously the fact the Mt Sinai is in NYC is a huge factor for me but I do know SBU is really good academically so Im torn between the two!

I went to Stony Brook (undergrad, applied math & statistics) and have some things to say :-)

The city: It's a small town, and it's not very friendly for those without a car. Also, it's hard for grad students to get on-campus housing, and they rape you for room charges at the end of the semester. There're a couple of buses that run through campus that go to the mall where there're a couple of grocery stores nearby. There's also a campus bus that goes to target, walmart, and a large grocery store (pathmark) on the weekend (called "the mall bus", because it used to go to the mall, but not any more). Also, there's a stop'n'shop up the road about 1-2 miles, but there's no sidewalk for most of that. Also, it's a commuter school -- most of the students live with their parents in the city, or go home to their parents' every weekend. The campus is dead on the weekends. And the food is horribly overpriced. And in general greasy and unhealthy. (the best deal I found was chili for $2, which came with crackers.. but let me tell you, you DONT want to be around me when I'm eating chili more than once or twice every couple of days)

the campus: parts of it are run down, parts of it are new. The chemistry tower is in the somewhat run down category. And it's got some pretty quirky buildings, including the library (which is a building in a building, and you have to go upstairs and then downstairs to get to the stacks on the first floor) and the math & physics tower (same buildings, one has floors that are lettered, and one has floors that are numbered, and there are HALF floors -- that's where the grad student offices are).

The bureaucracy: When I arrived, I was so glad that my sister was there with her car to help me.. because when I went to check in, no one was at the E commons (where I was told to go) to meet me. the place was DESERTED. I had to search around for another check-in place, where they told me to go back to the E commons. They had to call an off-duty residence hall director to come and check me in. Then I found out they'd lost my ID. So, if my sister wasn't there, I would have had to take all of my earthly possessions across campus THREE TIMES because SB had their heads up their asses.

Also, dealing with the financial aid dept, registrar, and bursar, you have to call the same phone number.. and sit through a recording.. and if you press ANY BUTTON during the recording (which tells you you can go online to get many of your questions answered), it starts over. This is maddening when you are being told you owe thousands of dollars and are incurring late fees, and *can't* get to campus to talk to someone in person (they'd make you stand in line there anyway, but at least they'll listen to you)

To sum up: SB is departmentalized to the extreme. the head doesn't know (or care) what the ass is doing.

[origin415]

I dont think the fact that its a commuter school/dead on the weekends/etc should affect your decision at all, as you, a grad student, will be commuting/not there on the weekends/etc.

Regardless, I am from LI, so I can't speak too much about the university (though a lot of my friends and my brother went there, my dad works there, and my mom used to work there (these were big reasons I decided not to go in the first place), etc). I can talk tons about the area. LI is basically a bunch of small towns which are adjacent to each other, forming one massive island-covering suburb, though it gets a bit more rural out east. Some of the larger towns have little "downtown" areas, which are basically a bunch of shops along main st. There isn't much more as far as places to hang out and stuff to do as your average suburb, but in total there is probably anything you could ever want somewhere on that island. You will definitely need a car, but if you do have one, there nothing is more than an hours drive away, SB is fairly central. If you ever do want to go to a big city, NYC is a train ride away.

[2121]

Hey thanks green_tales and origin415 for ur inputs.... green_tales thanks for giving such a candid description of the school! was really helpful.. cos i could get absolutely no drawbacks abt d school from any student i corresponded with from there.. well i think I got a pretty good picture of the school n d area its in.. i guess as a grad student I will be busy most of d time but still would prefer living in the city.. thanks u guys for al ur help!!