The Her Campus Pre-Collegiette Guide: State University of New York at Oswego

School: SUNY Oswego

Location: Oswego, NY

Funding: Public

Size: 8,300

Tuition:
In-state –  $2485.00
Out-of-state – $6690.00

There are both merit and need-based scholarships available for all students.

Majors: 110

Schools: College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, School of Business, School of Communication, Media and the Arts, School of Education.

Choice:
“I chose Oswego because they have a great communications program.  Since I am a journalism major, it’s important for me to pick a school that has a well established communications program – and Oswego has just that!  Plus, it helps that Oswego is pretty affordable and far away enough from home.”

“I chose Oswego State because of the student run newspaper, the campus layout, and the proximity to my home town.”

“I chose Oswego because they gave me a lot of scholarships. When I visited the campus I met one of the advisors and professors, Linda Loomis, who was warm and kind and made me realize that this really was the best choice for me. It’s not too big or too small, and the people here are friendly.”

“Honestly, I first chose Oswego because that’s where two of my friends were going. I looked into the communications program, and although it doesn’t have an elite journalism program, it had well-established and respected professors that really encouraged hands-on learning. Plus, I needed to go to a school that I could afford, and Oswego allows me to get a quality education without breaking the bank.”

Repeat?:
“Absolutely. As a transfer student, I had the opportunity to sort of start over in college and pick a whole new school with a brand new environment and group of people. I chose Oswego when I transferred and if I had to do it again, my choice would still be Oswego.”

“If I had to do my college experience over again I would choose to attend SUNY Plattsburgh.  I did not look at Plattsburgh when I was first looking at colleges, it did not even cross my mind.  They seem to have a better journalism program than Oswego, the campus is beautiful, and it is in close proximity to Vermont and Canada.”

“If I had to do the college picking experience over again, I would choose Oswego. It really is a great fit for me, and I’ve met some incredible people that I wouldn’t have met otherwise.”

“Yes and no. I don’t think I would be able to find another school that suited me best personality-wise. I’ve met so many great people here, done a lot of awesome things and really left my mark here. I’ve felt at home since my freshman year, which is important when considering a college. But if I had to erase all of that and choose a school simply based on education, I would choose to go to UNC, Northeastern University, or University of Missouri. They all have journalism programs with an emphasis on magazines, which Oswego currently doesn’t provide. I would’ve been able to have had wider access to learning techniques that I need to succeed in my specific field. I’m hoping Oswego continues to reorganize they’re curriculum, as they’re currently doing, and incorporate more magazine-focused classes into the journalism program to satisfy every students’ needs.”

Best:
“The best thing about Oswego is the friendly professors and students. I’ve met a ton of great people here.”

“I love the people I have met here.”

“The best thing about Oswego are the people here. I’ve met so many different people and made so many great friends. Most of the faculty members have their own unique teaching style, which keeps class interesting and informative, and they’re willing to help you outside of class and office hours. There are a lot of people that I’m going to be keeping in touch with from college simply because of how amazing they are and how uplifting they are to be around”

Worst:   
“The journalism program is outdated. There needs to be a stronger focus on new media, instead of just newspaper journalism.”     

“Ironically enough, the student run paper is one of the things I like least about Oswego State.”    

“The worst thing, hands down, is the winter weather. I can’t stand winter, and it’s really hard to escape it here. Snow is around for about six months of the year and the wind is unlike any other place I’ve been.”
                                                                                                                          
Academics:
“I love most of my classes, even the dreadful Gen. Ed.’s, and I think it’s because the teachers I’ve had the pleasure to have are passionate about what they’re teaching and make you passionate about it as well. While I don’t think Oswego’s academics are that challenging, they require effort and a real comprehension of what it is you’re learning.”

“The academics here are fair. There are a lot of classes offered in various topics.  I think that some classes should allow more people in them than they do because classes fill up very quickly, but overall I think that the academics are good.”

“Classes at Oswego aren’t too bad. Most of the professors are fair, and they want you to do well. They are helpful if you go in to speak with them one-on-one and are always available via email for questions and concerns.”

“I think the academics are fairly strong here. While the course material is often challenging and tests your skills, the work load is not overbearing, allowing the students to really focus their efforts on a particular project, story, design, business plan, etc. The faculty all have unique styles of teaching and they’re almost always accessible via e-mail or office hours.”

Activities:
“There is a club for literally everything you can imagine at Oswego and I think that’s a great way to get all different sorts of people involved. While there are so many clubs and sports, both Division III and intramural, a lot of what I think are prominent cultural organizations on campus go unnoticed by most people.  The Black Student Union, African Student Organization, Caribbean Student Association and the Latino Student Union hold incredibly captivating, interesting and informational events that most people outside of those organizations do not know about.  So if I could change anything about the clubs or organizations here, it would be to create more pan-cultural awareness. Oswego’s most recognizable sport would be hockey. The games are awesome and Whiteout Weekend is one of the best weekends I’ve had at Oswego. Everyone should go to a game!”

“Simply put, there’s a club or an organization for nearly anything you can think of. And if it’s not already in existence, you can make it come to life. Pretty awesome, if you ask me.”

Dining:
“I have only ever eaten in Mackin, Cooper and Lakeside, but for college dining halls, the food is pretty great.  Here at Oswego, the menu changes every day and I think that’s great.  The food is good college cafeteria food.  I haven’t had the chance to eat at too many places, but from what I can tell, there’s tons of hidden food gems downtown.”

“I don’t mind the food here. Maybe a bit more variety because they serve the same things every day, the same day every week/month, but it does not taste too bad! More restaurants in town would be nice. Oswego does not have that much to offer in terms of local restaurants.”

“The food here isn’t too bad, either. It’s kind of monotonous, with the same meals every few weeks, but they do try to spice it up once in a while. Some of it, I admit, has made me feel sick, so I just have to keep track of what to stay away from. There aren’t many healthy options, which needs to be changed.”

“Oswego has pretty good dining hall, I must say! Each dining hall usually has a specific specialty, so you can get a variety of options. However, just like any college, they often fall into a system and end up serving the same thing every few weeks in a rotation cycle. But the quality of the food isn’t too bad for dining hall food. But if you’re looking to eat super healthy, don’t go to a dining hall. Yes, they have a decent selection for the salad bar and almost always have some fruit on hand, but you can’t live off just that. However, in my four years here, they’ve incorporated healthier options into the rotation cycle, so hopefully that will continue to develop.”

“As for local places to eat, there are a lot of great hidden gems here. You just have to get out and explore! A lot of the college students don’t take the time to discover the Oswego Tea Company or Mom & Pop’s diner because they’re not super-famous, but we have some good stuff here, for sure.”

Fun:
“A lot of people think there isn’t a lot to do in Oswego, but there really is. There’s a movie theater, restaurants, and bars in town. The college also offers movies for $2 on the weekends, and a lot of activities like karaoke and a ton of other things.”

“There are on-campus karaoke nights, frat parties, bowling, movies – basically, there’s something for everyone.”

“While Oswego isn’t the most happening place on Earth, there are a lot of options for a social life. For one, there are about sixteen bars on the main street, so you can always find a party going on somewhere.”

Housing:
“Personally, I would never live off campus because I think the apartments and the available student houses look worn down and like they might lack proper heating systems.  I love living on campus and I love living in Hart.  In my opinion, West Campus is sort of dumpy and I like to refer to some of the buildings as half way houses, but I’d say the most comfortable and nicest buildings on campus are: Riggs, Johnson, Hart and Funnelle.  Oh, and of course, The Village, but it comes with a price tag to match!”

“The dorms on campus differ immensely.  Some dorms are better than others and are better suited for certain personalities/living styles.”

“It really depends which part of campus you live on, but I think most of the dorms are pretty nice. A lot of them are kind of old, but they aren’t terrible.”

“The dorms are all drastically different and in my opinion, it really depends on your personality. All of the athletes tend to live in Oneida, and I was an athlete, so I loved living there. Really social people tend to like Onondaga because of the suites. But the best choice is clearly the Village, which is only for upperclassmen. If you ever get a chance to live there, do it.”

Special thanks  to Her Campus Oswego for their contributions.