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5 out of 5 people found this review useful.
TJ from Columbia County
Reviewer is A current student here.
Categories Rating Comments Am learning a lot I am a second year student at Cortland and I have learned a lot. I am a physical education major, and I can honestly say that no other school in New York state, and maybe even the country can compare. The professors are amazing and all of them are willing to help with any questions you might have. So far, I have taken many activity classes such as basketball, soccer, track and field, and even SCUBA DIVING!! I have also learned a lot from my student composition classes about how to become a college level writer, and even from my general education classes, such as history.
Am enjoying being here I love going to Cortland, for physical education. I make it a point to say physical education because in all honesty, there are many flaws, and some minor drawbacks. I absolutely love most of my physical education classes up to this point, and I have developed my self as a person and put my self in a great position for a career in physical education just by attending Cortland. The campus is great, especially since there is a bus system that brings you to and from class. Now for the problems. Health services is terrible. If you have to go, clear your afternoon because you will be sitting in the office for up to three hours. Residential services may seem nice at first, but if you go to them with any concerns or questions be ready to receive terrible service and to basically be told there is nothing they can do for anything. The food tastes amazing, and there are tons of options, but the meal plan is terrible. For a meal you get an allotted amount of $6.00 and if your food costs over that amount it is taken out of Dragon Dollars. Sounds good so far, but you cannot buy a $6.00 meal. In my opinion a meal would be a decent portion of food with a drink, and in a good scenario a side of some sort. At Cortland, that does not happen. Be prepared to receive terrible customer service from the food company as well, and at first it seems great, but after a semester or two you realize just how badly they rip you off. Also, there isn't much to to do around Cortland, so Syracuse, Ithaca, and Binghamton are your best bet for any kind of mall or something really fun to do on the weekend or in your free time.
Bang for the buck Even with all of the downsides, I believe your bang for the buck is pretty good. Right now, student housing is being renovated, so many dorm halls are going to be amazing. I live in the newest dorm hall on campus called Glass Tower, and it is truly like living in a hotel. Most freshman will be placed in Cheney Hall and DeGroat Hall, which are both freshman only housing. You have many resources on campus for academic help, and your best bet for student employment is working for ASC, which is the food company on campus. The financial aid advisors are great with any financial questions, and they have helped me with many concerns that I have had. Overall, the quality of education received is pretty good, and I definitely suggest attending if you are going to be a Physical Education major.
Tips for prospective students My biggest tip for incoming and prospective students is to get involved. There are 8,000+/- students at Cortland, and you really need to set yourself apart. Be proactive and get involved with clubs, athletics, and recreational activities. There are literally hundreds of intramural and recreation sports on campus so if you are an athlete definitely get a team together and sign up for some of those. For students who are interested in the fine arts, there is a great fine arts center on campus and I have heard great things from people involved with the fine arts. Get to know your advisor and use them. You will have questions about classes and which ones to take and when. Email, email, email. The best thing you can do is to get in touch with your professors for any questions you might have. Introduce yourself to them on the first day of class so that they recognize you. Trust me, it goes a long way. DO NOT PREPACK!!!! Look up your schedule online, search your books online, and buy your books from a site like half.com or google them. The bookstore loves over charging for textbooks, and you can pay a fraction of the cost for books by not buying them from the store. I have found a $200 book from the bookstore for less than $10 on half.com so I really encourage you to search for your books elsewhere.
Great for these types of students Cortland is great for students who are athletic. The sports teams are amazing, especially the men's and women's cross country teams, men's lacrosse, baseball, and football teams. Many students are athletic because Cortland has a massive Physical Education program, and many students are also into the fine arts and things along those lines because Cortland also has a pretty strong fine arts department. I would suggest Cortland to anyone interested in Physical Education, Health Education, Sports Management, and anyone interested in adolescent education for History, Earth Science, and English.
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2 out of 2 people found this review useful.
Brittany from Baldwinsville, NY
Reviewer is A current student here.
Categories Rating Comments Am learning a lot I am currently a junior on campus and a Speech/Hearing major. I feel that it is one of the hardest majors here at Cortland. The workload is intense, but the material is very interesting. I can't believe the information that I have learned so far and there is so much more to learn. Sometimes there isn't enough time to learn and comprehend everything that needs to be absorbed. All elective classes are very interesting, and there are a variety to choose from.
Am enjoying being here The campus is very inviting. The people are for the most part friendly, especially the ASC staff. The people who work in Corey are some of the nicest people I have ever met. I have made many great friends here who I will keep in touch with for the rest of my life.
Bang for the buck The meal plans are nice, however they are very expensive and sometimes not the most flexible. The meals from each week roll over, but only 2 of them can be used the next week. What ends up happening is all the meals roll over but by the end of the semester they can't all be used, so the meals are wasted.
Tips for prospective students I would suggest not buying the books from the school store. I have bought all my books there, and they are overpriced and don't have a good buyback price. A lot of money is wasted on books and I would suggest buying or renting books from an online source.
Great for these types of students Cortland is a good fit for any type of student. If you are not athletic it doesn't matter. There are plenty of activities and club available for those who do not enjoy sports.
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1 out of 1 people found this review useful.
Kaytlin from Wildwood, NJ
Reviewer is A current student here.
Categories Rating Comments Am learning a lot My education thus far at SUNY Cortland has been both challenging and rewarding. I am currently majoring in International Relations, and I really enjoy the majority of my classes.
Am enjoying being here SUNY Cortland is pretty far from home for me because I am from South Jersey, but it's easy to make friends and people are generally pretty friendly here.
Bang for the buck I love it here, it's so beautiful and I love my classes & professors.
Tips for prospective students The parties here are HUGE; if you're not into partying it does put a little damper on things. The good thing is that there are SO MANY CLUBS here on campus and it's very easy to fill your time with more fulfilling things to do and still be able to meet new people and network.
Great for these types of students SUNY Cortland is great for everyone, there's so much to do on campus that it's hard to just sit around; there's ALWAYS something going on.
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1 out of 1 people found this review useful.
Crystal
Reviewer is A current student here.
Categories Rating Comments Am learning a lot I learn so much at Cortland. The professors are great and most of the classes in your major are small, giving you great opportunities for help from the professor. I've learned a lot so far, there are a lot of opportunities to research with professors and all the classes are interesting.
Am enjoying being here Cortland is a great small town. On campus there are many different things to do and a lot of places to meet with friends. I'm part of a Greek organization and there are always things to do with that. There are numerous club teams to play on, a number of Greek organizations, any club you can think of and there is always something to do when your on or off campus.
Bang for the buck You can get a private school education for the cost of a public school. Everyone is very professional and excited to teach.
Tips for prospective students Get involved and make sure to do all your extra credit and homework (it can help your grade)!
Great for these types of students Great for students who like a small class room and a friendly campus!
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1 out of 1 people found this review useful.
Beth from Webster, NY
Reviewer is A current student here.
Categories Rating Comments Am learning a lot Although the General Education classes seem likethey are useless, they give you a chance to explore different areas. There are a bunch of interesting classes and endless possibilities of classes in the different majors.
Am enjoying being here I loved Cortland when I visited and I have fallen more in love with it being there. I consider Cortland my second home.
Bang for the buck Yes, it is expensive, but what college isn't? The meal plan may seem expensive but you get a lot for your money. There are quite a few places to eat and Neubig Dining Hall, the all you can eat place, gives you plenty of choices. The food is excellent everywhere. The school even provides bus transportation on the weekends to one of the plazas, which houses Walmart, Price Chopper, JC Penney, Kmart, Payless, Fashion Bug, and more. The money you pay to come to Cortland is well worth it.
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1 out of 1 people found this review useful.
Alyssa from Wappingers Falls, NY
Reviewer is A current student here.
Categories Rating Comments Am learning a lot As a freshman at SUNY Cortland, my classes were chosen for me my first semester. I did not know much about my professors or college courses when I started here. However, every class I took taught me something different and challenged me in different ways. At times, the studying got frustrating but the good grades in the end were well worth it.
Am enjoying being here Cortland is excellent for student athletes, and for anyone who enjoys sports. The Recreational Sports department is amazing, so even if you don't play a varsity sport, you still have the chance to play on a rec team. The people here are friendly, and there is always a college run function, or party off campus to attend.
Bang for the buck SUNY Schools in general give their students a great education for prices a lot cheaper than private colleges and universities.
Tips for prospective students Bring a lot of warm clothing! It gets very cold at Cortland! Also, get involved with something; there are an endless amount of clubs and activities available to students.
Great for these types of students Athletes, those who don't mind the cold, and those who want to be positively challenged.
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2 out of 3 people found this review useful.
Dasheen from Tomkins Cove, NY
Reviewer is Accepted here and planning to attend soon. Reviewer has been to campus.
Categories Rating Comments Will learn a lot from what ive seen just by visiting, they are a very good school when it comes to getting you the information and help that you are going to need during your stay.
Will enjoy being here when people think of cortland they think of the parties and thats all good, but for some people (blacks and hispanics) you might find it a little difficult to adjust maybe not at the school because everyone seems accepting there but in the town the people in certian places (Subway) arent to welcoming to new things. but besides that its great...there are loads of different activities there for you to do if you arent the partying type.
Great for these types of students athletes, they have an exellent athletic program for almost every sport, and if you want to be a teacher.
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0 out of 2 people found this review useful.
J from Cortland, NY
Reviewer is A current student here.
Categories Rating Comments Login to rate or flag the reviews
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Kimberly from Milford, DE
Reviewer is A current student here.
Categories Rating Comments In three sentences Cortland is an extremely friendly place. The courses are challenging and the professors are always available to offer extra time or help. I feel at home when I'm there, even though I'm actually five hours away from my home.
Tips for prospective students Always try your hardest; this isn't high school anymore. There is a ton of help at Cortland for you, from tutors to office hours with professors. College is what you make of it, so don't waste a moment (or a dime) on anything that will not push you closer towards your ultimate goal.
Academic Rigor The classes are without a doubt difficult. There are professors that make some courses easier than others based on their teaching styles and how they run their tests. If you apply yourself and take advantage of the opportunities for success offered at Cortland, there's no way you will not succeed.
Dorm Life Cortland offers new students a chance to choose where they would like to stay on a Housing Preference Form that is filled out once the housing deposit is paid. There is even an apartment complex on-campus that is about half of a mile away from the school where first year students are allowed to live if they so choose. Roommates become best friends, and it is extremely hard to leave at the end of the year knowing that you have made friends that you will never forget.
Food and Dining There are a TON of places to eat on campus. There is Neubig Hall, which is the all-you-can-eat dining facility, which offers a wide variety of food. There is an island bar in the center of the dining area which makes breakfast sandwiches in the morning and things like quesadillas for lunch or dinner. There is a gluten-free station for students that must be or choose to be gluten-free, as well as a full salad bar, soft serve ice cream machine (Cold Stone is offered at night!!), and lots of different foods. There is also a Subway, Friendly's, and Dunkin' Donuts in Corey Union (our Student Union Building), as well as Dragon's Court which houses a grill for burgers, fries, hot dogs, mozz sticks, etc., Dixie Chix (a complete comfort food station), Yolato (frozen yogurt), and Veggie Patch, an all-vegan option. In addition to those buildings, Brockway Hall houses Hilltop, which has the BEST brick oven pizza, and makes a bunch of things like chicken sandwiches, burgers, etc., and there is even a full sushi bar! On the bottom floor of Old Main, there is Dragon's Den, which makes more sandwiches and ensures that there is always a building within walking distance that offers a good meal. Using Connections you can also add money to a Cortland debit card which allows you to travel to many of the restaurants downtown without using a meal plan or having to carry cash. The local Applebee's also accepts Connections. There are more than enough options for food that are ALL extremely delicious!
What to do for fun Besides just hanging out with friends, there is a program called Cortland Nites. Cortland Nites offers things to do every night of the week, including $3 movie nights, $5 snow tubing at a local ski resort, and more free activities than you can imagine. There have been artists come to Cortland during the week to draw caricatures for free, Build-A-Bear has allowed students to create their own animals for free; everything is offered at little-to-no cost. The most I have ever paid for an activity has been $5 for snow tubing, which was TOTALLY worth it. There are also many recreational activities to get involved in, whether you are more interested in Varsity, Club, Recreational, or Intramural level, there is something for everyone!!
Bang for the buck If you are an in-state student, it's perfect. Out-of-state students like myself, however, may have a little more trouble managing tuition bills. There are many government programs and other scholarships that can help fray the costs though, and for the quality of the programs offered, the cost is without a doubt worth it.
Great for these types of students Hardworking individuals with goals that are attainable but require dedication in order to reach, those that enjoy a close-knit community/small town.
Clubs and Activities Cortland offers over 160 clubs on campus. There are everything from sports clubs to clubs just because. If you want a club that Cortland does not yet offer, all you need is four people and a faculty advisor, and your club will immediately be created! For example, Cortland even offers a Quidditch Club (from the Harry Potter series)!
Greek Life Greek Life is something that is always an option, but there is no pressure to be involved in it. There are three recognized fraternities and about seven to ten sororities on campus. Cortland is not a college where Greek Life is pushed; you will have some friends that are involved and some that are not.
Campus Safety I can honestly say that I feel 110% safe at Cortland. I have had late classes and have had no problem walking back to my dorm by myself. If a student should feel threatened or uneasy though, Cortland has a Campus Blue-Light System. There are blue lights hanging all over the buildings at Cortland, and should there be an issue, all you have to do is walk to a blue light, pick up the phone, and Campus PD will be there within 60 seconds. You will always be able to see from one Blue-Light to another, and the Blue-Light System has been in place for over ten years and has only had one report of someone actually having to use it. That instance was only because a student did not like walking without friends, and asked University Police to escort him/her back to the dorms.
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Student from NY
Reviewer is A current student here.
Categories Rating Comments In three sentences 1) A warm campus. 2)Helpful faculty. 3)Athletic students.
Tips for prospective students 1)Visit 2)Talk with professors of your intended major 3)Talk to students.
What to do for fun Sport clubs
Great for these types of students Studious and athletic.
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